Baby Thomas is now 6 months old!  He is outgrowing his Bumbo seat, and it was time for us to look for a real high chair.  I had read the Baby Bargains book, and read countless reviews online.  All signs pointed to the Fisher-Price Healthy Care line.  There were a few options.  You could get a regular high chair, or a booster seat that would sit on a chair.  Also, there was a Rainforest line with green jungle scenes and toys.  I did not want the Rainforest chair.  Thomas already has an exersaucer, and I thought it was just unnecessary.  I bought the Rainforest high chair.  

We considered the booster seat, mainly because there was a version that was not Rainforest style.  We opted for the big high chair.  I had a gift card, and headed over to Toys R Us.  I bought the last one on the shelf.  The box was all dented and I was scared to look inside.  It was fine.  When I got it home, it sat by the tree for a few days.  My husband finally worked up the courage to open the box all the way.  It wasn’t too much work.  He thought it was pretty easy. 

Bottom line, baby likes the high chair.  He seems comfortable.  It holds him in place while I feed him. (He was always struggling and leaning back in the Bumbo.)  It is super easy to clean (all vinyl seat cover).  The tray is very easy to click on, and also easy to slide off.  It doesn’t look too gaudy in our  dining room.  The toys are fun for him to play with, and the music has a volume control with a pretty quiet setting.

Our one complaint is that when you fold it up, the legs don’t latch in place.  They flop around unless you hold them together.   

I give this high chair  (4 smilies out of 5).  It would get higher marks if it had another option other than Rainforest style.  Also, it would help if the legs latched shut when folded up. 

I definitely recommend this high chair.  It leans back for little babies, and the height is also easy to adjust. 

Yesterday was Thomas’ first Christmas!  He was too young this year to understand what was going on, but we still had a fun time.  In the morning, I dressed him in his little santa onesie.  He opened up a few gifts (some Hanukkah) in front of the tree.  My husband and I kept our gifts to a minimum.  It has been an expensive year, and we really didn’t even need or want big gifts from each other.  Our parents are very generous, and gave us money.  For Thomas, they gave a stroller (that we picked out) and a Babies R Us gift card (which I used to buy a high chair).  His other gifts included toys and pajamas (which I had asked for).  

 Next week, my mom and sister will be here to visit.  We will do our “real” Christmas then.  We’ll have more gifts, and our traditional meals.  Last night, we went to a friend’s house for dinner.   The baby slept in his pack n play for a few hours, but woke up so we went home a bit early.  It was still nice to get out.  I am so excited to see my family next week!

Yesterday, we took Thomas to a Christmas parade.  And when I say Christmas, it was REALLY about Christmas.  There were several Christian groups in the parade- the girls were wearing skirts in the marching band!  That was a first for me.  

It was a really nice day- perfect weather.  We found a spot in the shade, and set up our folding chairs.  I don’t know how much Thomas actually watched, but I enjoyed the parade.  A lot of the entries were local businesses, including a garbage truck!

 The local Democratic party marched in pajamas.

This float won the award for best overall entry.  It was the Grinch and the children of Whoville.  Very cute!

Here are some photos of Thomas (and my hair).

I’m a sucker.  I took my baby to meet Santa today, and I ended up buying the photo CD.  The pictures were SO good!  I’ve been to the mall at Christmas time every year, and I always see the endless line of families waiting to meet Santa.  I did not want to wait in that line with a little baby!  So, I packed a special outfit this morning, and headed to the mall after work.  The line wasn’t long.  There were about 6 or 7 families ahead of us.  However, each family takes at least 5 minutes!  First, they take the “formal” pictures.  These can be printed up while you wait.  Then, they take a series of “candid” shots.  You can come back in two days to pick them up, or buy the CD which they burn while you wait.  I was worried that Thomas would not smile, or that he would be too tired to enjoy it.  He missed his nap, and was making his tired cry.  Well, when it was our turn, he was a champ!  It helped that the photographer was really good with him, AND he took great photos.  I was originally going to purchase the “formal” picture, but I didn’t really like it. The candids came out so much better.  Now I have to choose one that we will print out and send with the Christmas cards.   We’re a combo family, so we ordered a Hanukkah onesie from CafePress.com.  I’ll take separate pictures then.

For now, enjoy Thomas and Santa: 

I have tried feeding Thomas rice cereal a few times, but it didn’t go very well.  I don’t think he was quite ready.  He’s 5 months now, and I think I’ll try again.  I looked into good foods to start babies on.  Avocado, banana, and squash are at the top of the list.   I tried a tiny bit of banana mixed with rice cereal.  He really liked it, but was really backed up the next day.  I didn’t try that again.  I also bought an avocado and a butternut squash.  I can just mash up the avocado without cooking it (same as banana), but I haven’t tried that one yet.  Tonight I decided to cook up the squash.  I looked up a “recipe” on this website.  It was pretty easy.  I cut the squash in half, scooped out the seeds, and baked it in a dish with 1/2 inch of water for 40 minutes at 400°.  Once it was finished, I scooped the “meat” out of the skin, and pureed it in my Cuisinart.  It looks great!  I bought two ice cube trays and filled them with the puree.  I put them in the freezer, and once they’re frozen, I’ll pop them out and store them in a Zip-Loc bag.  It makes 32 individual servings.  If I bought that much baby food in jars, it would cost about $15.  The squash probably cost me $2 or $3 at the store.  I am looking forward to the next vegetable!