Rubber Ducky Time

We love bath time!! Personally, I always have and my bath time became much more enjoyable with the purchase of our recent home, which came stocked with a jetted, soaker tub in our master bath.

With that said, once the umbillical cord fell off Miss L...we were excited to get started with 'real' bath time. An experienced mommy friend of mine suggested we register for the Fisher Price "Whale of a Time" bath tub. We did and this has been a bit helpful, however, most of the time, we enjoy getting in the tub together. Miss L loves the jets, and of course we have plenty of bath books and toys.

A couple of things I do that I find helpful:

• I utilize two baby washcloths in our tub. One for washing her with and one to periodically get wet and lay on her bare belly or back - whichever is exposed to the air. This cloth keeps her nice and warm.
• I recommend the Johnson & Johnson Bedtime Bath with Lavender scent, as well as the lotion following the bath - this makes for a sleepy {happy} baby.
• I place the temperature-gauging rubber ducky in the tub every time - especially when we place her in the big tub with me - as I naturally prefer a hot bath. The ducky bottom says "HOT" if the water is too warm for baby.

P.S. - the book "My Bath Pals" is awesome - she loves that it squeeks and it is small enough to pack along on trips.

Miss L during a recent bath in "Whale of a Tub"

A recent article online at WhatToExpect.com highlighted the following benefits to bath time, besides the obvious benefit of a clean baby.

• Boosts baby-mom bond - Taking care of your baby lets them know you care about them. Take advantage of this special time to gaze into her eyes, stroke his soft skin, kiss that hummy baby belly, coo sweet nothings and sing silly sings. Feeling your gentle touch and hearing your voice lets your little one know how much they are loved.
• Learning experience - tickle your little one's senses by trickling water gently onto her belly, teach her a lesson in cause and effect by showing her how to kick the water adn create a splash, count those little toes and fingers as you wash them, or give a play-by-play as you wash each body part.
• Soothing for fussy babies - After a long {er, stressful} day at work, a hot soak in the tub is calling your name...the same relaxation benefits are calming and comforting to soothe fussy babies. Follow it with an infant massage afterwards by using a few drops of lotion or fruit or vegetable oil (apricot, grape seed, or avocado are great!).
• Sleep inducer - warm bath, warm room and the warm feeling of being safe, secure, and loved work magic together and will put baby in the mood to snooze. Reinforce the idea by dimming the lights and keeping the noise and activity down after the bath is over.