Capture the flag

We play a fun game each night that we call "baby capture the flag." Like the traditional version of the game, this one involves trying to, well, capture the flag--but the "flag" in our case is Baby B's bib.

See, we put a bib on her after she's dressed for bed because, even though her reflux has been a lot better lately, she does tend to spit up if she lies down too soon after eating. We've been putting her to bed about half an hour after her last feeding of the day, so the spit-up risk is still there. Instead of worrying about having to change her whole outfit and risk waking her up, we just put on a bib. However, with her able to use her hands to move the bib, we can't leave it on her all night because it's too much of a suffocation risk. (I'm very paranoid about that; we've opted not to use bumpers in her crib unless it looks like it's going to be truly necessary.) So, we wait until she's in a deep enough sleep, then the game begins.

The goal, of course, is to capture the "flag" without waking her up. I've learned that the best way to do this is in two or three different stages. First we unfasten the velco closure and she stirs just a bit. We take a step away from the crib and wait for her to settle down, then make the move to remove the bib from around her neck, again with the goal of not waking her up. It's actually really easy to do, but it sometimes feel so risky!

Speaking of bibs, I'm happy to report that I've finally found some that are perfect for our needs. They're the Carter's dribblehappy bibs (pictured above) that have a waterproof lining on the inside (but are soft cloth on the front and back) to prevent wetness from getting to the baby's clothes. I really like that the closure is on the side instead of the back, especially since Baby B still spends most of her time on her back. With the bibs that have the velcro closure in the back, it sometimes doesn't lay right when she's laying down and can bother her sometimes. Plus this side closure makes it a lot easier to remove the bib at night.