Bumbo

Dear Jack,

There is a lot of unnecessary baby gear in the world. A whole lot.

Some of it is just an evil plan to guilt new parents into spending obscene amounts of money. I'll put anything with the words "organic" that isn't actually food in this category. Organic t-shirts? Really? And your other 100% cotton t-shirts are made of what?

Some of it is unnecessary based solely on the parents' style. Since you sleep in the bed with me, I consider a bassinet to be utterly useless. Except to hold your dirty clothes. But if I wanted you to sleep on your own, I guess a bassinet would be a nice thing.

Some of it is unnecessary in the sense that it is new and millions upon millions of babies have made it through to adulthood without this thing, but it does a neat thing and we new mamas think it's all the rage and simply must have it.

Introducing the Bumbo chair.

They started making these in 2007, which means your sister is even too old to have had one. I can't decide if they are going to become the newest baby must have, or turn into a weird fad of the late aughts.

Maybe they'll still be making them when your generation is having kids, or maybe they'll be something that totally dates you... "look, you had a Bumbo chair, you must have been born around '08, right?"

Either way, I thought someday it would be fun to look back at this picture.

I probably wouldn't have sprung for a Bumbo chair for you... they sell for $40 and they are only really useful for a few months (like most baby things, I guess). Happily, Mrs. Hazen let us borrow hers until Baby Hazen arrives in about six months.

How do you feel about this Bumbo chair and my own personal debate over whether or not they are a useful piece of baby equipment? Well, we put you in it for the first time yesterday, you sunk down nicely, and then gave your dad and me your very first official social smile.

So, I guess you like it. And that's all I really care about anyway.

Love,
Mom



Disclaimer: You should never, ever leave a baby unattended on an elevated surface in a Bumbo chair. I have to mention that because Mrs. Hazen let me use hers and she really wanted me to know that was on the warning label. You were attended the whole time, I promise.