As baby gear kept piling up around the first birthday, some things turned out to be immediately useful, some were clear misses for the moment, and some were memorable mainly because of the story attached to them.
Ride-on tricycle
A pink three-wheel pedal wiggle car had been on the shopping list for months. The idea was to get one for Little Bear to play with, but none of the options seemed quite right, so the purchase kept getting delayed. In the end, one was given as a first birthday present by Xiao Migua. The problem was simple: she was still too small. Her feet couldn’t reach either the pedals or the ground properly, so riding it was still beyond her.
Potty seat
A Libaojian safety potty with a pull-out drawer was bought fairly early on. The decision came after reading in a parenting book that the posture used when holding a baby out to pee might not be good for development. Even so, buying it early didn’t make the transition happen any faster. By the time she turned one, Little Bear still refused to sit on it to poop.
Shampoo
Once the Pigeon baby shampoo came into use, the Johnson’s bottle was officially retired. A very practical improvement followed: Little Bear’s head no longer smelled like tea eggs.
Toys added to the pile
There were quite a few new toys during this period:
- Aole ocean balls
- B.En.Shi hand drum
- an eight-note xylophone
- a magnetic wooden fishing game
- a Barbie doll
- an inflatable squeaky hammer shaped like a pink rabbit
Smock that didn’t win her over
The Cotton Hall baby smock was decent in quality, with nothing obvious to complain about. It just had one fatal flaw from the wearer’s perspective: Little Bear didn’t like it. Every time it was put on, she tried to yank it right back off.
The goldfish episode
On the way to pick photos at a studio, Xiao Migua bought four goldfish on impulse. They were looked after with real care, but within a week, three had died anyway. The last remaining fish was eventually released into the fountain pond in the residential complex.
A small armchair and an unexpected lesson
Little Bear’s grandmother bought her a small chair as a first birthday gift. It was originally bright red, but after bringing it home, two problems showed up: it didn’t sit evenly, and the PU seat cover had a slit in it.
Hillway and I took it back to exchange. At the store, the clerk adjusted the original chair and got it stable again, but I still insisted on switching it for another one in bright yellow. Hillway remarked that sometimes things that seem hard to understand on the surface actually have their own hidden backstory.
Pork floss
Three boxes of Fangguang premium pork floss, original flavor, 100g each, were picked up during a promotion. Feeding it on its own did not go especially well, so later it was mixed into rice porridge instead.
Flannel cape
A Beihuiyi baby flannel cape in a yellow little-lion design felt wonderfully soft. It was bought for winter evenings, mainly to keep Little Bear from getting chilled by the wind when going out at night. At that point, though, it still hadn’t been used yet.
Clothes, hats, shoes, and socks
Aside from the items bought by Xiao Migua and a few others, almost all the remaining clothing and accessory purchases came from online shopping.