Emily D’Archangelo is an audiologist and lives in Southern California with her husband and two kids. She was one of the first BabyPage users and has given us great feedback. Thanks so much Emily!
After having kids, what product can you not live without?
The kitchen helper for our toddler Lucas. It is a platform for your child to stand on so they can help in the kitchen with sides to make it safer. It is helpful in so many ways. When I come home from work I need to get dinner started, it’s great that I can interact with him since I’ve been gone all day. It’s great because he climbs up to be at counter height and helps me cook. It’s also great because he can stand at the counter and have his lunch or snack while I do the dishes or prepare a meal.
What was the best kid friendly vacation or day trip you’ve been on recently?
We went to the La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles. It’s a museum that displays animals that were trapped and preserved in the ground from naturally occurring tar seeping through the ground. If your kid loves the movie Ice Age, they will love this. There are plenty of Wooly Mammoths, Saber Tooth Tigers, and sloths to look at. Our next trip will be to the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles that apparently has a great dinosaur exhibit which our two year old son is really interested in.
What tools do you use to track your child’s milestones? (ex. baby book, notebook, spreadsheet, etc.)
Yikes we didn’t really track our first child’s milestones. We needed BabyPage! I’ve used BabyPage for our five month old and I’m hoping to try to jog my memory as best as I can to make a BabyPages for our two year old’s milestones too.
What are your kids’ favorite books right now?
“Digger Dozer and Dumper” by Hope Vestergaard. Great book about every truck you can imagine. “I love you stinky face” by Lisa McCourt. Cute humor and fun for every mom to read to their kid.
What is the grossest thing you’ve ever had to clean up?
Well it’s pretty much a never ending saga of cleaning up poopy diapers and throw up. We recently went to the mountains and my little two year old got sick from the winding roads and threw up all over himself and the car seat. We tried to clean it the best we could but the smell stayed with us all the way back down the mountain.
What’s a really useful product that you don’t see on a lot of registries?
The Boon grass countertop drying rack. I like to keep my pumping supplies and baby bottles and dishes separate from the rest of the dishes. Get the stem accessory. It is useful for holding the membranes used for pumping and bottle nipples.
Do you love your stroller and/or baby carrier, and would you recommend it?
We have the BOB stroller. It has been great for running, walking, and hiking trails. It is pretty heavy so with our recent addition (we now have a little girl) we purchased the City Select which was recommended by many of our friends. We are still waiting for the adaptor, but I’m very excited to use it. It has many seating options and feels very lightweight.
What is your kid’s favorite toy right now?
The take-apart airplane made by BATTAT. It has a power screwdriver with bits. Our two year old boy loves sitting down and putting the airplane together with the screwdriver. It’s also great because anytime we are putting something together or fixing something he gets the screwdriver and helps us.
What is something about having kids that you didn’t expect you would love?
I didn’t expect to love doing so many kid activities. Before kids I really wasn’t too interested in going to the zoo, aquarium, and museums. It is so fun now going to these places and seeing the excitement on their faces. I’m just as excited as they are now to go see fighter jet airplanes, sharks, and penguins!
What advice would you give to first time moms?
Just remember you are doing the best that you can for your family and you are a great mom! Give yourself a pat on the back and enjoy those kids!
