I like the idea of the Edushape Play and Sound Mat. I think it could entertain a baby who is either not on the go, just starting to push herself around, or really on the go and popping in for some fun now and then. It could really last in a playroom or play area for a couple years. The flowers have buttons on them that baby can push; the reward for pushing them is a melody. With textures, mirrors, and a price tag of $50 at diapers.com, it’s an idea for a young baby’s Christmas gift this year that isn’t cheap but isn’t overly expensive either.

The mamaRoo Bouncer promises to be the next big trend in infant gear. Made by innovator 4moms, it moves up and down as well as side to side. It even mimics the motion of a car. It comes in a number of fun, modern colors, and features attached toys decorated in the style of famous artists. The product is expected to hit stores in January 10, 2010. You can pre-order one for $269.99 at modernnursery.com. Or, find out more, and watch a video at 4momsonline.com/mamaroo.

The baby section of the Target website is very handy. You can shop for gifts by gender, personality, and price. I chose only Shop for Boy Baby and found tons of great ideas. For safety reasons, I’m very interested in the Little Playzone with Sounds and Lights. If I have something I have to do, my littlest son ends up in his playpen; to be able to put him in a larger area that he can crawl around in would be much more ideal. The only downside I can see is that it is not attractive in the least. I’m not big on the gaudy colors for something that would take up so much space somewhere in my home. However, it can be used to keep baby safe in and outside, could keep little ones from touching their older siblings’ baby inappropriate toys, and will feel much less restrictive to baby than a playpen.

At $99, it is rather expensive, but the lights and sounds included for baby’s enjoyment probably increase the cost. Find it at Target.com, along with a ton of other interesting baby gear that I haven’t seen in stores.

I’m getting ready to pack away our Bumbo seat and I realized that we have never discussed this popular product on the blog. What an oversight!

This unique foam seat was just hitting massive popularity when my three year old was an infant. We have now used it with two kids and have had a fairly positive experience with it.  Both of my girls have been relatively happy in this seat, which allows them to sit up before they are ready to sit up on their own. The downsides are that it is a little difficult to clean because it is so porous, and that it gets a little scary once kids can move a little more. We have had to put it away because my daughter was on the verge of escaping from it by around 5 months. My sister had this problem much earlier with her first son, and was therefore very disappointed with the seat.

You can purchase one of these seats for $39.95 at bumboseat.com. They are  available in a variety of colors. The company has now also started marketing a number of accessories such as a tray. These are a great gift for new parents.

Our little one is three and a half months old, and she is clearly getting bored. She wants to be upright and she wants to be entertained. I’m thinking that it is time for an exersaucer. Unfortunately, I gave away our old one because it was so bulky to store, and I’m now scrambling to find new one. I’m really disappointed, however, that with all the hip, modern baby gear on the market, no one seems to make an exersaucer or entertainment center that isn’t obnoxious beyond belief.

I had just about given up hope when I came across this new Evenflo model. While it isn’t the hip modern look I was hoping for, it is something I think we can live with. The colors and shapes are subdued, and the little toys are actually pretty cute. The downside is that, at least according to the Target Web site, this product won’t be available for another 2-6 weeks. I’m not sure we can wait that long! You can check this product out at Target.com. The retail price is $99. And, if anyone knows of a hip Scandinavian-inspired play center, I’d love to hear about it!