Tag Archives: zippy

Going Review and a Giveaway: Unwrapping the Swaddle with a Zipadee-Zip

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At first, we thought Avery hated being swaddled and we were reluctant to use one on her. But, we eventually grew desperate and gave the traditional swaddle a try and she surprisingly slept almost all night! For a while, it helped contain her crazy arms so they wouldn’t distract her from sleep, but then her strength became too much to contain her beastly baby arms.

I don't know how these arms got out, I swear!
I don’t know how these arms got out, I swear!

Like most desperate parents, we went in search for a solution on the internet. Sometimes, the internet just overwhelms you with other parents’ opinions and you end up more confused than you were at the start; this was one of those times. After a lot of back and forth, we ordered a sleep sack called the Woombie. It had great reviews (like everything else), so why not give it a shot?

Bad Wake Up

Nope, no good. Once in it, her arms could still go right to her face where she would try to eat them. Then, taking advice from the internet again, I first wrapped her arms securely beside her with a long piece of cloth. Success! Avery’s arms were kept safely at her side and she was sleeping mostly through the night in her crib.

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But, babies grow, and they become more active by rolling over. Before Avery learned to roll over, a friend of ours asked if we heard of the Zipadee-Zip which is made to transition out of swaddling. I wasn’t aware of the Zipadee-Zip (Zippy for short), but wanted to learn more.

The Zipadee-Zip was born when Stephanie and her husband Brett struggled to find a way to get their daughter to sleep without a swaddle. Stephanie created the first Zippy on her sewing machine at home, and after successfully getting her daughter to sleep in it, she and her husband built a website to market their new product. Stephanie sewed each order herself with true passion and care which explains how their small Texas business has grown all from word of mouth by happy customers.

Initially, I expected something that kept the arms a little more contained, but then that would defeat the purpose of allowing them to roll themselves over. The Zipadee-Zip is made to provide your baby with the feeling of being enclosed, like a swaddle, but allowing for full range of movement to roll around as they please.

Check out this video to see how easy it is to use the Zipadee-Zip:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cS5KMso3UE?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

Here are a few reasons why the Zipadee-Zip is loved by many:

  • It’s easier to put on than PJ’s
  • Keeps little hands and feet warm all through the night
  • Prevents babies from scratching their face and startling themselves awake
  • Makes late night diaper changes a cinch
  • The perfect transition after outgrowing the swaddling blanket
  • The ideal wearable blanket
  • Encourages sounder, cozier sleep
  • The breathable fabric but enclosed design makes it perfect for both hot and cold weather

To learn more on the Zippy and view testimonials, just visit their website and Facebook page.

I promptly wrote Stephanie about having the chance to review the Zipadee-Zip for my blog, and she kindly agreed to send us two. I was so excited when she agreed, I couldn’t wait to tell Kelley the great news! Remember when I first mentioned them in this post?

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Although she wasn’t rolling over yet, I was eager to try it out during one of her daytime naps. I zipped her up and laid her down for an afternoon nap in which she accepted fairly easily; a little too easy.

My arms are free!!
My arms are free!!

That lasted 30 minutes. Not a big deal since her afternoon naps are always short anyway. For a while, we stuck with the sleep sack and arm wrap for nighttime and I would use the Zippy during her morning naps. Avery started to get used to having her Zippy and would sleep a good 3 hours in the morning on most days. Now it was time for the big test; nighttime!

I'm a star.......fish!
I’m a star…….fish!

The first few tries were not very successful and Avery wound up in bed with us earlier than usual. We stopped using it for a few days, but she still had issues with sleep, so maybe it wasn’t the Zippy.Then, Avery finally started rolling over and we knew we needed to use the Zippy for all of her sleep times!

I was worried on how the first night would go, but surprisingly, she slept great! We have been using the Zippy ever since, and although some nights are better than others, we have peace of mind knowing she can safely roll all over the crib. And she makes certain to use every inch of space in that thing!

Ahhh, the freedom to sleep however I want!!
Ahhh, the freedom to sleep however I want!!

When putting her in the swaddle, Avery would cry before, during, and after the wrap, but with the Zippy, she’s more content. Hmmm, I guess babies like to have freedom to move around too!

Shhhhh, don't let everyone know our secret!
Shhhhh, don’t let everyone know our secret!

Another plus is that your baby goes from already adorable to super adorable in this starfish-shaped wearable sleep blanket! I even took Avery out for a run in the stroller, and walk in our Onya Baby Carrier while wearing her Zippy, so don’t limit it to the crib!

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Going Mom and I both love the Zippy and the sleep it has provided for Avery as well as ourselves, and we know our baby is safe while wearing it. Avery seems pretty happy and comfortable with her Zippy too….

Sleeping while daddy works out in the garage
Sleeping while daddy works out in the garage

The Zippy makes you want to just hug and squeeze your adorable baby forever, but don’t do that, squeezing is bad. I can only think of one suggestion to improve the Zippy; adding a second zipper at the bottom. This would allow for diaper changes in the middle of the night or during a long nap and I feel would be very beneficial.

Zippy approved!
Zippy approved!

Are you ready to get your little one out of a swaddle and into a Zipadee-Zip? Well, Stephanie, being the amiable lady she is, has agreed to let me give one away to a lucky reader! Awesome, huh?!

To enter, just click the Rafflecopter link below and follow the steps to earn entries. The contest ends next Friday, April 11, 2014, and I will announce the winner soon thereafter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

“Catching Fire” with Tabata Inferno

Sunday at our home was pleasantly uneventful this weekend, just how we like it. I only went outside to bring the trash and recycle bins to the curb and pick up dog poo. Yep, good times……

After a fairly restless night because of someone….

Me, he's talking about me...
Me, he’s talking about me…

….we had a slow start to the day which involved cooking a peanut butter protein teff porridge for Kelley and consuming several cups of coffee. Then, being the crazy people we are, we sat at the dining table and stared at our computers while Avery had a morning nap.

She hasn’t been having the best sleep in her new Zippy, and we’re thinking we tried to make the switch too fast. So we’ll do the swaddle again and make a slower transition. Although, it’s hard to not have her in the Zippy because she’s so freakin’ cute!

No, see, I'm wide awake!
No, see, I’m wide awake!

Once Avery woke up, we spent a little time with all three of us laying on the nursery floor. It started with Tummy Time for Avery, but then it ended with Back Time for Mom and Dad while holding Avery. I think she’s a manipulative baby!

As the day progressed, Kelley laid Avery down for another nap and we decided to finally start watching “Catching Fire” that we bought a few weeks ago. Choosing a movie is a huge commitment when you have a baby in the house, so it needs to be a good one!

We enjoyed the first part of this three part series, “The Hunger Games”, and have been looking forward to this second installment. After pausing several times to try and get Avery back to sleep and then just giving up and bringing her out to watch the movie, we finally finished.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d give it a “What the Crap?!” strictly because of the ending, or lack thereof. I get that this is a series, but at least giving us a little more would’ve been nice. As I said, this is a huge commitment! Other than the non-ending ending, it really was a good movie and I am ready for the third and final one to come out.

It was getting late and Avery’s bedtime was drawing near, but first we had a workout video to do.  Kelley has been loosely following the Supreme 90 Day workout videos, and today was Tabata Inferno.

Tabata has become pretty popular in the fitness world and is a protocol of doing 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest for 8 rounds. So, it ends up being 4 minutes total. This video has you doing 7 different tabata routines with a 1 minute break in between. I consider myself to be in good shape, and this video will really make me sweat! Here’s a full list of what you do if you’re interested:

Avery hung out in her jumper next to me during the video and she was good up until the last part. I think was the part with burpees really confuses her; what do you think?

I'd rather do Tummy Time...
I’d rather do Tummy Time…

Immediately after the video, Kelley  jumped in the shower while I made a smoothie and prepared dinner. But, before dinner, we had a very tired and fussy baby to bathe and put down for the night. It didn’t take long until Kelley had Avery in her crib and we wound down for the night. What a day!

I didn’t walk with Avery in the Onya on Saturday or Sunday, but I did wear her around the house both days. We went for a run in her stroller on Saturday, so that’s the only reason there was no walk. Total time for both days was about 40 minutes and I used the chest clip front carry each time. I think I’m warming up to the chest clip versus the cross straps for regular activities, and Avery is starting to enjoy it too!

Are you a fan of “The Hunger Games”?

Do you have any favorite workout videos?

A Walking Revelation, Darth Vader Sweat, and Avery in a Zippy

So, I had a revelation while walking with Avery and Abby. Since Avery never has much input and Abby is just looking for a place to poop, I’m usually alone with my thoughts during the 1+ hour long walk. Today, I thought of how much I used to dread work and couldn’t stand to be sitting (ha ha, that’s funny) inside. Poor Kelley, she had to listen to me complain about the same thing almost on a daily basis! Sorry, Kelley.

But now I’m here, raising our precious daughter and staying out of an office setting. Sure it’s hard work, but one look at Avery and I know it’s well worth it. Plus, I’m really hoping she’ll be nice and not put Kelley and me in a crappy nursing home one day.

Heart=Melted
Heart = Melted

Then, in thinking of the future, I realized I need to cherish each and every walk I take with Avery in the carrier and everything else we do together. Because one day, she’ll suddenly be fully grown and off doing her own thing. It’s the bittersweet fact all parents know is inevitable; our babies grow up.

Sometimes it takes deep thought before you realize the obvious, and today it just hit me. I know I’ll have to remind myself many more times, but as parents, we should make it a point to enjoy the time with our little ones as much as possible. That’s the best advice I’ve ever received and will ever give. I love our little family and will forever hold it dear to my heart!

Today’s walk was very warm with the high in the 80’s, and windy too. I sweat a lot, and poor Avery had to be right up against my stomach and chest. But, I made good use of the handy hood on the Onya Outback and she didn’t mind one bit. As a matter of fact, Avery slept almost the entire walk which lasted over an hour today.

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Once we returned home, Avery was startled awake by splashing sound while I used the restroom. Hey, it’s a part of life, and I like to share it! I took my well rested but slightly damp with sweat daughter out of the Outback and went to the sink to splash my face with cool water. But, before I turned on the water, I was surprised to see my giant sweat mark from carrying Avery beared semblance to Darth Vader.

The force sweat is strong with this one.
The force sweat is strong with this one.

Pretty cool, huh? Yeah, just about as cool as my Dos Equis bike socks I wore for the walk….

#stayathomeparent
#stayathomeparent

Despite her mobile slumber, Avery didn’t last too long before getting cranky again. We just received a swaddle transition blanket called a Zippy from the very kind Stephanie at Zipadee-Zip. Stephanie sent us 2 beautiful Zippys to use for Avery and I will post a review in the near future.

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Kelley has been pushing to stop swaddling Avery, but I’ve been reluctant since I worry her constant arm movement will disrupt sleep. But, Kelley is right to want to transition Avery out of the swaddle since she’s starting to roll over now.

Anyway, I decided to give a shot for a quick afternoon nap. I couldn’t help but do a photo session before trying to get her to sleep though. Isn’t she just even more adorable in this thing?

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After rocking with Avery for about 20 minutes, she finally dozed off and I laid her in her crib.

She even poses in her sleep!
She even poses in her sleep!

30 minutes later and she was awake, but that’s how most of her afternoon naps are anyway. We aren’t using the Zippy for nighttime quite yet, but I’ll let you know as soon as we do.

Avery in Zippy_Monitor

Our neighborhood friend has one for his little girl and nicknamed her “Patrick” from the Sponge Bob cartoon. Now I get why, they look like starfish! I love it, and Kelley didn’t want to take it off of her when she got home.

I’m thankful the weekend is hear and my faithful companion, Going Mom, will be here with us for 2 full days. I’m looking forward to spending quality time with my two girls as usual, and I hope you enjoy your time as well!

Total time in the Onya Outback = 1.5 hours / ~4.5 miles

Onya Notes: today I used the chest clip instead of crossing the straps and am not sure how I feel about it. Crossing the straps feels more secure, but I do like putting Avery in the carrier better when the chest clip is used. I’ll have to test this more and report back.

Do you ever have to remind yourself of things more than once?

Have you tried the Zippy or another swaddle transition alternative?