~Teddy Toes Blanket includes matching Knot Head Hat ~ ~ Sugar Bearz price $39.99 ~ ~ Click on Classic or Couture for your choice of style ~
This is how it works:
Lay your Teddy Toes blanket flat on the floor or bed.
(Two notes: With a Teddy Toes blanket you always have a blanket to use if you must do an on-the-go diaper change or just let you baby lay on the floor for a while. Never leave an infant unattended on your bed, they can surprise you by moving much more than you expect and may get themselves into trouble.)
Turn down the front 'tummy panel' and lay the baby on the Teddy Toes blanket. Their bottom and legs should be right at the Teddy Toes crotch.
Tuck the baby's legs into the Teddy Toes blanket legs and bring the 'tummy panel' up over the baby's body. Fold the 'tummy panel' back so that it stops just under the infant's arms, and smooth the panel in behind the baby's back. Now your baby is wrapped in a way similar to you throwing on a sweater when you feel a chill. Tucking the tummy panel in really custom fits Teddy Toes for you. If you use a stroller, baby is sitting on the blanket; it won't get kicked off! You won't be untangling a blanket from the stroller wheels.
To finish wrapping, bring the side of the back panel across the baby and tuck it in, follow this by wrapping the other side of the back panel over and around your little one. Doesn't she (or he) look sweet in their little cocoon! Now your baby is swaddled in layers of soft polarfleece™ and you are ready to go out the door. There is enough extra fabric to cover the baby's face to protect her from the cold, wind or rain. The fabric is not slippery so it stays and you don't have to unwrap the baby to use your car or infant seat (or to nurse!).
When you get to the car seat, simply sit your baby in place. Unsnap the slits to allow the car seat shoulder straps a snug fit. (The shoulder strap is important for keeping your baby safe in the event of an impact, they must fit snugly and right down to the baby's shoulders, leaving them loose 'for comfort' is leaving your baby vulnerable.) We added the slits to allow the straps to fit closely, without the bulk of extra fabric to interfere with the fit. There is just enough fabric to keep the straps from rubbing against the baby's neck.
Fasten the straps or shield between the baby's legs as directed by the car seat manufacturer and you are on your way! I suggest that you buckle inside the crossover wings of the Teddy Toes blanket for two reasons: #1. It will allow the best car or infant seat fit (and the best safety for your baby), #2. With the sides free of the straps, you can tuck them in or open them up as you need to adjust for temperature changes in the car or as you go into the store, doctor's office, or even air-conditioning!
To get every bit of utility out of Teddy Toes, we offset the snaps on the shoulder slits. It is possible to use the snaps on the top, diamond shape to create a hood. The bottom set of snaps can also be snapped around the baby's shoulders to keep the blanket in place, much like a cape.
If you are a nursing mom, you can use a Teddy Toes blanket for privacy by putting the back panel 'wing' over your shoulder while you are holding your Teddy Toes wrapped baby.
Ok, all of this is fine; it sounds easy and practical, but how long will it fit? Teddy Toes®—the blanket with feet will fit until your baby is about 18 months old. Real babies, real time, not the three month old who is wearing 18 month clothes. (Who sizes those things anyway? Remember this is us, we are moms, and both of my babies were 9 lbs. At birth.)
When you wrap your larger baby, it is much the same process. Lay the blanket down, lay the baby on the blanket, baby's legs in the blanket legs and tummy panel tucked in behind your child's back. The panel will not need to be folded back and her shoulders will be about the same level as the shoulder slits. Great! Now you can bring her arms right through the shoulder slits and Teddy Toes works like a full-body vest. This is perfect for stroller and backpack outings and just think what you will save by not losing socks and shoes!
