Sometimes simple is better

There are tons of baby toys on the market; it's really hard to know which ones to choose. They come with varying degrees of bells and whistles and range drastically in price--from a few bucks to hundreds. Most toys promise some kind of benefit to your baby, like helping brain development or enhancing motor skills. Who know if any of this is actually true. All I can say is that after all the research, time, and money Andrew and I have spent on toys, Emma seems to like the most basic ones the best. Who knew that we could have outfitted her entire toy box for so much less...

Here are some of the toys we could not live without (in no particular order):

Books (prices vary). There are too many good ones to list here, but I definitely recommend investing in some good board books, especially the touch and feel kind (like "Baby Animals") or ones with flaps to lift (like ""). Emma loves to feel the different textures with her chubby little fingers and to "turn the page" all by herself. Reading is also our favorite "quiet" activity for those evenings when she's overstimulated and needs to wind things down before bed.

Stack Up Cups ($3.99). These are probably Emma's all-time favorite. They are delightful to chew and she just learned how to stack them one inside the other. They are dishwasher-safe which makes them good for tub and/or outdoor use. They have numbers on them and each one is a different color, characteristics that make for easy teaching. Emma also likes to use them to skate across the floor, one under each hand while she crawls. The possibilities are endless.

Baby Einstein Links ($4.99). Emma loves these links in particular. (She has another brand that she doesn't find as interesting.) The Baby Einstein version has numbers or animal shapes on each link -- perfect for chewing -- and they are easy to attach to car seat and/or stroller straps. Emma especially loves go gnaw on the colorful caterpillar loop that holds all the links together. Links are also very easy to wash.

Brilliant Basics Baby's First Blocks ($9.99). This toy really is "basic." It's got five different shaped blocks, each in a different color. It comes in a plastic bucket with a shape-sorter top. It might sound boring to you, but not to Emma. She can chew on the blocks or clap them together. She can put blocks "in" the bucket, or dump them "out" of the bucket. Heck, she even likes to put the bucket on her face, chew on it, or make funny noises into it. And sooner or later she'll learn how to sort the blocks by putting them in the appropriately shaped holes in the top. This one's a winner.

First Keys Teether ($1.99). This good old standby is great to chew on and fun to rattle. It's pretty noisy when you shake it so it also works as a great distraction tool. ("Please don't climb on the entertainment center, Emma, come play with these keys instead. *jingle, jingle* ") The one drawback is that your baby will never love these keys as much as your real keys (dirty!).

Whoozit ($.99). OK. I honestly don't know if Emma loves this thing, or if I have conditioned her to love it because I think it's cool. Every baby in my new moms group has one, so I think in my mind this must the ultimate baby toy. It's got every kind of sound and texture made for babies. It's easy to grab onto and it has a Velcro strap to attach to car seats, activity bars, etc. It's colorful and goofy looking. Emma particularly loves to chew on the nose that squeaks and to play with the corduroy triangles that are on every third arm (arm?). Emma's Whoozit has survived multiple machine washings.

Melissa & Doug Construction Worker Puppet ($11.45). This toy is for the older baby. We first saw this dude while shopping at Jordan's Furniture. Apparently they use the Melissa & Doug line of toys as display pieces in their children's section. Who knew? Emma was instantly enamored by this funny little guy, so we went home and ordered one from Amazon. So far it's been a wise choice. Emma cracks up every time Larry (yes, we named him after my uncle) tries to blow her kisses or chew on her hand. Larry is also teaching Emma how to sing "YMCA."

A ball. Any small, soft ball will do. I got Emma a Care Bear ball at Target for $0.98. She thinks playing catch is absolutely hilarious and she will "role" the ball in your direction if you ask nicely, "can I have that?" We've been able to apply the "can I have that?" to other toys and Emma has quickly picked up the concept of sharing. Bonus!

A doll, teddy bear, or other cuddly animal (prices vary). You might think that a plain old doll or bear isn't too useful to a little baby, but Emma really enjoys her furry friends. She seems to recognize the word "baby" now and has even tried to say it once or twice (we think). She gives hugs and kisses to her babies and likes to "snuggle" with them. We think that "baa" was Emma's official first word in response to a stuffed sheep she's particularly fond of. Oh, and Emma loves to do face plants (as Andrew has termed them) on anything soft and cuddly. Sometimes I just scatter stuffed animals around her play area to watch her snuggle with them because it's just so damn cute.

And finally, a big shout out goes to Emma's colorful little octopus we named "calamari." (Formally "Octivity Link Along" by Lamaze.) His tentacles crinkle and there's a knot at the end of each -- perfect for little hands to grab and for little mouths to chew. He also attaches to any strap by way of a handy-dandy link. I couldn't find this toy on Amazon anywhere, but it definitely makes the cut. (I imagine it costs under $10, but since it was a gift, I'm just not sure. Thank you, Sue!) Calamari has braved the washing machine several times and always manages to come out unscathed.