I purchased this when Abigail outgrew her baby tub that she would recline back in.  I thought it was silly to fill our whole tub and waste all that water and time. So this seemed perfect. It's cushioned on the bottom and on all sides to keep them safe with supervision. I also like that it has a HOT patch indicator on it to let you know if the water temperature reaches too high.  Even though she bathes in it, this has become one of her favorite toys. She will sit in it in the living room and read a book, play with her doll, and climb in and out entertaining herself for a long stretch of time. It's especially nice on a rainy day when we are stuck in doors. Because of it's size it's perfect for her. Such an easy, nice purchase. You can find them in stores between $10-$15.  Probably will not last them for bathing past the age of two as the instructions say, but until then, it's become useful in AND out of the tub.

I'm thrilled that Abigail loves her board books. She probably would like the others just as much, but I don't want her tearing the pages before she's even old enough to enjoy the storyline.

This is just one of the books that she is drawn to this week. It has flaps she can lift to find where the children are hiding in the home. I have found that while she loves looking at the pictures, if the page invites her to do something to the book, she favors that one more. This may be something very obvious to experienced moms, however, while I was a teacher, I certainly didn't get to see the very early stage of learning to appreciate a book your hand.

I will be keeping my eye out for more sturdy pop-up books, touch and feel, and texture book.  I also get a kick out of watching her mimic what we do when we feel, scratch, rub, or brush a page with our hands.  Sometimes I take for granted how much she truly does watch our every move in order to copy our world and make it her own. If I can tap into what interests her early on, hopefully her love of books and reading will only grow.