Raising Sam

Note: For many of you seasoned Moms Sophie may be old news, but not if you are new to the mommy world!

The other night my cousin and I were taking Sam for a walk, and as we were about to leave, I handed him his beloved teething toy, a giraffe.  My cousin asked why I was giving Sam a squeaky toy from the pet store.  “A dog toy from the pet store? Are you kidding me?”  This toy has a name as well as fame!  Her name happens to be Sophie and she comes from the French Alps and is a far cry from a pet store toy!  After all what squeaky toy costs $25, was handcrafted in the Haute-Savoie Region of France from the sap of the Hevea Tree, and it took 14 manual operations to create her? Huh? Tell me?

Sophie is exclusive, she is a designer toy, a celebrity with a history and . . .most important of all . . . babies love her!

When my friend, the baby product guru, gave me Sophie as a shower gift, I took one look at it and said “WTF is this?”  She looked at me horrified, “Rachael – this is Sophie”. Oh, Sophie! Right … as if I would have any idea that this cheap looking toy giraffe with the dorky grin had a name!  I graciously accepted my gift, took her home and buried her away deep in the recesses of my closet.  After all I had a child to birth in a few weeks, and the last thing I worried about was what toys he would be playing with!

Fast-forward six months later, when Sam was in need of something to chew on, I dug out Sophie and it was love at first sight, or should I say, first chew. Shortly after, I fell in love with her too. Sam adores Sophie.  He gets excited when I bring her to him and he doesn’t react this way to any of his other teething toys.  I think Sophie is brilliant!  While Sam doesn’t appreciate Sophie’s life history, or social status, it doesn’t matter. He could chew on her for hours, she keeps him happy, busy and quiet, which makes Mommy very happy and that is worth every penny.

Sophie’s deal:

Born in 1961, her success is legendary in France. Made in the French Alps with natural rubber and non-toxic paint, Sophie has been safely cuddled and chewed for over 40 years! She is soft, light, and easy to grasp and fits perfectly into little hands. Sophie is loveable and amusing. She even makes a happy sound when squeezed. Babies especially love her bumpy head to soothe their teething gums.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, the company Vulli also lets us know that Sophie is considered to be educational, and has the ability to stimulate babies senses in the following ways:

Sight: The dark and contrasting spots all over Sophie the Giraffe’s body provide visual stimulation and makes her easily recognizable to baby. She soon becomes a familiar and reassuring object.

Hearing: Her squeaker keeps baby amused, stimulates the ears, and helps to understand the link between cause and effect.

Taste: Sophie the Giraffe is very flexible and has lots of parts for baby to chew (ears, horns, legs). She is perfect for soothing sore gums when teething and is completely safe. Made of 100% natural rubber and food based paint.

Touch: Sophie the Giraffe is perfect for baby’s small hands. She is very light and her long legs and neck are easy for baby to grip. She is very soft to touch, stimulating soothing physiological and emotional responses.

Smell: The singular scent of natural rubber (from Hevea tree) makes Sophie the Giraffe very special and easy for your child to identify amid all his other toys.

Where to find:

Sophie can be found at almost any of your favorite baby retailers, Babies r Us, Chapters Indigo, and most small independent baby stores will carry Sophie and of course there is always online, where she is easy to order.  But watch out!  While only by a few dollars, she does vary in price, from $19 – $26 ($21.99 seems to be most common price), so make sure you find a retailer that sells for the price you are willing to pay.