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Drum roll please! The Twelve Days of Christmas for Babies in its entirety! Are you ready?

Has your baby got rhythm? Then perhaps the perfect gift for your older baby is the Plan Toys Solid Wood Drum. I love this toy because not only do babies get to do one of the things they do best (namely whack the heck out of an object of interest), but it also allows them to begin to experience concepts of music. They can learn how different tones resound from different spots on the drum, how loud and soft strikes differ, and how they can find a rhythm in music.

As we "wrapped up" The Twelve Days of Christmas, which featured product was your favorite? What lyric would you tweak?

Check out the other versions of this classic Christmas carol floating about About.com.

Parenting and Family Guide Sites

• The Twelve Days of Finals by Jackie Burrell, About Young Adults
• The Twelve Days of Baby Products by Heather Corley, About Baby Products
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Preparations by Carrie Craft, About Adoption & Foster Care
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Coloring by Beverly Hernandez, About Homeschooling
• The Twelve Days of Christmas for Kids by Katherine Lee, About Child Parenting
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Printable Tags by Sherri Osborn, About Family Crafts
• The Twelve Days of Kindness by Jennifer Wolf, About Single Parents

Home and Garden Guide Sites

• The Twelve Flea Market Finds by Leah French, About Flea Markets and Yard Sales
• The Twelve Christmas Decorations by Lisa Hallett Taylor, About Pool & Patio Laundry
• The Twelve Trees and Shrubs of Christmas by Vanessa Richins, About Trees and Shrubs

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Pipers piping are destined to wake your sleeping baby anyway, let's switch off to this wonderfully soft, perfectly detailed Piper Piglet. Jellycat, and London based toy company, has an entire series of Piper stuffed animals. These toys feature detailed piping to edge out the legs, arms, and feet, and will likely be a source of fascination for your own little piglet. Available in several animals: elephant, bunny, and bear to name a few, you certainly will find the perfect Piper for your baby.

So 11 days down and 1 to go! Come back tomorrow for our finale, and be go see what other About.com Guides are heralding in their respective "12 Days of Christmas."

Parenting and Family Guide Sites

• The Twelve Days of Finals by Jackie Burrell, About Young Adults
• The Twelve Days of Baby Products by Heather Corley, About Baby Products
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Preparations by Carrie Craft, About Adoption & Foster Care
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Coloring by Beverly Hernandez, About Homeschooling
• The Twelve Days of Christmas for Kids by Katherine Lee, About Child Parenting
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Printable Tags by Sherri Osborn, About Family Crafts
• The Twelve Days of Kindness by Jennifer Wolf, About Single Parents

Home and Garden Guide Sites

• The Twelve Flea Market Finds by Leah French, About Flea Markets and Yard Sales
• The Twelve Christmas Decorations by Lisa Hallett Taylor, About Pool & Patio Laundry
• The Twelve Trees and Shrubs of Christmas by Vanessa Richins, About Trees and Shrubs

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I have a video of my oldest daughter jumping away in one of the things, happy as a clam and laughing her little-baby-head off. I was always sure to follow baby jumper safety guidelines when we used the contraption, and I must say in the long run, my little girlie put several miles on that thing.

So if you are looking for something that will have your baby taking their baby leaps towards aerobic activity, this is the gift to get.

Two more days people, can you believe it? Be sure to come back and see how I wrap up our "12 Days of Christmas for Babies." Also, take a gander at the selection below:

Parenting and Family Guide Sites

• The Twelve Days of Finals by Jackie Burrell, About Young Adults
• The Twelve Days of Baby Products by Heather Corley, About Baby Products
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Preparations by Carrie Craft, About Adoption & Foster Care
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Coloring by Beverly Hernandez, About Homeschooling
• The Twelve Days of Christmas for Kids by Katherine Lee, About Child Parenting
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Printable Tags by Sherri Osborn, About Family Crafts
• The Twelve Days of Kindness by Jennifer Wolf, About Single Parents

Home and Garden Guide Sites

• The Twelve Flea Market Finds by Leah French, About Flea Markets and Yard Sales
• The Twelve Christmas Decorations by Lisa Hallett Taylor, About Pool & Patio Laundry
• The Twelve Trees and Shrubs of Christmas by Vanessa Richins, About Trees and Shrubs

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Nine ladies dancing? *yawn*

Picturing 9 alligators jamming out commands everybody's attention.

And so does Plan Toys, whose motto is "Green Toys, Green Company." Their Dancing Alligator toy is will having your baby dancing along with him as his wooden body clickety-clacks along. I love that it is an eco-friendly toy made by a company focused on environmental standards.

Parenting and Family Guide Sites

• The Twelve Days of Finals by Jackie Burrell, About Young Adults
• The Twelve Days of Baby Products by Heather Corley, About Baby Products
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Preparations by Carrie Craft, About Adoption & Foster Care
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Coloring by Beverly Hernandez, About Homeschooling
• The Twelve Days of Christmas for Kids by Katherine Lee, About Child Parenting
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Printable Tags by Sherri Osborn, About Family Crafts
• The Twelve Days of Kindness by Jennifer Wolf, About Single Parents

Home and Garden Guide Sites

• The Twelve Flea Market Finds by Leah French, About Flea Markets and Yard Sales
• The Twelve Christmas Decorations by Lisa Hallett Taylor, About Pool & Patio Laundry
• The Twelve Trees and Shrubs of Christmas by Vanessa Richins, About Trees and Shrubs

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The perfect gift for newborns or older babies is the Deglingos Baby Milkos the Cow. Made of soft fabrics with different textures, Milkos will likely become one of your baby's comforting lovies. From its curly tail to pink udders, there is much that will rivot your baby's attention. Milkos would look adorbable peaking out of baby's first Christmas stocking.

Looking for more 12 Days of Christmas parodies? Our About.com Guides will keep you entertained.

Parenting and Family Guide Sites

• The Twelve Days of Finals by Jackie Burrell, About Young Adults
• The Twelve Days of Baby Products by Heather Corley, About Baby Products
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Preparations by Carrie Craft, About Adoption & Foster Care
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Coloring by Beverly Hernandez, About Homeschooling
• The Twelve Days of Christmas for Kids by Katherine Lee, About Child Parenting
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Printable Tags by Sherri Osborn, About Family Crafts
• The Twelve Days of Kindness by Jennifer Wolf, About Single Parents

Home and Garden Guide Sites

• The Twelve Flea Market Finds by Leah French, About Flea Markets and Yard Sales
• The Twelve Christmas Decorations by Lisa Hallett Taylor, About Pool & Patio Laundry
• The Twelve Trees and Shrubs of Christmas by Vanessa Richins, About Trees and Shrubs

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Sewnnatural

There are "sew" many things to like about this adorable organic baby blanket. I want one for myself! This eco-friendly baby gift, is made from bamboo, a sustainable resource. Bamboo baby products have become all the rage, and it is no wonder why. Check out these amazing bamboo properties:

• Designed for durability.
• Boasts natural antibacterial properties.
• Performs as a hypo-allergenic fabric.
• Provides ventilation.
• Wicks away moisture.
• Feels soft and comforting, somewhat like silk.

This clever mother-daughter team chose the swan appliqué to represent the beneficial characteristics of bamboo. They note, "Swans' feathers do not get wet, even as they swim in the water. Just as swans' feathers keep them dry, the moisture-wicking characteristics of bamboo will keep your baby dry. Our organic bamboo blanket will keep your little one warm and cozy when it's cold, dry and cool when it's hot."

This swan blanket will be the perfect one for snuggling, swaddling, and snoozing. It's an adorable, practical gift that benefits your baby and the environment. What blanket could be better?

Now that I've put you in the Christmas mood with "The Twelve Days of Christmas for Babies," why not take a peek at what some of my fellow About.com Guides are blogging on.

Parenting and Family Guide Sites

• The Twelve Days of Finals by Jackie Burrell, About Young Adults
• The Twelve Days of Baby Products by Heather Corley, About Baby Products
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Preparations by Carrie Craft, About Adoption & Foster Care
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Coloring by Beverly Hernandez, About Homeschooling
• The Twelve Days of Christmas for Kids by Katherine Lee, About Child Parenting
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Printable Tags by Sherri Osborn, About Family Crafts
• The Twelve Days of Kindness by Jennifer Wolf, About Single Parents

Home and Garden Guide Sites

• The Twelve Flea Market Finds by Leah French, About Flea Markets and Yard Sales
• The Twelve Christmas Decorations by Lisa Hallett Taylor, About Pool & Patio Laundry
• The Twelve Trees and Shrubs of Christmas by Vanessa Richins, About Trees and Shrubs

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Uncle Goose Blocks, Lindenwood, Inc.

Uncle Goose Blocks, made by Lindenwood Inc., are the crème de la crème of children's blocks. I love simple toys that harness a child's imagination. However, what Lindenwood has done is taken a simple toy and designed them into a stunningly beautiful plaything.

It's features include:

• Basswood construction and printed with non-toxic ink.
• Beveled edges to remove sharp corners and intricate embossing to give depth and detail.
• Available in many languages including Danish, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish, as well as Braille and Sign-Language.
• Classic blocks feature upper-case letters, numerals 0-9 with word name, and 27 labeled animals.
• Specialty blocks are also available in many styles. Some are Egyptian hieroglyphs, nursery rhymes, Christmas blocks, lower-case, and numbers.

These truly are phenomenal children's blocks. Blocks are great toy for building fine motor skills. Certainly these Uncle Goose Blocks are worth holding on to and passing down through the generations. Uncle Goose blocks are a simple, classic toy coupled with elegant design.

We are half way through the 12 Days of Christmas! Check out what the other About Guides are blogging about on their respective The Twelve Days of Christmas.

Parenting and Family Guide Sites

• The Twelve Days of Finals by Jackie Burrell, About Young Adults
• The Twelve Days of Baby Products by Heather Corley, About Baby Products
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Preparations by Carrie Craft, About Adoption & Foster Care
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Coloring by Beverly Hernandez, About Homeschooling
• The Twelve Days of Christmas for Kids by Katherine Lee, About Child Parenting
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Printable Tags by Sherri Osborn, About Family Crafts
• The Twelve Days of Kindness by Jennifer Wolf, About Single Parents

Guide Sites from Other Channels

• The Twelve Flea Market Finds by Leah French, About Flea Markets and Yard Sales
• The Twelve Christmas Decorations by Lisa Hallett Taylor, About Pool & Patio Laundry
• The Twelve Trees and Shrubs of Christmas by Vanessa Richins, About Trees and Shrubs
• The Twelve Fishy Sightings by Shirlie Sharpe, About Freshwater Aquariums

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Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Rock-a-Stack http://www.fisher-price.com

How could I not use the classic Fisher-Price stacking rings toy for the Fifth Day of Christmas? Positively perfect.

The Brilliant Basics Rock-a-Stack Toy from Fisher-Price has been around since I was a baby. To use the word "classic" to describe it is the epitome of an understatement.

It's no wonder why the five colored rings have been popular for decades. They capture the attention of the baby beginning to develop his grasping skills and are wonderfully developmentally appropriate. You just cannot go wrong with the eternally popular baby toy.

Wondering what's going to come tomorrow in parody of the "six geese a-laying?" You'll just have to check back and read for yourself. While your surfing around, check out what the other About Guides are blogging about on their respective The Twelve Days of Christmas.

Parenting and Family Guide Sites

• The Twelve Days of Finals by Jackie Burrell, About Young Adults
• The Twelve Days of Baby Products by Heather Corley, About Baby Products
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Preparations by Carrie Craft, About Adoption & Foster Care
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Coloring by Beverly Hernandez, About Homeschooling
• The Twelve Days of Christmas for Kids by Katherine Lee, About Child Parenting
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Printable Tags by Sherri Osborn, About Family Crafts
• The Twelve Days of Christmas for Babies by Jennifer White, About Baby's First Year
• The Twelve Days of Kindness by Jennifer Wolf, About Single Parents

Guide Sites from Other Channels

• The Twelve Flea Market Finds by Leah French, About Flea Markets and Yard Sales
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Decorations by Lisa Hallett Taylor, About Pool & Patio
• The Twelve Trees and Shrubs of Christmas by Vanessa Richins, About Trees and Shrubs
• The Twelve Fishy Sightings by Shirlie Sharpe, About Freshwater Aquariums

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Photo: Rippe

I've been watching the story of 9 year old Sean Goldman, Brazilian boy, whose biological father is fighting passionately for his custody. It's a story that arouses serious emotions within me. As you read the story, it plays out like a bit of a tragedy, but I am hoping for a happy ending. I just am unsure of how that ending should read.

Early photos of Sean with his father, David Goldman, and mother, Bruna Bianchi, display them as the happy family. Parents are smiling broadly side by side, holding Sean (sporting a Batman t-shirt and pseudo Cat-in-the-Hat hat) between them. Everyone has those silly family pictures that they look back on years later and reminisce over what a great day it was. I wonder if David Goldman looks at that picture and wonders what on earth happened.

Obviously something went wrong when Bruna took Sean with her for what was supposed to be a short vacation to her homeland, Brazil. She never returned, and instead filed for divorce and re-married a lawyer from Rio de Janeiro, Joao Paulo Lins e Silva. I can't find any explanation over what was going on in Bruna's mind, what her reasoning was for the divorce. I wonder about that part of the story. It's a gap in the telling that is glossed over with few words. At any rate, that's when David's battle for custody of his son began, in 2004.

The story continues with more pain and misfortune. Sadly, Bruna lost her life last year bringing Sean's half sister into the world. Now with no biological parents with him, Lins e Silva was granted temporary custody of Sean. Silva's desire was for Sean to stay with him, his half-sister, in what had become Sean's home for the past 5 years. I can understand that. I want to believe that Lins e Silva purely loves his stepson as his own, though the media does not seem to bring a tender relationship to light.

David Goldman was not about ready to let go of his rights to his son, and he became entrenched into the custody of his child. In the past year, the world's eyes have begun to turn to this Brazilian boy. Young Sean Goldman is receiving world-wide attention.

Those interested eyes now include the likes of President Barak Obama, United States Congressman Christopher Smith, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. This family situation has turned into a national one, with government officials raising their political swords to the battle. Bills last week were introduced that will block Brazil from the duty-free trade program. Serious stuff.

The sad thing is that there are reports that the Brazilian family have done their best to tear down the father-son relationship between David and Sean with psychological tactics. It would seem that even if David gets custody of his son, he will have a whole other battle to fight. This one not in courts, but within the hearts and minds of him and his son.

It all makes me realize that when David first held his precious little baby, he had no clue of the battles he would face in the future. And though hopefully for many of us, we will not face a parenting war so extreme, we too must acknowledge that once we become parents, we become warriors as well.

We fight for our children if we see them being treated unfairly on the playground. We fight for their education at school. We fight to be sure they have appropriate healthcare. We fight for their future. And we fight, and we fight, and we fight.

And sometimes are hearts are broken along the way, but we can never give up. We can never lose hope. We can never surrender.

Share your comments on David and Sean Goldman's reunification.

More on David Goldman

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Song Bird Beanie http://www.etsy.com/shop/charliemai

Look at the picture. It's cute as heck. 'Nuff said.

Seriously though, I am a sucker for a good hand-knit design, and this knotted beanie hat is cuter than one of Santa's baby reindeer taking its first wobbly steps. Naturally Knits will allow you to mix and match colors and appliques to suit your fancy, so you could easily pick out four irresistible hats for your own little Song Bird!

We'll be continuing the classic carol in the days ahead, so be sure to stick around! Don't forget to check out what the other About Guides are blogging about on their respective The Twelve Days of Christmas.

Parenting and Family Guide Sites

• The Twelve Days of Finals by Jackie Burrell, About Young Adults
• The Twelve Days of Baby Products by Heather Corley, About Baby Products
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Preparations by Carrie Craft, About Adoption & Foster Care
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Coloring by Beverly Hernandez, About Homeschooling
• The Twelve Days of Christmas for Kids by Katherine Lee, About Child Parenting
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Printable Tags by Sherri Osborn, About Family Crafts
• The Twelve Days of Kindness by Jennifer Wolf, About Single Parents

Guide Sites from Other Channels

• The Twelve Flea Market Finds by Leah French, About Flea Markets and Yard Sales
• The Twelve Christmas Decorations by Lisa Hallett Taylor, About Pool & Patio Laundry
• The Twelve Trees and Shrubs of Christmas by Vanessa Richins, About Trees and Shrubs
• The Twelve Fishy Sightings by Shirlie Sharpe, About Freshwater Aquariums

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