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Niamh is 17 days old today. Yesterday we assembled one of her first toys, a Fischer Price Kick 'n Play Bouncer. To my surprise the chair worked very much as advertised and seemed to be incredibly fascinating to her. It features touch sensitive pads where her feet reach, and given the right level of agitation, she is capable of setting off a number of different chimes and short songs, accompanied by flashing lights. She reaches for the dangling items which extend from the bar, but is not currently able to reach them. Click on the smiley sun toy for a picture of Niamh in action.

Although the chair requires 4 batteries none are included. My god, shouldn't this fact be written in large letters across the box! Luckily like all men, I am genetically predisposed towards hording a variety of batteries, and squirreling them in various locations around the house. I readily admit to a strange compulsion that causes my hand to involuntarily throw a package of batteries (lately the NIMH rechargeable variety are especially alluring) into whatever shopping cart or basket I might have available to me. It might not even be my basket, and no doubt many a stranger has found themselves the unwitting owner of a new set of 4 AA's whilst unpacking the shopping bags at home. No doubt I'm not alone, as batteries seem to be one of the common impulse buy items that every retailer no matter what their focus, likes to put on the shelves in the checkout aisle. Show me a woman who professes to have no need for a man, and I'll show you a woman with an inadequate supply of batteries.