I Gotta Lotta Love for the Booger Sucker

Being a mother, I have come across many new and interesting inventions to make raising babies easier, but I must say, I have died and gone to heaven on this new one.

It's the Graco NasalClear Aspirator, or as my husband and I call it, the "boogie sucker."

One of the joys of daycare is the neverending, snotty colds our angel comes home with, so she has pretty much been sick all winter long. Our first bulb aspirator from the hospital unfortunately became a chew toy for our Min Pin Zoe (and just thinking about the "prize" on the inside still gives me the willies!) But since that aspirator, we've never been able to find a good replacement, until now!

We found this gem at Wal-Mart for about twenty bucks. It's battery-operated, and it claims to play music to distract your child while you suck her brains out with a push of a button. I am thinking to myself that "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" cannot possibly distract my child from me going for her nostrils with a suctioning device, but it really does work! The very first time we used it on her, I got a really good suction on her nose. Her eyes squinched closed and she kinda caught her breath a little. I really thought maybe I had sucked up a kidney or something. But then she looked at me and giggled. She gave me a look as if, "how did you just do that?"

Since then, it's the only aspirator we use when she's got a runny nose. It makes her feel so much better, and it sure does beat that smelly bulb aspirator (have you ever smelled the inside of one of those?? No matter how many times you clean it, it reeks! So gross!)

Now, I will say that you have to read the instructions before you operate it (husbands!!) The first few times we used it, it seemed like it just wasn't working all that great because we didn't see any mucus. Once we read the directions, we realized sometimes if the mucus is thick, you have to use a little water in between uses to flush the tip out. Since then, it works like a charm, and all her snot flush right into the clear collection cup for all to see (vile, I know, but don't lie, you KNOW you want to try it now!)

So, I award yet another inventive gadget to making raising babies even easier, and I give the Graco "Booger Sucker" five stars!