mama picks | video monitor upgrade

its been long overdue that we upgrade to a new monitor.  we bought one.. or maybe it was a shower gift, but we got one with two cameras for when the twins were born and just decided to use the same one for Baker when she arrived.  we didn't splurge on anything as far as baby gear goes for Baker, except a highchair.  everything else, right down to her infant car seat, has been hand-me-down from the twins.  

it worked just fine- ran out battery a little faster than it probably should have, and the touch screen still worked even though it was shattered after I dropped it on the kitchen floor trying to carry it and a load of laundry from one room to the next.. but it worked.  the twins, at three and half, don't necessarily need the monitor on them while they sleep anymore, and their room is literally three steps outside of our master bedroom, so I am not too worried about keeping up with that, but Baker for sure has a couple more years and for our future baby number four (not pregnant) we have talked about definitely getting another monitor. 

I was browsing through a friend's baby registry recently and noticed she had the Levana digital monitor on her list.. I hadn't heard of this brand before!  which was no surprise because so much has changed in just the few short years we have been buying baby items/products/stuff.  literally, a couple days later I got an email about trying Levana's newest model, the Alexa.

well.  DUH! but it was so random and like they knew I was browsing:) right out of the box I was PUMPED about the 5" screen.  I am used to a much smaller screen, so this was like the biggest plus to me.  this monitor also doesn't have a base, it plugs into a USB cord, so its easier to move around for charging.  most of the time it stays on my nightstand to charge, but I've moved it to the kitchen before and the playroom.  you can even charge from your laptop or any USB outlets you already have- no special cord or base, but it does come with a charging cable. even with that being said, the 12 hour battery life allows me to have some time in between when I don't need to have it charging.  when the battery is low it alerts you by beeping.. which I found out around 2am one night.  all this beeping, I was so confused as to what was happening! but it allowed me to plug in the monitor and keep the video on Baker without waking up to a blank screen the next morning!

other good things.. 

 temperature sensors 

feeding/nap timers 

real-time clock 

..and the reviews are awesome!  

this particular model is brand new, and slightly cheaper than other versions of their monitors.  the camera is stationary but has a wedge so it allows me to move it in different angles to be able to fully see Baker's entire crib.  the camera is placed really high up, but I can see even the little details of her face because of the high resolution of the LCD digital screen.  our other camera was placed right below the 'Baker' sign and I got the same view, but in lower resolution.     

most importantly, I can add up to four cameras to this monitor. so, if I wanted another one for the big girls' room, I could, and especially for eventually when another baby comes we can see both Baker and the newbie.  when we add another camera I will have to update how utilizing this monitor is with two cameras vs one.  

I'm so glad I got the opportunity to try this monitor!  

with the market inundated with options, this is one I am confident about.