So our story - we happened to stumble upon Sophie. Per my dear sister's advice, a must-have for all babes in cribs is the Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium. Now that my youngest niece has outgrown hers, she handed it down to her cousin, but despite putting in new batteries, it wouldn't start (corroded terminals). I went online to find it to add to Geli's Dear Santa list, and was intrigued to find this "Sophie la Girafe" as a "people who bought FPOWA also bought Sophie" ... not only did they buy Sophie, but they LOVE HER!! As of this writing, she's the #1 toy sold on Amazon for babies. Who knew? It's now on the top of my baby gift list.
You won't need this until ~3.5 mo old, but Geli LOVES "Sophie la Girafe," and I was surprised at how many extremely positive reviews you can find online for this.
Sophie's Story (From the Manufacturer - it's a good read!):
Back in the day, the only animal toys available were farm animal or pet figures. That is why one day in France, a certain Monsieur RAMPEAU, who was an expert in transforming sap from the HEVEA tree using the rotational molding of rubber as a toy-making concept, came up with the idea of designing a giraffe. Such an exotic wildlife figure would be a first on the market, and its size and shape would be ideal for a baby's small hands to grasp. Sophie la Girafe, who looked exactly the same then as she does today, went into production on a Thursday, May 25th, whence her name.
She was an immediate success. Young [and older] mothers straightaway saw that she was a must for their children when the first signs of teething appear - Sophie la Girafe helps baby stop crying! By simple word of mouth, the little Giraffe's fame spread.
From then on in Europe, generation upon generation of children were to love hearing Sophie squeak whenever they pressed her tummy and head!
Vulli, a company based in Rumilly in the Haute-Savoie Region of France has continued to keep the jealously-guarded secret of how this wonder toy is made.
SOPHIE is still traditionally produced to this day, a process that involves more than 14 manual operations. She is made from 100% natural rubber derived from the sap of the Hevea Tree.
Why is Sophie such a huge success? She stimulates each sense from the age of 3 months:
Sight: At the age of 3 months, a baby's eyesight is still limited and she can only make out high contrasts. The Dark and contrasting attention-catching spots all over Sophie la Girafe's body provide visual stimulation and she soon becomes a familiar and reassuring object for baby.
Hearing: Sophie la Girafe's squeaker keeps baby amused and stimulates his hearing. To begin with, the funny sound Sophie makes when she is squeezed helps to stimulate baby's hearing, and then later, helps him to understand the link between cause and effect.
Taste: Sophie la Girafe is made of 100% natural rubber and food paint, and is completely safe to chew. Her soft texture and numerous chewable parts (ears, horns, legs), make her perfect for soothing baby's sore gums during teething.
Touch: Touch is the first means a baby has of communicating with the outside world. Sophie la Girafe's soft feel, stimulates physiological and emotional response that soothe baby and promote healthy growth and well-being.
Smell: The singular scent of natural rubber from the Hevea tree makes Sophie la Girafe very special and easy for your child to identify amid all her other toys.
Easy to grip: Sophie la Girafe's shape and 7' size are perfect for baby's small hands. She is lightweight, and her long legs and neck are easy for baby to grip, even from her earliest days.
