::waves hi:: Hey there everyone - I can't believe how much of a break I took from blogging. It's crazy how busy just one little person can make your life, lol. I have had some D-R-A-M-A @ work to tell yall about. Yep, you read that right & no I'm not back at work yet, but some stuff has gone down related to my promotion & being on maternity leave which pmb {pretty.much.basically} p!sses me off & I'm pretty sure is illegal. But, that's a story for another day - today I want to talk about happy baby stuff! :o)
I always loved reading these types of posts on other mama's blogs when I was pregnant, so I decided to try my hand at my own...hopefully it helps another expectant mama out! This is my list of what we products we couldn't have done without over the last 8 weeks of Baby AJ's life - yep, 8 weeks. They grow up so quickly, huh? Anywho, I digress...here goes:
1) The Sara Bear Diaper Caddy:
This thing is awesome. In the first several weeks that the babe was home & even still, we spent A LOT of time in other parts of the house not so much in her nursery (which is where all the baby supplies are), so this thing has proved invaluable. It has so many compartments for all the essentials - diapers, wipes, cornstarch, brush/comb, etc. etc. This thing was so handy & travels with us all over the house. The one down side to this basket is the fact that the liner is not machine washable, which is annoying. But besides that, I love this product!
2) Babies 'R Us (BRU) Disposable Multi Use Pads:
Oh my gaw. These things are ahhhh-mazing. Seriously. My neighbor made me this gift basket as a baby gift & included these in it & I didn't realize just how valuable they would be to us! We keep them in diaper caddy & her diaper bag & use them to change her wherever we happen to be hanging out - on the couch, on the floor, on our bed {in the middle of the night} & in public bathroom changing stations. I especially love them for public bathrooms. I am just a
wee bit of a germ-o-phobe, so putting my little girl's butt on those public changing stations was out of the question for me & is totally solved by this product. And the best part - they are really affordable & re-useable, so unless she spits up, pees or poops on the mat, then we just fold it up & hang on to it until it needs to be thrown out. I totally recommend these to ALL new moms/parents...in fact, I just included a box in my friend's baby shower gift bag & will probably continue to give them out as gifts at friend's baby showers in the future!
3) Graco SnugRide Stroller Frame:
This thing is so convenient when you need to head out on a trip or if you want to take your baby on a walk. If you use the Graco SnugRide brand infant car seats, then it just snaps right on this. It's MUCH cheaper than the expensive, heavey & bulky travel systems that a lot of people buy for their newborns. Now granted - you can only use this for as long as the baby can sit in his/her infant car seat, but that's 22 lbs. at the minimum (which for most babies is at least 9 months - 1 year) & it's so affordable (only $75 from BRU). I love that this has the cup/misc. items holders on the bar & the roomy storage area down below, which is great for diaper bags, the baby's bulky coats & purses. We registered for this & a friend bought it for us &. We also registered for a Maclaren Quest Umbrella Stroller for when she can sit up on her own to use later on, so now we are all set on strollers! PS - Baby Trend also makes a similar
stroller frame that's $5 cheaper & is supposed to be universal to *most* infant seats, but I felt better using the frame & infant car seat from the same manufacturer because it was much more secure - it snapped into place vs. just fitting well enough & using a belt to secure the seat, which is how it works on the Baby Trend version).
4) Fisher-Price Newborn Rock & Play Sleeper:
We use this as our daughter's bassinet in our room & really wherever else we are. It's so much more portable, less expensive, more easily stored & useful for a longer period of time (weight wise) than the bassinet on a Pack & Play. Baby AJ has acid reflux, so the fact that this is slightly elevated is even better for her. I read some reviews about the fact that the back (where baby lays her head) is sorta hard & the cushion is not thick enough, but I just put a soft blanket under the cover & we haven't had any problems. Once she starts sitting up we may still purchase a Pack & Play for her to sleep in when we travel, but for now we are all set with this!
5) Johnson & Johnson Bedtime Bath Washcloths:
We were given these as a gift & used them to give Baby AJ sponge baths before her umbilical cord stump fell off. They are ready-to-use washcloths with the soap already on them. They got her clean, made her smell yummy & seemed gentle enough that they didn't dry her skin out. I like that they got sudsy, but not too sudsy for a small infant. Since she was a teeny newborn when we used these, I can't say if they actually helped her to fall asleep - she slept just fine because she was so small!
6) Vick's Baby Rectal Thermometer:
I was a little freaked out to use a rectal thermometer at first, but when I read that it can help your struggling baby to go #2, then I knew I had to try it. You see, my daughter has had HORRIBLE gas since she was about 3 weeks - it's painful, at least it
looks painful. We literally prepared to try anything to help her & guess what, it actually worked! You just stick it in their bum for about 45 seconds - 1 minute & if they have to poop, then they will shortly after you take it out. It seems like it would be uncomfortable to the baby, but it's really not - when she was fussy (from gas) & we inserted it, she actually quieted down. Just be sure to use a little Vaseline to insert it & it slides right in. And extra bonus - this thing takes the most accurate temperature reading & does it within seconds. I highly recommend this!
7) Baby 411:
I have looked to the advice in this book so much & I'm sure I will continue to! I got the rectal thermometer tip from it - see above! This book is written by the same author who wrote Baby Bargains, which I consulted when deciding what baby stuff we'd need or not need & this one is just as valuable. It discusses topics from sleeping to {minor} medical issues/remedies (co-authored by an AAP Pediatrician) to feeding to poop & everything in between. I LOVE this book & I'm sure I'll continue to consult for years to come! I think any first time momma would benefit from having this book handy.
8) Soothie Pacifiers:
This is the same pacifier they give the babies in the hospital & our daughter loves them! We use them mainly during nap/bed time when she just needs the extra comfort to wind or calm down. They work like a charm & I think they will be easy to wean her off of when she gets a bit older. The one down side is that you can't really use the cutesy pacifier clips sold everywhere with them since they have no clip, but you can buy a
Wubbanub or two (just bought 2 on Amazon for Baby AJ's Christmas gift) in order to keep track of them & they are just too cute, aren't they?!
9) Fisher-Price Precious Planet Whale of a Tub:
I went back & forth for a while on what tub to register for & I'm so glad I settled on this one! Our daughter LOVES bath time & seems to be nice & comfy sitting in this tub. The little newborn stopper thing prevents her from sliding down into the water in the bottom of the tub & the back pad helps her from slipping around as well. I love that it is sort of it's own independent bathtub, so you can place it in your tub or on your sink & fill it with bubbles & water & not have to waste any additional water if you don't need to. I just turn the spout back on when I need "clean" water to wash her face or hair. It is a bit bulky (as are most baby tubs), which was my main concern since we only have 1 bathroom upstairs, so it has to stay in our bathroom, but I just let it dry out in the tub then lean it against our wall & it's fine.
10) Gerber Cloth Diaper Prefolds:
Nope, we don't cloth diaper, but I do use & LOVE these things. They make awesome burp cloths & we need them a lot due to our daughter's acid reflux. They are very absorbent & are 10 million times better than the cutesy burp cloths they sell in the stores. I highly recommend picking up at least 1 pack of these & using them as burp cloths if you don't need them for cloth diapering & even if you do! As I mentioned, they are very absorbent, easily machine washable & have proven to be invaluable to us. These are very highly recommended!
11) Boppy:
I stopped breastfeeding a few weeks after the babe was born due to several reasons, but this was awesome when I was BF'ing to prop her up on. It's still useful now to help the baby sit up when are just talking to her or need to prop her up while sitting next to us. I've also used it during her tummy time as well & really like it. It's very comfy & convenient & also very useful for multiple reasons!
12) The Diaper Genie II Elite:
I heard mixed reviews about this, but I really like ours - it helps keep her room from being stunk up by her dirty diapers, which is definitely a good thing! It was a little difficult to get the bag refill in at first, but once I got the hang of it, everything else was cake. She's not sleeping in her room right now, but it's right across the hall from ours, where she does sleep, so we can just pop the dirty diapers in there at night. And I have a feeling that once she's sleeping in her room, then this will be even more useful!
I didn't list onesies, bibs, sleepers or blankets, which are all also very useful, but I didn't think they'd need mentioning since most expectant moms know that already! So that's all I can think of for now. I know once I hit "Publish" I'll think of about 10 other things lol. I'll probably do another one of these in about 3-4 months, so I can document what helped us out as she gets older. I hope this helps someone out there in blogland. And I apologize for being a slacker again, I promise to get better...I have lots of baby pics & weight loss stuff to document, plus I need to tell you my crazy work story - finding the time is the hard part! 'Till next time!
