Now that my baby is six months old, I thought I'd share with you the things that were really helpful or that I just loved as a new mom.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this tub. My baby felt safe in it. She didn't have much room to slide around and slip, and as she got bigger she could hold herself up in it without me.
Bathing her didn't hurt my back with this tub, the way crouching over the long flat version did. I squeezed her into her little bucket until about a week ago, when we switched to an inflatable duck that rests in the grown up bath tub.
I really miss using my bucket tub. I had a Spa Bebe that I found here in Canada but there are other brands, too.
Bathing her didn't hurt my back with this tub, the way crouching over the long flat version did. I squeezed her into her little bucket until about a week ago, when we switched to an inflatable duck that rests in the grown up bath tub.
I really miss using my bucket tub. I had a Spa Bebe that I found here in Canada but there are other brands, too.
Earth Mama Angel Baby Shampoo Body Wash
I saw this recommended on Copy Cat Chic's blog, and I can see why she loved it. It is a little pricey but it lasts for over three months. It smells faintly like oranges, doesn't have any harsh chemicals in it, and the foam keeps things from getting too messy and slippery.
Doesn't matter which brand. Just make sure they are soft and absorbant, and that you take lots of pictures of your baby all wrapped up in them.
These aren't needs. I just happen to love how cute they look. The bunny base has a mirror at the bottom and it's ears are made from the comb and brush.
I only started using the cute knee protector since moving the baby out of the bucket tub. Maybe in future I can use it for gardening or hardcore praying or something?
These are soft, light weight, and huge! Great for stuffing in the the diaper bag for a nursing cover up, and especially great for swaddling before bed. My husband was a swaddling pro. Me, not so much. If you are a terrible swaddle-wrapper like me, another good option is the Woombie.
You just stick the baby in and zip up and it keeps her hands tucked against her chest.
Admittedly, it is hard seeing your baby in what is for all intents and purposes a straight jacket. For as many times as I read Dr. Karp's assurances in The Happiest Baby on the Block that swaddling was very healthy and necessary for getting infants to sleep, I still couldn't shake the feeling that there was something wrong with binding up my baby. But it really did add about an hour or so of sleep at night for the little one.
All babies look adorable in them. You can layer them under all the outfits people will give you or just put them in it alone. Some new parents like outfits you wrap around babies at first because they are so nervous about putting onesies over their newborn's wobbly head and neck. But getting these on my little one taught me that I wasn't going to break her, plus there are no annoying hidden snaps in odd places to find in the middle of the night. Just click the two at the bottom and you are done.
These are also expensive, but they were seriously the only socks that would stay on her feet. They come in so many adorable styles and look like little shoes! They say they should fit 0-12 months, but after four months, my baby grew out of them.
I love this changing pad because it is made of waterproof foam that is easy to spray down and clean. There is no need to change cloth covers on it when accidents inevitably happen. I attached a garland around ours to make it look more whimsical.
Man oh man do those baby nails ever grow fast and sharp! I was too chicken to attempt clipping my baby's nails for the first few months, leading us both to get some pretty painful gashes.
Baby nail files don't work. My baby was adept at removing mittens. When I can get her still enough, these were the only clippers that do the job, and the bitty light is surprisingly helpful.
This is a durable little photo book that I show my daughter everyday. I want her to be familiar with her family, even though she is far away. It has more pages than most of the ones I found online.
Yes, it is another ugly, hulking piece of plastic to clutter your house. However, this thing is great for when you need your baby to entertain herself safely for ten minutes while you unpack groceries, fold laundry, type a blog post, etc.
My daughter is personally a huge fan of the little green chalice in the corner.
Jumparoos are great too. My nephew has one and is so delighted to hop around in it, it makes me wish they made an adult version for me to play in. (Maybe then I'd lose this baby weight!)
But anyway, when I need to get something done I put my baby in her Exersaucer or her
This is great for tummy time and can buy you another ten minutes of the baby entertaining herself. I'm a fan of this model because you can attach different hanging toys to it, and it folds easily and can be tucked away for when you want your house to look less like a preschool.
Or the Captain, as my husband and I call him.
We love Lamaze toys and have way more than we need, but the Captain is our favorite.
The baby likes him as well.
The baby likes him as well.
He's an adorable sidekick, but what makes him beloved to my daughter are the nipple-like ends of his tentacles (one of which has a HOOK!). He also has a rattle attached to him, as well as some teething rings, and a mirror at the bottom of him.
He's just the best!
It can be hard to find kid music that everyone in the family likes, but everyone in this house loves Renee and Jeremy's albums Its a Big World and their cover album A Little Love.
Here are some numbers that will melt your heart:
Also great are their renditions of Bob Marley's Three Little Birds, and (believe it or not) Red Hot Chili Pepper's Give It Away.
We also like the Rockabye Baby! Lullabye Renditions of Led Zeppelin. There are sure to be versions of your favorite artists.
The link above is the closest thing I can find to the version we have, which we bought second hand. Our baby didn't like her swing, or her bouncy chair, but on rough nights she would happily sleep in this guy.
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| 2 week old baby and puppy not included. |
The carseat is great. It couldn't be easier to put in the car, and you can buy extra bases for different vehicles if you don't want to take the five extra minutes to move your base from one vehicle to another. We actually bought a second one to keep in Florida for when we visit so we don't have to worry about checking the car seat base at the airport in addition to everything else.
The seat is a little heavy, but I love it because when the baby falls asleep in the car, it is a snap to just pop off of the base and let her continue her nap in the shopping cart. I will miss it when she outgrows it (30 pound weight limit).
The seat is easy to clean and it comes with a great stroller which you can use with the car seat, or without the car seat for an older child. The stroller also can convert from sitting up to lying down for a nap. The handle is adjustable so it is comfortable for both short and tall people to push. It is supposedly easy to close by just pulling a handle and shaking it. The hubs has the knack for it. I do not.
The only downside to the stroller is that it is bulky, so when we have limited trunk space it often gets left behind for the less cushy but smaller umbrella stroller.
I STRUGGLED with breast feeding and to this day breastfeeding is a subject that gets me all riled up. There is a ridiculous amount of guilt and pressure put on new mom's to exclusively breastfeed, and I won't go into detail about my personal experience here, but suffice it to say, this pillow really helped me get my baby into the right position in the first few months. If I hadn't had this pillow, I might not have continued the excruciating process.
Eventually, I didn't need the Breast Friend any more and could get along fine with the Boppy. If you are more coordinated than I am, you can just get the Boppy from the start and save yourself some cash. The Boppy is also a great seat for your baby, or a great pillow for you.
I breastfeed and formula feed my baby. This is an arrangement that works for me, and I'll talk about it (i.e, defend myself!) in a future post. This dispenser is great for travelling with formula and I'm sure in the future for travelling with little toddler snacks. It's bigger than you'd expect, but you can screw on as few or as many little cups as you'd like. It also wins bonus points for being pretty!
WHEW! I tried to think of all the things I really loved and I was surprised by how many there were.
I'll post about the more disappointing things I purchased later. I hope this was helpful!
Did I leave anything out that has been vital to anyone else's survival as a parent?
WHEW! I tried to think of all the things I really loved and I was surprised by how many there were.
I'll post about the more disappointing things I purchased later. I hope this was helpful!
Did I leave anything out that has been vital to anyone else's survival as a parent?
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