8 weeks into baby land (happy 8-week birthday, Everett!) and I have a handful of products that have made these last two months much easier. I wanted to share my favorites for any mamas-to-be (or mamas-who-are) who may be on the hunt for recommendations. If you have any to add, leave them in the comments!
1.
Solly Baby Wrap - Lightweight, breathable, comfy and amazing. This wrap is everything you would ever want (and WAY more comfy than my Baby Bjorn baby carrier. Just saying). Don't be intimidated by the wrapping part; I promise it's not all that complicated. Plus, how-to videos on the website. Plus plus, their packaging is adorable! SO adorable. I am a sucker for great packaging.
2.
Halo Sleep Swaddle - We use one of these every. single. night. We tried the
Woombie, but Everett HATED it. But thankfully, he does great with this. It was invented by a man to help decrease SIDS by eliminating the need for loose blankets in the crib. We still use a blanket since our house is cold and it's winter, but this keeps Ev from waking himself up with his constant little arm jolts in the night (as he can't control his limbs yet). I especially love that the swaddle doesn't cover his hip area so we don't have to worry about any hip dysplasia concerns when swaddling him for the whole night.
3.
Aden+Anais Muslin Swaddle Blankets - These are the most versatile blankets. Along with using them for warmth, I also swaddle Everett in one for his naps each day (they have a nice amount of stretch and are a great size). I drape them over the car seat for shade when not using the paparazzi pod. I roll one up to use as a carseat pillow when we are traveling. I've used them as nursing covers before. And really, the possibilities are endless. A little pricey, but totally worth the money. I hear
these are pretty great too at a slightly lower price tag.
4.
Sleep n' Plays - My babe lives in these things. It's like a dress (the easiest piece of clothing ever) but for babies. I just put him in one of these and he's good for anything; plus the footies keep his feet warm and the mitten fold overs keep him from scratching himself. Some people like to hate on the snaps, but I LOVE the snaps. With zippered jumpers you have to undress your whole baby to change his diaper, but with snaps you just have to undress the bottom half, leaving the top half of the baby nice and toasty (and happy). Embrace the snaps, I say.
5.
Oh Baby Chic Infant Paparazzi Pod - I openly admit that I think carseat canopies are not very good looking, but SO SO functional. And I am a sucker for functional. So when I ran across this bad boy, I was sold. All the same functionality as a typical carseat canopy, but without all the bold patterns and the minky. Which I loved. Keeps the babe safe from the cold and the winter germs without drawing too much attention.
6.
Ubbi diaper pail - My sweet mama got me this as a baby gift, and I can't thank her enough. Small enough in scale that it doesn't have a "Hey! Here I am! Your diaper pail!" type presence in the nursery, and it's made of metal so it really locks in all those odors. I have zero diaper whiffs in the nursery (woot!). Plus it uses just an every-day kitchen trash bag, which is so much easier (and cheaper) than having to buy specialty bag inserts (I'm looking at you Diaper Genie).
7.
Motherhood Nursing Sleep Bra - This is hands down the most comfortable nursing bra out there; thank you to my sister for the fantastic recommendation. I got
a couple similar ones from Target, but they pale in comparison. And even though it says it's for sleeping hours, I just might actually wear it ever day. All day. I repeat, seriously comfy.
8.
Baby gowns - Before Everett came I was like "OH NO WAY am I ever putting my baby boy in a gown!" And now friends, I eat my words. And I eat them good. Gowns are AWESOME. I put Ev in one every night for bed so if I do have to change his diaper in the middle of the night it's lickity split, easy breezy. Plus, perfect for the fist week when you change approximately 1,000 diapers a day. Yaaaaaayyyyyyyy gowns!
9.
Portable Infant Co-Sleeper - Even though Everett sleeps in a different room (and bed) than us, Ty and I have used this co-sleeper pretty much constantly since we got it. We have taken it on vacation as a portable bed for Ev. And it is awesome to have around the house so we can safely lay the babe in any room we want to keep him close by. Super duper handy.
10.
Diaper Changing Pad - Whether I have to change Ev's diaper in the car, on the floor, or on a shady diaper changing station in a public restroom, I feel MUCH better about doing it with this thing in place. And this one rolls up nice and small so it fits perfectly in my diaper bag.
