The first item I am going to talk about I just got on Friday but so far it has transformed my life! I may have mentioned that Alexandra has been crying ALOT. All day, unless you are holding her standing up and bouncing or strollering or driving. Needless to say, my arm has gotten exhausted, I have gotten nothing done, and I have been so tired and stressed to see my baby so sad. Well, on Friday I went an bought a swing. I put little A in the swing and she is in heaven! She loves the mobile that goes around and the swinging is so soothing for her! she is happy to be in there when she is totally awake, this never happens in our vibrating chair. After a few minutes in the swing, if she is tired she passes out and will nap for a while. I have eaten breakfast and lunch the past two days in PEACE! She is in heaven and i am in heaven!!! I am being very vigilant not to 'abuse' the swing. I don't want her to become sick of it (ahhh....the horror of going back to my life just a few days ago!) and I don't want to be neglectful at all by being the parent that just tosses their child in a swing and walks away. But to be honest, after she's been in there for a half an hour i am dying to hold her and cuddle her and play with her so there is no fear that I will neglect her in the swing! The swing we got is the Fisher Price Rain Forest Swing. It plugs in to the wall or runs on batteries. It is pretty big and we avoided getting it earlier b/c we
a) didn't want to clutter our condo and
b) didn't know how FREAKIN' AMAZING it was!
Go and get the swing. NOW!
Item number two we also didn't get until 4 weeks ago and it has also transformed my life! I used to co-sleep with A in our bed. Cuddled up to me. Not the safest option. and not the best option for me to get any sleep at all. She is loud, and flails and squirms. So upon recommendation from some ladies in my mommy-group I got the Miracle Blanket and used it on A and put her in her bassinet beside the bed. I swear, without the Miracle Blanket, everytime I tried to put her down in the bassinet she would cry. This thing keeps her cuddled all night long and helps her sleep longer stretches. I highly recommend it to everyone. At first I thought she hated being swaddled. This thing is seriously like a baby straight jacket and you have to pull it TIGHT! The first time I tried it she went insane, crying , screaming...I gave up. Tried it the next night and persisted and after a few minutes she settled right down. Now, she doesn't even fuss when I swaddle her up in it! Last night little A slept from 8:30pm to 3am ! What a miracle! It is also really easy to use (comes with instructions...that are super easy to follow) and it is nearly impossible for them to break out of! A couple of times she has gotten a bit loose but can never get her arms out. Apparently it helps with baby gas too by putting pressure on the abdomen. Get the Miracle Blanket NOW!!!
The third thing that I avoided getting because I didn't think we would need it but has since made my life so much easier is the carseat-stroller adapter. I have the UppaBaby Vista Stroller and the Graco Snugride 35 carseat. I thought I would be fine to just have the stroller and wouldn't ever really need to take the car seat out of the car and put it on the stroller. But let me tell you, the last thing you want to be doing is waking up a sleeping baby from a carseat to put her in a stroller. Baaaadddd idea. Now with the adapter I just take the car seat out and plop it on the stroller base and go. Alexandra never wakes up and we go out, do errands and get back home without a fuss. Best $70 we ever spent.
One other thing I really like but have not "transformed my life!" is the Diaper Genie. Its easy and great to keep stink out.
Oh...and the last thing that we got for baby was the SUV. Best purchase ever! We need the space sooooo bad! When we visit family we have to go overnight so we pack our bags, her bags, stroller, bassinet, bouncy chair, stroller...would not be possible with just a car. SUV Rocks!
Some stuff we have bought that I don't use much right now or really care about are the baby tub (she bathes with me), the vibrating chair (she doesn't like it, and now that we have the swing, it is rendered useless!), and the MammaKangaroo carrier (I know tons of babies love these wraps and slings but she hates it and it hurts my back).
So, that's my list folks! And I leave you with some cuteness!
My little princess (a.k.a. Bug, Buggy, Bugaboo, Alexandra) is 11 weeks old already!
Super cute! We have the F-P swing, too-- perfect for while we eat dinner!
ReplyDeleteAww, cute pics! I enjoyed your post, too :)
ReplyDeleteLike you, I think the swing is a necessity, not an optional thing lol.
I've never used that particular wrap/sling that you say you have, but I have an Ergo and I LOVE it. Coming from someone who has owned 6 different baby carriers, the Ergo is by FAR the best. Super comfy for the wear-er (doesn't hurt your back at ALL), easy to put on, and baby loves to be in there. They are pricey, but WORTH it.
She is so stinkin cute! And thanks for the future baby items tip! I will DEFINITELY be investing in a swing when the time comes...
ReplyDeleteShe is so cute!
ReplyDeleteI agree on the car thing, I have a Toyota Matrix and it's a pain. I need to upgrade to a minivan!
Love, love, LOOOOOVE the last picture!
ReplyDeleteThose were our staples also. We had different brands but the same items, could not live without them. :)
ReplyDeleteI finally broke down adn started swaddling her. She sleeps better....but still only 2-3 hours at a time. I tried it again after reading your last post about the Miracle Blanket.
ReplyDeleteShe is a doll!!!
So freaking cute. She looks like she knows something I don't and is waaaaay smarter than me in the last pic. I love that.
ReplyDeleteAH Love the pictures!! And now I know she is 11 weeks (which is prime time for GI trac issues!)
ReplyDeleteAnd I LOVE LOVE LOVE my swing too. Both my girls slept in theirs until 5 months!! :)
I have a Honda Element and while it will be okay with a baby, it will not be okay for the giant dog + all the baby stuff. But we're going to try to make it work...!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your faves :-)