My best friend gave birth to the sweetest baby boy! Ryan Joseph Taynor was born on March 3, 2011 at 11:17pm. I am so excited for little Ryan to join us in our little group of friends! Anyway, as I held that tiny little newborn, I was reminded of how small and delicate Eloise used to be. Everything was so new, and as I look back fondly on those memories, I am even more excited to see what the next couple of months bring us.
New babies come with all types of gadgets. All new moms think that every baby needs the newest thing in order to survive. Boy, did we learn fast that all you need are a few MUSTS and everything else just takes up space. But, that doesn't mean I won't want some new gadgets with the next baby. Who knows if it will turn out to be one of those MUSTS? :)
Here are my top ten favs:
1. My Little Lamb Cradle Swing by Fischer Price
This swing has been a lifesaver. It cradles and rocks our little Eloise to sleep since she was born. There were many nights that I slept on the couch downstairs next to this swing because it was the only way Eloise would sleep if I wasn't carrying her. Also, she had some gas issues and was uncomfortable laying flat for a couple of weeks. This swing is still, to this day, #1 in my book. Now that she is older, she sleeps in her crib at night. Naps, on the other hand, are a whole other thing. She will only nap longer than 20 minutes in this swing. I hope it comes in a big girl size, because I don't think she'll ever give it up.
2. Baby Bjorn Babysitter Balance
This isn't a super fancy bouncer, and it doesn't swing, bounce, or vibrate on its own. But, it is a very handy little dodad. It has three seat options, so even as a little baby, she could sit in it. We love it for meal time. We have a big kitchen island where we sit to eat, and she sits in this bouncer on the island. I know it is probs not recommended to be placed on top of our kitchen island. But, we don't leave her on it and go take a walk. She sits in it while we are right there and she can look around and be a part of meal time without someone having to hold her. Now that she is getting older, she is even bouncing herself a little which puts a smile on her beeeaaauuutttiiffuuulll face. love it.
3. Prince Lionhart Ultimate Wipes Warmer
Cold bum bums are no fun. Just ask a baby who is getting their diaper changed and a cold wipe just touched their booty. Eloise loves her warm wipes and sometimes it even makes her tinkle, gross and cute at the same time. The only downside to this item is that you need to remember to water down the pad at the bottom every week. But, I have it on my to do list each weekend and it has worked out wonderfullyyyyy. Also, being a new cloth diaper junkie, this particular wipes warmer also has the option of warming cloth wipes. Thats right folks, if you use cloth wipes, you can warm them in THIS HERE CONTRAPTION. warm bums rock and we wouldn't have it any other way.
4. Avent Pacifiers
I am not sure if you have a baby that is a 'sucker', but Eloise sure is. She loves to suck nipples, fists, pacifiers, blankets, my shoulder and occasionally my face. When she has major tired eyes and I give her a paci, she falls alseep so fast it is like magic. Of course, there is a downside. IF it pops out, her eyes pop open, and she fusses until someone puts it back in. But, I will take the bad with the good Naptime wouldn't be the same without these puppies. What about nipple confusion you ask...not with this child. She loves all types of nipples so be warned if you come over and she feels the need to suck. My sweet little baby girl loves these, and I already know giving them up is going to be a fight. But, she's the ruler of this land and she demands her paci.
5. Blackberry
A nursing mama is a mama who spends a lot of time in a rocking chair at all hours of the day. Most of the time, I can just stare into that gorgeous face and watch her suck away with her little hand on my chest. But, sometimes, just sometimes, you wish you had something to do. Do I wish I had an Iphone? YES YES YES (my re-up is in July). But, my blackberry works just fine. I can check facebook, make lists on the notepad, text people and answer emails. I wouldn't recommend this for all nursing sessions because you want to enjoy those beautiful moments. But, it is handy dandy when you feel the need to do something.
6. GiGi's Burp Cloths
Eloise's grandmother, who everyone including grandkids and friends alike, refer to as GiGi, sews like a pro. She made us burp cloths out of gerber cloth diapers. She makes them for everyone has has a baby and she does an amazing job matching them to your nursery decor. She even bought an extra one of my Pottery Barn crib sheets and used it to make the burp cloths so they match perfectly and are AAAAAdorable. Do I always use them as burp cloths? No. I use these multi-talented things for everything. They are sometimes wipes, tissues, napkins, etch. They are the jack of all trades and so so pretty. If you don't have a talented Gigi like Eloise does, that you can just buy some fabric and sew it on yourself. You will be happy you added loveliness to the grossness of what you are about to do with it.
7. My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow
This pillow is wonderful nursing pillow. It has a pocket for your phone or your water or your pen and paper that you use to write down what time you fed your child last because you haven't slept more than 3 hours and you might be losing your mind. (Did I feed her at 1am or 3am or both? Was that a dream?) It snaps in so that you could potentially walk around with a baby while they are feeding. Don't get me wrong, I also love my boppy. Yes, we have more than one nursing pillow (3 to be exact). But, if I had to choose, I choose you, my dear brest friend.
8. Moby Wrap
Although, I haven't figured out how to wrap a bigger child yet (add to the to-do list), when Eloise was a little baby she enjoyed being all wrapped up close to her mama. We did use a sling at first, because figuring out how to use the wrap was a pain in the you know what. Thanks to my sister in law, I figured it out and it made life a bit easier. Now that Ellie wants to see everything around her and keeps popping her head out, I have to learn a new hold. But, I am sure once I learn the new hold, she'll love it again.
9. Aden and Anais Swaddle Blankets
These blankets are GREAT! They are a big bigger than the average swaddle blanket, and a bit lighter. Just fold it in half, swaddle them up nice and tight, and you have a very happy baby. They are super stretchy blankets, which makes for a really good strong swaddle. They are also really pretty! Now that Eloise is older, she isn't swaddled anymore. But, at first, we enjoyed these blankets for swaddling. Now, we just enjoy these blankets.
10. Vera Bradley Baby Book
As a mother of a new baby, it is my job to be the keeper of memories. This baby book is fantastic. it has places for pictures and for how you felt during certain moments. You write down milestones and when they happened. I am in love with this baby book and I can't wait to look at it when she is older. I want to be able to tell her that she was rolling over at 5 weeks and when she was born her daddy cried. I remember all of this now, but who knows in 10 years if I will have the same memory. But, I wrote it down in her book and now these memories are around for the rest of time.
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