With Baby #2 expected less than four months from now, I’m making my list and checking it twice when it comes to newborn essentials…
Since this isn’t our first rodeo, we have most of the basics we will need to welcome our girl this spring. BUT, there are a few “bonus” items I’d love to get for Christmas (or any other time) for this time around…
Britax B-Agile and B-Safe Travel System
My Graco carseat and snap and go stroller was probably my least loved item out of everything I had when Sam was a baby. While it was perfectly functional, I feel like I just didn’t know about all the great options out there when it comes to these things… From the very beginning (much to Jeff’s dismay), the travel system was the one thing I said I definitely wanted to replace when it came time for Baby #2. I’ve done a good bit of research so far, and the Britax models seem to be a great compromise when it comes to price, safety, and style… We have a Britax carseat for Sam now and have liked it a lot. I also love that this stroller has a more sleek look to it, and the practicality of it being a useful stroller even after the baby outgrows the carrier portion as well. While we will still probably use the Graco carrier when in Jeff (or a grandparent)’s car, I’ve got my heart set on this one for every day use.
Pottery Barn Gray Classic Diaper Bag
Our first diaper bag was very simple and very “gender neutral.” We went with a green messenger bag style by SkipHop because I wanted it to be something Jeff felt comfortable carrying too. While I have no regrets about that bag, I did realize that Jeff honestly didn’t use it that often and since we already have that one for such an occasion, a baby GIRL seems like the perfect opportunity to choose something that fits my style and personality a bit more. I’ve literally been eyeing this one from Pottery Barn for YEARS now. What exactly are the “rules” for this kind of thing… Should I monogram it with my initials or the baby’s?
Sam was never really a huge fan of the carrier; but, he was a big fan of being carried; and I’m fully prepared that that will be even more difficult now that I have a wild preschooler to keep up with too! This wrap has received rave reviews from my real-life friends and bloggers alike, so I’m definitely going to consider it moving forward. I also like that it can fold up and fit in a diaper bag (which it would match, btw) unlike a Bjorn or Ergo. Plus, stripes are a total bonus – I can’t get enough!
Fisher Price Rock & Play Sleeper
All my friends that have had babies in the last three years or so have SWORN by this thing. Many of their babies slept in them for their first few months instead of a bassinet, and everyone raved about them for napping etc. during the day. When Sam was born, we had a pack & play and a swing set up in our living room; but, honestly, they weren’t used that much and they took up a lot of space. Now that we are already overrun by toys etc., I love the idea of this being small and portable for naps or just a safe place to sit when Mommy needs a minute.
I vividly remember going to the store when Sam was an infant and buying one of each type of bottle they had in hopes that something, anything, would help his little tummy and make him less fussy. We found some good ones; but, this time around I want to be a little pickier about chemicals in plastic and the quality of things like bottles. This isn’t a need, but definitely a bonus.
MORE Aden + Anais
I LOVED Aden + Anais with Sam. The blankets were so soft and perfect for my little summer baby. Plus, I loved all the fun patterns and colors. We have a lot we can re-use with this little one; BUT, in the last almost four years the company has also released a ton of new items that I’d love to have, like the easy swaddles, crib sheets, changing pad covers, sleep sacks, etc. When it comes to this stuff, my philosophy is “the more the merrier.” (P.S. My favorite print is this one with gold stars… So simple and sweet.)
Ok, now, I NEED YOUR HELP: Moms of two (or more), what am I forgetting? What were you must have items? Am I crazy for not getting a double stroller (Sam will be almost 4 when this baby is born)? Did you have a shower for your second baby?
Thanks friends!
E
Braden just turned 2 and Brielle will be 4 next week….I wouldn’t leave home without my double stroller yet! If I need to run errands, I know I can put them both in, buckle them, and they can’t get out. Granted, most of the time, I use my stroller as a single and Brielle rides on the accessory glider board but I like having the option. We have the City Select and I tell everyone…because I get stopped and asked questions all the time…..there is absolutely nothing I dislike about the stroller. It was a bit pricy but it was worth it for the convenience of going places with 2 kids and the versatility it offers. Also, their customer service is top notch! We have a wheel that was locking automatically and they sent us 4 new wheels no questions asked. It is the only baby item I own that I can say with 100% certainly that I’d absolutely buy again.
Yes times a million to the Rock n Play!! Millie is still sleeping in hers in our room and I sob when I look at how long she is getting and how soon she will outgrow it. It is the best thing EVER!! We have seriously never even taken our Pack n Play out of its box, we just take the RnP everywhere- around the house, around town, out of town…it’s so easy and she always has a familiar spot to sleep. They need to invent them in larger sizes…so that she could just never ever transition to a crib!! 🙂
The rock ‘n’ play is a YES. Both of my boys slept in them until we were ready to move them to their cribs (4 months and 5.5 months respectively). Plus, traveling with them was SOOOO easy.
Forget those easy swaddle things. I’m telling you: SWADDLEPODS. All you do is zip and done. No wrapping. No worrying if the baby can get out. Easy peasy. And that ten lb weight limit is stupid. Eli wore his until he was a good 15 lbs.
I went with a JuJuBe diaper bag because we cloth diaper and both boys are still IN diapers so I needed something that could hold a lot of stuff. I know they’re expensive, but I also like that I can just throw the whole thing in the washer. Big plus.
I love my wrap, and I used it a lot during the cooler months. Since Baby Girl is coming in March, that will be useful for you. But during the summer, the wrap is way too hot for everyone. My little guy likes to be carried, so the Ergo came in handy for us. I didn’t have one for my big guy and ended up killing my back when he wanted to be close. Both of my boys slept so much better on the go if I could wear them.
The last thing: my Honda Odyssey. LOL. Doors and a gate that open with a button? Man. I said I’d never drive a minivan, but with two under two, here we are. (And I kinda love it…haha.)
Ditto on the Rock and Play! Going on with my 3rd now and they will use it for just as long
(6 mo).
We did the sit and stand option since it did allow me to snap the carrier in it. We don’t use it a ton, as I like the Chico Ultralight umbrella stroller for quicker trips or Dr. appointments. But my daughter likes the option of having a seat for her. Not to mention it not being a side by side, and can maneuver through shopping aisles with ease.
I’ve gone less and less with a diaper bag, and just keep a car kit in the van with all my supplies. Especially now since I won’t have to take them to daycare to have supplies on hand. I’ll probably go with a diaper clutch this time around for my purse.
Oh, girl. YES! You need that rock and play. I barely purchased anything for baby #3 but that Rock and Play was one. We used it constantly the first six months. In fact, she slept in it right next to me for the first 2 months.
Also, I looked into the Solly wrap but ended up going with Happy Baby wrap instead. Very similar but cheaper!
I have a post about my must-have newborn items you could search for 😉
We loved our Britax systems, and I don’t think we would’ve survived without our rock and play. Also – I monogrammed my Pottery Barn bag with MY initials because I plan on using that sucker fo’ life!
Bec
Rock n’ Play–YES! Even after my second little one transitioned to her crib at 12 weeks, we still brought it on vacation, and now she uses it to rest at daycare when she’s not quite ready to nap but too tired to play. Our babysitter loves us for it! I know it’s a sleep prop, but they make some RnP’s that vibrate. My girls both loved their vibrating bouncy seat, and I wished our RnP could’ve vibrated as well.
The only thing about glass bottles is that they weigh A TON, and it takes babies longer to hold them on their own, which equals freedom delayed.
If you still use a video monitor for Sam, you might want to add the second camera for the new baby’s room.
I think Britax makes a double-stroller system. Perhaps consider the Britax that can be single or double? Just a thought. We have a double BOB. It’s bulky but so easy to push with lots of great storage. The Britax DOES NOT have good storage (I used it with my first), but it’s super lightweight and easy to bring around town. We wanted the City Select, but the Britax carseat adapter was nowhere to be found, and we needed the double stroller immediately for a trip we took. It is really expensive if you get everything you need to make it a double stroller, but I think it might actually be the perfect stroller if such thing exists.
I love A&A everything as well! I will say that their easy swaddles are not as tight as a Summer Infant velcro swaddle, which makes it easier to bust out. Not sure about your son, but my girls liked the swaddle as tight as humanly (and safely) possible.
Last suggestion: In their toddler book, Moms on Call (are you familiar?) has schedules for toddler and newborn. These were so helpful to have so that I could even picture what a day with both kids would loosely look like.
Second on the SummerInfant. They make the swaddlepods, too.
Oh! Forgot my two cents about a baby shower for kid 2. Read this knowing I had a small shower for my second lil one at the request of my friends; however, I really wish no one had second baby baby showers (except extreme circumstances) for a few reasons:
-You get almost everything you need for a baby at your first round of showers with the exception of clothes if the seasons/genders are off. Most likely, in this situation, people will buy clothes for you without a shower.
-I think having a second shower sets a dangerous (and expensive!) precedent in a friend group. Showers are expensive and time-consuming. If you start hosting second showers, what about those who have a 3rd, 4th, you get the picture.
-When friends offered to host a second shower for me, I asked that it would just be a diapers and wipes shower. If people want to throw one, have them keep it simple.
-I have many friends who are struggling to get pregnant with their first baby. I thought a second shower was just kind of another reminder that they are struggling with infertility.
1) I LOVE baby carriers (slings, wraps, ergo) we have them ALL! I love the wrap when they are little. I highly recommend watching you-tube videos on how to tie a warp until you get a hang of it. It is super helpful to “carry” the little one so that you can “chase” the toddler. I took my 2 year old to a gymnastics class every week by having the 6 week old in a moby wrap.
2) RnP! Love it! Just order one… like now. Thank us later.
These are all great options! My only feedback on an item would be that wraps can be a bit of a hassle with a screaming baby or in a parking lot where they can brush the dirty ground. I have used the Moby wrap for years but have recently started using the Baby K’Tan which is a wrap that you just put on instead of wrapping around you. It is the same concept but way easier!
Also about showers for a second, third, etc. child: I have a very close but very large friend group here and we have over 25 young children between all of us. We do some sort of shower for all of the children, even the adopted ones. The reasoning behind this is to be able to bless the child and pray for the family as they prepare for another child. If someone has something they need for the baby, then they just express that and we all chip in on the gift. It is much less about buying gifts opposed to blessing the family as they grow and expand which comes with great joys and also great challenges. I am about to have my third baby (second boy) and I really needed a baby swing which we have had to borrow in the past. I only have two hands. 😉 So my friends had a light brunch for me one morning, gave me the exact one I asked for, and spent time praying for me. It doesn’t have to be crazy but I think it is very appropriate to stop and celebrate new life.
My two cents, the end. 🙂
Great points about the second shower!
The rock n play saved us! I cannot tell you how much we loved having it! It’s so easy to move around as needed. It was a sad day when our dude outgrew it. I’m also a big fan of baby wearing (and even took some naps in a chair that way)! I don’t know this one so I’ll have to look into it. I can imagine with a toddler, baby wearing is even more important…
And I’m totally remembering that bag and getting my monogram put on it. Too cute!
We LOVED our rock and play!!! I am definitely book marking this page to reference in a few months!! 🙂
I think you and I are due around the same time–March 24th?–but on our list was the double BOB. We had the britax and it was just so heavy. The BOB was something Moms of 2 told me to get, so I decided to search craigslist. I finally found out for cheap, so we’ll be trying that out. Another thing we had to get was a rug for the nursery bc we transitioned Sawyer to his big boy room and the nursery was then bare. Other than that, we are set. It’s so much easier this time, isn’t it?
This could have been my wish list this summer! I never loved my travel system the first time around, so this time I have the B Agile system (and LOVE it). Same with the diaper bag. I now have a Kate Spade and love it. We added in more Aden + Anais this time around too. I LOVE their swaddlers. It’s probably been my favorite piece of new baby gear. And bottle wise, we are the opposite. I have all Dr. Browns glass bottles from my first, but the new guy doesn’t like those nipples. Oh well! If you start your new baby on the glass bottle nipples early enough, then it won’t be a problem (I was lazy!).
We also chose not to do a double stroller. My boys are 3 years and 3 months apart. So far, there has been only 1 time (in almost 3 months) that I have wished I had a double stroller. You could always look for a cheap craigslist double stroller for those few times, but I really don’t think you will need it!