Can someone please tell me where in the world April went?!?! Whoa. Anyway, it’s the end of the month, so Heather and I are, once again, sharing our favorite finds from the last 30 days. Since mine have been filled with all things baby, I thought I’d share some of my “must haves” in that department today… I hope this list will be helpful if you are prepping for a new baby yourself, attending a spring baby shower this season, or just bookmarking for future reference.
Here it is:
Fisher Price Rock & Play Sleeper
All my friends that had babies after Sam was born swore by this thing, so I had to try it out. We borrowed one and, so far, it’s been a big hit with Nora. (Note: I’ve heard from A LOT of people that let their babies sleep in this at night for the first few months, but we opted not to do that based on the American Pediatric Association’s regulations for safe sleep; it is certainly tempting though since our girl naps really well in it during the day – when we are awake to supervise.)
If you’ve been reading since Sam was a baby, you already know my obsession with these things… Not only am I a HUGE fan of the pacifier, but I love that Wubbanub cuts down on the need to have a million with you at all times. Nora has this cute owl and a pink elephant that a friend gave us. I admit that she isn’t as crazy about them as Sam was, but I’m wearing her down day by day. 
Full disclosure: Solly Baby sent me this wrap to try out early in my pregnancy; but, y’all, I LOVE it. Especially with a second baby (since I need my hands free a lot more), this is ESSENTIAL. Plus, it is so soft and snuggly (but also light weight) and surprisingly easy to use – even for me, which is saying something. I ask myself about five times a day why I didn’t have one of these with Sam. I seriously can’t recommend it highly enough.
I love everything by this brand, but the classic muslin blankets are my absolute favorite. These are the only blankets we’ve used (plus the heavier “dream” version) for both of our babies. Not only are they the perfect weight (especially for spring/summer babies), but they are also come in the BEST patterns etc. I always recommend these blankets to new moms, and I’ve yet to hear of anyone not loving them.
We tried a lot of different options when it came to swaddling with Sam, but I think we’ve finally settled on these for Nora. They were recommended in our infant safety class because the wearable sack portion makes it less likely to come unwrapped and get up over the baby’s face, they are very easy to use, and make a nice tight swaddle. We have two of these right now – a cotton and a fleece one, but I think we’ll be buying another soon! (We will also use the sack only version when Nora is a little older.)
Listen, you’re going to be grossed out about this when you first see it/hear about it. (Yes, you use it to actually suck the snot out of your little one’s nose… With your mouth.) THEN, your baby is going to have a cold and you will realize how completely worthless those little bulb thingies are, how GREAT this works, and the fact that it is highly unlikely you will ever have snot anywhere close to your mouth when you use it, and you’re going to convert. Trust me on this. Save yourself the hassle of a midnight Walmart run and just order one now.
Gentle enough for tiny babies and smells like heaven. Enough said.
I also strongly recommend a carseat/stroller travel system – we have this one – and some kind of pack and play with a changing table – this is the newer model of the one we have – for the main level of your house.
Don’t forget to check out the awesome handmade wooden art featured on Heather’s blog this week. Her super talented friend is raising money for a mission trip to Israel by selling one-of-a-kind wall art (growth charts, initials, wine holders, state art, etc.). The prices are GREAT, and it’s for a good cause. You can see photos of everything that’s for sale as well as prices, contact info, etc. AND enter to win a $20 shop credit here. Don’t miss it!
