Must Have

As we've blundered our bleary-eyed way through the first two months, I wanted to give credit to a few items that we could not have made it without.

I remember being so overwhelmed when it came to products for baby when I was pregnant. What would she like? What would she hate? What would she absolutely need?

Here are a few things we could not live without. Mind you, these will likely all change in the next few months.

-Halo Sleepsack. Many parents use these at varying stages. We used this from the start. The main reason was because I am like a 2-year-old when it comes to swaddling. I cannot figure it out. And no matter what we do, our little ninja works her way out of any swaddle! Except this one....when it's nice and tight. Additionally, I'm convinced having her sleep in the same type of pajama sack every night helped us build our night routine from the start. Here's the catch...don't give in and feel bad for swaddling them! I did and I think that is what contributed to so many sleepless nights. She may think she loves having her arms out, but the startles are what keep you up at night!

-Soothie pacifier. Ahhh the paci. I was finally able to get her to take this after a month of trying and buying 8 different kinds of paci's. For whatever reason, she likes this kind. I was also excited to discover this type of paci is what is attached to the famed Wubbanubs. What the hell is a Wubbanub? Some genius who has been laughing their way all the way to the bank decided to attach a cute, soft stuffed animal to the Soothie and sell it for $17. This helps the little ones to keep the paci in their mouths. I was so excited to plop in Adly's new, cute, sweet Wubbanub with an innocent lamb attached to it. I put it in her mouth only to have her punch poor Lamby and knock it out. This has happened multiple times. Sigh. Either way, we put poor Lamby to rest and now continue to help her put her paci in over and over again. At least that works!

-Playtex Nursers. For us, these bottles have worked the best. We discovered that after spending a lot of money trying many different kinds. She has never had any problems with nipple confusion and can go from breastfeeding to bottle and back again, no problem. My advice is to at the very least, make sure the nipple is slow flow. That was a hard learned lesson for us.

-Playtex Double Electric Breast Pump. This was the pump I got through my insurance and was really the only one available. I wasn't thrilled about it at first. However, after two months, I think this is a fantastic pump. Best part is, it's under $100! It is loud, but it does the job. If you ask me, this option is just as good as the other models that run you over $300.

-Snap n' Go Stroller Frame. Wow. I don't think there's one thing we use more. My friend Laura emailed me a week before I gave birth and said if I hadn't gotten one yet- I really should. 8 months in, they were still constantly using theirs. So, I waddled myself into the nearest store and picked one up. Best. Advice. Ever. This allows you to take the carseat from the car and literally, "snap" it into the stroller frame. It's lightweight and super portable.

-Boppy. Seriously use this for everything. Breastfeeding, holding baby, helping others hold baby, propping baby, etc. Its possibilities are endless. You'll also want extra covers. I didn't get that memo and instead learned the hard way as I was washing mine daily.

Oh my gosh. She's so little here!

-Plain old white burp cloths. I received a lot of really cute burp cloths at my showers and I couldn't wait to be a super stylin' mommy. But when it comes down to it, nothing really works better than the good ole Gerber diaper cloths. They are littered all over our house, car, in my purse...everywhere. 

Lastly,

-Pampers Swaddlers. After trying many brands of diapers, having way too many blowouts, and doing way too many loads of laundry, I jumped on the expensive bandwagon. I love these diapers. Rarely do we have a blowout anymore. They seem more soft and comfy and in my experience, the fit is just overall superior to others.