Top 10 Baby Items (Months 0-3)

When I was pregnant and trying to figure out what to register for, I loved reading about what worked for other moms. Of course, every family figures out what works best for them. There are no products that work for every single family but it's nice to have an idea of what other moms like.

So! I'm going to add my little two cents about our top ten favorite products during the first three months. I actually had about 15 or 20 products I wanted to mention but thought that might be a little much. I might eventualy do other posts with our bigger items that we love (car seat, stroller, pack and play, etc) and toys that we enjoy. We'll see.

Boppy Pillow

Especially during the first few weeks when I was recovering from the c-section, and Jax and I were figuring out the whole breastfeeding thing, I lived basically attached to this thing. I carried it around with me like a security blanket. And now, I still use it almost every time I feed him. I feel like it makes him feel more comfy and it definitely helps distribute some of his poundage (all 17 of them)! He's now also beginning to enjoy being propped up in it and hanging out for a little while.

Baby K'Tan

{This makes me laugh.}

I knew I wanted to "wear" Jaxon when possible but had no idea which sling would be best for us. Thankfully, Megan tried out several and did a post with her reviews. She recommended the Baby K'Tan and I'm soooo glad we went with that one! The only thing that's a little tricky is finding the right size. It's not one that fits everyone like the Moby. We started with a small but he hung too low on my hips with that one and I felt like he wasn't secure enough. I switched it out for an extra small and we've been hooked since then. It allows me to get some things done around the house and I don't think I've ever gone shopping without sticking him in it. He usually goes to sleep in it but even when he's not sleeping, he's content to just look around and hang out. The K'Tan is so easy to put on and there are several different ways you can hold your baby in it. There's no extra material and no having to adjust the snugness like with the Moby. After watching the demonstration video online, I stuck him in it correctly the first time and have never had a problem with it.

Cloud B Gentle Giraffe

This little guy is awesome! I can't tell you how many times Jax started to wake up and then drifted back off after we turned his giraffe back on. Also, if he's fighting sleep and we turn it on, it often helps him relax enough to fall asleep. Worth every penny.

Fisher-Price My Little Snugabunny Bouncer

We had heard that not all babies enjoyed swings so we decided to start with a bouncer and then see if we thought a swing was necessary. The first few weeks, Jaxon took most of his naps in his bouncer and now it's a great place to put him for a little while if we need our hands completely free. We ended up not buying a swing, which saved us space and money, so I'm thankful to have the bouncer! I liked this one because the colors are neutral and blend in well with our decor. It doesn't scream, "HEY LOOK AT ME, I'M FOR A BABY!!!" in the middle of our living room. I did add some hanging toys that are more colorful than the ones that came with the bouncer and those seem to grab his attention better.

Soothies and Wubbanubs

I wanted to see how long we could go without giving Jaxon a pacifier since I wanted to breastfeed. We had heard from several professionals that they rarely saw problems with nipple confusion but I figured we'd just be on the safe side and try to avoid pacis. Well, that lasted a good 18 hours after he was born and then I was asking the nurses to bring me one ASAP! They gave us Soothies, and soothe they did. Thankfully, Jax never had issues with switching back and forth between me, pacifiers, or even pumped bottles. He's not a baby who has to have a pacifier but sometimes, especially when he's fighting sleep, a pacifier will help calm him down and relax him (along with that giraffe). We tried other brands of pacis but these are the ones he likes best. Now if someone could just invent a way to keep pacifiers in babies' mouths, we'd be all set!

Munchkin Bath Cradle and Whale of a Tub

We used the sponge cradle by itself to bathe Jaxon until his umbilical cord stump fell off, and now we lay it on the counter to undress him and remove his diaper before we stick him in his tub. We still use the hump in the tub for him to sit on but it's removable for when he gets a little bigger. Both items have worked perfectly for us so far. We found the sponge at Target for about $5. (I couldn't find a link online.)

Diaper Bag Dispenser

This comes in handy for storing dirty stinky diapers until you can get to a trash can, and also for storing dirty clothes for when the diaper fails and "stuff" escapes (see this post for an example of when that happened). The bags are also scented, which helps mask the smell.

Munchkin Dishwasher Basket and Sterilizer Bags

The basket is perfect for washing nipples, pacifiers and the other little parts that come with Dr. Brown's bottles. The steamer bags are a cheap, easy way to steam those items in addition to bottles and little toys. Each bag can be used 20 times and they don't take up the room that an actual sterilizer would.

Aiden and Anais for Target Swaddle Wraps

We received about 25 blankets as presents (and those don't include the ones we returned!) and these ended up being our favorite. We used them for swaddling and as a nursing cover (I never spent money on actual covers). I know others throw them over carseats to protect from sun and wind, as spit up towels, and for a place to change diapers. They're super soft and the material is breathable. Love! (It looks like this set that we have is sold out online but there are other prints available.)

Powdered Formula Dispenser

There are a few different versions of this but if you're going the formula route, this is perfect for making bottles on the go. You can pre-measure the formula, and the little spout is perfect for pouring into bottles without getting powder everywhere. When he moves to solid food, they work for storing that as well.

These are by no means our only favorite items but I could be here all day talking about baby things we like! If you have any questions, feel free to email me at Ber611 at aol dot com. I looove discussing baby things :-)

If you're a parent, what are some of your favorite items? I want to know if we're missing out on something good!

Month Three

Once again, this post is late. We'll (I'll) get it together one of these days!

Jaxon,

Whew, buddy! Your third month was surprisingly the most emotional one for me yet. Between having to stop breastfeeding you, having the "return to work" date looming closer and closer, and then going back to work, I've done more crying than I ever have in my life. I can't tell you how much I don't want to work away from our home. I want to be available for you 24/7. I want my face to be the one you watch while you eat, I want to see your first steps,  take you to story time at the library, and go on all of your field trips once you're in school. I want you to feel like you're my #1 priority in life. Because you are. But for right now, the best financial decision for our family is for both your daddy and me to work. I hope you understand this when you're older. And I pray that one day something will work out for me to be able to stay home with you and any siblings you eventually have. That's been my dream since I was a little girl so I'm not giving up hope yet.



At your 3 month check-up, you weighed 17 pounds and 3 ounces and you were 24 inches long! Your weight is above the 95th percentile so you're still a chunky monkey (which we love)! Dr. Wood couldn't believe how vocal you are. You just laid on the table and "talked" to him the whole time he was examining you. He said you're a "pleasant little fella" and he is so right! You bring joy to so many people, just by being you.

You still love hanging out in your K'Tan but now you're a lot more observant and interested in what's going on around you, so you don't immediately fall asleep the way you used to. In this picture, you're checking out the cool black box in Mama's hand!

You're grabbing onto toys and blankies and Mama's hair and all kinds of fun things now! And you're starting to make connections, like when you were at Gugu and Pop's the other day, you figured out that if you smash the buttons on their swing, all kinds of lights and songs come on. You thought that was so much fun!

Now you can sit up with support. Sometimes you like to hang out in your bumbo, especially if we attach the tray and put a toy on it.

We found out that the stretching we've been doing on your feet didn't work the way we were hoping it would. I'm so sorry, but we have to put you in seriously uncomfortable-looking shoes for six weeks and then another type of shoe for two to three more months after that. Hopefully once we're done with those, your little feet will be nice and straight and you won't have any more issues with them.

Here are some pictures from the day we got your shoes. They don't seem to bother you too much. You were much more interested in watching TV with Daddy (which we don't let you do too often).

You're getting to be such a big boy! Sometimes I wish I could just freeze you at this size for a while. You're such a sweet little chunk of love and joy. Mama gets sad thinking about how quickly you're growing but we try to just enjoy and soak up every little stage you go through.

I love you to the moon and back,

Mama

Fountain Of Poop

On the day of Jaxon's dedication at church, JD and I had our own type of initiation as parents. The day started out innocently enough, with the bug dressed in his finest (minus his shoes and still half asleep).

(Ignore the date on the pictures, I need to figure out how to get that off.)

JD's parents met us at our house and my parents met us at the church. There was a reception before the service for the families who were dedicating babies, where we were served breakfast, had our picture taken as a family, and were able to introduce some of the assistant pastors to Jaxon.

We were having a great time at the reception and decided to give Jax a bottle since it was close to his feeding time and we didn't want a fussy baby during the dedication or service. JD offered to feed him -to allow me to finish eating my breakfast- so I passed the baby over to him. Around this time, one of the pastors went to the front and started speaking, explaining how the dedication would work and where we should sit, etc. So at this point, everyone was quiet and listening to the pastor (when before we had all been chatting and eating and whatnot).

As I was sitting there with my Mama heart full of gratitude to be able to dedicate my beautiful baby in the same church I grew up in, surrounded by our loving parents, I heard the loud, unmistakable sound of a baby toot. I glanced to my right and time immediately ground to a screeching halt, as everything went into slow motion.

My beautiful husband was holding my perfect little son against his chest as he burped him, and my son's pristine white pants had a literal fountain of crap exploding out of the top of them. It was a scene straight out of a movie that I would've seen and thought, "No way that would ever happen in real life!" Picture a chocolate fountain at a wedding. Now picture that chocolate fountain coming out of my son's pants, running all over his outfit and into a puddle the approximate color of prehistoric goo, right into his daddy's khaki-clad lap.

Please also keep in mind that the days of those relatively neutral-smelling breastmilk diapers are long over and we're now enjoying the putrid smell of formula diapers. This smell is bad enough when contained in a diaper, but when it's all over baby and baby daddy's clothes, there really are no words to adequately describe the grossness.

I looked around and saw that people's pleasant faces were turning to looks of disgust and confusion as the smell smacked them in the face and they tried to figure out where it was coming from. Needless to say, I panicked. 

I grabbed the diaper bag and JD's arm and hauled the two of them out of there AFAP (as fast as possible), with my bewildered mom close behind. We reached the church lobby and saw that it was packed. Our little lovebug had timed his job perfectly, so that the early service was ending and people were leaving, just as more people were arriving for the later service. Basically he made sure that we got the maximum exposure possible. We wove through the masses, leaving a sea of wrinkled noses in our wake. 

As far as I was concerned, our dedication experience would have to be completed another day. I was more than ready to pack it in and run home with my tail between my legs. But thank heaven for my level-headed husband. He simply asked me for some wet paper towels and announced that he was going to a nearby store to buy another pair of pants.

So my mom and I practically bathed the baby in the restroom and changed him into the back-up fancy outfit that I had miraculously packed (never dreaming we'd actually need it). We all headed into the service, hoping that JD would make it back in time for the dedication.

Shortly before it was time for us to go to the front for the prayer, JD strolled in wearing a sharp-looking pair of new pants (though still trailing a slight scent of baby poo). He had managed to buy new pants, change in the church parking lot, and get back just in time for the bug's dedication. I'm not sure I've ever loved him more than I did in that moment.

All's well that ends well, and we have a successfully dedicated baby, a nice new pair of pants for Daddy, and an embarrassing story to tell Jaxon's future girlfriends. You know what they say about payback, my little love!

(Please note Jaxon's new -clean- outfit here.)