Totally teething

Aubrey is now 9 months old, and teething! She got her first tooth on Valentines Day but we haven't seen any activity since then...until now! Tooth #2 has come through and drool is full force. Check out how she is growing!

Sock Ons

When Aubrey was about 4 months old, we encountered a new issue. My little girl was constantly pulling off her socks and putting them right in her mouth. We would end up in the mall and realize a sock was lost somewhere or I would find a dripping wet sock hanging out in the crib. With it being winter, having bare feet or wet socks is not going to fly. I know I am not the only mother with a baby who loves doing this.

I was desperate for a way to keep the socks on her feet so I turned to the internet. With a little bit of searching, I found a product called Sock Ons on Amazon. They had a numerous amount of great reviews, but I was still leery. I purchased a three pack that had light pink, dark pink and white pairs. Two days later, they arrived in the mail.

They are very easy to use. You just slip them on over a pair of your little ones socks. I wasn't quite sure that something so small would work, but I put them on and waited. Hours went by, and the socks were still on! Thinking it may have been a fluke, I continued to put them on Aubrey day after day. THEY REALLY WORK!!

Aubrey is now 7 months old and we put these on her every day! I love that I no longer have to worry about lost socks or cold, wet feet! Here are a few pictures of my little one wearing them:

These are one of those products that I am going to be purchasing as Baby Shower gifts in the future! Such a simple product can save you from so much headache.



Need these for yourself?
Buy them now on Amazon.com!

Check out their website HERE

Graco Tablefit Highchair Review

Until now, we had been using an old highchair that sits on top of an existing chair. Considering we only have a table that has 4 chairs, we wanted to get out 4th chair back. I had been on the search for a highchair that met all of my requirements:
            * Space Saver
            * Matches the kitchen
            * Good reviews
            * Ease of use
            * From a trusted brand
            * Inexpensive

After looking for a while, I thought I was going to have to settle on something bigger or something that was an eye sore. I was wrong. While searching on my favorite shopping site, Amazon, I came across the Graco Tablefit Highchair....and amazing enough, it came in a print perfect for my kitchen!

Take a look at this beauty....

We placed the order and two days later we were putting it together. It only took us a few minutes, and we put our sweet girl in it!

We both come from families that have always eaten together at the dinner table. Studies have proven that this is very beneficial for the children. Not only does Aubrey love her new high chair, but she gets to be right at the table with us!

Not only is this highchair easy to use, it looks great and your children can be pushed up right against the table!

Gotta have it?!
Buy it now on Amazon for under $75!

Britax Free Ride Event

Hurry! There are only a few days left to scoop up on this great sale from Britax! If you have a little one coming, this is a great deal. We currently have the Britax B-Safe car seat and my little one loves it!

This sale only happens a couple of times a year!

Ends 11/21   Learn More HERE

Kate Spade Surprise Sale

It's that time again! The Kate Spade Surprise SALE! I very rarely jump on items the second they go on sale, but this is an exception. I have the Kate Spade Stevie Diaper Bag and LOVE IT! I mean, LOVE! It is so cute that I don't even mind having a diaper bag as my purse. It has plenty of room to hold everything I need. It also has compartments to help keep my organized. This sale, they are offering a leopard print bag! I have a black and cream stripe one, but I couldn't help but to drool over this one when I saw it.

The bag is 63% off for the sale making it only $149.00! It is on sale until 11/5/14 at 12pm (or earlier if they sell out).

This is such a pretty bag which makes it a perfect gift for someone expecting!

Nursing & Pumping Essentials for New Moms

I always knew I wanted to nurse my children. It sounded like such an easy thing to say. Nursing is all that everyone said it would be, and more. There was a time in the beginning when I struggled and almost gave up, however. I am so happy that I stuck with it and get to experience the beauty of nursing. At 6 weeks I started the task of pumping while I went back to work part time. Any breast milk you give your child is a gift. It doesn't matter if you nurse one time or one year, it is a gift.

Breastfeeding Essentials

Boppy
These things are great. I brought mine to the hospital when I went into labor and I am so glad I did. It got so much use in the two days in the hospital that I knew the Boppy and I were going to be great friends. It has a cut out so the pillow goes around your body, allowing the newborn to lay straight across you. It is also thicker than a normal pillow to hold the baby up higher to your breast. I now use it to prop Aubrey up and for tummy time. The fact that it has multiple uses makes it a great buy.

Lanolin
Please, I urge you to not try nursing for the first time without this. Buy it before you go into labor. Make sure you have it with you at the hospital and at home. The hospital provided me with a different brand that does not even compare to this one. This was crucial in me surviving my first two weeks of nursing. You can use it before nursing, right after nursing or even put it on before you get in the shower so the water doesn't sting. A MUST HAVE!

Nursing Pads
For some reason I didn't think I was going to need these. I was wrong, so wrong. I didn't register for them like I read I should. Luckily, I had a ton of samples that I saved during pregnancy. If you plan on nursing for a while, make sure to get a box.

Formula Samples
You will most likely receive formulas samples in the mail or at the doctors while you are pregnant. I recommend saving them. It may not sound like it, but there may be a time when you just can't bring yourself to nurse. You'll want these as reassurance that baby will having something to eat even if you just can't do it that time. I was so glad I had these in the other room for emergency use. I was so lucky to have my husband cheer me on at the hardest parts, and I ended up not needing mine. I gave them to another new mom who was using formula, but they were worth holding onto for a bit!

Pumping Essentials

Breast Pump

I love love love my Medela Pump In Style Advanced Dual  Pump. I dreaded pumping and I waited until the day before I was going back to work to figure it out. It was so easy to set up and it works like a charm. Check with your health insurance about getting one at no cost after delivery! 

Hands Free Pumping Bra

I don't know why they don't supply these with all dual pumps. I'm not even sure dual pumping is possible without one. With that said, I love the Lansinoh Best Wishes hands free pumping bra. I bought mine at Target in a light pink color. They are one size and you can constantly adjust they sizing if you need to.

Enjoy your journey into motherhood and breastfeeding. There are so many products available to make things easier on nursing mothers! 

 

Ten Items To Have For Newborn

I was constantly scouring the internet for “first time mom” tips when I was pregnant with Aubrey. I would look at a ton of others moms Must Have lists and compare. There were a few things that I saw on most of the lists, so I made sure to register for them. I am so glad I did my research!

Most of you don’t know this: My husband and I had never even held a baby until our own. Yes, I know it is hard to believe! We were so excited about becoming parents, but hadn’t the slightest idea of what we were doing. This explains my abundance of Google and blog searches. I couldn’t be happier with what I learned!

Here are a list of what my husband and I consider our “things we are glad we bought” for a Newborn. I don’t want to call them “Must Haves” because every baby is different.

Swing

First, I want to say how grateful I am for the Fisher Price My Little Lamb Cradle 'n Swing that my mother bought us. I was deliriously tired the first two weeks and this wonderful, incredible swing put my daughter right to sleep. We didn’t use it for every nap, but when we had no energy left in our bones to sing and rock her to sleep, this saved us!

Rock n Play

No one warned me that some babies (ours) would refuse to sleep flat on their back. Our daughter ended up sleeping on my chest the first week because we could not get her to sleep on her back. This product was our answer. It could have been the incline, or the fact that she was snuggled in on both sides- but she loved it!

Pack n Play

Hopefully you are one of the lucky ones, and your little one sleeps in a crib from night one. These are perfect for keeping next to the bed, just make sure yours has a bassinet attachment. Ours had a diaper changing attachment also that we used constantly (even when she was sleeping in the rock n play). We transitioned her into this, and phased out the Rock n Play around week 9. I bought ours used and gave it a good cleaning with Dreft in the tub.

Snap-Down Sleepers

I can’t stress how much Carters Sleep and Plays saved me! Aubrey seemed so fragile and the idea of having to put onesies over her head terrified me. Especially if she had a overflow diaper and needed a changing. We preferred the snaps instead of the zippers. For diaper changes, baby stays warm since you only need to unsnap the bottom few, instead of unzipping the whole way down.

Burp cloths

Tip: Register for a ton of these if you hate doing laundry like I do.

Diaper Caddy

A neighbor gave me one of these while I was pregnant and I am so glad she did (thanks Bridget!). It holds diapers, changing mat, powder, wipes, diaper rash cream and everything you need. We keep it in our living room so there is no need to take her upstairs to change her diaper (when you have a blowout diaper, you will appreciate not having to carry baby and smoosh it all around!)

Travel system

Put baby in car seat, transfer to stroller. Easy stuff! We have the Quinny Buzz Extra and the Maxi Cosi AP car seat to go with it. We love it! My mom, who watches Aubrey for me on working days, has the Britax B Agile and B Safe system and we love that one also!

Baby Carrier

I found my Ergo Baby at Marshalls for $59.00! Sometimes I use the stroller, but other times I love to put her in the carrier and wear her around the mall. We have also used it a ton in the house when I want to be close to her while I get my household chores done. 

Play mat

You will be so happy to have one of these when your newborn starts reacting to things. I will never forget the first time I put her down on it just to see what she did. Her eyes lit up and I was so happy to be able to have her start learning!

Healthcare Kit, Tylenol & Gas Drops.

We knew to register for the first aid kit, because it was on the list that Toys R Us gave us to register from. What we didn’t think of was buying Baby Tylenol and Little Remedies gas drops. If you have a gassy baby at 4am it is much better to go downstairs and grab the drops than to need to go to the store. The Tylenol came in handy after the first set of shots at the doctors. I am so glad I had it in the house already.

 

Also see my posts about Breastfeeding and Pumping items!