Mommy Must Haves

These are a few things that I could not live without now that Ethan is here! My Mommy recommendations for other moms!

-Yoga Ball
When we first brought Ethan home, we thought he had colic. He would cry for hours at a time and nothing we did would calm him down. Luckily a friend of mine suggested bouncing with him on a yoga ball. Thank God for this! Who knew an exercise ball could calm a crying baby and make him sleep so quickly?! I'd have no idea what to do if we didn't own one of these. Not only is the yoga ball a wonderful way to calm a screaming, fussy, sleepy baby but they also serve as wonderful foot rests for those middle of the night feedings.

-Sleepers
The easiest way to dress a wiggly baby for winter. Sleepers make it much easier to dress a baby so you don't have to spend the time looking for a shirt, pants, socks, etc. It's one piece of clothing that can simply be unbuttoned to change baby's diaper. Plus, instead of having to clean multiple items of clothing when baby has a blow out, you only have one article! I'm so glad we went out and bought extras as soon as Ethan was born. Now we just need to make sure we have enough to cover him as he continues to get bigger.

-Pack n Play
We decided to get a pack n play for when Ethan would spend the night at Grandma and Grandpa's house and as an extra sleeping location. I originally wanted to put the PNP in our bedroom for him to sleep in during the first few months but ended up moving it downstairs so he Ethan could nap there during the day. Ours is bassinet height with a changing station and storage area. It folds down to the size of a tent and takes 5 minutes to set up.

-Soothe and Glow Seahorse
I LOVE this thing! You push its belly and it sings 5 different songs with ocean sounds. Plus its belly glows similar to the old Glow Worms from when I was little. It plays for a total of about 10 minutes and shuts off.




-Nipple Shields
After Ethan was born, I had some issues trying to nurse him. The lactation consultants suggested using these shields to help him latch. They also cut down on the pain that comes with cracking. I'm hoping to wean Ethan off of them soon but they were a life saver since the beginning.

-Boppy
It’s a breastfeeding pillow that doubles as a great tool for everything for baby. It can help them sit up, you can put them on their stomach for tummy time, and it puts them at a perfect angle for bottle feeding. Not only is it wonderful for Ethan but Maggie absolutely loves curling up in it to fall asleep.


-Swing
When we first put Ethan in his swing, he absolutely hated the thing. But after multiple attempts, we soon realized that he loved falling asleep in it while listening to the rain forest noises. He often sleeps in his swing for 2 or 3 hours at a time giving me a chance to nap on our own or get things done around the house. Just in the past few days he's started to notice the toys attached to the front and is trying to figure them out. As an added bonus, the print on this swing is so pretty yet understated. It blends in with our living room decor without making the room look like a giant kids' play room.

-Swaddle blankets
I purchased one of these while pregnant after hearing rave reviews about them. After watching The Happiest Baby on the Block we learned that swaddling is one of the best things a parent can do to calm a screaming baby. I attempted quite a few times to wrap regular blankets in such a way that would keep Ethan's arms nice and close to his body but I just couldn't get those darn blankets to stay put! These blankets are so easy to swaddle and keep baby nice and tight inside until they outgrow them. You just slide baby into the bottom pocket and wrap the two side pieces around them to form a tight fitting swaddle. In fact, we thought these were so great that Chris went and bought several more after bringing Ethan home.

-Moby Wrap
The Moby Wrap is one of the coolest baby related purchases I've made. The purpose of this is to tote baby around hands free allowing you to get things done around the house while keeping baby cozy, comfy, and happy. Prior to owning this, I attempted to use one of the popular slings but found that I absolutely hated it. I always felt like Ethan was going to fall out of it if I didn't keep a hand on him at all times, completely defeating the purpose. I use the wrap to wear Ethan on my front, facing me and have been able to get so much done! He could sleep for hours this way and my two hands are free the entire time!