It's been a long while since I posted but we've survived the swine flu, 2 ear infections, and a move to a new house in the past month.
New babies require lots of gear but the amount of stuff on the market is ridiculous! I think so many new moms think they have to get everything that is out there and as far as I'm concerned, forget about it. When Babies R Us gives you a 6 page guide to what you should register for, it is because they'll be getting the money from all of those useless items that they make you believe you need : ) Here's my guide to registry items. You should know that my priorities are convenience and space saving. Your priorities might be different so choose what works for you. Also, if you think you'll need something down the road, register for it now! No, you won't use that high chair for several months but Aunt Jean is looking for some place to spend her money and you're going to use it eventually. If people want to spend their money on your baby, go ahead and let them. You'll have plenty of well-baby co-pays in the first year to spend your own money on - and that's just when they're well!
The things I couldn't have too many of:
Bibs - Not just tiny newborn ones! I really wished we had some bigger bibs once our little one got to the baby food stage.
Burp rags
Footie pajamas
Spoons (when you're in the baby food/cereal phase, we really used a bunch of these)
Wash cloths and hooded towels; I would recommend getting some bigger hooded towels as well (think toddler sized) because they outgrow the little ones quickly.
Receiving blankets - bigger receiving blankets are great! We swaddled both of our kiddos for several months and they sleep like angels.
Diapers - in a variety of sizes. You'll really only need about 1 pack of the newborn size.
The survival gear:
Car seat - make sure to check out the buckle!! Ours is horribly inconvenient and I wish I would have tried it in person instead of ordering it online.
The travel system? No thank you! Most of the strollers that were part of the "travel system" were horribly bulky. We opted for this instead and love it! It is compact and I can wrangle it with 1 hand when I have a car seat in the other.
The umbrella stroller - we went straight to this from the car seat stroller. We have to travel to visit family and it is ideal for air travel!
The sling/baby pack - I didn't use this at all with my first but now that I have 2, it is life-saving. I mean how do you take 2 small children to the grocery store without it?? I have a Baby Bjorn Air carrier (purchased on Ebay for $50). It is really great and designed to be cool.
The baby bath tub - this one was perfect because it transitions as they grow. It was the only tub we used until she was ready to bath in the big tub.
A Pack'n'Play - We used this as our bassinet when we first came home and then continued to use it when we traveled and as the baby grew and needed to be contained.
The luxury items:
It is ok to register for some pricey items! Some people will team up on gifts and some people just want to buy you a big item.
A Jogging stroller - it is like the difference between a sports car and a Honda (no offense to the Honda owners! I'm sure it's a great car, but it just won't handle like a Porsche). We always take the jogging stroller when we go on our nightly walks. There is nothing wrong with owning 3 strollers : ) Our older child is 1 year old and all three of these strollers have been well worn!
A video monitor - We have this one. It is extra-great because it is portable. This was one of the best gifts that we got! At first I thought it was creepy to watch your baby in night vision but I was completely wrong!!! You will sleep more at ease being able to peek in on your newborn and when my 1 year old got the flu, we got it back out again so that we could keep an eye on her when she was really sick.
A breast pump - If you are really going to stick with breast feeding and you're a working mom, this is really a must have item. My girlfriend purchased the Medella Pump In Style and it was a great pump (you can purchase the kits that go with the pump separately so a few of us have used the same pump).
Miscellaneous:
A shopping cart cover
Disposable bibs - you can buy these at Target and they are so great when you are out & about. When they are covered in bright orange carrots or sweet potatoes, you can just throw them away instead of putting them back in your diaper bag.
Lily Padz - These are so great! I wouldn't recommend them in the early stages of breast feeding but once you get into a routine, they are wonderful. Definitely easier on The Girls than the disposable nursing pads.
The stuff I could really live without:
The diaper genie - The refills are expensive, it fills up quickly, and frankly, once they get past bottles, nothing is going to eliminate the smell. A Wal Mart trash can with a lid is equally as effective.
My extremely cute, but non-functional diaper bag.
If you have friends with babies, don't be afraid to trade items! We borrowed our swing, bumbo seat, bouncer, and exersaucer. They are all bulky items and are all going to be used for a limited amount of time. Most baby gear is removable and washable so I just throw it in the wash before I send it back to the original owners. I also recommend picking big items that are gender neutral. I am sooooo thankful we didn't find out the gender of our babies because all of our necessity items were gender neutral. My best advice for baby gear is choose the items that you feel will fit your lifestyle and think long term (not just tiny newborn).
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
You're Living In Denial Fatty
I might be the only one with this issue but at the end of my pregnancy I was living in some serious denial of the sheer size of my body. I had always recognized that I wasn't one of those pregnant sticks with a volleyball on the front, but I wasn't huge either (that is what I told myself). I got to enjoy pregnancy in one of the hottest summers in state history so we spent a lot of quality time at the pool. I would see other unfortunate pregnant souls there as well and would say to my husband, "at least I'm not that big". He is a saint for just letting me think that. At some point I think I realized that I was kidding myself and that is probably what all of those ladies were saying about me!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Ashoo
The good news about motherhood is that your child will be a comedian and not even mean to! This weekend on a 2 hour road trip, our newborn sneezed in the car and Mommy said "bless you". A few minutes later, our 1-year-old starts making "ashooo" sounds and shaking her head until we said "bless you" to her. This continued the rest of the trip and we laughed every time. Now she follows up every real sneeze that she has with 2 fake ones. I can't wait to hear some of the things she'll say down the road : )
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Helpful Tip #4
Avoid the mommy blogs that make you feel inadequate. Don't compare yourself to other moms. You are doing a great job no matter what you think!
There is always going to be someone out there making her own baby food from the organic vegetables she grew in her garden while also home schooling her 6 kids and looking beautiful for her man.....well at least that's what she'll tell you ; )
There is always going to be someone out there making her own baby food from the organic vegetables she grew in her garden while also home schooling her 6 kids and looking beautiful for her man.....well at least that's what she'll tell you ; )
Monday, September 21, 2009
Joining the LPGA
Have you ever watched the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Assoc). tour? Well many of these ladies wear unflattering, too tight, pleated pants that result in an unsightly pooch in the front. My dad has affectionately titled it the "front butt" because it does in fact look like you have a butt on your front!
Well should you be fortunate enough to have a c-section, you can plan on having a front butt for a good long while afterwards. It's like having a separate entity attached to your tummy and is especially noticeable when you're sitting. I really think mine should have her own name like Olga or Doris. I guess it's a combination of scar tissue and swelling from surgery but it's in no hurry to leave you. I've lost 30 pounds since I had the 2nd baby and Doris is still hanging on for dear life.
So one Sunday afternoon if you flip over to ESPN 8 (the ocho) watch for me in my khaki, pleated dockers because I might just grab my husband's clubs and head out on tour.
Well should you be fortunate enough to have a c-section, you can plan on having a front butt for a good long while afterwards. It's like having a separate entity attached to your tummy and is especially noticeable when you're sitting. I really think mine should have her own name like Olga or Doris. I guess it's a combination of scar tissue and swelling from surgery but it's in no hurry to leave you. I've lost 30 pounds since I had the 2nd baby and Doris is still hanging on for dear life.
So one Sunday afternoon if you flip over to ESPN 8 (the ocho) watch for me in my khaki, pleated dockers because I might just grab my husband's clubs and head out on tour.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Big Mama's House
Are you feeling discouraged about your pregnancy weight gain? This should help you feel better: during my first pregnancy I gained 50 pounds. I had a lot of swelling towards the end but either way you slice that pie, it's still a BIG pie.
One my second pregnancy, I gained the recommended 30 (but you should also know that I got pregnant about 3.5 months after my daughter was born so I still had a pesky 19 pounds hanging on). So both times I arrived right at my magic pregnancy number.
Now begins the process of losing the weight. If I had given birth to a 5th grader, I'd probably already be back to where I started but seeing as how both of my babies were right around 7 pounds, there's plenty left to lose. I like to say that some people carry the baby in their bellies and I carried my babies in my hips and thighs : )
Let me break it down for you in numbers:
My pre-pregnancy weight - 130lbs
Pregnancy weight both times - 180ish
Pre-2nd pregnancy weight - 149
Current weight - 151
The Plan:
The Southbeach Diet is our preferred method of weight loss (the hubby has some pregnancy pounds to lose also - every good man should). The reason is because I could go through life living on side dishes and desserts alone. I would be a fattie but I would be a happy fattie. This diet forces me to put down the refined sugars and simple carbohydrates and embrace the main course. I have zero will power so I really need a plan that just tells me what I can and cannot have. So far, I've lost 9 pounds (no, I'm not counting the weight lost right after the baby was born).
Here's my secret - the true key to weight loss success is competition and monetary reward. I'm competing with some coworkers in a Biggest Loser type competition where the winner walks away with the pot of about $150.00. I am fiercely competitive and plan to blow them all out of the water and use the money to go shopping for non-maternity clothes for the first time in 2 years : )
The ultimate goal:
To be back to 130 lbs by June 1st, 2010. We'll be going on our first real vacation since our honeymoon and mama needs to look good in a swim suit. You can track my progress on my handy-dandy weight loss ticker. I'll update it each week when I weigh in.
One my second pregnancy, I gained the recommended 30 (but you should also know that I got pregnant about 3.5 months after my daughter was born so I still had a pesky 19 pounds hanging on). So both times I arrived right at my magic pregnancy number.
Now begins the process of losing the weight. If I had given birth to a 5th grader, I'd probably already be back to where I started but seeing as how both of my babies were right around 7 pounds, there's plenty left to lose. I like to say that some people carry the baby in their bellies and I carried my babies in my hips and thighs : )
Let me break it down for you in numbers:
My pre-pregnancy weight - 130lbs
Pregnancy weight both times - 180ish
Pre-2nd pregnancy weight - 149
Current weight - 151
The Plan:
The Southbeach Diet is our preferred method of weight loss (the hubby has some pregnancy pounds to lose also - every good man should). The reason is because I could go through life living on side dishes and desserts alone. I would be a fattie but I would be a happy fattie. This diet forces me to put down the refined sugars and simple carbohydrates and embrace the main course. I have zero will power so I really need a plan that just tells me what I can and cannot have. So far, I've lost 9 pounds (no, I'm not counting the weight lost right after the baby was born).
Here's my secret - the true key to weight loss success is competition and monetary reward. I'm competing with some coworkers in a Biggest Loser type competition where the winner walks away with the pot of about $150.00. I am fiercely competitive and plan to blow them all out of the water and use the money to go shopping for non-maternity clothes for the first time in 2 years : )
The ultimate goal:
To be back to 130 lbs by June 1st, 2010. We'll be going on our first real vacation since our honeymoon and mama needs to look good in a swim suit. You can track my progress on my handy-dandy weight loss ticker. I'll update it each week when I weigh in.
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