The so-called "fourth trimester" ended and my baby woke up to the world. What a different kid than the smooshy newborn we brought home from the hospital! I've got a whole new routine and a whole new group of daily-use products, and these are the top five I wanted to share with the world. None of these 'endorsements' are sponsored, I just really really like these things.
1. Take-me everywhere toy
The Product: Sophie the Giraffe by Vulli
Where we got it: This was gifted to Penny but I've seen them all over the place.
What it does: Appeals to everything baby's like at this age. She smells good and tastes good and has lots of ridges and shapes to grab and gnaw on. She has a cute face and squeaks when you squeeze her.
Why I love it: Simple... Penny loves it. And it's easy to clean and very portable. If you follow me on Instagram you might notice Sophie photo-bombing a lot of the baby photos.
2. My Baby-wearing Wrap
The Product: Moby Wrap
Where we got it: They have them at most baby stores or online. Mine was a gift.
What it does: Secures baby onto the "wearer" in a safe, hands-free, comfortable fashion.
3. Play Gym
The Product: Our Activity Gym is "Treetop Friends" by Skip Hop.
Where I got it: A gift from our Buy Buy Baby registry.
What it does: Provides a stimulating environment for baby to self-play and learn. Textures, sounds, movable toys, it's got it all. It's versatile too, for different ages.
Why I love it: I could not take showers without it. I put the activity gym in the middle of our bed, lay PJ on her back underneath it, and she's good to go for about 20 minutes. I can hear her from the shower having "conversations" with her treetop creatures, kicking them with her legs and grabbing onto the low-hanging ones with her fingers. I use it every day in different rooms of the house. Seriously, could not live without this.
4. A Cheap Baby Monitor
The Product: I don't even know what brand ours is, maybe Fisher Price?
Where we got it: Kid to Kid, a second-hand baby/kid store in Ahwatukee.
What it does: It's a baby monitor... it makes noise in one room to let you know that your baby made a noise in the other room.
Why I love it: It cost me $15 bucks and it accomplishes exactly what I need for this stage. In the beginning, I would never put Penny down to sleep farther than where I could hear here. I was recovering from a C-section, home all day, and had a ton of help. Now that I'm juggling more, with less idle time (and I don't feel the need to go check on PJ every thirty seconds), I need to be able to hear her from across the house. She still sleeps in our room at night, so I haven't felt compelled to invest in any more expensive monitors.
5. Mirror in the Car
The Product: Easy View Back Seat Mirror by Diono.
Where I got it: I think Amazon, but I can't remember. There are lots of back-seat mirrors on the market, you need to find the one that's right for your vehicle.
What it is: Gives a driver a view of their rear-facing child in a back-seat car seat, safely without obstructing view of the road or taking up a distracting field-of-vision.
Why I love it: Penny is awake. A lot. Including in the car now. When I'm driving, especially long distances (a.k.a. over five minutes), I like to be able to glance at what she's doing. I can make sure her headband hasn't fallen across her eyes, see if the binky has plopped out of her mouth or the sun is in her eyes, or take note if she does doze off. I feel so much better about going places now that I have one of these.
And in the Honorable Mention Category
Some other favorites of mine...
Pacifiers: We love the Soft OrthoStar pacifier by Nuk. This nipple was Penny's choice and I like the all-sillicone, all-one-piece design of this particular binky because it's easy to clean.
Softest Sweetest Blankets: Still love the Aden + Anais Bamboo Collection
Mommy's pants: I'll save the post-partum-body discussion for another post (maybe)... but Lululemon's "Presence Pant" is pretty much the only article of clothing that I feel good in right now. According to their website this particular pant has been discontinued (say what?!?!?) but if you can get your hands on a pair online... they are so worth it.
Wearable Blankets: When babies grows out of the swaddling stage, it's still unsafe to put lose blankets on top of them when they sleep. Halo sleepsacks are awesome for warmth, comfort and safety in the night.
The App: Yes, I still use it and it's worth mentioning again. We stopped tracking wet diapers but it's fantastic for sleep and eating patterns. And I love that I have all her growth stats right at my fingertips! ("Baby Connect", $4.99 in the app store)
Mommy's pants: I'll save the post-partum-body discussion for another post (maybe)... but Lululemon's "Presence Pant" is pretty much the only article of clothing that I feel good in right now. According to their website this particular pant has been discontinued (say what?!?!?) but if you can get your hands on a pair online... they are so worth it.
Wearable Blankets: When babies grows out of the swaddling stage, it's still unsafe to put lose blankets on top of them when they sleep. Halo sleepsacks are awesome for warmth, comfort and safety in the night.
The App: Yes, I still use it and it's worth mentioning again. We stopped tracking wet diapers but it's fantastic for sleep and eating patterns. And I love that I have all her growth stats right at my fingertips! ("Baby Connect", $4.99 in the app store)
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| Playtime with Sophie and the Treetop Friends |
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There's more where this came from... Five Things I Couldn't Live Without:
Nobody paid me or gave me anything for free... I wrote about this stuff on my own volition because I couldn't live without it!
