1 Month update + Keys to survival
- Melissa Vause
- Mar 6, 2017
- 5 min read
I couldn't pick my favorite, so you get all 4!
ICYMI, here's her birth story
Grace is already a month old and it has all been one giant, fleeting blur. She has grown like a weed! When I play with her feet when we're nursing, I swear they get a little longer each day. I look at her pictures of when she first came home and can't believe how much bigger she's already gotten and how much her face has already changed. In her first month, she has:
-gotten pretty good at holding her head up for a long time (this was actually within her first week of life!)
-taken a few baths and realized how much she LOVES the water
-smiled for lots of pictures (except for the ones mommy paid a photographer to take)
-visited daddy at his Pep Rolls stand
-met with her favorite fans at Craft Conundrum (and no, I still have not had any alcohol!)
-had lunch at Dig in the Park with mommy's work crew
-transitioned to cloth diapers (more on that in a bit)
So what has been essential in her first month?
Grace with her ferocious guard dog, Mac
This vibrating miracle has helped mommy and daddy stay sane. It sits in the living room with us and has been the place she will stay asleep for hours on end. She has the snug a puppy that has a newborn insert which cradles her head and, as the name implies, keeps her nice and snug! She has the swing too, which she wasn't too interested in until this past week.
I do have a Boppy pillow as well, but the Shuga Bebe is taller and stiffer so with Grace being so small, the height was perfect for nursing. I picked it up at the Charleston Repeats bi-annual consignment sale which, by the way, is happening again this week. It can get pretty crowded but I HIGHLY recommend going for the great deals!!
Swaddle Blankets
This one is from Milkmaid Goods. They have the cutest prints. This is one of about two dozen swaddle blankets she has. Yes, 24 is overkill...no one needs this many unless you're a parent of multiples. But we received so many cute ones at her two baby showers that I didn't return any of them. She loves being wrapped up like a burrito when she goes down for the night.
The Dock-A-Tot is snug, narrow little bed made to feel like the baby is still in the womb. It's flat and lightweight so we can lay her in it and move from room to room quickly and easily.
I stumbled upon this video and knew I had to have the stroller you could break down with one hand! I waited for the perfect sale on Pish Posh Baby before I made this purchase, and it saved about $160! This stroller has it all and is awesome!! I love it because the handle is rubber instead of foam so it's made to last, the tires are large and all terrain, it's 3 wheeled and has a bar handle so it's easy to maneuver with just one hand. The adapter was pretty cheap and allows us to quickly snap in her carseat. And of course, the one hand breakdown has been quick and keeps our busy lifestyle going!
This has saved me from having the breastfeeding mother's common complaint of dry, chapped nipples. It's made with safe ingredients so I don't have to wipe it off before she nurses again...which is good because this happens every 2-3 hours during the day!
I leak. Alot. These are great because they stay in place, have an absorbent cotton inner layer, a milk-proof outer layer to keep my shirts nice and dry, and has a velour interior that is so soft against my tender skin! They have an overnight size and a cute heart shaped thinner size for the daytime. I had the Milkies milk saver that catches leaking milk while nursing or pumping from the other side...but I don't leak nearly enough to hold this cumbersome invention in my shirt. Works for others though, just not for me!
I received this as a gift from my coworkers and have gotten so much use out of it! Basically every time I leave the house! It's made of a thin, soft, stretchy material so it's breathable in this hot Charleston weather, and can be used as a carseat cover or swaddle as well. I feel confident nursing in it anywhere on-the-go.
I absolutely love this thing! It's an insert that can fit into any bag you own already and turn it into a diaper bag. There's a little hook to keep my keys at easy access, a changing mat for clean diaper changes, and it has tons of pockets to keep extra diapers, wipes, little toys, a pacifier, an extra onesie, and my Cover Me poncho. There's an insulated pocket to keep a bottle too once that time comes!
Back when Mathias worked for the WV DEP, he was able to see first hand the negative impact disposable diapers have on our environment. He decided back then that when he had kids, he would put them in cloth diapers. I had always considered it as a possibility, so when I learned he was totally on board with the idea, I hopped on Nicki's Diapers and snagged a supply and a Spray Pal for Grace. There was a slight learning curve in the beginning, but it has been so easy! We have snap-in inserts that snap into reusable covers that when it's dirty, you just pull it out and snap in a new one. Easy peasy! When we're out and about, we use a water proof, odor clocking wet bag that fits into the Tote Savvy to hold her dirty cloths, and we use biodegradable inserts that can be tossed into the trash for longer outings. Our parents keep saying how much simpler cloth diapering has become since both Mathias and I were in cloth. So true! It has already saved us money in diapers and not to mention how validating it's felt to toss out one tiny bag from her changing station on trash day instead of 5 heavy bags of puffed up diapers.
Nicki's diapers has been our one stop shop for cloth diaper education and supplies. It has most favored brands and all the accessories needed for a well-stocked closet. But Nicki's doesn't just have diapers. You can find baby carriers, breastfeeding and nursing supplies, cute clothes, postpartum momma care, and pretty much every essential baby item you can imagine. If you don't know where to start, there's a 15 day try and return period if you don't know what your little one (or you) will like using. There is literally always a sale going on or you can take advantage like I did, and create a gift registry to get your cloth diapering journey started!
As an affiliate, you can shop with my own link here or type Affiliate ID 300 in the comment section when ordering.
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