Surviving the first 3 months

I've learned a lot in the past 12 weeks.  I've learned that you can get used to being woke up in the middle of the night but that doesn't make it suck any less.  I've learned that sometimes you break down and do whatever you can to put the baby to sleep, even if it goes against everything you said you wouldn't do such as rock him to sleep.  I've learned that it's capable to love someone so small and so new so quickly and can't even think back to a time that he wasn't around.  Like I said I've learned a lot in the past couple of months and with that, I've learned what products that I couldn't have handled these first couple of months without. 

1.  Ubbi diaper pail 

When I was doing my research on what people recommended to have and not to worry about for your nursery, there were mixed reviews about diaper pails.  Some people thought they were overrated, complaining about how they didn't really hold in the smell and how you had to buy special expensive bags for it to work and when it was full, you had this heavy sausage looking trash bag to take out.  And someone acted like they were a God send, saying that they wouldn't have made it without it.  The idea of having the whole nursery smell like poop wasn't very appealing to me so when I came across the Ubbi and how it was made out of stainless steal and not plastic to prevent the smell from attaching itself to the pail peaked my interest.  When I found out that you could use your own trash bags in it and didn't have to buy those expensive bags, I like it even more.  Since you could use your own bags,  it easily converts to a pail that you can use with cloth diapers, which was something I was always interested in (side note: and started just yesterday).  The cost is a little higher than the other pails but I think it's totally worth the price and is a good investment and haven't had any problems yet. 

2.  Halo Swaddle 

This was another thing that I did some research on before James made his appearance.  I had heard a lot of good things about swaddling and has a calming affects it has on the baby.  Not knowing which type I would like or James would prefer, I bought about 3 different types and the halo was not actually one of the types I bought.  It wasn't until James was born that Wes and I really started to like the Halo Swaddle.  So much so that we had his parents run out and buy one while we were still in the hospital. I tried out the other ones that I had but nothing seemed to be as easy or work as well as the Halo did.  I like how it's really soft and the velco part can fit anywhere and not just on two little tabs like the others had.  It has been able to grow with him except for when he got too long for the newborn one and we had to upgrade to the small size. 

3.  MULIG Laundry bag with stand from IKEA

This item was purchased on a whim when I was at IKEA with my parents and Wes getting the standard nursery items,  storage unit and dresser. I think it's written somewhere where you can't start your nursery without these items.  Any who, back to the laundry bag,  I saw it as we were leaving and knowing that I didn't have anything like that already for the nursery, I went ahead and grabbed it,  it was $15 so why not give it a try. I think that should be IKEA's motto.  I love this product for two reasons,  first I like that it comes with two bags,  I can take one to the laundry and put dirty clothes in the other.  Anyone who has dealt with a newborn know that it's rear to go over 2 hours without something getting spit up on, pooped or peed on so the two bags work out wonderful.  The second thing that I really love is the handles that come on the bag,  it allows me to carry the laundry in one hand and James in the other.  It's super easy to carry and move from the nursery, to the laundry room, to the living room for folding and back to the nursery.  

4. Kiinde 

The Kiinde brand is a favorite of mine.  I think I first came a crossed it when I was going through all the free stuff you get when you registry for you baby at the big box stores.  What  grabbed my attention was the fact that you could attach a bottle nipple right to the bag and not need to transfer it to a bottle.  I thought this would be really convenient for the baseball games.  Then I found out that you can attach the breastmilk bag straight to the pump and not have to deal with cleaning an extra bottle that would collect the milk thats expressed.  It seems like this brand is all about convenience and cutting out unneeded steps.  To be truthful what really won me over on this brand is when I contacted them about how my warmer wasn't working anymore.  It still warmed the milk but it took about 30 minutes to thaw out frozen milk.  I contacted them late Wednesday night and reported my problem through email.  I got a response Thursday on what I could do to maybe fix it, I followed the email but it still wouldn't work correctly.  I replied to the email with my findings and by Saturday afternoon I had a brand new warmer on my doorsteps. I didn't have to send the old one back, I didn't have to go through a ton of questions to make sure that it really was broken and not just me doing something wrong.  It was nice to experience this kind of customer service.  Even though the bottle and nipple part didn't work out for James,  the flow was either way too slow or too fast,  I will continue to buy their bags and rave about their products. 

5. Jamba Juice At-Home Smoothie

This one isn't really directly related to James and baby products but more for me.  Anyone who has breastfeed their baby knows about the ongoing struggle to make sure you are taking in enough heathly calories to keep your supply up but also battle against the wish to just be able to fit back into your old jeans.  I found these smoothies in the freezer section and after my first one I was hooked.  I don't really have to the time to wash, cut up and measure out fruit for smoothies but with these all I have to do is pour the bag into the mixer, add apple juice and mix it up.  They are pretty low in calories, low enough that I don't feel bad when I don't divided it up into two different serving.  I feel like it helps me get in some nutrients that I might be missing out on without having to eat tons of fruits.  




6.  My Brest Friend

This was another research heavy item.  I don't believe that it's near as popular as the other known breastfeeding support pillow, The Boppy, but I like this one so much better.  It's surface is flat and I can tighten up the strap so it fits right up against me and gives me tons of support to be able to hold up James while he eats without having to readjust all the time like I did when I used the boppy.  It also provide nice support after he eats and is just sitting and resting against me. Another nice little feature is the pocket in the front, I like to keep his nail files, nail trimmers and some chapstick for myself,  things that are nice to have within reach when I'm nursing him. I would recommend getting an extra cover because just trust me you will need it. 




7. Baby Einstein - Caterpillar's Day at the Park Bouncer

This was a purchase I made once James got a month old or so.  I was watching a TV show and saw that the character had one of these and how she moved it all around the house, in the kitchen, to the living room, upstairs.  While we already have a swing, it needs to be plugged in and isn't easy to move, so I thought a bouncer would be nice to have on hand.  Did a little research but nothing really stood out,  I actually think the Baby Einstein bouncer I looked at online wasn't this one at all but this is the one that they had at the store so we picked up it and it's been great ever since.  James loved it even before I put the batteries in.  I feel like it's almost two toys in one, when I have the music on and the bar up, it keeps him pretty entertained but it's a lot for his system so he gets pretty over stimulated easily.  However when I take the bar away and put it on vibrate it gives the bouncer another life and I can get another 10 minutes or so of smiley James out of it. 






















8. Apple TV, Netflix and Hulu

I am taking full advantage of the nursing not being complete and having to set up shop in the guest room with the TV in it and a product similar to Apple TV but doesn't work as well so I would recommend the Apple TV.  I don't think you realize how much and how long you will spend nursing in the first couple of months and if I had to look at my phone the whole time, my eyes would be in so much pain and it's hard to read a book with just one hand.  I've made it through quite a few TV series and movies while nursing James.

So here is my list of most of the items that I use almost everyday and would make my life very hard without them.  



What is/was your go to item when you were surviving the first couple of months with a newborn? Did they change with each baby or stayed the same? 

Thanks for stopping by and see you guys soon.