Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Our MUST HAVES for the hospital bag!

I wanted to give you a list of the things for your hospital bag.  After 3 babies I think I have the hospital bag packing down!

Things for Mommy:

1. Annie & Isabel Designer Hospital Gown (Maternity gowns are HUGE and ugly!)
2.  Toiletries (The Push Pack is a fantastic way to ensure you don't forget anything!)
3.  A pillow (Hospital pillows are not particularly comfy)
4.  Going home clothes (think comfy maternity yoga pants and tshirts)
5.  Nursing bra or two (If you need lanolin during your stay ask for it - some hospitals have Soothies on hand and some don't, up to you whether you want to have a set on hand)
6.  A few DVDs (After delivering in three different hospitals we have come to learn that the TV selection in a hospital is terrible...and in the middle of the night it's nice to have something to watch if you are up with baby!)
7.  Camera including charger or batteries and digital card
8.  Charger for cell phone
9.  Baby book (You might have a few minutes to write down baby's birth story and getting those first foot and hand prints is fun!)
10.  Boppy Pillow 
11. Slippers with non-slip bottoms (taking a walk down the halls is nice and you want to make sure you don't slip)
12.  A cardigan or other sweater (it can be cool in the hospital)
13.  A nursing cover if you'll have visitors and want to be a little more modest


Things for Daddy:

1.  Daddy Scrubs (Mom doesn't have to be the only one wearing super snazzy delivery duds!)
2.  Toiletries
3.  Pajamas and a sweatshirt/hoodie (Snag a super cute "I'm the Daddy" hoodie!)
4.  A pillow and blanket (Hospital accomodations for Daddy aren't usually comfy and it's often chilly)
5.  Charger for cell phone
6.  Money for snacks and a trip to the cafeteria

Things for Baby:

1.  Going home outfit (Anything else you need during your stay will be provided by the hospital - including clothing, diapers, beanie hats, etc.)
2.  A cozy cuddly blanket for snuggling (We love Everything Happy and Little Giraffe blankets)
2.  Car seat installed and checked by a CPST



Our 10 MUST HAVES for Baby!

Since baby A will be 6 weeks old tomorrow I thought it was time for a Ten Must Haves for Baby list!

1.  Nap Nanny Chill ~ Everyone who has had a baby knows that sleep is a precious commodity with an infant.  Because of it's recline (and we think super soft cover) babies sleep like, well, babies in the Nap Nanny Chill.  It is super portable (we take ours upstairs and down daily), and if you see Nap Nanny at a trade show they may just have their adult version out (and yes, I am still waiting for this to be made available for purchase...I would love an adult Nap Nanny ;) ). 

2.  Beco Butterfly 2 or Beco Gemini Carrier ~ Without a carrier I would be lost.  This is how I grocery shop, take my older girls to ballet, watch soccer games, make cupcakes, and more.  Audrey loves to be comfy cozy inside the infant insert in the Butterfly 2 (and it comes with it,  not a separate purchase!) and I carried Gracie (now nearly 4) until she was 2 on my back.  The Butterfly 2 allows you to carry kiddos on both your front and back (and the Gemini does the same). 

3.  KowalliBaby Carrier Cover ~ Living in a cooler climate means that carrying a baby requires a little bit of extra insulation to keep everyone cozy warm.  I looked at the carrier cover options and of course in true SBS style I bought two different covers to try and the KowalliBaby is by FAR the best product out there.  It fits both me and my husband (he's 6'3" and I'm 5'6") and of course keeps baby Audrey warm and snuggly on those cooler days.  We love all of the color options and the adorable matching KozyHats and SnuggleBoots for baby (we think they need matching mommy hats too!!). 

4.  Little Giraffe Blankets & Hooded Towels ~ These are the softest blankets around and you will be super jealous of your little one getting to snuggle with one!  The Little Giraffe Hooded Towels are the perfect size and made with amazingly soft terrycloth and their super soft cozy fuzzy trim.  And of course you can't resist snapping a picture of your cutie with the adorable ears on the hood. 

5.  Ju-Ju-Be Diaper Bag & Accessories ~ JJBs have been my favorite bags for years now!  You have to love a diaper bag that is machine washable!  With amazing organization and options for every mom out there JJB wins the diaper bag race with us.  Patterns are bright and colorful or demure and gender neutral and accessories to match.  Our fave bag is the BFF and must have accessory is the BeQuick (trust us, you'll need more than one!). 

6.  Boppy Pillow ~ No matter if you breastfeed or formula feed your baby you need a Boppy!  There are so many uses for these ingenious pillows that I guarantee you will be super glad you have at least one.  And we love love the newest member of the Boppy Pillow family, the Travel Boppy Pillow.  The Travel Boppy Pillow folds into its own bag and comes complete with a carrying strap. 

7.  Everything Happy Blankies ~ Yes we have two different blankets on our must haves list but you can't have too many blankets right?  We love love the One to Love, One to Give mission that allows you to donate one Blankie for every one that you buy to a childrens' charity (from their list of giving destinations).  The cute characters that make up these fantastic Blankies will have you wanting one in your size as well!  Three sizes allow you to get one for your older kiddos too (both of our older girls have their own EH Blankie).  Oh and use code frances25 and get 25% off your order (through 11/30/12).

8.  Britax Car Seat ~ We have larger babies so we have the ability to use a convertible car seat from the beginning (we like the Boulevard) but Britax makes infant seats too.  Right now we have three Britax seats in our van for each one of our girls (6 years, nearly 4 years, and 1 month).  These seats are super easy to install and give us peace of mind knowing our kiddos are safe and secure.  (Always have your car seat installation checked by a CPST - 90% of car seats are installed incorrectly!!)

9.  Noodle & Boo Bath Products ~ When Gracie (our second kiddo) had super sensitive skin as a baby we finally found a product line that helped and it was Noodle & Boo.  So of course when Baby #3 was on the way I went back to my favorite bath products.  They smell wonderful and leave baby's skin feeling soft!  I also love love the line for adults called Glowology.  The Balm is the bomb (heeheee!!!). 

10.  Tivoli Couture NuComfort Memory Foam Stroller Pad ~ It's no secret that I am a bit of a stroller hoarder and finding something that made my strollers more comfy for baby was awesome!  Not only are these liners super soft and comfy but if you have a mess to clean up there is no concern about how to get the stroller clean, just clean the liner!  We have a Silly Monkeys in Blue in our Mutsy 4rider and definitely need another one in our Baby Jogger City Mini (and it's pink so we are thinking Sea Life in Pink or Damask). 

*The reviewer was was compensated by KowalliBaby and The Boppy Company ONLY, however the opinions are all her own!

Monday, November 5, 2012

Sleep...glorious sleep (with a newborn!!!)!!!!!

I'll be honest, my first two girls DID NOT sleep well at all until they were about a year old.  It was awful, I was a mombie (my mom/zombie combo) everyday.  I tried everything to get them to settle and sleep even just for a few hours at a time.  We tried a swing, a bouncy seat, a pack n play, a bassinet that rocked, and even the crib...nothing worked.  So a few years ago when I learned about the Nap Nanny I bought one and stored it in the closet until the day when we would have baby #3. 

When we came home with baby #3 of course the Nap Nanny was ready and waiting for us.  But we only used it during the day and couldn't figure out why she would sleep during the day and not at night.  We had her in a Graco Pack n Play at night and she just never could settle.  So my mom suggested that we have her sleep in the Nap Nanny at night too and VOILA!!!!  SLEEP!!!!!!

The ingenious design of the Nap Nanny helps infants sleep longer, including my own!!  The Nap Nanny totally makes my "MUST HAVE" list!!!!!  If you are a mom-to-be, don't wait, BUY ONE!!!!  I recently talked to a mom with a baby just two weeks younger than my baby #3 and told her about the Nap Nanny, she went and bought one immediately!! I highly recommend an extra cover when you purchase your Nap Nanny Chill just in case you have a baby diaper blow out in the middle of the night and the travel bag is super if you do plan on taking your Nap Nanny with you when you travel.

Our Nap Nanny is a Second Generation version and we just love the newest Chill (and especially the Giraffe print cover!!).