Life With Baby Stuff

[ Custom alphabet print from Penny People ]

Having a new baby seven years after the first & sharing/donating/selling all our baby things meant that I needed to do some shopping/research/borrowing before Anna came along. One of the big things on my mind was that I didn't want a lot of stuff. Our house is small, clutter drives me crazy, and I remembered from Simon that we really did not need a ton of stuff (hard to know that the first time around).

What I also remembered is that what worked for one baby may not work for another. I figured I would start with a few basics and go from there depending on her temperament and how things were going (which as you may know can change from minute to minute with an infant).

So far, so good in the stuff department. I've been happy with most of the things I purchased before she came along.

Here's some of the things that are working really well for us right now during these early weeks:

Under the Nile Bunting : Super soft + cozy. Perfect for sleeping. We are using the velour one right now and will probably order a cotton one as the weather warms up. I like having something specific to put her in when it is bedtime as part of establishing a night-time routine. I also love their clothes - especially the footed pants & the long sleeve side-snap tops (this has become her cozy uniform).

Kiddopotamus SwaddleMe Microfleece
: Anna definitely sleeps better when swaddled and this thing makes it
really easy to get it tight. One of my favorite things is that I don't
have to undo her arms to change her diaper in the middle of the night -
the bottom section just pulls down & then you can tuck it back in
and lay her back down when I am done.

BabyBjörn BabySitter Balance : This one came highly recommended from my sister-in-law Liz who had been using it with her daughter Lucy. So far it has been great for those quiet alert times - this is what I put her in when I take a shower or when I am in the kitchen. It is definitely expensive but I like that it can be used for quite awhile as she gets bigger and that it has three different recline levels. You can read more about it here.

Boppy Bare Naked Expandable Miracle Middle Pillow : I had one of these with Simon and used it all the time. This time around I had a really hard time finding a cover I liked so my sweet Mother-In-Law volunteered to sew one for me. I ended up supplying her with some awesome chenille fabric pieces I picked up at the Coburg Antique Fair last September. Because none of the pieces were big enough on their own she ended up doing one fabric on the top and another on the bottom. I LOVE, love, love how it turned out - the chenille is super soft. She actually created her own pattern by using the cover that came on the pillow.

Peg Perego Primo Viaggio Infant Car Seat : Another recommendation from my sister-in-law (she is so great) that I am really happy with so far. She fits great in the seat (she is still so tiny) and seems to be really comfortable + cozy in the car, grocery store, etc. She has spent most of the time she has been in the seat asleep. I love that her head does not flop around as I remember Simon's doing in his infant seat.

And something that is completely unnecessary but I have liked this time: Prince Lionheart Ultimate Wipes Warmer
(there is also a warmer for cloth wipes available here: Prince Lionheart Warmies Bamboo Cloth Wipes Warmer). 

If you have sent me an email recently thank you for your patience as I work my way through them. Anna and I are doing lots of hanging out with a bit of work thrown into the mix.