1. Of course our gorgeous daughter Kate tops the list! Consider her topping the list every single month for the rest of our lives. She is absolutely a dream come true and I am so proud to be her mom. I still have my labor and delivery story to post as well as lots of Kate pictures from over the past few weeks (both are coming!) but for now let me share one of my favorite mother/daughter shots which G snapped on our last day at the hospital. She is such a joy!
2. The Miracle Blanket.
It takes a hell of an ego to call yourself the “miracle” anything, but this is one product that definitely lives up to it’s name! We realized right from the start that Kate sleeps so much better when she’s swaddled. She is obsessed with her hands and loves having them up by her face, but unfortunately she hasn’t quite figured out how to work them yet so she scratches herself, or will catch her eyelids with a finger, or do any number of things that get her all worked up. Even when her fingers are mitted, she’ll put them up by her mouth and trigger her rooting reflex (the reflex to eat) and get all upset when she can’t find something to suck on. And like all babies, she also has a startle reflex which causes her to occasionally shoot her arms straight out from her body–another thing that disrupts her sleep. We tried swaddling her in blankets and sleep sacks with velcro closures, but hands down (literally!) the best swaddle we’ve found for her is the Miracle Blanket. It has separate flaps inside the blanket which anchor each arm down before you wrap your baby up in the rest of the swaddle. (See a quick video of how it works HERE.) Kate is so strong–especially when it comes to her determination to get those arms up by her face–and this is the only swaddle we’ve used that she can’t bust out of. When I read the instructions it it said, “It is normal for her to fuss when she is first wrapped–especially the first few times. But don’t worry, after a week or so, most babies begin to relax at the mere sight of the blanket.” G and I had a good laugh over that one considering that at the time swaddling Kate for bedtime was one of the few times our good little girl would get fussy. But sure enough–after just a few nights she got to the point where she wouldn’t fuss when I started the process, and now she will relax her arms without any prompting from me so I can wrap them up and secure them down! Without a doubt she gets her best sleep when she’s wrapped up in this thing. In my opinion this blanket is a must-have. G and I have two and we make sure both are clean at all times so we always have a back-up ready in case Kate spits up or pees on one in the middle of the night. If you’re looking for a good baby shower gift for a parent-to-be I highly recommend the Miracle Blanket–they’ll thank you for it. (Thanks again Beth and Robyn!)
3. Sleepers that zip from top to bottom (versus ones that button).
One zipper is so much easier and quicker to work with than a bunch of tiny little buttons–especially for Daddy’s big hands. Trust me on this–buy these kinds of sleepers whenever you get a chance and you’ll all be much happier at changing time!
4. The Medela Freestyle Breast Pump
By now you all know I don’t shy away from vagina talk. Well let’s add boobs to that list, because we’re going there. Before Kate arrived I lost a lot of sleep worrying over which breast pump to buy. These damn things are expensive! I knew I’d be going back to work full-time and wanted to pump throughout my day while I was away from Kate, so I was definitely in the market for a double electric breast pump. While researching my options I came across the Medela Freestyle
5. Muffins
We’ve been so blessed with friends and family bringing us all sorts of delicious food these past few weeks. It’s been such an amazing help not having to worry about fixing meals and being able to spend more time focused on Kate. I think my favorite thing we’ve received has also been one of the simplest–muffins from my friend Saz. They are the perfect thing to grab during that very brief window where you have a second to stop and realize you’re hungry, but when popping something in the microwave for even 1 minute seems like it would take too long. I’ve decided muffins will be on my list of things I plan to bring new moms and dads from now on. They’re perfect!
Kate is so beautiful! Congrats!
I could stand on top of a mountain and sing the praises of the Miracle Blanket. We didn’t discover it until my son was about 5 weeks old. He was only sleeping for about 2 hours at a time and would bust out of any swaddler we tried. Into our lives came the miracle blanket. The first night we used it he slept for 7 hours. SEVEN. Truly a miracle.
I could not have lived without oatmeal raisen cookies the first few weeks home with Eloise- somedays they were all I had time to eat. (Muffins would probably have been a better choice…hmm.) I did manage to sneak in a Guiness or two though… for my milk supply, of course.
Kate is gorgeous! I can’t wait to see more pics!
Glad you found something that helps Kate sleep (and allows you some rest too!). She’s gorgeous!
You and Kate look so precious in the first photo. I also have a miracle blanket that my bf bought me. She swears by it and I have to agree. Within moments of her sweet girl being swaddled shes sleeping.
I think the muffin idea is a great one. Seeing as I am due in 20 days maybe I’ll start putting out the request for muffins.
Take care,
Can’t wait to hear the labour story,
Lisa
Ohhhh that first picture is FAB. So glad you are going through these things so you can give me advice when it’s my time – whatwhat!!
We are big fans of the Miracle Blanket. Our daughter has outgrown in, but I now use it on the little girl I watch. I agree, it is a must have.
Oh, man D you have totally nailed it with this post. Every expectant mother should own all of these things. The Miracle Blanket saved my life. Seriously. G couldn’t sleep without it. We swaddled him in it until he was FIVE MONTHS OLD!!! I kid you not. He got to the point where he would giggle hysterically when we pulled it out at night. He would crack up laughing at his daddy wrapping him up in it at night. I have it on video somewhere. He LOVED that thing!
And bran muffins. I consumed more bran muffins in my first 6 weeks post partum than any other time in my life! :nomnomnom I couldn’t get enough of them! They were sooooo great!
Ok I’m sold, I just added a miracle blanket to my baby registry!!
Can you please share which sleepers zip from top to bottom? That would make changing diapers in the middle of the night soooo much easier. Thanks!
Thanks for the new mommy pointers – I’ll be sure to keep that stuff in mind. How “loud” in that pump? I’ll be going back to work too and pumping but I want it to be quiet because I work with a bunch of men…haha!
Thanks everyone!
@Jessica–Pretty much all of Kate’s zip-up sleepers are from Old Navy and Gap, although I’m sure you can find them at other places, too. Although I did look at Target to see if they had any and they didn’t.
@Crossed Fingers–The only pump I can compare it to is the one I used in the hospital (I believe that was the Medela Symphony) and I’d say the volume level is the same. I plan on pumping at work and I’m not worried about it being too loud. I think it’ll be fine.
Some really useful info I wish I’d had about 7 months ago. I never got a breast pump that I really liked and would’ve spent that much money to get a good one.
Also that miracle blanket sounds like a winner.
P.S. You’re a beautiful mommy. Enjoy every minute. They grow so quickly.
I have never commented before but just wanted to add that my daughter slept in the miracle blanket till about 5 months (by then w/ 1 arm out. That thing was such a lifesaver.
Also, I have used the Freestyle pump for the past 20 months. Its so nice that its so light and portable and has the option of battery power. The only downside I see to it is the horns, they do wear out after awhile so you have to buy new ones b/c eventually they “bubble” and it affects the suction. I would say every 2 months I would get new ones and every 3-6 months I would get new parts b/c that also makes a difference if you are pumping a lot b/c you work FT.
Congratulations on your sweet baby girl!
Melissa
It sounds like you are adjusting to motherhood nicely. You and Kate are beautiful, and your things loved list is spot on…I could have written it. In fact, I’m having a muffin right now. : )
jbhat
Of course swaddling is the way to go. If you have not already, you may want to watch Dr. Harvey Karps DVS “Happiest Baby on the Block” – This pediatrician is a genious. Go onto Amazone and have it sent, if you have not watched this quick video already. Techiniques (including swaddling) worked like a dream for our Twinners. You may also find you love Gymboree Gymie pajamas. They are wonderful and our favorites for them.
I also could never have been a full time working, breast feeding mama for a year with out my Madela. I blogged about my love for her here…
http://thomberg.blogspot.com/2008/04/relinquishing-key.html
Take Care, Enjoy!
andrea
http://www.thomberg.blogspot.com
Oooh, I will have to get one of the miracle blankets for the next baby shower I go to. Since the number one complaint from new parents is lack of sleep, I will do what I can to help! Oh, and Kate is gorgeous! Love that first photo!
Sounds like January was a perfect month!
My sister had her baby in January as well. It didn’t take me long to figure out that snap outfits aren’t all that great. Zippers are heaven! Especially sleep sacks.
Good to know about the breast pump. My sister was lucky enough that her OBGYN wrote a prescription for a breast pump and her insurance covered it 100% – it was a Medela but I’m not sure of the exact style name.
Can’t wait to see more photos of you and Kate… G too
Loved the Miracle Blanket! Seriously a life saver!
Muffins were awesome. For something similar, look up a recipe for “baked oatmeal” (I can dig it up and e-mail it to you if you want). It’s super healthy and you can put lots of different things in it (fruit, cinnamon, honey, molasses, etc), and after you fix a big pan of it it’ll keep for a while – you just cut off a piece when you’re hungry. It’s good warm or cold, and oatmeal is good for boosting milk supply. Make G or a friend make it for you. š
I seriously cant wait to hear the birth story, I love reading them and have been looking forward to yours. Kate is darling and I love the photo shoot she is just precious.
Care to share where you found the coupons for the breast pump? I found that same one at Target (or at least its a Medela hands-free pump) for $349 I believe… my best friend’s baby shower is quickly approaching and her family and I are in the market for one!
Thanks
Thanks for your comments everyone–so happy to hear so many of you have had similar experiences and agree with my list!
@Melissa–When you say “horns” which parts do you mean? I’m not familiar with the part names. Right now I have 3 full sets of parts (the one that came with the pump and 2 extra) that I rotate using so hopefully they’ll last me awhile!
@Andrea–We watched the Happiest Baby video in birthing class about the 5 C’s which I found very helpful. Glad you did, too!
@blondie–Congratulations auntie!! Congrats to your sister, too! And that’s great that she got her breast pump covered by insurance–good for her!
@Stacy–I LOVE oatmeal and that baked oatmeal sounds amazing! I’ll google for a recipe but if you see this, I’d love to have yours. Thanks!
@Candice–Thanks! I’m still working on the birth story but hopefully I’ll have it ready to publish soon!
@kristiwashere–I got a 20% off one single item from Babies R Us from a friend. I had also registered at BRU for the Freestyle and got a 10% off “registry completion” coupon from BRU for anything left over on my registry. They let me combine the two which brought my price down so much. I have one of those 20% off BRU coupons right now that I don’t think I’ll use if you’re interested in it. Let me know and I’ll mail it to you. It doesn’t expire until 2/20.