The One with the Two Month Favorites

Liam is almost three months old ::gasp:: and I am finally sitting down to write about the things that have been really helpful and useful during the last month.

All images (other than the ones of my precious son!) are found through Amazon searches.

Boon Lawn Countertop Drying Rack 

This thing is seriously awesome.  It's the perfect place to dry all of Liam's bottles and their zillion parts.  Plus it looks cute on the counter.

Boppy Pillow

 

I originally registered for this pillow to use when breastfeeding.  We all know how that turned out.  However, this pillow is also great to prop Liam up on after he eats and when I need to use both hands to type or make a bottle.  I have also found that Liam sleeps well on this.  I think it's the cocoon-like feeling like he gets when he's swaddled.  Obviously, I am sitting right there with him anytime he's on this.  It can also be used for tummy time and they make super cute covers for the pillow.

Dapple Dish Liquid

I know we can use regular dish detergent to wash L's bottles.  But, I like the idea of something fragrance free made specifically for bottles.  This stuff is great and gets that gross formula smell off the bottles.  Plus, they make a travel sized one (which we've obviously gotten a ton of use out of during our road trips) and a refill bag so you don't need to keep buying the dispenser. 

Sassy Ring O' Links

As Liam has become more alert and interested in toys, these have been an awesome toy for him.  The bright colors hold his attention and he can grab onto the rings when you put them in his hand.  Plus, they are super portable and easy to throw in the diaper bag when we leave the house.

Motorola Wireless Video Monitor

I seriously love this thing.  While Liam is still rooming in, we have the camera in our bedroom.  When he goes to bed at night, I can use the monitor to keep an eye on him until we go to bed (which is usually shortly after him anyway!).  The picture quality is great and we can even talk to him through the camera.

iBabyLog App

Originally, I downloaded this app to keep track of feedings.  However, I have used it for so much more.  I keep track of Liam's diaper changes, sleeping, doctor's visits, and medications.  It's been so helpful to have everything in one place.  You can even share the data with other users and if I can get my mom on the smartphone bandwagon before the fall, I am hoping she can use it to keep track of Liam's daily activities while I'm at work.  It's a free app that has some ads on the top but they don't interfere with the app at all.  I've been very happy with it.

So those are just a few of the things that have been especially useful over the past month.  Can't believe I'll be doing a three month update post soon.

The One with the First Month Favorites

Hard to believe it, but our little man is almost one month old.

::cue Mommy tears about growing up too fast::

The last month has been a whirlwind of sleep deprivation, visitors, bottle making, snuggles, and many minutes of just sitting and staring at our little miracle.

I thought it may be helpful to put together a list of things that we have found particularly useful over the last four weeks.  These are just my opinions on what has worked for us.

All images (other than the ones of my gorgeous son!) are found through Amazon searches.

Summer Infant Swaddleme 

These things have been awesome!  Liam is a very restless sleeper and makes tons of movements and noises while he sleeps.  Swaddling him at night helps to keep him "contained" and limits his startling reflex.  These blankets have velcro on them and make swaddling so easy.  Much better than trying to keep him swaddled in a blanket (although we use the Aden+Anais ones for light swaddles during the day).

Fisher-Price Deluxe Newborn Rock 'N Play Sleeper

Liam sleeps in this in our room.  We needed something portable for our trip to Chicago in a couple weeks (more on that in another post) and I had originally registered for a bassinet.  After comparing the two and talking to a few other moms, this came highly recommended.  We originally put him to sleep in the 4Moms MamaRoo Bouncer (which I still love), but when swaddled at night he couldn't be strapped in and was constantly sliding down.  The Rock 'N Play has less of an incline so he won't slide out at night.

Moby Wrap Original Baby Carrier

 

Please excuse the no make-up, messy hair, and random closet shot!

 

This baby carrier was a little scary at first.  I mean, it's a piece of fabric and I'm supposed to trust it to hold my baby?!  I learned very quickly how awesome this carrier is.  It's super comfortable, easy to use (once you read the directions and do a little practice when baby is calm), and Liam loves sleeping in it.  Sometimes he just needs a little Mama-snuggling to fall asleep and the Moby allows me to get stuff done while "wearing" him.  My only complaint is that Liam can get a little hot in there (I gave birth to the most hot-blooded child on the planet btw).  He is still very wrapped up and cocooned in there so I am hoping once he has a little more head control we will be able to use some of the less restrictive wraps and that will help.

Boudreaux's Butt Paste Maximum Strength

There are a million choices for diaper rash cream out there.  On the recommendation of another mama, I bought this one before Liam was born.  It is a miracle worker.  When we were making the transition from breast milk to formula, the poor little guy was pooping like crazy and got a nasty diaper rash.  This stuff cleared it up in no time!

Boppy Changing Pad Liners

These go on top of the changing pad cover and are awesome at keeping the cover clean.  We have a true boy on our hands and have had quite a bit of pee, poop, and spit up flying around our nursery already!  These are a lifesaver and just get thrown in the wash when they get wet or dirty.

Bright Starts Ingenuity Automatic Bouncer

I didn't register for this, but my sister-in-law bought it for us and it has been such a great item to have.  It's perfect for when I am cooking dinner or Max is being a pest and Liam needs some space away from his wet nose.  I can put it right on our island and have Liam right near me while I cook or blog.  It's also great to bring in the bathroom while I shower.

Baby Einstein Neptune Ocean Adventure Gym

This mat is great for tummy time and just hanging out.  Liam loves the lights, colors, and music.  Max loves the whale and thinks it's a chew toy!

Little Remedies Gripe Water

Liam gets the hiccups all the time.  He had them while he was still an inside baby several times a day so I am not surprised this continued when he became an outside baby.  This has been a lifesaver in calming down his tummy and helping to get rid of the hiccups.

Other things that have been super helpful for us:

Side-snap, kimono style shirts.  As I said, our baby is hot all.the.time, so these are great for hanging around the house and also for nighttime sleeping under his swaddle blanket.

Washcloths.  These serve a ton of purposes besides just clean up during bath time.  I use them to prevent being peed on during diaper changes and we used them instead of wipes when little man was suffering from the already discussed diaper rash.

Pampers Swaddlers diapers.  They keep Liam dry (despite the massive amounts of pee and poop he produces!) and don't irritate his bottom.

Avent Soothies pacifiers.  Even though I swore I wouldn't give a paci, they have definitely helped when Liam just needs to suck on something between feedings.

Cloth diapers.  Clearly I am not crazy enough to try to cloth diapering route.  However, these are awesome to use as burp clothes and super absorbent to catch flying pee!

There have been tons of other things we have used, but these have been particularly helpful and useful during this first month.

Okay, I'm off for more snuggles with the little guy.  Look for his one-month update later this week.