Baby Gear!

When I was pregnant I read a million reviews online and asked every person I knew with a baby about baby products. I wasn't sure what we really needed and then of course there are so many options of each item that it gets a bit overwhelming. Now that our little nugget is here I am so extremely thankful for the insight of those who graciously shared their wisdom with us. In the spirit of paying it forward I am going to share some of the things we that have made the last 6 weeks a lot easier on us.

1. Fisher-Price My Little Snug-a-Bunny Cradle Swing

We would not have slept the first few nights without this lifesaver. Sadie had her days and nights a little confused in the beginning and the hubs and I were so exhausted that our brains were not functioning properly. It wasn't until 4am the first night home that we decided to try the swing ::cue angels singing:: that magic machine put our baby right to sleep! She likes being in it awake now too. The thing is like a baby silencer, awake or asleep she is so content in this swing. A definite must have in this house!

2. Summer Infant Muslin Swaddle Blankets

After trying several different swaddling blankets (I got a nice variety at my shower) these are the ONLY ones that kept Sadie swaddled. They are big and stretchy enough for her to stretch her legs but still allow you to pull it nice and tight so she can't escape.

3. Chicco Keyfit 30 Infant Car Seat

Love this car seat! The transport team at the hospital I work at (who are certified in all things dealing with infant car seats) said this one was the best and I have to agree. The base is easy to install and the straps are easy to adjust.

4. Fisher-Price My Little Snug-a-Bunny Bouncer

Originally I thought that we didn't need both a bouncer and a swing but I take that back. The bouncer is perfect for Sadie to hang out in while I shower, get ready, clean, do dishes, do ANYTHING! If she falls asleep in it I can just pick it up and carry her in it to a different room. It makes life a lot easier for me during the day.

5. Chicco Ultrasoft Carrier

This was another thing I didn't really think we needed. I didn't register for or research any carriers but we got this one as a shower gift. I figured if we had it I would give it a try and I am so glad I did. If I need to go to the store by myself it is so much easier to carry her in this rather than lug around the car seat. I am surprised at how many bad reviews it has on the Babies R Us website! I think it is very easy to slide her in and out of by myself, the adjustments are simple and straight forward, she has plenty of support, and it doesn't hurt my back or bother my chest. It's also nice on her fussier days to be able to get things done around the house.

6. NUK Pacifiers

More lifesavers! Especially when we are out somewhere, if she starts getting fussy one of these beauties calms her right down. We also just started giving one to her to help her fall asleep at night the first time she goes down and it works like a charm.

7. Medela Pump In Style Advanced Breastpump

Although the actual process of pumping is not my most favorite thing, it is very helpful. On the weekends I am able to pump and let the hubs take a feeding during the night. I also pump if we are going to be out for a while because I haven't quite gotten the nursing while covered thing down yet so it's nice to have the option of a bottle if that's what I feel most comfortable with. Plus this will be a major necessity when I head back to work.

There may be more things (in fact I am sure there are) but these are the main ones that come to mind. Of course, every baby and every family is different but this is what has been working for us. Hope it helps someone out the way all of the advice I received has helped me.

21 weeks :)

This morning we had our anatomy scan ultrasound. For those of you that don't know this is the ultrasound that looks at every little detail of the growing babe. Sadie has all of her organs and they are in the correct place. All ten fingers and toes were accounted for as well as all four chambers of her heart. Her chance for down syndrome or triscomy 13 are 1/10,000 which is as good as those odds get. Basically, she is perfect :) At least in our eyes!

During the ultrasound Sadie was pretty active! She flipped all the way around, sucked her thumb, struck a pose or two, curled up and stretched her back. It was pretty amazing to see. And she got out of that crazy "knee in face" position, which is good because I don't want her to be breech!

We were also told that she weighs a whopping 1 pound! That's pretty big for her age. She is also measuring a full week ahead of where she should be. Although they aren't officially changing our due date, they did say this put her more around a December 6th delivery.

The only not so great news we received is that my placenta is still too close to my cervix. It is a little over 1cm away, which is better than is was a couple of months ago, but we are not in the clear until it's more than 2cm away from my cervix. My MFM doctor said we have a 90% chance of that happening by the end of the pregnancy which sounds pretty good to me. I am still on a few restrictions but we aren't worried.

in deep thought or posing for the picture?

We were a little excited after hearing how healthy and wonderful Sadie is so far so we made a little stop at Caters and Barnes & Noble on the way home... Carters was having a great sale!

That adorable little bear goodness is my favorite thing ever! That should definitely keep our little December baby warm :)

Half way there!!

20 weeks!! I can hardly believe it when I say it out loud but we are halfway through this pregnancy. The first half of this pregnancy has been absolutely amazing. My belly is becoming so round and my belly button is slowing disappearing.

This picture just does not do my belly justice. I swear it is much larger in person.

According to our baby books Sadie is now the size of a cantaloupe. That is huge! She has also developed taste buds meaning she is tasting what I am eating now. So I have been attempting to cut back on the cookies and eat more veggies. But honestly just mentioning cookies makes me want them. Like now.

Also this week we started registering. We went to Target totally unprepared and registered for maybe fifteen items. It was fun and exciting but made me realize I have no idea what I am doing. So, if you know me at all you know what happened next. I went home and googled, searched sites, and asked my mommy friends/co-workers and made a very long, organized list of all of the many things we need. We are now prepared for our trip to Babies R Us next week!

But just because we are just starting to register doesn't mean Sadie has received gifts yet. My mom is out of control! She ordered Sadie her first doll/toy and it should be in later this week. I will be sure to post about it because it is pretty awesome. Other things she has purchased include the nursery furniture, maternity clothes for me, and lots of clothes for our little lady. We received our first box of diapers as well from my moms boyfriend (that's right. my mom has a boyfriend now). I have got to start taking pictures of some of the adorableness that is filling our guest room.

Now, at 4pm, I am going to go shower and change out of my pj's before the hubs comes home :)

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ETA:

Better belly picture. Told you it was bigger :)

Nursery Ideas

As soon as we found out we were having a girl I started picking out things for the nursery. The hubs finished painting today and the bedding and furniture has been ordered. Some may say I am crazy but I like to think of it as well prepared :)

Here are some purchases/ideas for Sadie's Nursery so far:

1. Delta Eclipse 4-in-1 convertible crib in white. After much research and many trips to the store we finally decided on this crib. It seemed sturdy and solid and had great reviews but was still very affordable. We purchased it online from Target because it was much cheaper there than anywhere else.

2. Print from Trafalgar's Square etsy shop. I fell in love with several of these whimsical prints and paintings a long time ago and knew we would use them in our nursery some day. Right now the plan in to go with a few from the crown collection. This little fox is one of my faves!

3. Behr paint. Southern Beauty & Colonial Rose. Even brighter on the walls and I love it!

4. Lily nursery bedding from Pottery Barn Kids. No longer found on the website but I was able to snag the quilt and some accessories before it disappeared. I love the color combo.

5. Another print from Trafalgar's Square. So cute!

6. Delta Eclipse 6 Drawer Dresser. Also purchased from Target, with rave reviews. We plan on using the top as a changing table.

I can't wait to get everything in and start decorating and organizing!