A question I get pretty often is what are my newborn “must-haves” I’ve done a couple similar posts in the past but never really nailed down those holy grail products. Now that I have two kids and am removed from the newborn phase I think it’s a good time.

Baby Brezza Formula Pro – When I was pregnant the first time I remember everyone and their mother asking me if I planned on breast feeding. I always said “sure! What could be so hard?” HA! Breastfeeding was the hardest part of new motherhood for me and I didn’t even know what supplementing was before I needed to do it myself. This machine made supplementing/bottle feeding my babies a breeze. And really the only reason I was able to nurse them as long as I did.

Breast Friend nursing pillow – I tried the Boppy first and hated it. It was way too flimsy. This pillow is amazing for breastfeeding. It really helped me get the positioning down and was really easy and comfortable to use.

White noise machine – Everyone tells you to register for a white noise machine, this one is the one we use. I always travel with them too and both kids still sleep with one in their rooms.

UppaBaby Vista/Mesa – If you’re looking for an amazing stroller to take you from the newborn phase to two to three kids, this is it. It’s also incredibly easy to use (collapse and assemble). Used it since Crosby was born and still use it to this day with both kids. I also recommend the UppaBaby Mesa car seat because you can easily clip it on and off, however they do make attachments for other car seats as well.

Halo velcro swaddle – I had so many cute swaddle blankets with each baby and also loved using them for photo ops, etc. But NO ONE wants to swaddle a baby several times in the middle of the night. These velcro swaddles are the best. They also come in a heavier fleece for winter. I used them until each baby was about 4-5 months by swaddling them with their arms out.

Mamaroo – Kept this in my living room and had both babies nap in it throughout the day. There are several different setting to rock them and it has different white noise settings as well.

Babybjorn bouncer – This might be my #1 favorite item of “baby gear.” It’s light weight, portable (collapses flat) and babies are really able to grow with it. Wilder will still sit in his. Perfect for travel and moving around your house with you. I think it’s worth every penny.

Babybjory mini carrier – This is something I didn’t have with Crosby but fell in love with for Wilder. I started using it when he was about a month old when I’d take them both to the park. It was so nice to have my hands free and wear Wilder. I’ve used several other baby carriers/wraps and this one is by far the most user friendly and comfortable. Wilder can still go in it and face in or out. It really grows with your baby.

Dockatot or Boppy Lounger – You definitely don’t need both. The Boppy Lounger is very affordable and great for newborns. If you’re sitting on the couch you can place it next to you for an easy place for baby to lay/sleep (supervised of course). It has a slight incline which is nice if your baby has any reflux. The Dockatot is more expensive and lays flat. In my experience, the babies were able to stay in the Dockatot a bit longer and I loved it for travel.

Guava Family Lotus Travel Crib – A pack ‘n’ play is typically a staple on baby registries. I have a few but this one has been my favorite since Crosby was a baby. We have the bassinet attachment, used it and loved it when we traveled when both kids were newborns. Another nice feature it has is the side completely opens with a zipper, great for play or if you need to sooth your baby when they’re sleeping. Also really easy to travel with and assemble.

Burp cloths – You probably registered for a 3-pack, that’s cute. Order 15 more. I’m serious! You go through so many those first few weeks. I kept them in every room, every diaper bag, washed several a day and sometimes still didn’t feel like I had enough. These are my favorite.

Thanksgiving is next week and there are just over 6 weeks until Christmas. So crazy! I know it’s cliche to say, but I can’t believe how fast this year has gone. This time last year I was pregnant with Wilder and now he’s over seven months old and getting ready for his first holiday season. I’m also trying to prepare for the holidays and today I wanted to share a gift guide with my favorite items for newborns and infants – and mostly, their parents!

This year, like the past several, I plan to do the bulk of my holiday shopping online. Lately I’ve been really impressed with Walmart for baby items, and plan to do a lot of my shopping there. They carry so many of my favorite baby brands – from DockaTot to Babybjorn and everything in between. Plus they offer next day shipping on so many items, which is perfect if you wait to do your shopping last minute like me. I wanted to break down some of my favorite items I’m shopping for (for Wilder) along with items we have and love.

BabyBjorn bouncer – I have raved about this item countless times and used it since Crosby was a newborn. I will continue to sing it’s praises. Babies love it! But I love it because it’s portable and SO easy to use. I often bring it into the bathroom with me so Wilder can hang out in a safe place when I shower. We also bring it to friend’s houses all the time.

Franky Beats – This is a fun activity for babies. Great for development and gross motor skills. Babies can play, dance and crawl along with it. It tumbles, teaches and lets out coloful lights. I’ve been a fan of this since Crosby was a baby and love it for Wilder too.

DockaTot – I loved this with both babies from birth up until they were about 5 months old. It’s SO nice to have a safe place you can put your baby down. Also great for travel!

VTech Sit to Stand Walker – Another item I’ve loved since Crosby was a baby is this walker. It helps your child develop from a crawler to a walker through adaptive technology. Crosby got one of these for Christmas when she was 9 months old and was pulling herself up to stand about a month later and using it to walk around the house. Wilder loves it too and I know he’ll be trying to get around with it really soon.

Pajamas – If you’re lost on what to get a baby (or really anyone!) pajamas are an easy go-to. The pair Wilder is wearing is so soft and I love neutral print. It comes in a 2-pack!

– Other items I love – 

4moms mamaRoo  – Again, I used this with both babies and cannot reccomend it enough. I’d still be using it with Wilder if I had it my way… but he got too big and tried to escape it a few times. It’s proably best to use before your baby is actively trying/or can sit up.

Baby Brezza Formula Pro (+ a $50 gift card with purchase) – This might be my #1 baby product. I supplemented with formula with both babies and used this – it was a HUGE life saver. Still use it with Wilder and love that I can get a bottle made in seconds in the size I want and the temperature he wants.

Baby Brezza Food Maker – Now that Wilder is eating purees I’ve really loved using this. It’s the easiest machine that cooks and blends in one step. It can steam and automatically blend foods with just a push of a button in about 10 minutes.

Thank you to Walmart for sponsoring this post!

Last week we took our first trip as a family of four. I’m still exhausted and think I need a vacation to recover. 😉 I got so many questions about traveling with two kids. I am by no means an expert, but there were a few things that were very helpful. I want to share my must haves when traveling with a toddler and an infant.

First off, we stayed in a hotel but the rooms were all suites. We had a bedroom that was separate from the living room/kitchen. Wilder slept in our room and Crosby slept in the living room. If we didn’t have the separation I don’t know what we would have done… it would have been A LOT more challenging.

White noise machine – We brought two for this trip. One went next to Crosby’s bed while she slept and one went under Wilder’s. They use them at home too and are very used to them. Also helpful for sleeping in hotels with the noise outside/across the walls/etc.

Travel Cribs or Pack n’ Plays:

We brought two since Crosby still sleeps in a crib at home. Crosby slept in this one from Babybjorn. It’s a pretty standard travel crib that’s easy to assemble and comfortable for her to sleep in.

Wilder slept in this one from Guava Family. We’ve used it since Crosby was an infant and love it because it works as a bassinet for a baby and then converts into a more standard pack n’ play as they get older. If you only buy one pack n’ play, get this one.

Other baby gear we brought with us that are great for travel:

Babybjorn bouncer – folds up easy to travel with.

DockATot – great for on the go, they also make a travel bag for it.

Babybjorn carrier – the best one I’ve tried for the infant phase.

Wine – kidding, but not really.

Good luck! XO

my dress

Over the weekend we took Wilder on his first overnight trip. I had totally forgotten all that goes into leaving town with a new baby… it’s such a doozie. Somehow our 2 hour drive to Palm Springs took over 4 hours with all the stops we had to make. Of course, I drastically over-packed, but I wanted to share the essential items we would not have survived without.

Travel bassinet – we’ve used this one from Guava Family for the past two years. It’s amazing for newborns because it can be used as a bassinet… unlike most pack ‘n plays. It can be used as a more traditional bassinet as well. We’ve used it both ways and love it.

DockaTot – maybe the reason he slept so well in the bassinet was because he was cozy in his DockaTot. So good for travel, we won’t be leaving home without it for the next few months. They also have great travel cases for them.

White noise machine – probably self-explanatory but definitely a must-bring for a newborn. We have two of these and love them.

Halo swaddle – I love how cozy these fleece swaddles are. Plus they’re velcro so babies can’t escape and they’re easy to use.

Car seat cover – there are so many cute ones available now. I love these for the newborn days when they’ll sleep in their car seats out and about. That way it keeps them covered and more tucked away.

Baby wrap – so you can go hands free and still have you baby secure with you. I have a couple different ones but am eying this one from Baby Bjorn.

Backpack diaper bag – again, so you can go hands free. Freshly Picked makes my favorite one… it also has amazing isolated pockets for bottles.

Cordless breast pump (or a car adapter) – my last breast pump could not go cordless so I used a car adapter when I needed to pump on the go. This time I got a cordless one and am loving the convenience. Definitely makes it easier on a road trip… just don’t forget your pumping bra.

Other items I made sure to pack a lot of… onesies, pajamas, burp cloths and of course diapers.

top

Hello! Happy Thursday! I’m slowly emerging from the newborn fog over here and wanted to do a post today sharing what’s been getting me through the last few weeks. The newborn phase is challenging and it’s one you somehow forget about as soon as it ends. Your body re-adjusts to functioning on little sleep and it takes some time to recover and get back into normal clothes. There have been a few things I’ve found to be lifesavers that I wanted to share.

For Mom:

Nursing bras – these are my favorite.

Leggings – most days I just wear leggings. Love this pair.

Bellybandit BFF – I wore this after I had Crosby and swear it helped me shrink my stomach faster. I’ve been wearing it this time around too.

Silverettes – I was introduced to these right before I had Wilder and haven’t needed to use nipple cream yet! I started wearing them in the hospital and have pretty much been wearing them since. All natural and definitely worth the price.

Dry Shampoo – because washing my hair is not even close to a proiority these days.

Eye Cream – love this one right now.

Water bottle – I forgot how thirsty nursing makes you. I’ve been refilling my Takeya water bottle non-stop.

Pumping bra – I just started pumping and couldn’t survive without a hands-free bra.

For baby:

Zip up pajamas – especially for night time… because snaps are way too difficult when your eyes are barely open.

Hats – I like to keep their heads covered for the first few weeks at least.

DockATot – we’ve been using it a lot more this time. Great for him to lounge in on the couch when we’re in the living room. Obsessed with our cover too.

Mamaroo – loved this with Crosby too. Wilder will nap here during the day when I’m getting stuff done.

Snoo – full review coming after we use it for at least a month, but so far, so good.

Velcro swaddles – Jeff is the master swaddler, but I’m not as good. Been using these when he’s at work to keep Wilder comfy.

Burp cloths – newborns spit up a lot. We have them in every room.

Muslin swaddles – what Jeff prefers to swaddle him in. They stay put better than the bamboo ones and are super cozy.

top knots turban c/o, splendid romper (old / similar), freshly picked moccasins c/o

Crosby is five months old today! It’s crazy how fast it’s going – we’re trying to savor every minute while she’s still this small but she’s changing every day. This month she’s starting interacting with us much more and has finally started to notice and pet Mackie. I can’t wait to see their relationship develop.