She should be at work, wiping butts or somethin'...
Well, I got the call of a lifetime at 5:07 am this morning. I was CALLED OFF. Due to low census!
Normally I would be extremely pissed and missing the extra cashola a day of work brings in, but not this morning. Everything is just settling back down in the intestinal arena, my cold is very much on the mend, but I'm still a little snuffly. And my house is a disaster and in major need of a scrub down.
So I was elated to get that particular phone call this morning.
So I've been meaning to do this post for some time now, due to the incredible number of pregnant people I know.
I remember when I was about 15 weeks along I went home to visit my parents and got to see one of my life-long best friends, who at the time happened to have a 15 month old little boy.
We talked about a lot of stuff, and she told me about one hundred zillion baby things that I needed or didn't need and so-on and so-forth. My head was spinning. I was completely overwhelmed.
Cue the first trip to Babies R Us. Which only magnifies the confusion by 50.
How many brands of bottles, burp clothes, strollers, cribs, pacifiers, yada, yada, yada are there!?
We didn't even know where to start. So I did what any sensible person does. I just looked at other people's carts that had kids and bought what they bought.
No, seriously.
So I've been meaning to put together a little list of the things that we couldn't have lived with out when the Pickle was itty-bitty. And now. It may just give you a place to start. And if you think our choices suck (as I learned many did) you just go back and pick another brand of the 4,987 out there.
I'll also throw in a few tips that we learned along the way. That way you don't have to repeat some of the mistakes we made...you can make new ones.
Feeding:
Tommee Tippee
These bottles worked really well for us. Especially considering that breastfeeding didn't fly so well. They are great for breast and bottle fed babies because the nipple has a wide base and supposedly simulates the mother's breast more closely.
(I know you lovely ladies are thinking, "My nipple has never, will never, could never be mistaken for that monstrous thing." Just wait, my friend.)
Bottle Brushes
In the beginning I thought, "We really don't need these, any washcloth or whatever will do." BUT, they are great and clean the bottles with a minimum of swearing and scratched knuckles. They also have a little brush in the base that cleans the nipples. Get used to saying the word 'nipple' by the way.
Bottle Tree
If you have a lot of bottles, you need somewhere to put them to dry. Hence, the bottle tree. We would have been dead in the water with out this thing.
Burp Clothes
These are Gerber brand and they are from Target. Gerber makes this kind and another kind that are more of a long rectangle and kind of like terry cloth. I hate those kind. These are bigger, thicker and can really handle a fountain. They also get softer as you wash them. Over and over and over and over again.
(Just save time and buy about 5 packages. Put them everywhere. Put them in the bouncy seat, car seat, swing. Anything that you want to shield from an errant diaper blowout. They pull double duty like that. Pretty awesome.)
Sleeping
Swaddlers
I have these all packed up because Henry doesn't use them anymore. But they were great for the first two or three weeks. It makes the swaddle much more sturdy and hard to break out of.
Sleep Sacks
Henry switched to these when he was over the swaddler. They come in summer and winter weight and small, medium and large. With sleeves and sleeveless. We prefer the sleeveless; Henry sleeps in long-sleeved footy pajamas and the sleep sack. (Notice we use a burp cloth under his head in the crib. Keeps the crib sheet free from spit ups. Getting that thing on and off to wash is a real chore. Keep it clean at all costs.)
The Swing
This is where I say, "suck it, swing-haters." We enjoy the swing. When Henry was small he enjoyed it and sometimes it was how we got some rest. So sue me. He still enjoys a nice relaxing swing once in a while. I wouldn't let your babe get too used to sleeping in it or they won't sleep anywhere else. Or so I read. (Warning: the music that comes from the swing may cause you to accidentally slit your wrists. But they seem to love it.)
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