Lauren, today I want to share with everyone the handy tools we’ve been using to raise you. They are listed below in no particular order:
Your Bouncer
The bouncer we got from Target has been your (and our) best friend. From the day you were born, this is where you took your naps and slept during the night. Not only does it come with head support, but the best thing about it is it has vibrations. It comes with music that helps put you to sleep and the vibrations sooth and relax you.
Bottle Warmer
I found this randomly at Walmart and it’s been so handy to have. Instead of sitting a bottle into a bowl of hot water, waiting for the bottle to get warm, this safely warms the content of the bottle within 90 seconds. No more long waits for warm milk. Just pour a little water into the bottle warmer, press the green button at the bottom, and the bottle warmer boils the water underneath the bottle. The bottle rests in a breathable container above the boiling water, so the bottle never touches the water, it only gets the steam that the boiled water expels. It’s basically a hot tub just for your bottles.
Cloth Diapers
We started cloth diapers when you were 1 1/2 months old. Of course you went through SO MANY diapers when you were a newborn, but when you stopped pooping every 5 minutes, we decided to make the switch from Pampers ($20-40 per week) to cloth diapers. For $40 we got 8 cloth diapers. Sure, it’s stinky and gross that you poop on a cloth and we have to rinse it off, but it’s pretty easy when comes out clean after the washing machine and dryer do all the dirty work. It’s safe, chemical free, not scratchy, they’ll grow with you, and we’re saving so much money!!!!
Drying Rack
Since we don’t wash your bottles and accessories in the dishwasher, we soak them in hot, soapy water in the sink, clean them with a little brush, and place them on this rack to dry. It acts not just as a place to dry your bottles, but a place to easily access your bottles so we can fill them up again when you get hungry.
Dr. Brown Bottles
By far, these are the best bottles ever created. Unlike normal bottles, they vent the air so baby doesn’t take in as much air and produce so much gas. Click on the image to the right to see how it works. You can also visit their website by clicking on the title image above.
Boppy Pillow
This will be an item that will grow with you. You’ve slept on it, we’ve wrapped it around our tummies and fed you on it, and soon it’ll help you sit up and lay tummy down on it.
Woombie
We wrap you up in a Woombie at night and that’s how you sleep. You are contained in the zip-up suit that we call your cocoon. It prevents you from scratching your face and helps you feel like you’re back in the womb.