Peter went back to work in February and I am happy to report that I have kept a human alive *mostly* all by myself during the day while he is away! In this post I will be telling you about 10 things that get me through the day with little Ellie. The first 5 are under $100 and the other 5 are over. Without further ado here are a few of my favorite things!
Wabbunub: The Wabbunub is something you never thought you needed until you use it and you'll never dream about not having one again. Now that Ellie is 4 and half months she loves to hold it in her mouth and it's easier for her to *kinda* put it back in her mouth when it falls out. I get it, hand eye coordination is difficult.
Inverted Zipper Onesies: Gone are the days of taking off the whole onesie in those middle of the night diaper changes! All you have to do is zip off the legs and you are good to go. Cotton On Baby is my favorite place for them because of all the cute prints and they fit really well. They have footie ones, footless ones and even shorts for the hotter months. Did I mention I'm really into Cotton On Baby?
Activity Gym: Honestly, I didn't think we were going to use an activity gym all that much and boy was I wrong. This thing allows me to get ready in the morning, make dinner (when I feel like it) and wash bottles through out the day and for that I am forever grateful. We were gifted this cute one from Crate&kids (formally known as Land of Nod), but there are cheaper ones at Target, Ikea or Buy Buy Baby.
Milkbarn Swaddles: You probably think I am about to start telling you about how great these are to swaddle Ellie in, but nope! Peter and I quickly realized that actual burp cloths are way too small and we just started to use her swaddle blankets and they work so much better. I usually just use one for the whole day as compared to using a burp cloth for each feeding which means less laundry! Yay!
Nested Bean Zen Swaddles: Now I really am going to talk about swaddles. This one is velcro which is so much easier than learning how to swaddle those squirmy little babes correctly and it also has a little weighted part on their chest. It helps baby feel like you're there and protected. I am a firm believer that it helped Ellie sleep through the night fairly quickly.
Mamaroo: Before we had Ellie I heard a lot of things about the Mamaroo, some babies loved it, some babies hated it and that it wasn't worth the money. My mom ended up giving us one and I am happy to say Ellie loves it. It has enabled me to get things done during the day without her crying about wanting to be held. It's so nice to be able to put her in it so I can make dinner or just to take a break because this mom job is exhausting.
Ergobaby Omni 360: To be honest, I hated the Ergobaby in the beginning. With the Omni 360 you don't need an infant insert, but I felt like she was still so low and I ended up crying everytime I tried using it because I thought she was going to suffocate on my chest (somewhat dramatic, I realize). I was determined to start using it before Peter went back to work so I could walk Walter without using the stroller. It took some time for both of us to get used to it, but once we got in our groove she loves it. We go on walks everyday now and Walter loves it.
Apple AirPods: I never thought I would want AirPods because they looked so dorky and they were so expensive, but I love them so much. They are so nice to use on my walks while using the Ergobaby, I don't have to worry about Ellie getting caught in headphone cords or chewing on them. I also used them a lot when we would have to rock her to sleep at night and it would help pass the time. *pro tip* I love listening to different podcasts on my walks and since she usually falls asleep it's a time to have a little break.
babybrezza Formula Pro: This is for all the formula babymama's out there. Run, do not walk to Target and get one of these. In short, it's a Keurig for formula. You're welcome.
DockATot: Think of the DockATot as a glorified dog bed, but for your baby. We put this in the bassinet for her to sleep in, but what's also nice is you can take it anywhere for them to sleep in. We used it on the couch, in our bed or took it friends houses for her to sleep. It's so nice not having to worry about her rolling off the couch.