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June 27, 2012

A Few of my {new} Favorite Things

So, I'm officially more than two months into this two under two gig!  I've had many days where I barely make it to bed time without losing my mind but I've also had several amazing days where I feel like I have mastered the art of juggling two babies!

I know several of my blog friends have either just given birth to their second, are about to pop any day (I'm talking about you Lindsay), or are considering jumping on the #2 band wagon so I thought I'd share some products that are relatively new to me that have either made our transition into the 2u2 world much easier or are just great baby products that I really love! 

Honestly the products would be great for first time moms as well!

Swaddle Design Swaddle Blankets



Will was only a fan of being swaddled for a few weeks but these blankets were amazing!  I had really bad hot flashes for about a month after delivery which resulted in our room being kept pretty cold at night.  These flannel blankets were great for swaddling - they are nice and big and Will was never able to bust out of them but they are also warm.  I was able to keep Will nice and toasty while keeping our room cool for me!  I highly recommend these swaddle blankets!  I didn't use them with Kate (I didn't know they existed in 2010) and wish I would have!

Carrier



I have an Ergo (purchased when Kate was a baby) but I don't think the type of carrier necessarily matters.  The biggest thing is having something that allows you to wear your new baby and have both hands free for your toddler/ older child.  Kate is very active and we have to get out of the house and burn off some of her energy.  I love that I can put Will in the ergo and have both hands free to play with Kate at the park!  It also makes quick trips to the grocery a breeze!

Rock n Play



This is another product I didn't have with Kate.  I really love our rock n play and it was great when Will was itty bitty.  I love that it put him a bit higher than a bouncer and put him at a good angle post bottle to avoid spitting up.




While I love the RNP, I noticed that Will seemed to be very bored with it over the past week.  I did what I do best, headed to twitter, and asked about a toy bar I'd heard someone mention (thanks Michelle!) adding on to the RNP.  We picked one up and it is amazing!  Will loves batting the toys and looking at the bright colors!  I highly recommend purchasing this "add on" to extend the life of your RNP.

Travel Swing



We had a big swing with Kate and she used it a decent amount.  However, when we thought we were one and done (haha - the joke is on us) I sold most of our baby gear.  We just don't have a ton of storage space and I didn't want baby gear taking up room.

When Will was a few weeks old I picked up a travel swing because it was cheaper that a full size model and obviously, it is smaller (back to the we don't have much usable space issue).  I'm so glad I went this route.  I love that the swing is compact and easy to move from room to room.  I can have it in the living room while we play, easily take it downstairs while I get ready/ take a shower, bring it into the bathroom while I bathe Kate.  You get the picture!  The portability is necessary when it comes to having a toddler and an infant!

Baby Jogger City Select



I love, love, love this stroller!  I sold our UppaBaby Vista and purchased the City Select when I was in third trimester.  I have to admit that I missed my Vista for a few weeks.  I love strollers and loved my Vista but our City Select has really grown on me and is a wonderful stroller - especially for our needs.

I currently use the stroller frame, car seat adapter, and second seat kit.  I love that Kate has a full size seat that isn't stuck in the back like so many other double tandem strollers.  I also love that I can just pop Will's car seat onto the car seat adaptor and we are good to good.  I'm sure I'll ditch the car seat adaptor and use the second seat in the next few months!

The best feature of this stroller?  Hands down the fact that it easily converts between a single and a double.  I love that I can keep one stroller in my car and use it when I am out with one or both kids. I realize not every stay at home mom is out with just one child on a regular basis but, with all of Will's appointments, I've been out with only him many times over the past two months.

If I was switching between a single and a double depending on who I had with me I know I would inevitably end up with a single stroller in the car while out with both kids.  The City Select is definitely a must in my book!

Baby Dolls and Accessories
Let's face it - there are times when I have to focus on one child over the other.  Will is a big time eater and is just now starting to space his feeding out to ever 3ish hours.  Because of this I am stuck sitting down feeding Will many times throughout the day.  Add in diaper changes and getting him down for naps and I have to "parent" and engage Kate while occupied with the baby quite often.  I've found that giving Kate her baby doll and a diaper/ bottle/ paci while I am changing/ feeding/ soothing Will has made her feel much more involved.  We can talk about changing a diaper, how babies take bottles but big girls don't, go over body parts (I much prefer Kate shoving her fingers in her baby doll's eyes), etc while I am occupied with Will.

It's just an easy way to include Kate in things that have to be done!  It also teaches Kate to observe what others are doing and mimic!  Kate now runs to get a changing pad and wipes whenever she notices that I am about to change Will's diaper!  She is quite the little momma!
I'm sure there are more things that we are loving but these are the first several things that came to mind.

Moms of two or more- please share some of your favorite items that helped make the transition easier!  I'd love to hear suggestions of things I might not know about!

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1 comment:

Brittany {Coleman Chronicles} said...

Glad you posted about this! I've been starting to think about this type of stuff so every list I see is helpful! And I'm glad to see you like the city select - that one is my top choice right now, but I keep seeing people get the bob double and can't decide! (No way will the hubs let me get both like you did!)

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