Nathaniel is 11 weeks old.  With every milestone he reaches, the more I realize that 12 weeks is right around the corner.  Which means going back to work.

The last 11 weeks have been wonderful, however, there are a few items that have made my life 20 times easier!  Without these items, I’d have been a mess from a crying, fussy baby and a severe lack of sleep!  This list does not include the breast pump, since not everyone nurses, but my Medela In-Style Breast pump helped me through the first four weeks of Nathaniel’s life and without it, I would not have been able to nurse (milk supply would have dried up, IMO).

5 – Bundleme

The Bundleme is pretty awesome.  It seems like everyday some new bulletin comes out about what is dangerous for a baby.  My mother-in-law comes from a time where it was appropriate to bundle your kid up before you put them in the carseat.  Now, I would be shunned if I even put my son in a coat before locking him into his seat. The reason?  Recent studies show that having heavy clothing on actually gets in the way of the safety restraints.  So by making sure your kid is warm, you are making your carseat less effective.  And since I’m 28 with 4 major car accidents (majorly unlucky!) under my belt… I need my carseat working at the top of it’s game!

The Bundle me in the stroller!

Nathaniel laying against the bundle me

It sounds disgusting, but hear me out.  This thing is awesome.  There are really four simple points:

• Easy to clean (And see that it’s clean, unlike the bulb syringe!  Top dishwasher safe!)
• Nothing gets in your mouth (The handy dandy filter keeps boogers/snot from entering your mouth)
• Easy to clear out baby’s nose (I combine with Little Nose’s Saline Solution)
• No way to mess up!  With the bulb syringe, I was petrified that I would accidentally forget to compress it before putting in Nat’s nose.  I was afraid I was going to blow air up into his nasal passages!

I suggest getting the one in the link.  It comes with PLENTY of filters!
 

Can you say “life savior”?  I absolutely love this product.  It keeps Nathaniel warm at night and snuggled tight.  For such a wiggly baby, he doesn’t break out of this one, and the sack at the bottom allows for proper hip movement (to avoid hip displasia).

Snug and warm, Nathaniel falls asleep just as if I was holding him in my arms!

Just swaddled – Time stamp 4:20pm.

Six minutes later… honestly!- Time stamped 4:26pm.

So, my son decided he hated his cradle.  This was incredibly heartbreaking, since I’ve literally saved this cradle my entire life for him (it was my cradle and I fought hard to make sure it didn’t end up at the Goodwill or on a yard sale).  However, Nathaniel wakes immediately and cries when I put him in.  Oh well.  But we weren’t ready to transfer Nathaniel into the nursery or into his crib.  What to do?

The first week Nathaniel slept in our bed, which scared the bejessus out of me.  Mainly because of all the literature saying “Don’t Co-Sleep!”  Now, I have my own opinions on how safe co-sleeping is and I think it’s a person by person basis.  It’s based off of your bed, your sleep habits, your partner’s sleep habits, and the baby’s sleep habits.  But this isn’t THAT post.

One week

Four weeks

Nathaniel is now 11 weeks old, still sleeps in his bouncer, and loves the light vibration.  Without this, I don’t think I’d have ever gotten a shower anytime in the first two months…

Worth.  Every.  Penny.  I went through a variety of carrier’s and swings, trying to find the right one.  I hated all the swings.  He just didn’t sit right in them, and I was petrified of him getting hurt or suffocating.  I was looking for a way to get my hands back, while letting Nathaniel stay close to me and be able to nurse.

The only carrier you will ever need.

I decided on the Boba for two main reasons.  The first is that the Boba allows for baby to against my body.  It’s ergonomically correct for baby, it allows for thermal regulation between mother and baby, and allows for breast feeding.  I am able to do my shopping and stay out a little longer if need be.  No one can see that I’m breast feeding so everyone is happy.

The second reason I love this product is that the Boba grows with baby.  From 7lbs to 45lbs, this is the carrier for you.  It protects against hip displasia and you can carry baby on your back or front up to 45lbs (all children are different, however, my daughter is 6 years old and only now is 49lbs – not that I would carry her in the Boba.  My point is this is something that can last you longer than most slings which usually stop at 25lbs).