What a dream of a month!
Our little babe is a little over a month old, and it’s so hard to believe just how quickly it has all gone by! We have been living in newborn bliss heaven the last five weeks, and I don’t ever want it to stop. I feel like we are finally into what seems like a pretty good rhythm and routine, and it’s hard to ever imagine life before being a family of three!
Over the last month we have learned so much, grown in our marriage and individually, smiled (and probably cried) more than we ever have, and ultimately survived… even through exhaustion and a learning curve as new parents! Prior to having Maddox I was so nervous about “knowing what to do” and messing up as a new mom once he was home and my full responsibility. While I have definitely messed up more than once and am far from perfect, it’s amazing to me just how much the Lord has provided and how you really do somehow instinctively just figure it out as a mom.
With that being said, I’ve definitely been so blessed over the last five weeks to have the help and mentorship of so many wonderful people… including my mom and mother in law, various other family members and friends, and also the support of women through our church and a new moms group that I’ve been a part of. Google has been my best friend and worst enemy at times, and while I still have so much left to learn… I look back over the last five weeks and am pretty darn proud of myself!
So with all that being said, if you are a new mom or are pregnant and intimidated by the thought of figuring it all out like me, just know you are not alone! You don’t have to have it all figured out, truthfully you never will, and that is what I have discovered is the beauty of being a mama.
Today’s post is to share some of our favorite products and things we’ve used in this season of having a newborn at home. I know what works for one baby and family may be completely different from one person to the next, but I want to share what we have found as helpful for us in hopes that it may help someone else!
Sleeping
After a bit of research, we landed on renting the Snoo to put in our bedroom for the first few months, and while I was hesitant and not fully convinced (especially when you look at that price tag) in our first few weeks… I am now a believer. Maddox can go down awake and it’s like magic, soothing him and putting him to sleep beautifully. **Don’t get the wrong impression or let me paint a perfect picture, we are still very much so in the newborn sleep deprivation stage and some nights are better than others, but overall I am a big, big fan of the Snoo bassinet! Note: we still use it on the motion limiter setting (and probably always will) because that’s what’s most comfortable for him, but also mainly me and my anxious mama heart.
We’ve really been loving these sleep swaddles and the easy Velcro closure for diaper changes. During the day we do a mixture of contact naps and naps in his Dockatot next to me on the couch, and it’s been a life saver for me being home by myself with him. Definitely one of our most used items in these first few weeks.
Feeding
This portable nightlight may be one of our most used items of all. You can adjust the brightness with a simple touch and it’s perfect for middle of the night feedings and diaper changes. We also have used this humidifier next to the Snoo on my nightstand every night and it also provides a night light next to him.
I have been living on this app to keep track of everything – feedings, pumping, diaper changes, sleep, weight, and can even upload a picture of him everyday and can see how he is changing week to week! This changing pad may seem a little bougie, but we are loving it to keep track of our growing boy. It connects to the app to weigh him when changing his diaper. Especially in those first few days if your baby drops below birth weight and the doctor is wanting to keep track of weight gain, it is so helpful to be able to do it from home!
This little catch cup from Elvie has been my best friend and no telling how many ounces of milk have been saved because of it. I am also a big fan of my pump and being able to use it anywhere in the house (and even the back seat of the car a few times too) and not be confined to sitting next to an outlet.
We wouldn’t be able to live without these burp cloths, and have them literally all over the house for easy access. Maddox also found a paci he prefers, and it may be the cutest thing ever listening to him suck on it and all the little paci squeaks!!!
I run our bottles and pump pieces through this once every few days and love the convenience of it, and speaking of – everyone needs one of these brushes, especially if you bottle feed!
Diapering
We use this little caddy to carry back and forth between the living room and our bedroom and it has been the best thing! We keep diapers, wipes, Aquaphor and diaper rash cream in it along with these pads (seriously a life saver for a little boy who likes to tee tee on his mama and daddy!) and other things like lotion, and these two products I’ve been using on his skin.
Other Favorites
We are still obsessed with our stroller system, especially using the bassinet on walks, along with these accessories. I keep this portable sound machine on his infant carrier, and one of these blankets with us always. A few other items in his diaper bag we grab frequently are this, this, and these!
We love a good gown for under the sleep swaddle, and zippered footies to make life so much easier! Spit up and blow outs are inevitable, and usually happen on the cutest clothes… so this stuff has been kept handy near the washing machine to reduce staining!
Maddox is now officially a fan of bath time, and it’s the cutest thing in the world to see him *relax* as mom and dad ooh and aah over him and give him a royal spa treatment.
I know there are several other products we use daily and so many things that we have been loving like his bouncer, swing, and play mat, but for today I think that’s all my new mom, tired brain can think of! It has been the best month ever!
xx,
Madison
