Must-Haves for the New Mom

With so many of my friends in real life and in the blogosphere approaching the due date of their sweet little ones, I thought now would be a good time to share a few of the products that have made my life a little easier the past few weeks. I'm by no means an expert with only a couple weeks under my belt as a mother, but here is what has helped me so far!

What Time is It?
Topping the list...is this little gadget device that I actually laughed at Shaun (he loves all gadgets) when he showed it to me in the baby store. I thought it was a perfect example of the many baby products that are made just to take advantage of new parents who don't have a clue. Well boy was I wrong! After we got home from the hospital, and I kept asking Shaun "baby what time is it?," and my sleep deprived brain could no longer calculate 1 o'clock plus 3 hours is...???...Shaun decided to go back to the baby store and purchase the gadget. And I'm so glad he did!




The itzbeen is basically a small timer that is perfect for a new mom without a brain. As soon as I start to feed I simply click the feed button, and it lets me know how long "itzbeen" since I started feeding. There are also three other buttons that you can use to time things like sleep or diaper changes. I like to use one of the buttons to time the other side during breastfeeding. In the middle of the night when I hear Henry cry, I press the button that lights up the digital display and in a second I know if it is time to eat or if he is crying for another reason. I get out of bed and press the top button which is a little flashlight (they thought of everything!) to see my way out of the bedroom. It also has a little switch at the bottom so you know which side you last fed on for breastfeeding.

Watch Out for Flying Arms!
The Luna Lullaby Swaddle Blankets- These incredibly soft and breathable muslin cotton swaddle blankets are the perfect swaddling blankets. We use Dr. Harvey Karp's swaddling technique and Henry looks like a little burrito when we are done!


Is He Breathing??!!
This is especially a must-have for any mom who has struggled with infertility. Let's face it...every new mom worries, but the parenting after infertility club worries more (The Baby Whisperer has an entire chapter devoted to this- see below). It is so comforting to be able to roll over and punch a large top button (much like a snooze button) to watch that big belly move up and down. The video monitor we have is the Summer Infant Best View Color Handheld Video Monitor, and it is well worth the expense (Ta.rget has it cheaper than B.r.us by the way).

What I love about this monitor compared to other video monitors:
1. I don't see my neighbors' babies! I've had several friends see the neighbors with their analog video monitors. This one is digital so only our portable handset can see our camera.
2. Pan, Zoom, and Tilt--I'm sure this will be extra fun when I'm spying on him as a toddler. Also...color during the day.
3. Clear reception
4. Bonus for baby #2- we can add an additional camera and flip between them on our monitor.

Who Said Breastfed Babies Poop Doesn't Stink??!!
We did not like Diaper Genie II- didn't like having to buy refills and most importantly did not enjoy having to stick my hand in to deposit the diaper. Thanks to Janet, twin mommy at Our Journey for a Baby for her favorite things post with the recommendation of the Diaper Champ.

(we got ours in blue of course!)
It is soooo much better! You can use any bag (used a b r us bag the first time but will buy 13 gallon bags for it). It keeps out the smell, and the best part about it is you just place the diaper in this little compartment and pull the handle down and it deposits the diaper for you!


Where's the Instruction Manual??!!

A couple books that have definitely helped me with the first few weeks.

Baby 411- about as close as you can get to an instruction manual. It is easy to look up questions, and the answers are very informative.

Baby Wise- I know this book is very controversial, but it gets a bad wrap because of moms that take it to the extreme and don't actually follow the advice of the book. Don't leave a comment telling me how awful Baby Wise is unless you have actually read the book in its entirety and witnessed a Baby Wise toddler go down for a nap. It is all about setting up a routine for your baby- eat, wake, sleep- it is NOT a rigid schedule.

Secrets of The Baby Whisperer- Okay this one is my favorite. Same routine as Baby Wise, but the author calls it E.A.S.Y (eat, activity, sleep, you). She teaches you how to actually go about helping your baby get into a routine and many, many tips on calming and connecting with your baby.

You Will Need...

And last but not least some of the necessities!

People always say you don't need newborn clothes--so not true! Henry was 7 lbs 7 ounces, and he was swallowed in the newborn sizes when we got home from the hospital. My favorite is the oh-so-soft and convenient Kissy Kissy newborn gowns. It seems like way too much money for a tiny gown, but trust me you will love them.

Burp Cloths- don't stop buying burp cloths until you think you have too much...you will need them!

Receiving Blankets- again...you can't have enough! We use them to throw down over our changing pad cover because Henry constantly is peeing and pooping when we change him.

Pampers Swaddlers- I like them because they have a notch for the umbilical cord and a stripe that turns green to let you know when they are wet.

Straws and Fiber- It is just easier to drink with a straw when you are breastfeeding (you will be constantly thirsty), and you will need the fiber when you get home for the hospital. Stock up on apples, raisin bran, and the surprisingly delicious Fiber Plus granola bars.

Medela Disposable Nursing Bra Pads- They are very absorbent and comfortable.

Nursing Tanks- It will just make your life easier.

I know I'm forgetting something, but I will just share in another post when I remember (mommy brain!).

Night Shift

It is almost 4 AM...Henry just finished a nice meal, and he is asleep on my chest. He is completely out, but he needs a diaper change (I can smell it!) so do I wake him or put him down without a change??!! I'm leaning towards just laying him down because I'm sure it won't be long before he is awake again for another feeding. He is really breathing hard right now...kind of a whistle out of his nose...such a sweet sound. I love this little guy! I wish I didn't have to sleep so I could just hold him all night and continue to kiss his soft hair. I'm so blessed. Okay now it is turning into more of a snore. I guess I'm going to try to put him down...

Shhhh....baby is sleeping!

Henry finally went down for a nap this afternoon, and I should really be using this time to take a shower, but hopefully I can manage a post and a shower! We actually had a pretty good night last night. Two of our feedings were pretty close together (more around the 1 1/2 to 2 hr mark), but then he had an over three hour stretch for me. I actually feel pretty rested right now. After his noon feeding today, I decided to put on some music and give Henry a bath. He loved it :). He makes the cutest faces when he is wide awake. I love to wash his hair and comb it into a little boy hairstyle. He lets me do whatever I want to him when he is awake. It is moments like these when he looks up at me with his precious eyes that I can't believe he is mine and that I'm actually a mother. Nothing has ever felt so right in my life. I've had decent jobs that have been partially rewarding, but I finally feel like I'm doing what I have felt called to do for years. Shaun and I haven't really talked about this, but I think now that he sees me as a mom that he has a greater understanding of why infertility was so painful for me.

And now a couple little things I love about Henry at almost 3 weeks...
-When he starts to drift off to sleep he gets a huge grin on his face, and it is so precious. Did I mention he has dimples? And in the last few days...sometimes he even giggles in his sleep! I know this is hard to believe, but I googled it...and it is possible! I will try to get it on video soon...
-The faces he makes when he is trying to latch on--the first two weeks his eyes were always closed, and he would raise his eyebrows just as far as they would go. Now he gets really big excited eyes.
-The noises he makes- all of the adorable grunts and sounds. He also sounds like a pig when he gets really excited about eating when he is latching. I sometimes call him piglet for this reason.
-He is such a great listener- I talk to him all the time when he is awake, and he looks like he is really trying hard to listen. My favorite time for this is the last feeding of the day when I read him a story and rock him.
-His leg strength-- I can't get over how strong he is already! It is almost impossible to put a diaper on him.
-He loves his daddy- They already have such a special relationship. Henry always looks so comfy in his daddy's arms, and he loves his voice. I need to write an entire post about this.

There is so much more, but I will have to leave it at those few for now because I really should go get that shower!

A few of my favorite photos...from the hospital

He Shoots....He Scores!

I always heard that being a new parent was messy, but I had no idea just how messy things could really get! Like the day my milk came in...holy cow (literally), milk was going everywhere, and Henry and I were covered from head to toe! Or that first meconium diaper...it was like tar! The creole mustard seed breastfeeding diapers (might pass on the mustard next time I have a n.ewks chicken salad sandwich), somehow I manage to get that poop on my hand all of the time! And with a little boy...you must be ready at any second for a big spray. Last Tuesday, we got home from my first outing with Henry (breastfeeding consultation), and thanks to the green stripe on his pamper swaddlers...I knew he needed a diaper change. I was curious if it was just a pee diaper or if I needed to take his socks off to get down and dirty so I decided to take the tiniest little peak. Just as soon as I opened his diaper, a big stream of pee went flying up in the air and landed perfectly in between the opening of my v-neck shirt and subsequently all down my chest. Our boy has perfect aim! Guess we won't be needing those cheerios in the toilet when it is potty training time!

A New Blog!

When I started Praying for a Little One in May 2008, I was in a very bad place in my life. The unfulfilled due date of Baby Faith had just passed, and I got a false positive pregnancy test on a clomid cycle that month. I found myself needing to write down my feelings to sort things out, but I didn't expect anyone to read along. I didn't anticipate how therapeutic blogging would be for me or the incredible amount of support and encouragement I would receive from the amazing community of infertility bloggers around the world. It is such a blessing to be able to look back now at the archives of Praying for a Little One and see what God has done in just a year. As I enter my third week of motherhood, I find myself wanting to blog about the little adventures and sweet moments of our little guy. I'm keeping Praying for a Little One active as an infertility blog and will continue to post thoughts and encouragement about infertility so I've decided to create a separate parenting after infertility blog. So much to say...so little time! It has definitely been the most life changing, challenging, and joyful three weeks of my life. Come laugh with us as we figure out how to be parents to our little miracle!