Kolly's Favorite Products at Two Months Old
Hey babes! Kollyns is just about two months old now (in only four days but who's counting) so I wanted to share with you some of the things that have been working for us this time around! I've learned that each baby has a mind of their own and will prefer different things, so trust me when I say, do what works for you! Sure, it's great to get other people's advice and see what worked for them but their way is not the right way, it's just A way.
I'm going to start out with my all time favorite baby product. The Rock n' Play! I have never once heard of a baby not liking this product so this is a pretty safe choice if you're looking for a great spot for your baby to sleep, nap or just hang out in! I got this when I was pregnant with Boston because my sister had told me her girls loved sleeping at a bit of an incline and the rock-n-play provides just that...a snuggly, comfy little rocker with a bit of an incline. I have the older version that you have to manually rock but there is a newer version that rocks on it's own! I totally need to update my version because that rocking ability is everything! Kollyns can be getting super fussy and I just put her in that and rock it with my foot while I'm getting ready and she will be much happier and usually fall asleep! It is super light so you can easily take it from room to room or even travel with it! I got the Halo Bassinest sleeper this time around hoping she would love sleeping in that because it's height will adjust to your bed level and I thought it would be super convenient to not have to bend down in the middle of the night to pick her up but girlfriend doesn't like it quite yet. I'm hoping she learns to like it since it was a pricey purchase, but for now she sleeps great in the rock-n-play and sleep is the most important thing at this point so we will stick to what works!
The next product we love is the 4moms mamaRoo! We didn't have this product with Boston so this is the first time we have used it and we love it! It has so many different settings for the motion and speed and Kollyns favorite right now is the tree swing at the highest speed! It also has different levels for the incline. It's a great spot for me to put Kollyns when I need to get stuff done during the day. She is actually sleeping in it at the moment with no movement on because she fell asleep on my chest and I just laid her down in that while I finish this post! I have heard some babies don't love it at all so it definitely doesn't work for everyone but it's great if it works for you! We had a big swing, small swing, and bouncer with Boston and we used all three of them but the mamaroo is so nice because we only have one (super cute) product in our living room instead of three!
A must have for two kids is a double stroller and our favorite is the City Select by Baby Jogger (the link I provided is offering the second seat for free when you buy the single stroller which saves you $169!). It can also be a single stroller so we had this stroller when it was just Boss and then got the second seat when I was pregnant with Kollyns. I love that it can be either a single or a double so that it can grow with you! You can also buy a glider board for the older kids that don't want to sit in a seat so it can actually fit up to three kids! It is a sturdy stroller with 16 different seating combinations and a big storage bag underneath (which is super important to me since I love to shop and always have a ton of stuff with me). This stroller does not disappoint and it is also another product that most everybody loves! We are also totally obsessed with our car seat covers/nursing covers from Covered Goods!
Baby wearing is something that is so new to me this time around and I am really loving it! I wish the weather would cool down so I could wear her even more! I use it when I'm at the grocery store or Target because Boston rides in the front of the cart and if I were to put Kollyns in the car seat in the back of the cart, there would be no room left in the cart for the stuff I need to buy (which is normally a lot)! I was at Target for two hours last week and she was in the wrap the entire time! I even wore her the other day to fold four loads of laundry because she just wanted to be held and I needed to get that done before I went to bed! The wrap has been my favorite so far because it's super comfy and supports her head since it's not stable yet. It takes a couple times to really master how to tie and feel most comfortable with it on but once you get the hang of it, it's a lifesaver! I know I will come to love the ring sling but I haven't used it enough yet to get the hang of how to use it with a newborn.
JoHo Baby (shopjohobaby on Instagram) is one of my favorite places to get wraps and ring slings and this mama knows her stuff and is the sweetest so if you have any questions at all on how to wear your babe, just ask her! She also has video tutorials on her website which is how I learned how to tie my wrap and ring sling! Another favorite shop for wraps and ring slings is Chekoh (chekoh_babycarriers on Instagram). They have some of the cutest prints!
Blankets! We use a ton of blankets! I'm a blanket hoarder so my obsession actually comes in handy when it comes to babies! Kollyns is either always wrapped in one, has one draped over her, is laying on one, or has one tucked next to her head for support (like in the car seat). We also use them for when she spits up since there is always one near by which is why I hardly ever use burp cloths! I love bigger blankets because they are much easier to swaddle her in but the small ones come in handy too when it's just draped over her or rolled up for head support. We have SO many favorite blankets so if you check out my Instagram, I have a ton of pictures with blankets in them and if you click on the picture once, it will show you where the blanket is from! Here are a few we love: Lou Lou & Company, Finn and Olive, The Golden Polka Dot, Lil Cleo, House of Mia, Sugarplum Lane Baby Boutique and any muslin blankies (such as Modern Burlap, Aden + Anais and Just Born)!
We love using sleeper gowns because they are SO convenient for those middle of the night diaper changes. How annoying is it to try and change a diaper in the dark when there is a million snaps?! Some of our favorites are Candy Kirby Designs, Lamb & Ivy Baby, Ivy + Oliver, and Belabumbum.
This time around, I pumped a ton more so we have fed Kollyns a lot more bottles than we ever did with Boston (you can read my post on nursing a few posts back). A breast pump (if you're nursing) and bottles are always necessities that you need with any baby unless your baby only breastfeeds and you don't pump at all. I use the Medela pump (model: pump in style advanced) and the Tommee Tippee bottles. Most insurances are providing free breast pumps now so check with your insurance because they are super pricey if you have to buy it yourself! We used the Tommee Tippee bottles with Boston and he liked them so we are just using the same bottles with Kollyns and she likes them too. Some people have to try out multiple bottle types to find the one that their baby prefers! It's nice to have milk stored so that I can take a bottle out with me if we are going somewhere where I don't feel like nursing (or am wearing something that isn't nursing friendly in public). It's also nice to have the option for my husband to feed Kollyns a bottle when I'm away or needing to shower (and it's bonding time for them which is a bonus). If I am nursing out in public or at home when we have company, then I love using my nursing cover from Milk Snob! Kollyns just had her first sleep over at my parent's house last weekend when Bryce and I went out on the town so that's also a reason pumping was so important to me. Like I said before, do what works for you. I know some people that never, ever leave their babies and some babies that never, ever take a bottle and that's totally fine too! Date nights are super important to Bryce and I and I know my family loves being able to watch the kiddos so it's a win win for all of us!
These have been our go-to products for the first two months of little miss Kollyns' life and I'm sure a lot will change within the next few months so I will keep updating you all on our favorite products and what works for us! I love hearing about, researching and trying out new baby products so feel free to share your favorites with me as well! I have a real obsession with all things baby so this sort of thing is a ton of fun to me!
xoxo
