Category Archives: Life

5 non-essential baby products I use every day

I remember when I first started shopping for baby things, I was so overwhelmed. There are so many baby products on the market, and sadly, so much of it is totally and completely useless. Almost every expecting mother finds herself asking the question, “What do I really need?”

Aside from the obvious essentials like diapers, clothing, and a car seat, the truth is there isn’t much you really need. But almost four months into motherhood, I’ve discovered a few items that have made my life a whole lot easier. I’d like to share them with you now.

For the record, I’m not being compensated in any way to endorse these products. All of these items I either bought for myself or were gifted to me by generous friends. These reviews are completely unsolicited by the manufacturers, and all opinions are my own.

Baby K’Tan

There are about a million different infant carriers and slings. It may seem like all of them work the same way, but the truth is, they don’t. Some of them aren’t very baby-friendly, and many of them aren’t very mom-friendly. They can be difficult to use, constricting for baby, and a lot of moms abandon them early on.

My friend Kacie loved her Baby K’Tan carrier, and generously gifted me with one of my own before Judah was born. The K’Tan is incredibly simple to use compared to other wraps. It takes me about a minute to get Judah into it, and I can do it while sitting in the backseat of the car. There’s no complicated wrapping involved. It’s made of two loops of fabric, so there aren’t yards and yards of excess fabric to get in your way.

He absolutely loves to be carried in it, and he’s typically fast asleep within 10 minutes. I don’t think either one of us would be a fan of a bulky stroller. The K’Tan keeps him close to me, and it keeps my hands free.

Arms Reach co-sleeper

Before Judah was born, my sister gave me a bedside bassinet that she never used for my nephew. I tried to put Judah in it the first two nights after we came home from the hospital, and it was a nightmare. He hated the thing, and it was too tall for me to comfort him from the bed. I also had to stand up to pick him up every time he woke me to eat. He was using a bili-blanket to treat his jaundice, and keeping him swaddled in it was impossible. I was in and out of bed all night rewrapping the blanket around him.

My mom bought us a Close and Secure Sleeper* that worked great for the first 6 weeks. He was right in bed with us, but I was able to sleep soundly with him in his own space. Even though it was small, fitting it in a queen-sized bed with two adults was a squeeze, so it wasn’t very comfortable for us. He also grew out of it quickly.

I read rave reviews about the Arms Reach Co-Sleeper, a bassinet that attaches to the side of the bed. I ordered the Clear Vue mini bassinet model, and it has worked fabulously. If you’re breastfeeding, I absolutely recommend it. He sleeps right next to me, but he doesn’t take up space in the bed. This particular model has adjustable legs, which allowed us to tilt it a few inches to help with his reflux. Its weight limit is 23 pounds, so it will last longer than the typical bassinet with a 15- or 18-pound limit.

Cloud B Gentle Giraffe sound machine

During our endless struggle for better sleep, we discovered that Judah was soothed into sleep by white noise. My sister recommended the Cloud B Sleep Sheep*, but when I discovered there was an adorable giraffe* that matched his nursery’s jungle theme, I had to have that one. I named him Geoffrey.

There are four different sounds, including some jungle beats, a waterfall, and a sound that’s supposed to mimic mother’s heartbeat from the womb. He doesn’t really like any of the sounds except for the waterfall, but he loves it. A timer turns it off after 23 or 45 minutes, and a velcro strap attaches it to the side of the bassinet or crib. It comes with us where ever we go to help Judah fall asleep.

Snappi diaper fastener

If you’re using prefold cloth diapers, there are all kinds of different ways to fold the diapers to avoid using pins or fasteners. I find that the Snappi fasteners* give me a snugger fit, which is really important in those first months when diapers can be particularly messy. My mom and Tony’s grandmother, who both used cloth diapers with pins, marvel at how easy it is for me to fasten Judah’s diapers without sticking myself or him.

Bumbo seat

I’ve only owned this thing for a day, but Judah already loves it. He’s been insisting on being held in a seated or standing position for the last few weeks, and it’s made it difficult for me to multi-task while holding him. The Bumbo seat* allows him to sit up straight without assistance even though he’s a couple months away from doing that on his own, and I’ve read that it aids in healthy development of the spine and posture.

What baby products have you found helpful?

Disclosure: Asterisks denote affiliate links. If you make a purchase through Amazon using my link, I earn a few cents.

Hitting the road

Judah and I are going on our first solo road trip! My sister is visiting from Canada, so we’re driving four hours north to my parents’ so we can see her, my niece, and my nephew before they move all the way out to the west coast. Unfortunately, Tony has to work all week, so Judah and I are making the trip by ourselves.

I’ll be gone until Saturday morning, so I may not have time to get posts up for the rest of the week.

In the meantime, you should check out my sister’s new homeschooling blog, Patchwork Academy. She homeschools my 8-year-old niece and 5-year-old nephew, and writes about her experiences raising and educating children with sensory processing disorder. Start here for the story of how she became a homeschooler.

Have a fantastic week! And wish us luck on the road. We need it.

Public Service Announcement: Your child safety seat probably isn’t installed properly

I like to think I’m a pretty intelligent lady. And I know I’m cautious. Especially when it comes to my 3-month-old bundle of adorable, Mr. Judah Michael.

I read manuals. I always follow instructions. I take the rules very. seriously.

So when I installed Judah’s car seat back in November, and I couldn’t find a location in my area that did child safety seat inspections, I was extra careful. I followed all the instructions. I read the warnings and the rules. I felt pretty confident that Judah was safe and snug back there despite the fact that I didn’t get an expert to look things over. The seat we chose was super easy to install, and I didn’t think it was possible to screw it up too much.

When we installed his car seat base in our new car Tuesday, we were pretty frustrated with the thing. Judah’s seat has a handy level indicator built in. You know the seat is level when the bubbles line up between the little lines — like the level keychain everyone’s dad has on his keyring that he never uses, because seriously, how often do you need to level something? Unless you’re a carpenter. Or a professional picture frame hanger. In which case, you probably level things all the time. But I digress.

Anyway, we couldn’t get the bubbles to line up in the right place, and I was fairly certain it wasn’t installed correctly, so I made an appointment today and headed over to AAA, where car safety seat inspections are performed for free.

I discovered the leveling problem was one of many.

She showed me adjustments that I didn’t even know existed on the seat. She informed me that the seat belt securing it in place was WAY too loose. She adjusted the straps securing him, because they were a bit too slack. She reminded me of the dangers of unsecured debris in the car (this wasn’t a problem in my case, because my brand new car was free of any debris, but I know I’ve been guilty of this in the past.) In short, I got schooled on car seat safety.

All of this is to say: Even if you think you’ve been as cautious as possible, even if you followed every direction in your instruction manual, it’s worth it to make an appointment with a car seat safety inspector in your area to double check.

I know what you’re thinking. “Pfft. How hard can it be? This dummy just didn’t read the instructions.”

But guess what? 3 out of 4 safety seats are installed or buckled incorrectly. And the other 1 out of 4 people probably took the thing to an expert for inspection. Because I am telling you, I READ THE INSTRUCTIONS. I have never willfully disregarded a warning in a manual ever in my life. And I still screwed up my car seat installation.

Don’t be stubborn. Just go get it checked out. It takes 15 minutes, and it’s totally worth it.

This day.

Spend afternoon in a wretched mood due to sleepless night and crabby baby on nap strike.

Inform husband that 15-minute break is necessary to maintain sanity.

Escape house.

Drive across town to Starbucks, because the only thing that can potentially turn this sour mood around is a decaf soy mocha.

Play Dire Straits as loud as your speakers will go, not because it’s your first choice, but because it’s not a commercial or a country song and it’s better than a screaming baby.

Arrive at Starbucks.

Realize you forgot your wallet at home.

Cry. Because really? Seriously?!

Drive home.

Retrieve wallet.

Escape house again.

Catch perfect song to scream with on the radio.

Procure decaf soy mocha.

Return home to sleeping baby and forgiving husband who endured many minutes of screaming in your absence despite the fact that you’ve been a jerk all evening.

Enjoy beverage and quiet.

Feel guilty and grateful.

2010 in review

This has definitely been the craziest year of my life. It wasn’t until I started compiling links for this post that I realized just how much has happened this year.

At the end of 2009, we booked tickets for our trip to Europe.

In January, we started putting together the details for the trip and planning to move. I also started training for my New Year’s resolution — running a half marathon. Pregnancy prevented me from reaching that goal, but I did become a real runner. We knew that we’d be starting a family very soon, so we took advantage of our last few months of freedom and booked a spontaneous cruise to the Bahamas.

In February, I realized that a tight budget can be a blessing. I also reflected on our accomplishments and considered how to stay relevant in my job even though I’d already turned in a resignation.

In March, we started looking for a subletter for our apartment. We went on a cruise to the Bahamas. I realized just how important a savings account can be. I also ran my first 5K.

In April, I discovered I was pregnant (but I didn’t announce it here yet). The pregnancy combined with our impending move pushed my stress level to the limit, but I reminded myself that there’s nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be. I got a lot of flack for my confession that we’re in no hurry to be debt free. And after three years, we packed up our apartment in North Carolina and headed home to Indiana.

In May, I announced my pregnancy! I didn’t post much else that month since we were gone for two weeks in Europe.

In June, I recapped our European vacation. I also complained a lot about pregnancy. Tony accepted a new job in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and we started planning to move again. I knew money would be tight, so I came up with a game plan to tighten our budget.

In July, we found an apartment and moved to Fort Wayne. We started shopping for baby stuff. We found out that our baby is a boy! We made a list of essential baby items. And I realized just how much of our home was purchased second hand.

In August, I struggled a lot with pregnancy. I started quite a bit of controversy with my post on luxury vs. necessity. We started making plans to pay for our baby’s education.

In September, I came up with our cloth diapering game plan. I transitioned to a work-at-home career. I examined the hidden costs of small-town life. And we were gifted with a boatload of baby clothes from Tony’s yard sale master grandmother.

In October, I reminded myself of everything I have to be thankful for. We also finished Judah’s nursery!

In November, I finally posted a self portrait of my huge pregnant self. I cleared up some common misconceptions about midwifery. I looked into our options for insurance (oh, thank GOD we don’t have to worry about this anymore). And we welcomed our baby boy!

And last month, I shared my birth story. I began adjusting to life with a baby. We also found out that we’re moving again, but this time it’s for a fantastic full-time teaching job.

Whew. Three moves, two big vacations, and a baby. Let’s hope 2011 is just as great, but a lot less stressful.

Where I’ve been & where I’m going

It’s been almost a week since I posted, which is longer than I’ve ever gone without posting since I started this blog. Despite the holidays and my month-old baby, I didn’t intend to take an extended vacation. But we got some unexpected good news that threw everything off.

The day before Christmas Eve, we found out that Tony has been hired for a full-time teaching position at a college in southern Indiana near Louisville, Kentucky. Classes begin January 10, which means we’re moving four hours away in a week.

We were visiting with my in-laws about two hours away from our new home when we got the news, so after the holidays we headed straight to our new city to find an apartment and get things in order for the move.

It’s extremely stressful trying to get everything together on such short notice, especially with a newborn baby. But it really is fantastic news for our family, so I’m not complaining.

Posting may be sparse for the next week as I pack up our apartment and make the move, but I’ll be back soon. Happy New Year to all of you!

Slowly reentering the land of the living

I just realized it’s been two weeks today since we brought Judah home from the hospital. Really? It’s only been two weeks? It feels like a lifetime.

It’s amazing how difficult it’s been for me to do anything but care for Judah in those two weeks. Considering the fact that the boy can’t even roll over at this point, I’m shocked at how time consuming he’s been.

For the past two weeks, I’ve spent the majority of my time just holding him. I couldn’t get away with putting him down for longer than 15 minutes without a complete meltdown. Sometimes he’ll accept Tony as a substitute long enough for me to take a shower. Tony has become pretty good at juggling a sleeping baby with grading papers or getting his own reading done.

We’ve settled into sort of a routine now, and Judah is letting me get away with putting him down for a little longer each day. I’m finally starting to get to other tasks around the house. Yesterday I was able to finish several loads of laundry and vacuum the apartment. Today I finished the huge stack of dishes that overflowed from the sink and consumed an entire counter in my kitchen. They were small tasks, but they felt like major victories.

We’re both adjusting. I’m getting used to life with a newborn; he’s getting used to life.

I can’t complain, though. He continues to be a remarkably easy baby. He wakes me up every couple hours to eat, but he goes back to sleep immediately. I feel criminally well rested considering the fact that I have a newborn. And of course it doesn’t hurt that he’s so stinking lovable.

Last Friday we got out of the house to run a long list of errands, and you wouldn’t even have known there was a baby in the car seat I carted around from store to store. He was quiet as a mouse.

Physically I feel better than I have since March. I’m finally free from the constant nausea, heartburn, and pain that became a daily reality for me throughout pregnancy. Emotionally I’m struggling a little. Caring for a newborn can feel so isolating and demanding, and the post partum hormonal roller coaster certainly doesn’t help matters. We’re getting through it, though.

Tony has been wonderful. He’s up with us for most feedings, and he’s continued to pick up my slack with household chores despite the fact that his work schedule has been unreal as he gets closer to the end of the semester. At the end of this week, he’ll finally get some time off for winter break (three whole weeks!) It can’t come soon enough.

This morning we finally started transitioning to cloth diapers. For the next couple weeks we’ll continue using disposables at night partly because I’d like to get used to cloth during the day before trying to deal with them at night and partly because we’re still going through the case of disposables we received at the shower. I’ll be updating with a full report once we’ve had a chance to get used to them, but so far so good.

That’s all I’ve got for now. Thanks for your patience as I take my own version of maternity leave. Regular posting will resume soon, I promise.