Baby Loves. Edition: The 2nd Time Around

I was stopped twice in 10 minutes at the mall yesterday by other moms asking about baby products.  I’ve been meaning to write a post with my favorite baby products the second time around for awhile now and that was a good reminder to get it done!  I won’t waste anymore time with intros, but instead I’ll link to my favorite products the first time around with Hadley…

Favorite Baby Products 0-3 Months

Favorite Baby Products 3-6 Months

Favorite Baby Products 6-9 Months

Just about all of those items (minus the strollers) would still make my list this time (and a couple of them earned a second mention!). 

1. Monitor: If you have more than one child, a monitor with the ability to add a camera is a great option.  We originally had a Motorola one which I loved, but after going through 2 in 2 years, we switched brands.  I like this Summer Infant one (not quite as much as the Motorola one) and have had good luck with it so far!

2. Teether: In my experience, most babies start to show signs of teething around 4 months.  I never really found anything Hadley liked chewing on, but I found these Lifefactory ones for Harper and she LOVES them.  They are light enough for her to hold, soft enough that it doesn’t hurt if she hits herself in the face with, and hard enough to feel good on her gums.  And you can freeze them!

3. Angel Dear Lovey/Blankie: I learned with Hadley that these are not just any old lovey.  Something about them makes them superior to other loveys in a baby’s eyes.  **TIP: I’d suggest buying the “Pair & a Spare” or “Cuddle Twins” sets that you can find on Amazon.**

4. Paci Clip: I bought a bunch of these from The Posh Tots on Etsy when Hadley was born and they are still my favorite. **TIP: The ribbon end makes these universal, so you can use them for any pacifier**

5. Wubbanub: These help the pacifier stay in baby’s mouth, and are also just incredibly cute!

6. Baby Carrier: I have used the K’Tan probably every other day since Harper was born.  It’s really similar to the Moby (but easier/quicker to get on), which is also great.  The other one I have heard great things about is the Ergo.  I haven’t used it, but if I were buying another one, that’s the next one I’d get.

7. Woombie: I bought this on a whim for Harper and ended up rush-ordering 3 more because we loved it so much.  So much easier than any swaddle blanket, and no busting out of it in the middle of the night!  The 2-way zipper is also great for middle of the night diaper changes.

8. Rock & Play: I was lucky enough to borrow this from a good friend this time around.  Harper slept in it for probably the first 3 months of her life.  It still floats around the house from room to room as a place for her to hang out when I’m cooking or cleaning.

9. Double Stroller: There are a million options out there for this, but I LOVE my City Select.  So many different seat configurations, easy to fold and a HUGE basket on the bottom.

10. Wipeable changing pad and diaper clutch: The one shown is a random picture I found online, but my favorite combination is a wet bag like this (http://www.etsy.com/listing/60829627/wet-bag-with-waterproof-lining-and?ref=sr_gallery_6&ga_search_query=wet+bag&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=all) and this set from Couture Mama on Etsy - http://www.etsy.com/listing/119016799/the-couture-mama-diaper-bag-set-in-aqua?ref=shop_home_active 

11. ComoTomo Bottles: Hadley refused to take a bottle past about 4 1/2 months, so I was determined to find a bottle that Harper liked from the beginning.  After doing a lot of research, ComoTomo bottles appeared to be the most similar to breastfeeding, so I thought I’d give them a try.  They are the BEST bottles I’ve tried (and we tried a bunch with Hadley).  SUPER easy to clean and Harper never gulps with them like she does with other bottles.  They’re made out of silicone and are bacteria resistant, shatterproof, scratch Resistant, dishwasher Safe and leak-proof. **TIP: Don’t bother buying the 5oz ounce ones – go straight for the 8oz ones.  You’ll only use the 5oz for a couple months, then you’ll have to go buy bigger ones. And they aren’t exactly cheap.**

12. Infant Seat & Canopy: The Chicco Keyfit was on my list with Hadley and I added it again because we’re using it again for Harper.  It’s so easy to install and clean and looks brand new almost 3 years later.  I ordered a carseat canopy from Oh Sew Cute Designs on Etsy, but you can search Etsy and find thousands of them!  I loved having it to be able to keep Harper covered up in the winter and keep big sister’s hands away!

I think that’s all I’ve got!  What items could you not live without?

A Bump-date (of sorts)

I won’t even pretend to make excuses for how poorly I’ve been keeping up with the blog lately.  But seeing as how I’m due in 2 weeks with little sister Harper, I figured I should post some type of pregnancy update along with a bump picture or two to document this pregnancy!

When I was pregnant with Hadley, I posted this survey every time I did an update, so I figured I’d use the same one, and try to include a little summary in each section from the majority of the pregnancy!

How Far Along: one day shy of 38 weeks

Total Weight Gain: Oh gosh, this one is bad.  I think I’m close to 40lbs now?  Crazy to think that at the beginning of this pregnancy I lost weight and didn’t even start gaining some back until around 13 weeks.  Also – I can’t believe I’m posting that for all the world to see – but I do want to be able to look back on this and remember where I was at each point in the pregnancy…

Maternity Clothes: I think I started wearing maternity clothes around 20 weeks this pregnancy.  Because I lost weight in the beginning, a lot of my maternity clothes from last time didn’t fit until then.

Best Moment this week: Spending 2 hours with a girlfriend getting our nails/toes done, sitting in a massage chair and chatting about our little girls! (she has one 5 months older than Hadley and is due 3 days after me.)

Gender: Still a girl for all we know!  - Harper Kate:)

Movement:  If Harper’s movement on the inside is any indication of what type of baby she’s going to be on the outside, we are in for it!  She is CONSTANTLY moving.  Those kick-count things the doctor tells you to do – takes me about 5 seconds to reach the movement count they want you to feel in an HOUR.

Food Craving: After being sick until about 20 weeks this pregnancy, I really didn’t have any true “cravings.”  I cut caffeine out of my diet cold turkey for the first half of the pregnancy, but since then I’ve been allowing myself a chai tea, sweet tea or diet dr pepper when I want one!

Sleep: I had some insomnia in the beginning of this pregnancy, but chasing a toddler around while pregnant definitely helps with that.  The biggest issue I have now is that Harper is so low that I think she’s just camped out on my bladder.  I was up 5 times the other night to go to the bathroom. 

What I am looking forward to: Actually holding our sweet girl in my arms and seeing Hadley meet her baby sister

Belly Button: Has basically been non-existent since about 30 weeks. 

Symptoms: Aches, pains and more aches and pains!  I think I’m carrying Harper a lot lower than I carried Hadley, and because of that, my hips are constantly hurting.  Walking around the grocery store is quite a feat these days! 

The last (and only) bump picture I posted was from 16 weeks(!) here - http://brittanyandmattcoleman.blogspot.com/2012/09/boy-or-girl.html 

Here are the others I’ve taken since then!

That last picture is only 2 days off from the one before, but I was wearing the same outfit as one I wore in my pregnancy with Hadley so I thought it would be fun to compare.  I think it’s pretty obvious how much lower I’m carrying Harper, yes?!  Yikes!

Alright, now to continue checking things off my to-do list before little sister arrives!  I have just a couple more final touches on her nursery and then I promise to share pictures! 

It’s a…

Boy or Girl?

When I was pregnant with Hadley, I remember anxiously counting down the weeks until we found out the gender.  This time, it has seriously snuck up on me and it’s TOMORROW!  I blogged about what the old wives’ tales predicted last time and thought I would do the same this time around so we can see if they’re right (again). 

• Baby’s heart rate:  If the HR is >140, then it’s a girl; if it’s <140; it’s a boy
• = GIRL
• Acne: If your skin gets worse during the pregnancy, it’s a girl; if it stays the same or gets better, it’s a boy
  • = GIRL
• Maternal Grandmother: If the maternal grandmother has gray hair it’s a boy; if she doesn’t (whether natural or dyed) it’s a girl
  • =GIRL
• Sum of the mother’s age + the month conceived: Odd = girl; even = boy
• =BOY
• Hair on legs:  If the hair on your legs grows faster it’s a boy; if it stays the same or stops it’s a girl
• = GIRL
• Carrying: If you’re carrying low and all in front it’s a boy; high and wide = girl
• This one is a little hard to tell so far and I really am not a good judge so we’re just going to leave this one off this time
• Feet:  If they are colder than usual it’s a boy; normal or warmer it’s a girl
• = BOY (although they are now basically back to normal, my first trimester they were definitely colder than usual)
• Morning Sickness:  If you had it = girl, if you didn’t = boy
  • = GIRL
• Chinese Gender Prediction: predicts based on the mother’s age (you are supposed to calculate your ‘lunar age’ and I have no idea how to do that.  Probably why I can’t get similar results on them) and the conception month. 
• If I go with my regular age, the charts say BOY
• If I go with what some pages calculate to be my “lunar age”, then the charts say GIRL
• Here’s the one that calculates those things for you - http://www.babycenter.com/chinese-gender-predictor – and it says: GIRL

TOTAL:
Boy= 2 out of 8
Girl= 6 out of 8
{Here’s a quick picture from 16 weeks – I’ll be 18 weeks tomorrow so I’m a little behind on the bump pictures!}

So, according to the wives’ tales, we’re having a girl!  What do you think?!

Baby #2: Details

First of all, thank you for all of the congratulations and well wishes on our announcement!

I have to be honest, this one was a surprise, and it’s taken me a little bit longer to come out of the “ohmygoshthiswasntplanned” phase and into excitement, but I think I can finally say I’m there. 

I had a friend on Twitter say how special a “surprise” was because it was truly a gift from God right from the start.  I love that perspective!

Okay, on to the details.  I think I’ll do the same little survey/questions that I did last time so it’s easy to compare. 

• How Far Along: 12 weeks and 4 days – I’m due February 14th, 2013
• Total Weight Gain: – 2 or 3 lbs  {I actually lost weight – not sure how much- this time around thanks to being sick and have just started gaining some of it back.  I’m still down a couple pounds but am pretty close to where I was when we found out.}
• Maternity Clothes: Not really, although I did break down and buy a pair of shorts recently.  Because I was smaller to begin with this time, the stuff that got me through the summer time with Hadley is all too big still.  For the most part, I’m still in all of my regular clothes, though.
• Best Moment this week: Hearing the little peanut’s heartbeat again at my appointment today.
• Gender: We won’t know until September 13th!
• Movement:  Nothing yet!
• Food Craving:  Nothing.  I’m ready for the days when food actually sounds good again.
• What I miss: Food!  I wish it tasted good and was actually satisfying to eat anything right now.  Also, I miss going a full day without throwing up.
• Sleep: Insomnia.  It takes me forever to fall asleep even though I’m super tired all the time.  I’m also waking up at least once or twice to go to the bathroom.
• What I am looking forward to: Finding out the gender on September 13th!
• Belly Button: In.
• Symptoms: Throwing up, nausea, fatigue, insomnia, headaches… it’s been a rough couple months.

No belly picture yet, although I’ve definitely got a little bump going already.  I’ll try to get one at 13 weeks. 

That’s all I’ve got for now – Hadley is currently NOT napping in her crib, so I’m off to rest a bit and prepare myself for battle for the rest of the afternoon. 

One More Excuse…

Well, in my last post I promised that I’d continue updating y’all on where we’ve been and what’s been happening around here. 

 

You’re pretty up-to-date with Hadley {terrible naps; cute pictures; that’s about it!}

 

However, there’s another family member who deserves an update as well… coming in February! 

 

Hopefully this helps explain my absence even more – between battling Hadley at naptime and running back and forth to the bathroom getting sick, it’s been a rough couple months.  *knock on wood* I’m slowly coming out of the sick-phase and hope to get back to regular posting!  I’ll post more details soon!  I’ll leave you with Hadley’s reaction…

{sidenote: These pictures did not happen in this order and in fact, judging by how clingy Hadley has been with me lately, I’m not so sure she’s excited about sharing the spotlight.}  ;)