Baby Essentials

Being a parent, especially a new parent,  is no easy task.

Many of us can probably recall the excitement and trepidation we felt when we were expecting our first child.   I am sure a myriad of thoughts constantly fluttered about our hormonal brains.  Am I going to be able to handle labor and delivery? Will I know how and when to feed my child?  How will I know the baby is getting enough to eat?  What should I do when the baby fusses?  What do I really need in order to adequately take care of our new baby?

With the current state of our economy, this last question is even more crucial, especially for first time parents. We all have budgets we are trying to abide by as we deal with this recession, so, I would love to hear from YOU, my readers.  What have you found to be essential baby items?

And on top of that, what are some of your favorite products or items you couldn’t have lived without during that first year with a new one in the home?

I, for one, adored my boppy pillow.   Not only did it make nursing much easier and more comfortable,  but it also came in quite handy to teach my little ones how to sit up.

Lansinoh Lanolin Cream and Lansinoh nursing pads are some other products I couldn’t have lived without, especially during the first few months of nursing.

But before you give me all your fabulous ideas, Jamie of CSN Baby is here to tell us what he thinks are some of the basic items new parents should have on hand.

Baby Essentials: A Guide for First Time Moms

While reading “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” is certainly a good start, expectant mothers would definitely benefit from asking current parents about their personal experiences – both bad and good.   Quite often, personal experiences and anecdotes trump advice you gain from a book. Your parent friends are likely to have indispensable advice about the ups and downs of first-time parenting so make sure you seek them out.

When it comes to purchasing all of the essential baby gear and essential supplies, consult with your friends and family members and see what helped them during that all important first year. While experiences will vary from person to person, some commonalities will begin to emerge. Here are some basic guidelines for first time moms looking to stock up on the necessities.

Let me preface this guide by reminding you of  the importance of research. Staying on top of the latest product recalls, product safety standards and guidelines is an absolutely necessary first step.

Setting Up Your Nursery

It’s easy to get caught up in the aesthetics when designing the perfect nursery and to throw practicality out the window. It’s important that the furniture you have set up in your nursery is 100% safe and reliable. The basic pieces that every nursery should have include a crib and some storage space for extra diapers, blankets, clothes, etc.

It might be wise to invest a bit more into the crib since you’re baby is going to be spending so much time sleeping in it. Convertible cribs are excellent because most change from a crib into a toddler bed. This means you get 2 beds for the price of one. Some convertible cribs even change into a full size bed or a daybed which gives you even more for your money.

One great way to save money on your nursery is by purchasing dual-purpose furniture. For instance, skip buying an expensive changing table and buy a nice dresser. The dresser surface can be used as a changing table and you have plenty of storage space for extra diapers, ointments, etc. You can also use the dresser when your baby gets older to keep clothes and other supplies.

Essential Supplies

Now that you have thought about a place to store all of your supplies, it’s time to discuss the supplies themselves.

* *Diapers:   Whether you choose cloth or disposable is up to you as they each have their own set of pros and cons. Cloth diapers are less wasteful but require constant laundering. Disposable diapers are more convenient but they are not the most eco-friendly option.  According to experts at the National Association of Diaper Services, the average baby goes through about 5,000 diapers before being potty trained. That’s a lot of waste! Whichever diaper you choose, make sure that you don’t purchase too many to start with. You’ll quickly learn just how quickly a baby outgrows them.

* *Baby Wipes, Powder, Lotion, Wash & Ointments: Just as you read labels on the food you purchase, make sure you read labels on your baby wipes, powder, lotions, ointments, etc. You’d think that all products marketed for babies would automatically be non-toxic and completely safe but it’s absolutely essential that you know exactly what you’re putting on or in your baby. It might be a good idea to ask your pediatrician for a list of recommended products and if you notice any sort of adverse reaction or skin irritation, check with your doctor.

* *Clothes: Keeping in mind how fast your baby is going to grow out of clothes, you’re only going to need a few simple garments to start out with. Onesies are an excellent option as they are snug and keep the baby comfortable and warm. They are also convenient, snapping right over the diaper, making for easy changing. A night gown is good for covering up your baby, keeping him warm from head to toe while leaving a little wiggle room. Footie pajamas are also a viable option. Cute little dressy outfits are nice but non-essential.

* *Blankets: Purchasing a few receiving blankets is a good idea for all first-time parents and parents of newborns. These lightweight blankets keep a baby warm when you’re holding and rocking him.

* *Traveling With Baby: When traveling with your baby, there are two main pieces you’ll need – a car seat and a stroller. Setting up an infant seat in the backseat of your car is something you need to do before you bring the baby home from the hospital. All children need to be placed in a rear-facing car safety seat until they are 20 pounds and 1 year of age. A convertible car seat is a great investment, changing from an infant car seat into a toddler seat.

Conclusion

While this isn’t meant to be a comprehensive list of every thing a first-time mom might need, it’s designed to help get you started on the mommy track. Every mother has her own list of tips which is why I strongly encourage new moms to reach out to parents out there to see what their thoughts and experiences have been like. Parenthood is a beautiful thing, which isn’t to say that it doesn’t have its fair share of trials and tribulations; you just have to jump into it as prepared as you can.

Now it’s your turn.  What would you add to or take away from the list?  And once again, what are some of your all time favorite mommy-ing products?

I am looking forward to hearing your brilliant responses!

Let Go Of The Guilt, There Are Seasons In Life

The “seasons” of a butterfly.

“Women today are encouraged by some to have it all: money, travel, marriage, motherhood, and separate careers in the world.  …

“However, you cannot do all these things well at the same time. You cannot eat all of the pastries in the baking shop at once. You will get a tummyache. You cannot be a 100-percent wife, a 100-percent mother, a 100-percent Church worker, a 100-percent career person, and a 100-percent public-service person at the same time. How can all of these roles be coordinated? I suggest that you can have it sequentially.

“Sequentially is a big word meaning to do things one at a time at different times. The book of Ecclesiastes says: ‘To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under … heaven.’” ~ James E. Faust, “How Near To The Angels”

Deep, down inside I have always known that life is meant to be lived in seasons.  But why do we always feel so guilty when we can’t do everything all at once?

Are we meant to mother young kids and be the PTA President and do an obscene amount of volunteer service and be the perfect size 4 wife who cooks gourmet meals every night while never raising her voice at her kids who know how to make their beds and fold their own laundry and clean the rest of the house by the age of 6?

No.

Just like eating ALL the pastries in the pastry shop, we will get a “tummyache” … most likely in the form of  an ulcer, or more like several ulcers.

If we take on this much responsibility, we won’t be able to do anything, even if we only try to do 10% of the work for everything we put on our plate.

In order to follow this wise advice we have be given about living our life in the current season and living our life sequentially, we must constantly remind ourselves of choosing between good, better, best. Armed with this information, we will then be able to better make the myriad of important decisions life is constantly throwing at us.

It is imperative we simplify our life and the lives of our kids.   BUT we need to learn to be OK with that simplification.

We must learn to let go of the guilt.  We must realize it is OK to not be everything and everyone all at once … or even everything and everyone throughout the course of a lifetime.

And that is exactly what I did today.

I set aside many of the hats I am wearing and spent the afternoon with my family at a local Science Center.  My husband and I ignored the emails, the phone calls and the many other things vying for our attention and instead we focused our time on our family.

We were able to live in the now and see all the awe inspiring details it has to offer.

While at the butterfly exhibit today I learned some of these beautiful insects have a life span of only a few days.   Others only live for a few months … and they are perfectly OK with this.

That struck me.

Life really is short.  And that means I want to enjoy it, but I want to enjoy the fullness of each of its seasons, in sequence.

I don’t want to be so busy filling up each season with a tiny bit of this and a tiny bit of that while I am rushing around like a crazy and irrational person who is not accomplishing much of anything well, let alone mediocrely.

I want to slow down and not always be in such a hurry so I can see the vibrant colors of the seasons I am living.

Keri focusing on the enjoyment of the climbing wall.

Me focusing on being silly with the kids.

Cory focusing on the joy of the wind tunnel.

Happy Fourth Birthday

Dear Cory,

Happy fourth Birthday to my little “big” man.

The word BIG suits you rather well.  You arrived in this world over a week early, yet you still weighed in over 9 lbs and were 22 inches long.  All the nurses on shift at the hospital had to come and check you out because they thought your hands and feet were huge.

By 10 days you were 10 pounds.  By 2 months you were over 16 pounds.  By 4 months you were already 20 pounds.  Your growth still hasn’t slowed down much.

Cory at 5 months and Keri just shy of 4 years.

But not only are you big in stature, you are big in energy.  There are many days … well, most days … where I wonder how in the world am I ever going to keep up with you.  You go and go and go all day long.  And when you are tired, you get even more hyper.  Your Grandma used to say to your Daddy when he was little, “You are going to be the death of me.”  I feel the same way, but I wouldn’t trade you in for anything for the things you teach me are priceless.

When I take the time to step back and pause and watch you for just a moment, I am in awe.  I can just breathe in your passion and adoration for life.

You feel deeply.

You live deeply.

You love deeply.

You have a natural curiosity about everything.  You love to explore the world around you.  And you accept it all with wonder and amazement.

Cars, trains, planes, treasures and nature boxes.   Letters, words, drawing, being silly, roaming freely outside.  Finding “mysteries” in the carpet, following a bug in the dirt, throwing rocks into the stream.  You drink it all in.  You soak it all up.

I must admit there are times when I feel inadequate to parent you, as if you were given the wrong mother.  I feel at times that I am too structured and too orderly.  You are a lively spirit who craves freedom.   Perhaps this is God’s way of showing me He has a sense of humor .

But I know we were meant to be together.  We are meant to learn from each other.  We are meant to find balance together.

You show me how to embrace life and to live it fully.  After all, you are not afraid to be who you are, who you want to be.  You have no rules, you just follow your heart.

You definitely march to the beat of your own drum, and you do it without looking back, without caring what others think.  You march proudly, with a rhythm of your own.  And of course, along with that beat and rhythm there is your own left-arm-swinging Cory dance that goes right along with it.

I love you Cory, more than you will ever know!  Thanks for being a part of our family!

Much love,
Mommy

The Master’s Defense

This morning Rudy defended his Master’s thesis.

Lovely self-portrait taken a few weeks ago.

The verdict?

In his words, he passed “with flying colors!”

The cherry on top of the ice cream on top of the richly frosted chocolate cake?  He has no revisions to make.  We truly feel beyond blessed.

Congrats, Rudy!  I knew you could do it … in fact for me, this presentation today was just a small formality.

I am so proud of all the hard work you put into this and all you have sacrificed to further your education.   This road has definitely not been easy, but it has been the right road for us.   Your diligence and perseverance have been formidable.   Your work ethic and faith are a shining example to many, including me.  Thanks for all you do for me and for our family!

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In other news in our household, little Eli turned 7 months old today.  The months are flying by at lightning speed!

Eli is an absolute joy to have in our family.  His older siblings adore him and he delights in them just as much.

He is a happy and content little guy.  In fact, there always seems to be a twinkle and sparkle that radiates in his eyes.  He loves people and he loves “talking” with them.

He is finally enjoying solids.  Most of the time he gobbles them up twice a day.  He can quite easily pick up finger food, but getting the food into his mouth … in other words learning to release the death grip he has on his food into his mouth … is still a trick he is perfecting.

He loves to babble.  Mamamama and bababa are a few of his favorites.  He likes to play in his exersaucer,  jump in his door jam jumper, sit in his Bumbo chair, drool, pant like a dog and be sung to.  He also loves books, but mostly he prefers to eat them.

He can also just about sit on his own.  He is growing up way too fast!  We can’t get enough of this little addition to our family … unless of course it is at 4 in the morning and we are wishing he were still asleep !

I don’t know why, but Eli loves to eat bowls and plates.  Go figure?!

My New Bargain Shoes

These are my new shoes, courtesy of DSW.

They were on clearance, for 80% off.

I also had a $10.00 off coupon.

Final price?

$0.99 … yes, I typed that right.  99 cents.

This is what I call a lovely shopping spree … and they are even super comfy.

Have YOU found any good bargains in this crazy economy lately?

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I also want to thank everyone who left an encouraging comment on my Fog post.  The fog is definitely lifting. Thanks for your never ending care and support!