Monthly Must Haves


Due to Rilynn's constant teething symptoms, she wants to chew- nonstop.

Ri has had a bout of eczema this winter and although the doc gave us a prescription ointment, these products cleared up the eczema overnight.

You could probably do without this seat, but we use it to feed solids. She is just now getting the hang of the spoon so unless I want splattered and spit baby food all over her fabric items (or my sofa), this has worked out great for meals. It is easy to wipe down and carry along with you. Plus, you can probably find one used for a good price.

I love this thing. So much so that I bought a second one. You can configure it however you would like, and it is super comfy for little bit's head, knees, whatever. Since we aren't crawling yet, I have a little section in my living room, a little in her playroom and a section at the nanny's house so she always has somewhere to lie down and play without worrying about germs, hard surfaces, etc.

Ri has really gotten into her exersaucer. She will occupy herself so I can take a shower, I can move it into the kitchen while I do dishes (nope, not cooking), and she is so proud of herself now that she is figuring out how to use all of the parts to it. We still haven't gotten the "bouncing" part yet, but like her momma, she is a midget and can't really reach the floor yet. We will get there.

I first saw this item when I went to pick baby up from daycare and she was chillin on her tummy on this thing.  It is awesome. When baby is too big for the boppy, get the lounger. We can sit on the couch with the lounger next to us, and have Ri lie on her back in the little "nook" and feed her her bottle. It makes it super easy and she will just chill in it. Sometimes even fall asleep.

This sucker is kinda heavy, but it is still amazeballs. It isn't fugly with all kinds of crap on it, it is super easy to open and close, and we personally use it a lot. Weekends at friends' houses and being at a nanny's house every day calls for a place to nap. She seems to do really well with the Breeze.

As soon as Ri started grasping things, it was on like Donkey Kong. I just happened to grab this ball one day while shopping so she could have something to occupy her in the store. She loved it. Best thing ever. Because of all of the holes, she could easily hold onto the ball. The little beads make it rattle for interest, and it is made out of a rubber so she can bang herself in the head a million times with it. This probably could have been the only toy we had in the house for many many weeks.




1. & 2. Go hand in hand. We have seriously used the Nosefrida with Ri Baby since the day she came home from the hospital. And since this past month has been one of RSV and Norovirus, I don't know what we would have done without it. She definitely wouldn't have been able to breathe. The saline spray helps break up all the skank and helps the Nosefrida work it's magic.

3. Ri is a blankie freak. I had no idea really until her teachers at daycare told me that when she was sick and fussy, it would soothe her for them to put the blanket by her head. So, I got her a few Aden + Anais security blankets and she is obsessed. She loves to grab it and put it up to her mouth and nose. My sister used to do that with her blankie growing up. Something about the smell of home. So, Ri Baby carries one of these with her at all times now. I love that it is such breathable muslin so I am not afraid of her sleeping with it.

4. I don't know what it is about a rubber squeaky giraffe named Sophie that gets babies going, but get one.

5. Everyone has their own opinions and preferences for baby carriers, but a baby carrier period is on my list. Ri is a busy bee and has been for awhile. She doesn't like lying around and loves to be held. The Baby Bjorn carrier has been a blessing in order for me to run errands. I have two hands, the baby, and we can shop. This, my friends, makes me giddy.

6. I cannot speak highly enough of the 4Moms Mamaroo. It is sleek, unlike the usually bulky & tacky infant swing/bouncer, will take place of a bouncer and a swing, has variations for swing, speed, lounging position, music AND you can play your iPod through it. It is lightweight and baby loves it. Buy the infant insert. They didn't carry them when I first bought ours so it may be the reason Ri was not really a fan the first 2 months.

7. Jacque the Peacock was really the first "toy" Ri Baby really seemed "interested" in. When I say interested, I mean, eyes got wide and she attempted to touch it. When she then discovered his feathers had the "crackly" sound and sensation, she was hooked.

8. Poor Babe had major diarrhea for over a week after coming down with Norovirus. Her poor hiney looked painfully chapped so I am sure it was uncomfortable. We had originally used Desitin but her diaper rash wasn't budging. I grabbed Boudreaux's Buttpaste and it literally works overnight.

9. We have been doing a nighttime routine pretty consistently since day one. Ri was over the swaddle after the first month or two but I worried about her being cold or not feeling secure. Someone had given us a Halo Sleep Sack Wearable Blanket and I now swear by it. She only wears it for nighttime so it is almost like she knows it is bedtime when the sleep sack goes on.

10. Another part of our nighttime routine is to have our last feeding for the night in her room, in the dark. This is quite impossible when you cannot see to feed baby or put her in her crib. I got Ri theBaby Einstein Sea Dreams Soother just because I didn't want a tacky mobile or a million dollar mobile that is cute, and she has always loved to watch her light fixture instead. She has loved the Sea Dreams Soother and I am not going to lie, it looks quite realistic when it is on. But a super extra perk to it is the fact that I can turn the ocean waves + light option on in addition to her sound machine. That way we can feed, I can see, and it slowly dims and eventually goes off so I can put her to sleep and walk away...


I seriously don't know how I could have gotten through without this monitor. I can carry the homescreen anywhere in the house and be able to see and hear her every peep, I can talk to her through it & it is super easy to take with you anywhere you might want to have it available for use. 

This thing is super cheap but has spa sounds, including a heart beat, that sound much more realistic than some devices. Rilynn was not a huge fan of her Sleep Sheep but we use this sound macine every single time she sleeps. Plus, it has projections to play on the wall when she is a bit older. 

I did a lot of research on my diaper pails before Rilynn arrived. I have smelled one too many nurseries that immediately made you think, Dirty.Diaper. This diaper pail has been everything I read it would be. Super easy to change out (you can use regular 'ole garbage bags!) and I seriously don't smell a single diaper as long as the lid is closed. It is amazeballs. 

Our tub situation was a bit tricky. Our PUJ tubs never really fit right in our sinks, and Rilynn was so tiny she would just crumple into a little ball at the bottom and scream. Until her stump fell off, we just used a foam matt and sponge bathed her on the counter. But then I found this tub. I wasn't excited about it's bulkiness, but I liked that it would grow with her and for now, had a perfect little nest for her to bathe in while so tiny. We have been super pleased with it.

I learned quickly that I hate despise newborn gowns. Totally sucks since I had a ton of them, but they just seemed so time consuming to get that elastic all the way down her body, and then back up when it was time to change her diaper. I found that footies were our favorite. We didn't have to pull them over her head and we only have to unfasten the legs to change her diaper so she isn't fussy from being cold. I know they keep her warm, and they are just EASY. And you can find a gazillion super cute ones. 

Rilynn has had a pretty stuffy nose since birth and is now producing some nice little boogs overnight. I have used the NoseFrida from day one and she has never really had a problem with it. I spray a little Saline Spray in her nostrils in the morning, change her diaper and then suck it out. In the evenings before bed, I let the shower run after I get her out of the bathtub and let the vapors loosen up her nose and then use it again. Hubs gags when he watches me use it. Wimp. 

We have loved this carseat. Top of the line, kiddos. I feel like she is safe in it and it seems quite cozy. Plus, I just adore that it snaps so easily into it's base as well as our stroller. 

A friend of mine told me about these. I ordered them for Rilynn for Christmas but let her have a sneak peek at them when she was only 7 weeks old. She was mesmerized! Since she was at an age where there was some new alertness but no capabilities to do anything, we used these cards to work on her tracking skills and  just because. 

Some point during the first two months, Rilynn changed from her Soothie pacifiers to these and her Nuks. I like these for bedtime because they sit so flush on her face and don't have the little handle that pokes out. Since we are tummy sleepers (I know, I know), the other pacifiers would fall out constantly. 




1. Motherhood Maternity Secret Fit Shaper Panty 
 I seriously wear these almost every day- they smooth out all lines, and my protruding belly button, and feel so supportive.

2. Noodle & Boo baby products
To.Die.For.

3. Snoogle Total Body Pregnancy Support & Feeding Pillow by Leachco
At first, I didn't understand this thing but in the last trimester, I am not sure how I could have slept at all without it.

4. Sanuk Women's Yoga Spree flip flops
My hubs brought me back a pair of these from the beach after I had been complaining about how bad my feet hurt at the end of the day. These puppies are like walking on a cushion. I wear them every single day.

5. On Becoming Baby Wise, by Gary Ezzo
This is our go-to book on preparing for feeding/sleeping schedules with Rilynn. It has worked wonders with friends and their babies.

I loved this book- I read it when I first found out I was pregnant. It is very blunt, truthful, and so funny. No need to make pregnancy less fun than it already is, right!?

I cannot advocate for these enough. A girl I know is a labor nurse and has started a business selling fashionable labor gowns so you don't have to wear the used ones they give you in the hospital. There are tons of fabrics to choose from, and they snap at the shoulders for easy breastfeeding.

8. Dr. Teal's Eucalyptus Spearmint Epsom Salt Soaking Solution
Between my hip and lower back pain these days, I am taking baths religiously- something I never used to do. I am obsessed with the scent of these Epsom Salts. Once I turn on the jets in the tub, the aroma fills the whole house. So calming and really helps my ailments.

9. Mrs. Meyer's Baby Laundry detergent
There is no way around washing baby's items in non-irritant detergent. This is by far the best smelling version out there.

I received a few of these at my baby shower- I have never felt a more soft material in my life. What I would give for the manufacturers to make ME a version of this footie, too!





1 comment:

  1. Loved my posh pusher too!!! Love those sweet girls who started that co!

    ReplyDelete