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Sunday, August 1, 2010

Transition to Mommyhood: Series Finale!

I am finally getting around to composing my final installment of the "Transition to Mommyhood" series. If I were Oprah it would be your lucky day, but I'm not so I'm just going to tell you about a few of my favorite things and if you like them you'll have to buy them yourself!

These are things that have made my transition to Mommyhood easier! As with everything these days, there have been a number of other things that I've wanted to include in this post but have forgotten by now. Never fear though -- since this is my blog I can come back and talk about those things later when (if) I remember them.

Ok then, here we go...

1. The Boppy Pillow

Our Baby Girl LOVES the Boppy. We've used it daily from the very beginning. It's not only convenient for nursing, but I use it for her to lounge and nap in. I like that it keeps her somewhat stationary so I know she's in a safe position. She likes that she can look at us and see what's going on when she's lounging in it, and that keeps her content much longer than if she were laying flat on the couch or if she were across the room in her swing or on the floor in her bouncy chair. There are times when she is happy to sit next to me on the couch in her Boppy and chat with me for an hour. This is very helpful for eating lunch, folding clothes, and other activities that can't be done while holding a wiggly little baby! When it's time for her to nap I love that I can lay her in the Boppy and she still feels like she's being snuggled. Sometimes she even puts herself to sleep in it. It will be a sad day when she outgrows her Boppy.

2. Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper
This is my beloved bassinet, the Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper. It could be my most favorite baby item ever. I've mentioned it before so I won't go into painful detail about it. I'll just say that it offers the extreme convenience of co-sleeping without actually having your baby in bed with you.

3. Itzbeen Baby Timer
This little gadget might come in 2nd as my favorite baby item. It basically remembers things for you like when you last fed and changed your baby, or the ever puzzling question-- "which side??" Additionally there's a backlight feature on the display so you can read it at night, and a very handy nightlight in case you need to spy on your little one, or stumble downstairs to retrieve a diaper in the middle of the night, not that I've ever have to do that...

4. Moby Wrap
I've written about the Moby Wrap and my thoughts on baby-wearing before on my blog. The Moby has saved me on many occasions. I really can't say enough about its practicality and utility. Going someplace that doesn't have room for strollers or is full of a million stairs? Got a baby that isn't crazy about sitting in the car seat carrier (yes, they exist, I have one)? Got a fussy baby and need her to stay quiet? A no-napper? Colic? Clingy? Can't figure out what's wrong? The Moby can be a tremendous help. With a bunch of different ties and holds I think any baby would be happy in it. Our Baby Girl loved the Hug Hold and now that she stays awake in the Moby, she is digging the Sling Hold. Who knew one piece of fabric could be so life-changing?

5. The Skip-Hop Duo Deluxe Diaper Bag
This bag has stellar customer reviews for good reasons. It's a great size - I'm not smacking into people or displays as I clumsily try to maneuver a checkout line or crowded store. Believe me, no matter how graceful you may think you are, add a baby carrier and diaper bag and you'd be amazed at what you can crash into. Another feature I was interested in when I was shopping for bags was ease of use, being able to get into it easily with one hand and not having to sit it down and use two hands to pull everything out of it. This bag has all magnetic closures making it so simple to get into and to close the pockets back up in a quick second. Added bonus? It comes in a million (almost) colors. We chose a nice simple black -- it wont get dingy and dad is comfortable carrying it

6. The Koala Baby Closet Organizer
Not a pristine photo, this is actually our Baby Girl's closet. But baby clothes are tiny and take up so little space in the closet that it would have been a huge waste of the vertical space not to put some kind of organizer in. This one costs a whopping $50 and completely eliminated the need for a separate dresser. Her clothes are even organized by size. It just hangs on the bar that you'd ordinarily put your hangers on and has plenty of little compartments for everything. We added some matching storage boxes up top and the over-the-door pockets. If you have a small space and not a lot of room for big furniture, this is perfect.

And that's what I have for now. Those are a few of the tools that have made life easier for me as I transition into Mommyhood. It has been a fun and challenging transition so far. Have your own tools of transition? Leave them in a comment!

Before I go, I have a request on the topic of Mommyhood. My friend Laura is going through a mommy's nightmare. She found out she is pregnant but her doctor is worried that the pregnancy may not be a healthy one. Her hCG levels are not increasing as they should be. She needs prayer for a miracle, and for God to give her peace. Laura is amazing at everything she does, especially baby-making. So to be going through this I know is a great trial for her. That said, prayers for this mommy are needed and appreciated as she goes through what every mommy hopes she never has to.

Until next time...

1 comment:

  1. I'm glad my baby shower present made your favorite things :)

    ReplyDelete

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