A the ripe ‘old’ age of 9 month little miss Jellybean has been to the east coast, west coast and Midwest!  Pretty well traveled baby don’t you thinks?!?!  Between the age of 3 and 9 months we’ve flown with Jellybean a number of times and taken two long car trips.  During each trip I learn of something new I should pack as well as what not to pack.  Finding the balance between enough and not enough stuff has been challenging.

The ability to wash clothes at the grandparents’ houses was clutch!  When we were in Seattle clean clothes were hard to come by and, yeah, we totally ran out of diapers … the trip was only 4 days.  The husband admitted (after the fact) he thought I over packed, and was completely befuddled when he had to hand wash a onsie and go buy more diapers on the last day of the trip!

Let me put my cards on the table here.  Traveling with a baby isn’t as bad as I thought it would be!  Do I want to travel with her weekly or even monthly?!  No, not really.  But all in all flying with an infant isn’t all that bad — even when taking into account the blowout we experienced on Mother’s day.

Traveling with all of the baby’s STUFF …. now THAT, THAT my friends, that is another story. :) For such a little person Jellybean’s suitcase and carry on bag {aka diaper bag} is overflowing every time we travel.

I did my share of Googling and surveying friends when planning how to best travel with our infant.  While I am clearly not an expert when it comes to traveling with a baby I did want to share what I’ve learned so far!

6 Tips to make traveling with an infant a little bit easier | Life's Tidbits

Tips to make Flying with an Infant Easier

  1. Gate check the stroller and car seat.  It’s free so there is no reason not to bring them with you.  Yes they are clunky, but the ability to put JB in her stroller/carseat and walk through the airport was amazing.  While a baby carrier is great I find carrying the baby plus carry-on bag to be a bit much!  If you little one is out of the car seat already you can check it for free after obtaining your boarding pass.  Not shlupping that thing through the airport is SO nice.
  2. Change baby’s diaper just prior to boarding.  Even if the diaper is just a tiny bit wet it’s best to start fresh.
  3. Boarding early .  When able, that is, apparently United doesn’t do early boarding for families, boo!  It’s nice to get on and get settled without having to navigate around others … or hold up the boarding process.  Better yet, when traveling with another adult, have one person get on early with the gear and then other board last minute with the baby.
  4. Allow for extra time to go through security.  TSA is super chill about carrying on formula/pumped milk, and purees/food.  TSA does do an extra check so it adds a tad bit of additional time for them to do the check.
  5. Place the diaper bag and ALL baby related items under the seat in front of you.  Inevitably something I thought we would not need became a MUST HAVE RIGHT NOW item during take off or landing – clearly if it’s in the overhead one will need it when we can’t access it.  :)
  6. Bring a baby carrier.  For most it seems like the baby carrier and stroller are an either/or travel item.  For me, BOTH are a must.  The carrier was clutch when we were flying to Seattle.  It was the only way I could have my hands free and allow Jellybean to take a nap.  I wouldn’t ever travel without it again.

BONUS TIP! Cheerios and/or Puffs are great for entertainment and containing the little one in tight corridors.

Here is Jellybean on her maiden trip to the Midwest :)

6 Tips to make flying with an infant easier | Life's Tidbits

Any travel tips? What is your must have items for baby when traveling?

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It’s funny each month the husband and I remark at how this is our ‘favorite’ month and what I’m starting to realize is … every month/year/decade will always be the best!  Just a few of the highlights of the past few months include Jellybean crawling, pulling up on everything in sight, holds her own bottle, clapping and producing FOUR teeth!  The whole teething thing was not a high point, but her adorable smile with 4 little pearly whites certainly is.

I have already shared my newborn and 3-5 month must have baby gear.  I’m excited to continue the series with more essentials for months six to eight!  Careful consideration goes into each product before we purchase it.  It’s important to ensure things are a good match for both Jellybean and our lifestyle.  Over the past few months I have found so many baby and mommy approved items that I had trouble narrowing down the list of essentials to share with you!

Favorite Baby Gear – Months 6, 7 & 8  |  Life's Tidbits

Burpy Bib  // This is a burp cloth and a bib in one!  It’s definitely a little bit pricier than your typical bib or burp cloth, but totally worth it!  I with I had invested in a few more of these earlier on.  Though I still swear by the cheap burp clothes I mentioned in my newborn necessity post, I’m a big fan of these as well!

RazBaby Raz-Berry Teether // Despite not being a pacifier lover, Jellybean is fan of this teether. There are a bunch of textures on it and has come in handy when her gums have been especially itchy.

Squeeze and Teethe Elephant // This is the same brand as the as Sophie Giraffe, which seems to show up on EVERY baby registry list I’ve read.  Honestly I liked the Elephant way better than the Giraffe.  The giraffe has long legs, which Jellybean has gagged herself on more times than I can count and the elephant’s legs are shorter.  Plus it’s nice to be a little different!  Tip – this also come in a lion you just have to look past the ginormous giraffe display. :)

Snack Catcher //  We call it the Cheerio cup!  This comes in handy both at home and when we are on the go.  Keeps, most, of the cheerios in the cup and Jellybean can feed herself without any issues.

Sleepwear – Cupcake Onsie // These are my favorite nighttime onsies.  The come in the cutest designs, plus they are footless.  Jellybean is pretty tall so when we tried to go up a size in clothes for her length and they were too big around the waist I realized footless onsies were the perfect middle ground.  JB still sleeps in a sleep sack so we don’t worry about her toesies getting cold.

Having a Ball Get Rollin Activity Table //  When the pulling up began I quickly realized we needed a toy Jellybean could pull up on and play with.  The coffee table was effective at first, but it wasn’t interactive or stimulating … even with toys on the table.  I love this activity table and so does JB.

Peak-a-Boo Forest // This was given to us as a gift and Jellybean has been a pretty big fan for a while.  The book makes that crinkle noise, which is a huge hit.  Over the past few weeks Jellybean has gone from liking the book to being completely obsessed. She carries it everywhere (by the handle) and cries when you try to take it away … sorry JB, but the book can’t bathe with you hahaha.

Booster Pads Diaper //  I can’t even remember who suggested I tries these, but I was sold after 1 night.  Instead of purchasing specific night time diapers we place one of the booster pads into the diaper each night and we haven’t had a leak or issue yet!!  PLUS the booster pads fit into every size diaper we’ve used so far (sizes 1 -3) … no need to purchase new pads when your little one outgrows their diapers.

Munchkin Lake Buddies Bath Tub Toy //  These double as bath toys, regular toys and teething toys.  Jellybean LOVES the different characters and at least one can be found in every room in the house.

Puj Spout Cover //  No real explanation needed here.

Butt Paste // When registering and purchasing maternity clothes I got a lot of bags with free samples.  One of the samples was Butt Paste.  I gave the name a little snicker and threw it into my ‘master’ bag of samples.  Little did I know Butt Paste would become our go to when a diaper rash was developing.  Jellybean’s skin is very sensitive and it took a few tries to find the right tush cream.

So there you have it our favorite for Jellybean’s 6th, 7th and 8th month.  What are your must have baby gear items?  Any recommendations for months 9 to 12??

Oh and it’s so cliche, but how do they grow up so fast?

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Candy corn season has arrived!  Usually, I eat more candy corn after Halloween then before.  I love to buy the candy once it’s gone on sale … they have to make room for all the Christmas decorations starting November 1st so it makes sense to capitalize on that, right?!  While the husband and I are yet to make a decision on what Jellybean will dress up as for her first Halloween; I’ve been in full blown holiday purchasing mode for the past couple of weeks.

And honestly, this surprises me.  As an adult, I have never been a huge lover of Halloween.  I always dressed up for parties and what not, but never really put much effort behind it.  My favorite costume was by far Rainbow Brite — hello, clearly a child born in the 80’s. :)

For whatever reason having a child of my own has renewed the love I had for Halloween as a little girl … though I think it is manifesting itself in a different way.  I want to style both my home and my child for the upcoming ‘kick off’ to the holiday season!  {Don’t you think Halloween is the start to Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and New Years???}

For the condo I am currently crushing on this Tick or Treat banner and these Bat Candles, though I will admit I’m thinking of buying them only if they go on sale.  Jellybean’s wardrobe has certainly grown over the past few weeks with a couple of my favorite ‘Mini Fashionista’ Halloween finds … AND I was able to buy all but one item on sale … online shopping for the win!

HalloweenMiniFashion

Wickedly Cute Shirt / Pink Skeleton PJ Set / Cat Onsie and Pant Set
Cat Hat / Black Skeleton PJ Set / Halloween Witch Tee / Halloween Stretch Leggings
Halloween Bat Tee / Socks / Mommy’s Little Monster / Fleece Skeleton Hoodie

After I finished the blog I found this adorable candy corn headband on Etsy.  I might just have to buy it … it would look so cute on Jellybean!  “Hi, my name is Nicole and I am a borderline shopaholic” LOL.

Now that Jellybean is appropriately Halloween theme styled for the daytime, I really do need to get on making a decision about her costume for the big day.  The husband wants to dress her up as a vampire due to the two little fangs she is currently sporting — this mom isn’t 100% sold, yet.  My sister and brother in-law will be in-town visiting so JB better get her game face on for multiple cameras going off all at the same time!!!! I CAN.NOT.WAIT!  :)

Oh and ummmm who else is super excited for Hocus Pocus to be shown on TV?!  Seriously, I still really like … okay love that movie!

CartersHalloweenBlackCat

What are your favorite fashion finds for Halloween?  What did you dress your kiddo up as for their first Halloween?


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Nanny shares are all the rage in DC.  Are they where you live?  If you are unfamiliar with what a nanny share is … it’s pretty much 1 nanny and 2 babies.  In our case we were lucky enough to share with our neighbors/friends who a baby girl just a few months older than Jellybean.  By March we had two little cuties and two mommies who had to return to work (extreme sad face).

We were lucky to find an awesome nanny on a local listserve, though we were interviewing people from Care.com as well.  Over the past 6 months I have learned that just like a baby, a nanny share also requires gear.  Some items were givens, such as a double stroller, however others we learned ‘on the job’ so to speak.

I wanted to share not only the nanny share must haves (and favorites), but also a ‘what’s in my diaper baby – nanny share’.  I think my nanny share diaper bag is probably similar to that of daycare, though there might be a few differences …and well, that’s for another post.

Nanny share must have list includes …

NannyShareFavorites

City Select Double Stroller & Lock / Bottle Labels / 2 Sets of Keys / Baby Connect App

Double Monitor / Pack n’ Play / Diaper Bag / Big Picnic Blanket / Snack Catchers

Any additional must haves for a nanny share?


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Don’t know about you, but I spent a tremendous amount of time planning for the baby.  In fact, I received the best compliment from my husband a couple weeks after Jellybean was born.  He said, “Great job planning, Babe.  We haven’t had to go to the store once.  You made sure we have everything we need for the baby.”  While we have clearly had to buy more stuff for our little girl since then, we did make it a good amount of time without purchasing anything.  But I digress.

I spent SO much time planning for baby I completely neglected myself!  Baby might come first, however I should have made postpartum planning for myself a higher priority.  Very little {okay, really zero} time and research went into what I might need.  I didn’t even bother surveying my friends to determine what the essentials were.

Please, PLEASE don’t be like me.  Do your research and ensure you have purchased stuff for YOU and of course for baby too! =)  As a new mama my mind was strictly on my newborn and if I had planned ahead for myself it would have made the first day or two at home a little easier.  Not to mention it would have saved my parents from running back and forth from Target to buy me stuff.  Hehehehe.

My postpartum must haves and survival items for post delivery include the following …

Postpartum Essentials Mama | General, Breastfeeding/Nursing/Cesarean | Life's Tidbits

GENERAL

Always Pads With Wings – Pretty standard item most women purchase pre-delivery.  The only addition I have to this is get multiple sizes and bring a few of your own pads to the hospital in case, like me, you don’t really like the ones the hospital provides.

Canon PowerShot –  I am all about my DSLR, however the ability to quickly capture moments remains key.  It’s lightweight and doesn’t take the ‘effort’ of shooting in manual with my Nikon D90.  Also easier to use for the non-shutterbugs, as well as increasing the odds you are present in future family photos.  Added bonus for this camera is it shoots well in low light … super helpful when trying to limit or completely eliminate using a flash on a newborn.

Belly Bandit – Although I didn’t purchase this or use it, because I didn’t learn about it until it was too late (boo hoo!) I would totally would have purchased it.  I heard good things from a coworker who had her baby shortly after me.  Just wanted to make sure it was on your radar.  :)

Netflix – Hello to the never-ending TV series!  Just hearing the theme song to Mad Men immediately takes me and the hubby back to the first few days and weeks home with Jellybean.  Having something to watch while nursing or while baby girl slept on me was so nice.  No commercials and I could start watching in the living room, pause it, and finish watching an episode on the iPad in the nursery.

NURSING

Soothie Gel Pads – These literally saved me from giving up on nursing.  The whole nipple cream as a necessity was 100% lost on me.  These soothie gels on the other hand … go buy them (or order them online) NOW!  Not trying to tell you what to do or how, but, yeah, buy them …  =)

Nursing Bras – I had purchased some nighttime nursing bras and they were a complete fail.  They provided no support and just didn’t cut it for me.   My mother was kind enough to buy like 10 different kids for me to try on and these were absolutely, hands down, my favorite.  Comfortable, supportive, reasonably priced and easy to unhook even when it was 2am and I was exhausted!

Nursing Tops –  Love these tank tops.  They were amazing for sleeping in and looked fine under just about anything I wore in the early days.  I love sweatshirts and since I had a winter baby knowing about this sweatshirt would have come in SUPER handy.

Water Bottle – There was something about nursing that immediately made me THIRSTY!  Baby would latch and I would be all “Hun where is my water?”.  My poor husband was constantly fetching water. :)  Not to mention nursing mom’s are suppose to drink plenty of water to keep their supply up.

CESAREAN 

High Wasted Underwear – We are talking granny panties to the extreme!  Just telling it to you straight.  I am doing you a favor saying this out loud … I promise … no one told me.  Regular underwear and my cesarean incision were NOT … let me repeat … NOT going to happen.  The incision was just way too tender.

Gas-X & Stool Softener – It’s somewhat embarrassing to say, but both these items are a must.  Sorry ladies … just keepin’ it real.  My doctor suggested the gas-x, which was honestly a life saver.  So yeah.  ENOUGH.  Said.  On to the next item…

Ibuprofen – 100% helps take the edge off the pain.  My doctor prescribed me with some high dose ibuprofen, but while we waited to have the prescription filled it was nice to have some in the house as back up.

Leggings and/or sweatpants – I seriously lived in sweatpants and leggings for the first few weeks (okay months) of Jellybean’s life.  For the first few weeks it was SO important to wear comfortable pants that were NOT low rise.  The incision was tender and limiting clothing rubbing on it, I think, really helped it feel better faster.

So moms, what postpartum must have items for Mama am I missing?

 

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