I struggled with if I should call it a baby welcome basket or baby shower basket.  Since I got the basket as a welcome gift for Jellybean, welcome basket won out!  A friend of mine reached out shortly after Jellybean was born and asked if she could come meet the baby.  She texted on her way and offered to bring us Starbucks, which I happily took her up on.  Not going to lie, the husband and I were pretty excited about having lattes delivered to the house!  When my friend and her husband arrived they not old had Starbucks, but also a gift basket for the little one AND some much needed sustenance (soup and cupcakes) for the husband and me.  Talk about thoughtful!!

Being new parents with little to no time to cook for ourselves we quickly ate devoured the cupcakes and soup.  Truth is, we totally had cupcakes for breakfast a few days in a row … when you had a newborn you eat what’s available, plus those cupcakes were DA BOMB!  It didn’t dawn one me until after they were gone to blog about the food and gift basket.  C’est la vie – the welcome basket is really what I want to show you anyways.

babywelcomebasket

This gift is both unique as well as personalized!  I just love it and we’ve used everything in the basket with the exception of one item that doesn’t fit Jellybean quite yet.  The pink dog is a huge hit not only with my daughter, but the little girl next door who is a few months older is pretty into it as well.  The contents of the basket included:

  • Book
  • Headbands
  • Night Gown
  • Onesie and Pant outfit
  • Pink Dog Tag Along Toy
  • Bath Cozy

babybasket_contents

Soooo fabulous, right?!  I can’t wait to copy my friend’s idea and create a welcome basket for someone’s new bundle of joy … as copying is the highest form of flattery!  Since my friend is kind of known for creating these baskets I certainly don’t plan on stealing her thunder, so I am going to have to hold off under a non-mutual friend has a baby.  :)

Have you created a welcome basket for your friend’s new baby before?  If so, what did you include in it?

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I had so much fun during Jellybean’s 2 month photo shoot!  She made some adorable faces so it was hard for me to only include two photos in this post, but I restrained myself from inundating you with pictures.  Over the past month I have made no progress on the schedule front and though I have “nothing” to show for my days, they fly by.  I love being at home with my daughter {why does it still feel weird to say/write daughter?!} and DREAD the thought of going back to work full time!!!  As the weather is slowly starting to warm up I’m ever so hopeful JB and I will be able to go on more walks in my last few weeks at home with her.  Jellybean’s little smiles make everything right in my world.  I spend the majority of the time she is awake trying to make her smile – thank goodness no one is recording me, I’m sure I look pretty silly most of the time.  :)

A few tidbits about the second month …

2monthsold

Headband is from Etsy

Sleeping

Jellybean is sleeping anywhere from 3 to 7 hours during the night (which I define as 9pm to 8am).  We are ever so thankful for the long periods of sleep.  I find when she sleeps over 4 hours I wake up abruptly and immediately lean over the bed to ensure Jellybean is OK.  It’s a weird feeling to be thankful for the sleep and freaked out all at the same time!

Eating

This month we officially introduced bottles and we are very lucky it went smoothly.  My little one doesn’t care if the bottle is hot or cold (winning!) nor does she have a preference of who feeds her the bottle.  Jellybean just wants to eat!  I haven’t had any issues with nipple confusion either (maybe I shouldn’t say this out-loud or it will become an issue).  Breastfeeding coupled with bottles has truly made life easier.  The husband can feed baby while I cook dinner, blog or heck take a shower.

While the transition from nursing to both bottles and nursing went well finding the right bottle was another story.  We started off with Advent bottles and their natural nipples.  JB was “shot gunning the bottles” as my husband so eloquently {LOL} told the doctor.  She was eating way too fast, which resulted in her crying because she didn’t realize she was full after finishing the bottle as well as spitting up a lot.  The doctor recommended we switch to Dr. Brown bottle and use a preemie nipple.  The preemie nipple has the slowest nipple flow available.  We saw an immediate and positive difference in Jellybean’s bottle feedings once we made the switch.   My biggest complaint with bottle feeding is cleaning/storing/organizing the bottles.  It looks like bottle pieces exploded on our counter top! :)  Any suggestions on how to manage all these bottles would be much appreciated!!

Wearing

Quickly after posting Jellybean’s first month round up she moved into size 1 diapers.  She is also no longer fitting into her newborn clothes and is wearing all 0-3 month sizes.  Some 0-3 month clothes are still too big on her … seems to be different brands run differently … not really a shocker hahaha.  I’m really enjoying having a new set of clothes to dress the little one up in.  Her wardrobe is quite large – she’s a little fashionista!

Milestones

Smiles and “giggles”/coos.

Rocking tummy time and gaining more control over her head each day.

Sucks on her hand, which according to the doctor is the first step towards self soothing.

Rolls onto her side consistently.

Random Tidbits

I started singing the Head, Shoulder, Knees and Toes song to the munchkin during week 7 and she just loves it (at least someone enjoys my singing…I must admit I have a horrible voice).  Sometimes I make the movements with my hands and other times I use hers, but either way she smiles and coos while I sing.

She has also started to enjoy the play mat.  She will play by herself for about 5 to 15 minutes without crying or needing me to sit by her.  I try to use this “free” time wisely by going through the mail, switching the laundry or snapping a few photos of her playing.  It’s really fun to watch her eyes wide open as she {somewhat accidentally} knocks the toys around and the lights change color.

2monthsold_blackwhite

What is your favorite tidbit from your baby’s second month?

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I’m not sure where the time goes, but Jellybean is already two months old! When parents say “kids grow up so far”, they seriously weren’t kidding.  Not only is my maternity leave flying by, but JB is getting bigger, stronger and (of course) cuter by the day.  Before Jellybean arrived I spent a good amount of time preparing for her birth.  Decorating her nursery was just as important to me as purchasing the necessities.  All in all we were very well prepared for Jellybean – as far as “stuff” goes … the whole sleep deprivation thing … NOT so much!  Over the past two months the husband and I quickly identified our must have and necessary items for a newborn.  While it is similar to my pre-baby/pregnancy registry must have list this one is bigger and more accurate.

newborn necessities and must haves / Baby Registry | Life's Tidbits

SleepingWarm Onsies with Feet / Swaddle Blankets / 2-4 Bassinet Sheets

1 – Since JB is a winter baby warm onesies with feet on them (as recommended by my mother) are essential.  I would highly recommend purchasing at least 5 and get the button ones over the zip-up onesies.  While I know many folks swear by the zip-ups as they are easier the buttons come in handy during those 3am diaper changes.  Unzipping the whole onesie makes our baby colder (and often more cranky) than quickly unbuttoning just the legs and tush areas.

2 – I had originally planned on using swaddle pods, however my baby HATES them.  We are talking blood curdling screams as we zipped her into them.  We quickly learned that while she absolutely wants to be swaddled she wants the old school method.  The aden + anais Muslin Swaddle Blankets are perfect.  They are big and enable even the worst of swaddlers (read me … my husband is the swaddle pro!) to wrap the blanket around and get a tight swaddle.

3 – I figured 1 bassinet sheet would be plenty… HA!  Amateur I tell you – AMATEUR.  Between spit up, regular linen changes and oh yes a couple of diaper blow outs having extra bassinet sheets was extremely helpful (thanks mom!).

DiaperingPampers Swaddlers / Sensitive Wipes / Changing Pad Liners

4/5 – We tried Huggies and Pampers Swaddles with Jellybean was first born.  I must say we had less blow outs/leaks with the Pampers Swaddlers.  Like a mentioned before I’m shocked at the shier volume of diapers and wipes we go through.  STOCK UP before the baby comes or consider Amazon Mom, it saved us on more than one occasion.

6 – I would recommend getting a bunch of these.  They come in more handy than I thought they would and save me from having to wash the changing pad cover as often.  It’s almost as though Jellybean knows when I’ve removed the old diaper and I’m starting to put the new one on and BAM in the 30 second switch she pees hahaha.  Instead of taking the whole cover off I just quickly switch out the liner and I’m back in business.

FeedingBoppy / Burp Cloths (thick ones) / Glider / Baby Connect App

7 – The Boppy has come in handy both for nursing as well as propping the baby up as I get situated.  Sometimes two hand is just necessary. ;)

8 – Although pretty burp cloths are definitely nice to have it is best to have a lot.  I’ve also found thicker burp clothes are better to help absorb any of those bigger spit ups which leak through the thin cloths.  My mom suggested we buy these, which are both affordable and thick.

9 – I spent the first few days at home attempting to find the best location for nursing.  I sat on the couch, the big chair in the living room, the glider and even tried breastfeeding in bed (worst place of all!).  I found the glider to be the easiest and most comfortable place to breastfeed.  There is a learning curve with breastfeeding (at least there was for me) and being able to sit comfortably and have good support for both my back and arms made the process a little bit easier.

10 – After leaving labor/delivery and getting somewhat settled into our recovery room the nurse handed us a sheet of paper.  She explained that all feedings as well as pee/poppy diapers should be tracked.  Given how exhausted we both were the idea of writing all the down seemed like a lot of work.  I quickly remembered my neighbor had recommended an app, which made tracking everything easier.  I downloaded the trial version and got to tracking.  The app is user friendly and my favorite part is you can pause and resume feedings as necessary.  I rarely pay for apps for my phone, but this one was well worth the money!

Other – Cradle Swing / 2 Stroller “Cuddle” Blankets / Wubbanub Pacifier / Dawn Dish Soap

11 – Originally I was against spending this kind of money on a swing not to mention it is pretty big and we live in a condo and have limited space!  When I figured out Jellybean like to swing side to side and not front to back I started toying with the idea of buying this swing.  The hubby’s work friends gave us a gift certificate to Babies R’ Us which just about covered the cost of the swing.  After a little push from my parents off to the store we went.  Jellybean takes a ton of naps in the swing…it’s definitely a MUST HAVE!

12 – These blankets are great for cuddling on the couch or keeping baby warm while traveling from one destination to another.  And let’s not forget how incredibly soft these blankets are as well!!

13 – This pacifier is not only cute, but practical.  The toy part lays on the baby’s chest or you can prop it up in the swing so the pacifier doesn’t pop out of his/her mouth as easily.  Makes for less getting up and down to pop the pacifier back in…winning!

14 – So has your baby had a blow out yet?  Well let me tell you when it happens it is GROSS.  What’s worse is trying to get the poop color out of the clothes (and/or whatever the poop got on).  Oddly enough the thing we’ve found that works the BEST is dish soap.  I have no idea what the difference is between the dish soap and baby oxiclean and/or dreft, but a little dish soap and warm water and we say goodbye to the stain!  Obviously after we get the stain our we run it through the wash using dreft so the clothes don’t irritate Jellybean’s skin.

So there you have it – my pretty robust must have list for a newborn. What items couldn’t you live without having a newborn/infant in the house?

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While the pregnancy series has come to a close the baby series is just beginning!  I must admit there is a small portion of me that misses blogging about being pregnant.  That being said I might have a few “reflection” posts in my back pocket should the mood strike.  In any event, it has been a WHOLE month since Jellybean made her grand entrance.

I am not sure where the past 4 weeks have gone.  The days seem to fly by.  I’m not really sure what, if anything, I actually do all day.  My day revolves around feedings, diaper changes, soothing and trying to get baby girl to sleep.  There is no routine to speak of, yet.  I am looking forward to getting Jellybean (and myself) on a routine, however her eating “on demand” doesn’t lend itself well to a schedule.  We will get there eventually … as the pediatrician told me there is no need or rush to get her on a set schedule at this point.

On her one month birthday we did a little photo shoot to document the occasion.

onemonthold

Love how her fist is reaching for the camera!

A few tidbits about the first month …

Sleep

Not consistently :)  Jellybean is sleeping anywhere from 2 to 4 hours during the night (9pm to 8am).  I’m unable to identify what factors influence how many hours she sleeps for, but I very much appreciate the 4 hour stints!

Eating

At this point we are exclusively breastfeeding.  She eats every 1.5 to 2.5 during the day.  We have had a few days when we think she had a growth spurt and all she wanted to do was eat every 45 minutes to an hour.  It was very exhausting!

Wearing

Much to my surprise she is still in newborn diapers.  After a couple of diaper blowouts we tried upping her to size 1, however they were just way too big on her so we went back to the newborn size.  Despite being told countless times by other moms I’m completely shocked at pure number of diapers we go through each week!!

Jellybean is currently wearing newborn and size 0-3 month clothing.  It was only the past couple days where she wasn’t swimming in her 0-3 month clothes.  The newborn clothes are starting to get a little small so we will be transitioning to all 0-3 month clothes soon I expect.

Milestones / Random Tidbits

Jellybean can already lift her head … she’s so strong for such a little person!  Though it looks like she has control over her head for a few second she then looses it and her head comes crashing down onto my chest.  Despite her ability to lift her head tummy time only lasts a minute or two before she gets agitated.

Jellybean is also incredibly alert.  She’s drawn to bright light and often stares intensely at something for a good amount of time.  Now what she’s actually looking at (unless it is directly at me) is sometimes hard to tell.

onemonthold_blackandwhite

onemonthold_gundabear

Those are two of my favorite pictures from her one month photo shoot!  I would love to know what she is thinking in the second picture.  She’s almost like “are you done yet mom? I know I’m cute, but let’s get this over with already.”  Hahaha.

What was your favorite tidbit from your baby’s first month?

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Miss Blair Alexandra!  {aka Jellybean}

IntroducingBlair

Our beautiful baby girl {FINALLY} made her debut on December 31st at 4:03am.

I must admit, I have been more of an absentee blogger than I had planned on – for the past 3 weeks that is.  Being a new mom coupled with recovering from a c-section (which was completely unplanned and unexpected) it has taken me longer than expected to get back in front of the computer.  While I am not quite ready to tell Blair’s birth story, I am hoping to share my labor and c-section experience soon.

A few new mom tidbits:

  • I’ve officially been “christened” as a mom … I’ve been peed, pooped and spit-up on!
  • I feel like a walking zombie during night feeding though I’m slowly adjusting to getting up ~3 times a night to feed the little one … brings new meaning to the word exhausted.
  • I put a sweatshirt on the other day, realized it had spit-up on it and decided it was “clean enough” to wear given all the other sweatshirts were in the wash.
  • Getting to shower during the day is considered a significant win (seriously it’s the small things in life!).
  • The dog has decided the baby doesn’t exist and completely ignores her.  Sophi sits on my legs while I feed Blair and has smelled her a couple times, but that’s the closest the dog will get to the baby.  On the up side Sophi doesn’t bark when Blair cries (thank goodness!!).

Okay one more picture, because sharing only one just isn’t enough.  Oh yes, she is sucking her thumb on her birthday =)

Blair_thumb

Needless to say the husband and I are completely in love with the newest member of our little family!!!  More new mommy tidbits to come in the next few weeks.  Hopefully I am able to squeeze in some blogging between naps, diaper changes, feedings and just staring at my baby!

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