What stays, what goes & what's new: Baby crap edition
In case you missed the announcement, baby #2 is due to grace us with his presence in about T-9 days.
Yeah, that sounds really soon to me too.
So, I've been trying to go back through all the baby crap that I have stored in various places around the house and figure out what I want to use again, what I want to get rid of (because I didn't really like it the first time anyway), and what new-fangled baby products I must have for this child.
Since baby crap posts are not that exciting, I limited myself to only my few favorites. If you want to read some longer/more in-depth reviews of the baby products we used with Hunter, feel free to check out my ramblings on sleep products and on-the-go products in your spare time.
And, to spice it up, I have thrown in some cute Hunter photos for your enjoyment.
So, first off:
Things we are using again:
Cloth Diapers- I've been writing a post about cloth diapering for over a year now, and somehow I am never done...mostly because I need to take pictures of Hunter running around in the diapers and actually write out how we use them.
Honestly, these are the bees-knees. I'll get that post up asap for anyone who has ever wondered about the world of cloth (it's amazing, I can't recommend it enough). If you just want the highlights, we use Bumgenius Freetimes and I have about 20 of them that I rotate through. I wash them at home in our washer/dryer and I am not only saving the planet, but also a ton of money.
**We are going to use cloth newborn diapers this time around, so I'll keep you posted on how that goes.
Ergo baby carrier- I feel like carriers are one of those personal choices that you kind of have to do some trial and error with. I liked the Ergo from my babysitting days because it went on your back. As soon as Hunter was big enough to hold his head up, I was toting him around on my back. He also loved the Ergo with the infant carrier since he could get all snuggly with me (which of course made me incredibly sweaty) but he would sleep for hours in there, so it is definitely a win. I plan to use the Ergo more this time around, as I will need to be as hands free as possible to wrangle Hunter.
Rock & Play Sleeper- this thing is magic- like Harry Potter battling Voldemort level magic (the rock & play is obvious Harry Potter in this scenario). I would still be rocking Hunter to sleep on my chest if we hadn't bought one of these things. If your baby hates sleep like mine did, this is going to be your best friend. It was recommended to me by a work friend who had a daughter right before me and she passed along her wisdom. It took me 8 weeks to finally cave and buy this thing. Be kind to yourself- buy it now. You WILL NOT regret getting more sleep.
It is essentially a mini-hamock that holds the baby at an incline (great for reflux). The only flaw in this wonderful invention is that it doesn't rock itself- it requires manual rocking (which is preferable to 3am baby holding) so I still love it.
Rocking Chair- We still use the rocking chair nearly every night. Hunter likes the routine of sitting with me and rocking for a few minutes before bed. Word to the wise- put pads on the arms, you will inevitably knock your baby's head on the arms and then you will feel super bad.
I know Gliders are all the rage, but I got my rocking chair from my Grandma, and I like the history behind it...plus it was free. Also, gliders take up more space, and the nursery isn't exactly boasting tons of square footage, so this thing fit nicely into the corner and accomplished the same goal.
Aden & Anais swaddle blankets-
These blankets are the duct-tape of the baby world- they fix everything and have a million uses. These soft and easily portable blankets work for pretty much all of baby's needs. I swaddled Hunter with them (their intended purpose), used them as burp clothes, carseat covers, nursing covers, a diaper changing pad, a towel, and lately I've been using them as lightweight blankets for Hunter on a hot night.
I think I have 16 of these bad boys, so I am fully stocked. Honestly, I carry one of these with me everywhere I go. They are part of my "car emergency kit" (which I should probably update now that we will have a new baby around).
Things that are going away:
Arms Reach Mini Co-sleeper:
Hunter hated this thing from day one. I originally planned to keep it around for baby #2 but I decided to sell it instead. We are going to go straight to the Rock & Play, then into a real crib this time around.
I was able to loan it to a friend for her second baby (who seemed to do just fine in it) but now that they are done with it, I decided I didn't want it taking up space in our house knowing I had no intention of using it. So, I posted it on Craigslist and sold it the next day (at a profit). Win-win.
Snap & Go Stroller-
I won't be using this again, but I would if I could. It basically is a set of wheels for your carseat. It's a super lightweight frame that you can use as a stroller without hauling the bulky stroller with the carseat attachment everywhere you go. They do make ones with a sitting area for the older kid and the snap feature for the baby seat, but since I would have to buy that I'm going to pass. I ended up selling this at our garage sale first thing in the morning to an expectant mother who was over the moon to have found one- another win-win.
Things that are new:
Baby Jogger City Select double stroller-
This one was tough for me. To double-stroller or not to double-stroller...that is the question. Do you do side-by-side, single width in-line or something else?
Hunter will be nearly 2 when baby #2 arrives and so he will be on the precipice of not wanting/needing a stroller. I waffled on this one a lot, but finally got sold by some fellow moms who have already tackled the 2 kids under 2 scenario and lived to tell the tale. Plus, it doesn't hurt that I got a screaming deal on Craigslist ($425 for the stroller & 2nd seat kit), saving me about $200.
Honestly, it boils down to that sometimes you need to strap the kid in and get things done. So, having a stroller with 2 seats allows that to happen. Heck, I was walking Green Lake a few months ago with a friend and Hunter wanted nothing to do with the stroller, but we were half way around the lake and easily 20 minutes from the car, raindrops were falling and my patience was pretty much gone. He refused to sit nicely in his stroller, wouldn't walk while holding my hand, and decided to squirm while I held him...I was pregnant, cranky and out of breath. At that point, I needed to put him in the stroller, buckle him in and power walk to the car while he screamed his little head off. In those wonderful parenting moments, I am reminded of my wise friend Victoria who once told me- "no child has ever died from screaming and crying, so put them down and walk away until you pull your sh** together." Wiser words have never been said. Sometimes you have to do what is going to get you through, and I can only imagine having two small children melting down at my feet- in that moment I'm going to be pleased I sprung for this stroller.
The benefit of the City Select is that the seats have 16 configurations. They can both look out, face each other, have backs to eachother etc. Plus, as Hunter grows, I bought a glider board (which is like a mini skateboard) to add the back for him to "ride" when he is tired of walking.
4Moms Mamaroo-
I was lucky enough to borrow one of these from a mom friend and I'm super excited to test it out. This is one of those things that is stupid expensive, but I've heard nothing but rave reviews. So, before I drop the cash on a very fancy swing, I am going to take it for a test drive. I'm pretty excited about trying this thing out. Hunter also was pretty excited about it....luckily this kid is still under the weight limit.
4Moms Infant Bathtub-
I borrowed a bathtub last time around, and it worked just wonderfully. I had to give it back so I needed to source a new one this time around. I actually recently joined a "Buy-nothing" group on Queen Anne which is an AMAZING group that offers up free items to each other.
Yeah, that sounds really soon to me too.
So, I've been trying to go back through all the baby crap that I have stored in various places around the house and figure out what I want to use again, what I want to get rid of (because I didn't really like it the first time anyway), and what new-fangled baby products I must have for this child.
Since baby crap posts are not that exciting, I limited myself to only my few favorites. If you want to read some longer/more in-depth reviews of the baby products we used with Hunter, feel free to check out my ramblings on sleep products and on-the-go products in your spare time.
And, to spice it up, I have thrown in some cute Hunter photos for your enjoyment.
So, first off:
Things we are using again:
Cloth Diapers- I've been writing a post about cloth diapering for over a year now, and somehow I am never done...mostly because I need to take pictures of Hunter running around in the diapers and actually write out how we use them.
 |
| Via |
Honestly, these are the bees-knees. I'll get that post up asap for anyone who has ever wondered about the world of cloth (it's amazing, I can't recommend it enough). If you just want the highlights, we use Bumgenius Freetimes and I have about 20 of them that I rotate through. I wash them at home in our washer/dryer and I am not only saving the planet, but also a ton of money.**We are going to use cloth newborn diapers this time around, so I'll keep you posted on how that goes.
 |
| Via |
 |
| Via |
Rock & Play Sleeper- this thing is magic- like Harry Potter battling Voldemort level magic (the rock & play is obvious Harry Potter in this scenario). I would still be rocking Hunter to sleep on my chest if we hadn't bought one of these things. If your baby hates sleep like mine did, this is going to be your best friend. It was recommended to me by a work friend who had a daughter right before me and she passed along her wisdom. It took me 8 weeks to finally cave and buy this thing. Be kind to yourself- buy it now. You WILL NOT regret getting more sleep.
It is essentially a mini-hamock that holds the baby at an incline (great for reflux). The only flaw in this wonderful invention is that it doesn't rock itself- it requires manual rocking (which is preferable to 3am baby holding) so I still love it.
Rocking Chair- We still use the rocking chair nearly every night. Hunter likes the routine of sitting with me and rocking for a few minutes before bed. Word to the wise- put pads on the arms, you will inevitably knock your baby's head on the arms and then you will feel super bad.
I know Gliders are all the rage, but I got my rocking chair from my Grandma, and I like the history behind it...plus it was free. Also, gliders take up more space, and the nursery isn't exactly boasting tons of square footage, so this thing fit nicely into the corner and accomplished the same goal.
 |
| Via |
Aden & Anais swaddle blankets-
These blankets are the duct-tape of the baby world- they fix everything and have a million uses. These soft and easily portable blankets work for pretty much all of baby's needs. I swaddled Hunter with them (their intended purpose), used them as burp clothes, carseat covers, nursing covers, a diaper changing pad, a towel, and lately I've been using them as lightweight blankets for Hunter on a hot night.
I think I have 16 of these bad boys, so I am fully stocked. Honestly, I carry one of these with me everywhere I go. They are part of my "car emergency kit" (which I should probably update now that we will have a new baby around).
Things that are going away:
 |
| Via |
Hunter hated this thing from day one. I originally planned to keep it around for baby #2 but I decided to sell it instead. We are going to go straight to the Rock & Play, then into a real crib this time around.
I was able to loan it to a friend for her second baby (who seemed to do just fine in it) but now that they are done with it, I decided I didn't want it taking up space in our house knowing I had no intention of using it. So, I posted it on Craigslist and sold it the next day (at a profit). Win-win.
 |
| Via |
Snap & Go Stroller-
I won't be using this again, but I would if I could. It basically is a set of wheels for your carseat. It's a super lightweight frame that you can use as a stroller without hauling the bulky stroller with the carseat attachment everywhere you go. They do make ones with a sitting area for the older kid and the snap feature for the baby seat, but since I would have to buy that I'm going to pass. I ended up selling this at our garage sale first thing in the morning to an expectant mother who was over the moon to have found one- another win-win.
Things that are new:
This one was tough for me. To double-stroller or not to double-stroller...that is the question. Do you do side-by-side, single width in-line or something else?
Hunter will be nearly 2 when baby #2 arrives and so he will be on the precipice of not wanting/needing a stroller. I waffled on this one a lot, but finally got sold by some fellow moms who have already tackled the 2 kids under 2 scenario and lived to tell the tale. Plus, it doesn't hurt that I got a screaming deal on Craigslist ($425 for the stroller & 2nd seat kit), saving me about $200.
Honestly, it boils down to that sometimes you need to strap the kid in and get things done. So, having a stroller with 2 seats allows that to happen. Heck, I was walking Green Lake a few months ago with a friend and Hunter wanted nothing to do with the stroller, but we were half way around the lake and easily 20 minutes from the car, raindrops were falling and my patience was pretty much gone. He refused to sit nicely in his stroller, wouldn't walk while holding my hand, and decided to squirm while I held him...I was pregnant, cranky and out of breath. At that point, I needed to put him in the stroller, buckle him in and power walk to the car while he screamed his little head off. In those wonderful parenting moments, I am reminded of my wise friend Victoria who once told me- "no child has ever died from screaming and crying, so put them down and walk away until you pull your sh** together." Wiser words have never been said. Sometimes you have to do what is going to get you through, and I can only imagine having two small children melting down at my feet- in that moment I'm going to be pleased I sprung for this stroller.
 |
| Via |
The benefit of the City Select is that the seats have 16 configurations. They can both look out, face each other, have backs to eachother etc. Plus, as Hunter grows, I bought a glider board (which is like a mini skateboard) to add the back for him to "ride" when he is tired of walking.
4Moms Mamaroo-
I was lucky enough to borrow one of these from a mom friend and I'm super excited to test it out. This is one of those things that is stupid expensive, but I've heard nothing but rave reviews. So, before I drop the cash on a very fancy swing, I am going to take it for a test drive. I'm pretty excited about trying this thing out. Hunter also was pretty excited about it....luckily this kid is still under the weight limit.
 |
| Via |
4Moms Infant Bathtub-
I borrowed a bathtub last time around, and it worked just wonderfully. I had to give it back so I needed to source a new one this time around. I actually recently joined a "Buy-nothing" group on Queen Anne which is an AMAZING group that offers up free items to each other.
One day I saw an offering for a baby bathtub up for grabs. I jumped at the chance to snag a free tub (my favorite price). When I went to pick up the tub I found that I had stumbled upon a way nicer tub than I had anticipated. This tub is very fancy- it actually cycles fresh water in and flushes the dirty water out, so the baby is always being rinsed with clean water. Genius- especially since my 1st little boy peed every time his diaper was off (still does).
I'm pretty sure that sums it up. With only a week(ish) to go, I think we are ready to go (in the baby crap department at least).
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