Favorite Toys at 7-9 months

I've wanted to do a post on Mac and Paisley's favorite toys, and the MOMs link up from Monday was just that. Click here to enter the link up.

These are in no particular order, they love (and fight over!) them all! The links are to the toys on Amazon... because Amazon is my go to for shopping online. And, well, that's just about my only form of shopping these days. :o)

Sassy First Sounds Book Set and Cube. We use the plastic books every night during bath. The block is soft with a rattle inside.

 LeapFrog Learn & Groove Musical Table. This table has removable legs so babies can enjoy it at younger ages than when they begin to pull up. The rattle makes the table sing the "ABCs", and Mac loves this feature. It becomes a puppet and puppeteer relationship when he gets going on this rattle. He makes it sing, I dance. We do this several times a day.

Rhino Toys Oball Rattle is great for little curious hands and fingers. Babies can grasp this ball without effort, and it provides lots of entertainment.

 Bright Starts Lots of Links are a must! Mac and Paisley chew and shake these links all the time. We probably have 50 total! They're great to attach to a stroller. I connect Mac and Paisley's sippy cups to these links when we're on a run.

 Our Lamaze Chime Garden is very popular around here. Each time a flower is tapped it lights up with a sound. Two of the three settings play music when the flower is tapped.

Our kids love music so most of our toys play tunes. I posted our registry must haves and newborn favorites here, here, and here. Hope this helps!! 

I am on the search for a second high chair. I prefer something slim and chic with a flare of fun. I love the Jenny Lind high chairs, but apparently they aren't made anymore. I prefer not a big, bulky and plastic high chair. The seat saver chairs won't work because we are already limited on seating... Any suggestions?? 

Our Baby MUST Haves... pt. 3

This is the last of the "Baby Must Haves" posts... for now anyway. If you didn't get a chance to read the first two posts on this topic, you can click here and here. 

In hindsight, I should have grouped the must haves into categories... I do love organized thoughts, but mine have not been so put together recently. :0) Three of the four items on this post are related to baby sleep.. and when baby sleeps, we sleep, and we. NEED. sleep!

I remember watching the nurses swaddle in the hospital, and I remember swaddling babies being necessary to mock the womb: it's tight, warm, and secure. Blankets are one way to swaddle, but there's more room for error. The swaddles we used were the Halo,  Summer Infant's SwaddleMe, and the Miracle Blanket. All worked really well so it's really a matter of opinion as to what you want. In a nut shell, Halo is pricey, Summer Infant's SwaddleMe has hook and loop (velcro) that attaches to things in the dryer if it's not secured, and the Miracle Blanket has lots of fabric... which can be overwhelming all through the night. 

We swaddled M and P until they started breaking out, which is a sign they no longer need to be swaddled. I totally recommend swaddling. It works!

The second item is the sound machine. I skimmed through a few books and did an online seminar to teach me how to sleep train and organize our days. One thing they all had in common was the importance of a sound machine. The sound needs to be a consistent noise as opposed to ocean waves, birds, heart beats, etc. I read that when the sound isn't consistent in volume and/or noise, the brain stays stimulated, which means little to no REM sleep for baby. Therefore the sound needs to be a shhhh sound such as white noise. This sound is also familiar to them from the womb. 

We got this at Bed Bath & Beyond. It doesn't have a "white noise" option, but the waterfall option sounds just the same.

Next on the list is a SIDS monitor. Knowing the SIDS risk factors, this was vital for me. It gives me a peace of mind, and there's no price value worth a mother's security of her baby's safety. There are a couple of well known monitors out there: the Angelcare Baby Monitor system and the Snuza . 

I debated on which one was for us, and I ended up choosing the Snuza. I chose this monitor because it's portable, the baby can't roll off when rolling around (the Angelcare Monitor is a pad that goes under the mattress), and the version of the Snuza I chose has a vibration alert. Clipped to the diaper with the sensor on the stomach, the monitor moves with baby's breathing movements.If no movement is detected after 15 seconds, the monitor vibrates. If another 5 seconds passes without movement, the alarm goes off. I appreciate something monitoring M and P while they sleep... because I can't be there 24/7. 

  As a twin mom, stroller options are limited. I wanted a stroller where I could reach both babies, but a side by side isn't practical in any indoor setting. I did lots (and lots and lots) of research on strollers because I knew we needed something sturdy, fairly lightweight, and met my wishes. Thank you, Britax, because I found the perfect stroller! The stroller holds one or two children: two infants, one infant and one toddler, or two toddlers. I see this stroller as an investment because it will grow with us. I am able to push and steer this stroller with one hand! That's pretty incredible for a twin stroller! So here it is: the Britax B-Ready. I love love love this stroller! (I promise I'm not being endorsed, haha.) 

Here are all the ways to use this stroller.

*If you're interested in this stroller, check local and online stores because Britax does specials where if you buy the stroller you get a free carseat!

Hope this helps some new and soon to be mommas out there!!!

And of course, I'll sign off with some pics of the babes.

-ashley

Our Baby MUST Haves... pt. 2

Thank you for all of the comments about Mac and Paisley's big 5 month celebration! It is encouraging to know you are following and enjoying our blog. :o)

Now I've racked my brain about what we've used the most often and what I couldn't imagine not having once Mac and Paisley were born. (Click HERE to read part one of Our Baby MUST Haves.)  Some of these things I stumbled on myself, but most of them are necessities that I learned their need from others. I hope to share with you what the items are and how we've used them. You can find the first post on this topic here. 


Mac and Paisley were born at 35 weeks, and my body didn't produce milk until they were 4 days old. Before they were born, I decided they wouldn't use bottles or pacifiers because I didn't want to inhibit nursing in any way. That was one of the many plans that went out the window. When I laid eyes on those babies, it became about their survival, not my plan. Paisley went to the NICU for the first 24 hours, and supplementing was the only option. Mac didn't go to the nursery, but I wasn't comfortable with them nursing and surviving on strictly colostrum. Determined to get my milk supply and plenty of it, I pumped... and pumped... and pumped. Yes, I set an alarm and pumped every 3 hours. What colostrum I did get I sent to Paisley in the NICU where any breast milk or colostrum is considered "liquid gold". So I sucked up each and every droplet in a syringe and sent it with Jordan to feed Paisley in the NICU. 


I share all this to say that without a pump, I wouldn't be able to feed my babies for the first 6 weeks of their lives. My research online and with other moms pointed me to a Medela breast pump. I knew I wanted an electric (I used a manual one once, and my arms almost fell off, haha) and certainly a double (time is of the essence for new moms!). I have the Pump In Style.  

Before you purchase this, check with insurance!!! I had my doctor fax a written statement that it was "medically necessary" for me to have a pump so that I could feed, and insurance covered my pump!! Call your insurance company and find out what the doctor should write. I learned that if the mom is going back to work, that's also a valid "medical necessity." 


While Mac and Paisley were drinking breast milk from bottles, I wanted to make sure they wouldn't be "lazy nursers." My friend, Andrea, told me about The First Years Breastflow Bottles. Someone gifted us these, and we love them! Nursing requires a baby to compress and suck. When drinking out of a bottle, a baby only has to suck, and it drips into their mouth. With these bottles, the nipple mocks a mother's nipple: baby must compress and suck to get the milk. I feel that these bottles allow me to successfully nurse Mac and Paisley as they interchange between nursing and bottles. 

The last thing in this post will be about California Baby's Calendula Cream. I have used this cream for everything cream can be used. The cream is labeled as a " nature's first aid" ointment. I have put this cream on every rash- from eczema to diaper rash- and the rash is gone! I love that the cream is natural and organic. In studying the popular baby skin products, I was discouraged by the chemicals in the products. Baby skin is in purest form, and I really wanted to keep Mac and Paisley's skin natural. (For your own research, learn how a chemical makes certain baby washes and shampoos "tear free".) We use this cream (along with other California Baby products) all skin ailments. Also, the cream may seem pricey, but a little goes a long way! 

As always, if you have questions, please ask! 


-ashley

Our Baby MUST Haves!

As I prepared to register for items, I did lots and LOTS of research to find what was out there and most importantly- in my opinion- what items held the best ratings. It kind of became my obsession... researching ratings, prices, etc. So here's my list of things I have learned since Mac and Paisley were born that we couldn't live without and we use (or used) everyday! I will address this in a few posts... Here's to part 1 :o)

1) The first thing we set up- or it was set up for us since we were at the hospital in preterm labor- is the Arm's Reach Co Sleeper. I compared co sleepers with pack and play systems, and the co sleeper better suited what I wanted while the babies slept in our room- it holds more weight, acts as a free standing or bedside bassinet, and a play yard. It was perfect for them as newborns up until 12 weeks, but having two babies in it at their size now is pretty tight. I think just one at a time would work.

2) I had no idea how to nurse one baby much less two! So I investigated what videos were on YouTube, and I found videos that showed me how it was done. The videos were essential and so is my nursing pillow! This pillow is huge! It is wide enough for both babies to lay on and nurse in the football hold position. 

The semi circular pillow supports your back, and the strap snaps behind your back to keep the pillow stable. 

3) We know the Boppy brand from their nursing pillows, but they also make these awesome newborn loungers. I registered for these to have the babies lay in them as I got them ready to nurse, and we still use them ALL the time! We have used Paisley's lounger to keep her elevated after she's eaten (to minimize any reflux). Mac and Paisley lay in them during play after every feeding.
*I also appreciate the material is one that I can easily wipe them off after a spit up or spill.

4) When we first came home from the hospital, we were in pure survival mode. I could barely complete a sentence, and I was supposed to keep up with feedings, diapers, and everything else a newborn needs- times TWO! A friend came to visit and introduced me to the Itzbeen. I ordered them off Amazon, and I couldn't wait to have something keep up with everything I was trying my hardest to do. 

 

The Itzbeen keeps up with diaper changes, feedings, naps, and on which side the baby last nursed. There's an extra button to use for whatever one may need such as vitamins, showers (ha!), etc. After one of the tasks is started (or completed, you choose), push the button and the timer resets. It saved my sanity and brought me into 2011-- because I was writing everything. While I don't use the device anymore (because we're on a routine), I still use the flashlight when I'm pumping in the middle of the night. 

Stay tuned for the next posting with our baby must haves!! Please ask questions! I love to help new and soon to be mommas!  

-ashley