Newborn Essentials

Here are a few things that are essential in our home with a new baby, some new, some tried and true from past babies.

Baby Wrap:

Mr. Two was a very difficult baby.  He wanted to be held all the time.  As long as he was being held, he was happy, but put him down and he would scream until he was picked up again.  No kidding, if I was making dinner, he would cry until I finished and picked him up, even with him sitting in the kitchen so he could see me and interact with me while I was cooking.  I wish I had a better baby carrier with him.  I resolved to shell out the 40 plus dollars to buy a Moby wrap with our next baby.

I am very lucky to have a talented sister in law who made me a baby wrap for Christmas this year.  I use it all the time.  I love it!  Mr. Three is snug and happy and I have my hands free to do other things, such as chase Mr. Two, clean house, etc. Another benefit?  It is so comfortable for me to wear.  No aching back, no uneven stiffness in shoulders that you get when using a baby sling.  It is a little warm in the summer, but it's worth it.  I call this carrier my sanity saver!

Nursing Cover:

I just finished sewing a nursing cover using this tutorial from Little Birdie Secrets.  It was simple to make and will really come in handy.  I have always just covered up with a blanket when nursing outside of my home, but it is really warm in the summer.  This cover is made from a light cotton, so it will be much cooler and give me good coverage.

Boppy:

Not just helpful to prop baby up higher and rest tired arms while nursing, but my helpful to my boys when holding their brother (with supervision...).

Good Books:

I do a lot of reading when I am nursing.  I am always looking for a great book for me to read, but I also take this time to read to my boys as well.  My older ones enjoy the attention and my little one gets to hear my voice and be read to as well.  You can never start reading too early!

Under-Eye Concealer:

This is a gotta have to cover up those awesome dark circles under my eyes.  Love the baby, miss my sleep...

What are some of your baby necessities?  Just wondering...

Tropical Banana Bread

Do you want to taste a perfect slice of summer? 

A sunny, breezy, tropical beach type of summer? 

Try this recipe over at Our Best Bites for Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze.  It's fabulous!  

My boys loved helping make up a batch of this tropical banana bread, mashing the bananas, squeezing the limes and dumping in a generous helping of coconut...

Seriously, my picture doesn't do it justice...

Adjusting to Three and a Thank You

Wow!  Thank you for all of the kind comments on our new addition and for all of the great advice on getting Mr. Two to sleep in his big boy bed.  I feel so loved and supported.  It's so nice to know others have been through similar situations and survived!

As for sleep for the rest of us...

Now that is a thing I miss...

For a little update, the boys are really adjusting well to having a baby in the house.  They love holding him and helping out.  Our little one still doesn't know that night is for sleeping, but that will come soon enough.  I do love holding this sweet baby in my arms.

Here is some pictorial proof that Mr. Two does indeed sleep in his bed now.  We've had a few nights where he's put himself to bed with no prompting from us.  So heavenly!

Here's how we're helping him.

1. Bribery- we started out giving him a little vending machine animal each night he slept in his big boy bed.  He loved that and it gave him some motivation to stay in bed.

2.  Consistency-  We spent many nights putting him to bed, and re-placing him in bed.  He's got the point now (for the most part).  No going back to the crib.

3.  Confession time- Either my husband or I lay down with him some nights until he's asleep, or close to it.  Especially with a new baby taking so much attention, he needed some extra parent time.

4.  Skipping naps- If he doesn't nap, he's tired and will volunteer to go to bed.  (He's been known to fall asleep at the dinner table...) 

In my early morning/ late night feeding sessions, I have hatched a few new ideas for the kids, for the house, for myself.  I am slowly but surely getting back into a rhythm.  Bear with me and I'll be posting more regularly.  Until then, thanks for reading and commenting!

Happy Easter

Our Easter gift came a few days early (on April 1st, and that's no joke).  We are glad to all be home together, healthy and happy.  Little Mr. Three was born April 1st, at 10:42 pm, with chubby cheeks, dark hair, weighing 8 pounds 9 ounces, 20 3/4 inches long.  Big brothers are doing well and loving their new little brother.