Yesterday I drove down to meet Mr. Jackson Charles...
This little man is the first born of my very good friend... We were college roommates, and even graduated together with the same degree. I've been so excited for this dudes arrival! I'm so glad he is here safe and sound after a long rough labor for his poor Mama. This boy is pretty darn adorable:) Every little feature of his just screams CUTE!
I am so excited for my friend and all the "Mommy Firsts" she has ahead of her! This last year of being a new Mom has been quite the adventure:) And I've found a few things Zella and I love! So I thought I would share some of our "Top Mommy Must Haves!"
#1 Kirkland Wipes
I had a baby shower where I got a variety of different brands of wipes. They were ALL terrible expect for these bad boys!! You can get them at Costco in a box of 900 wipes for $20. These are durable, won't rip or tear on you, and are larger so you have more room to wipe with!
#2 Nose Frida
As a Respiratory Therapist I was on the look out for a good snot sucker! I thought a battery powered one would be the best, but it did absolutely nothing... Seriously don't waste your money... A $2 bulb suction works better. The Nose Frida is a little unconventional, but boy does it work!!! If your little ones snot is really thick you can put a couple saline drops in one nostril and suck out of the other one and it will thin it out and clear them right up. You can find them at most stores, or Amazon for around $15.
#3 No Spill Cup
When it came time to try out sippy cups my girl hated them all! She hadn't mastered the straw yet, but she loved trying to drink like a big girl... So I found this NO Spill 360 Cup! Any where you suck around the rim will slightly break the seal and let the drink out. It also has big nice handles for them to grip. They make a few different kinds, but this one is the Munchkin brand, and I got it at Walmart for around $4.
#4- Lace by Louise
Nursing bras are so convenient, but it wasn't until Zella was 8 months old that I found one I loved! I've always been use to going to high end places to get measured and fit with the perfect bra. Well those place don't carry nursing bras... Crazy I know... I wanted a nice one that would give me some shape so I didn't look like the frumpy postpartum nursing mom I felt like.. They sell a lot of good nursing bras online, but with all the failure I had trying them on before buying them I wasn't about to buy one without trying it... Someone finally clued me into to this neat store! It was worth the drive... And I am going to go there and get a great new regular bra when I am done nursing too! They stock great bras, and have wonderful staff to help you find the perfect fit.
#6- White Noise Maker
When Zella was a few days old her jaundice had gotten worse and we had to keep her under bili lights at home for almost 2 weeks. I was so worried about how I would keep her under these lights if she never let me put her down otherwise, but it was the opposite! It wasn't until we got the bili lights that she started sleeping for good long stretches. They seemed to put her right to sleep. What a blessing in disguise! I was almost sad to send them back cause I was worried about her sleeping without them... But we figured out the reason why she liked them so much, it was the fan that ran while the lights were on... So we got a little noise maker that had a white noise option. It also helps cancel out all the other noises I don't want waking her up. I turn it down low, and it sits on the floor facing her door. It has all kinds of other options, but we just use the white noise:) This one I got at Walmart for around $15 and its also the Munchkin brand.
#7- RLee Couture Lace Bows
If you have a girl on your hands you've gotta have at least one of these bows! They range in price depending on what you want from $5.99-14.99. They come in all kinds of cute colors. They are very stretchy and soft for little heads. I love how they seem to go with any outfit. My favorite to have is the Ivory. It's just beautiful! You can buy them from her Etsy shop www.etsy.com/shop/rleecouture or on Instagram @rleecouture or @rleebaby. She also has the cutest little lace leggings that are too precious on some chubby baby legs! I've had her do some custom orders for me for pictures and she's amazing!
#8- The Sleep Easy Solution
This book was a lifesaver! A fellow mom & friend of mine checked it out from our library and suggested I read it too. Zella did really good sleeping from about 6wks to 3months but then she started waking up around 4 am to eat... I just figured it was a growth spurt and would feed her and put her back down. BUT she never quit! AND then at almost 6months she started waking up twice a night! That's when I decided she was ready to be sleep trained. I had tried to let her just cry it out... but boy was she an olympic crier... and I would just end up giving in. This book explains the best way to train your baby with minimal crying! I was skeptical... but it worked! There is even a website you can go to and print out their little help pages to track your progress. I did make a few adjustments that better fit Zella... For Example: they suggest going in and checking on them if they are still crying every 5 then 10 then 20 min and so on... But it seemed to work better if I just did one initial check on Zella after about 10 min if she was still crying, and then left her alone. Checking on her that often just started the crying ALL over again and she wouldn't ever calm down... So make modifications if something seems to be working better for your baby. Either way this is a great book to help you get started! After about a week of training, and not too much crying Zella's been sleeping from 8PM to 8AM ever since!
#9- The Healer
This stuff is made by POSH. It is a pure shea butter stick, and can be used on almost anything! I've used it mostly on my lovely stretch marks and it has helped them a lot. They aren't very noticeable anymore at all! The redness is gone, and the marks are very faint. I also use it on Zella. I used it on her a lot during the winter when she would get dry and cracky spots. I've also used it on rashes, bumps, dry areas etc. Its so nice and convenient plus quick and easy to use. I get it from a local posh consultant named Madeline Korth for $12 and the stick lasts a long time.
#10- Doterra Essential Oils
My Mom and I got into oils when I was having stomach issues we couldn't solve. The oils we tried is what ended up helping me the most. Now that I am a Mom oils have become even more helpful! I can say I use at least one or two oils per day. When using oils with the little babes you just need to be careful and dilute them with a carrier oil like coconut or olive... I have solved a lot of Zella's little aliments like tummy aches, teething, constipation, diaper rash, burns, bug bites, scratches, fever, bumps, bruises and the list goes on! They also help a lot with my anxiety... Don't all of us Mom's suffer from a little of that with these kiddos!!! Over Christmas my Mom made us this nifty little oil first aide kit. It is awesome! Oils can be a little pricey, but most of them are around $20 a bottle and last a LONG time. Especially when you are diluting them. If you really want to try some let me know and I can tell who you to talk to:)
#11- Lacy Jane Lane
This is another little Etsy/Insta shop I have found and loved, but it isn't specific to girls this time. She makes a lot of cute stuff for boys too! I am the kind of person that really wishes I could sew, but can't... So this girl makes all the cute stuff I want:) She does a lot of leggings, shorts, rompers, dresses, skirts, and bows. All of her stuff is adorable and very affordable. I wish I could buy everything she makes! We've gotten a few pairs of leggings from her, and I even had her design some two toned leggings to make a little fashion statement! I have my eyes on some rompers and little dresses I want her to make for me too:) The leggings we got depend on the size you want but they are around $12:) And what's even better is she is based out of Brigham so I just pick up my orders and save shipping! Click here to see her shop, or follow her on Instagram @lacyjanelane.
#12- BOOKs, BOOKs, & More BOOKs!!!
Zella is a little bookworm. She would sit and have me read to her all day if I'd let her:) When I was pregnant with her I was introduced to Usborne Books. They are a worth the price you pay for them! These books are so fun and interactive! Zella loves them ALL but some of her favorite ones are the touchy feely, flaps, and sounds books. Most of your books are in the $8-$20 price range depending on what you get. My advice would be to throw a party! We earned $120 in free books, and even more in 1/2 price books if we wanted! That's how we started our stash of books... Usborne will also replace their books if torn or damaged at 1/2 price which is nice, cause kids can be hard on books! I know quite a few Usborne consultants so if you can't find one let me know and I can help you. One of our favorite titles, that isn't Usborne is "The Pout Pout Fish" It is the cutest book, and Zella loves when I read it to her. She even says "Pout Pout" now... At the end the fish is giving out smooches, so I give my own smooches to Zella and she squeals and laughs and wants me to kiss her more! So I love to read it to her too:)
Well there you have it, a little list of things I have come to love this past year as a Mama! Hope it helps more Mamas out there:)
**Disclaimer- I am not being rewarded in anyway for promoting certain products... Just my opinion of what we have found, used, and loved.
