RJ had had MAJOR feeding issues since he was born so we've been able to play guinea pig for so many random things and just make our own schedules with stuff. I found that when I was looking for answers with him, we never really found them. We just sort of flew by the seats of our pants and survived. But, a few of our awesome friends have suggested some SWEET products that have been game changers for us. So, maybe me posting a list of things we love will help other moms out there find solutions. Or at least find another thing that doesn't work. It's important to check things off that list, too.
Here are my top 10 MUST HAVES at our house and the reasons why (not in order of faves):
1) Podee Hands Free Bottle System - I'm telling you right now, if you don't have at least ONE of these bottles, you are missing out. We initially bought this hoping it would help with RJ's constant PUKE FEST. But, it didn't. It is supposed to help with gas, and it seems to! But, he's never been a super gassy baby. Anyways, you should see the LOOKS I get from everyone in public when we are feeding him from these bottles. It's classic. However, this bottle has made my life so much easier. We can feed him in the carseat, while I'm in the shower... or doing my hair straight. It is amazing. And for those "special" moms who want to hold their baby EVERY time they feed them, you can still do that, too. Don't worry... I'm not a neglectful mom just because I LOVE me a hands free bottle. Who doesn't want a few feedings a day where you can get stuff done at the same time. I sure a crap do!
*Tip for this product* Cleaning this bottle system sucks and makes for lots of sterilizing and dishes. Also, if you already have 8 oz bottles, just buy their "Convert a bottle kit". Saves you a few bucks!
2) Merlins Magic SleepSuit - This has been a lifesaver for us. RJ initially hated being swaddled. Then at about 1-2 months old he was swaddled with the Aden and Anais muslin blankets (which RULE). Well, that didn't last long because he was apparently THOR in another life. He busted out of them like a bandit. So, we gave the velcro ones by Summer Infant SwaddleMe a try. Man, those SAVED our life for several months. Then, he started escaping those. He's Houdini. I swear. Anyways, our awesome friend suggested the Merlin's Magic SleepSuit and after a few nights (and LOTS of laughing) he did awesome with it. It took a few naps to adjust and he can still move his arms a bit, but overall he has figured it out! We're SO grateful the swaddle transition was not as bad as it started out, thanks to this!
3) Nosefrida - This sucker (pun intended) is sort of how you initiate yourself into the "Mom Club". I mean, who doesn't want to use their mouth to suck the boogers out of their kids nose? It freaks my husband out, he won't do it. Anyways, this thing is MAGIC. I promise you won't get even a taste of a boog. Trust me. It's amazeballs.
4) Chatbooks - OK if you don't know about Chatbooks you are missing out. This handy dandy app you download on your phone synchs to your Instagram. And for $6 it automatically mails you these cute little books of 60 pages of your insta. Or you can go in and create your own outside of that. I love this because it scrapbooks RJ's life for me since that is 90% of what I post on there anyways. You can edit your captions from the app and it will even print the date you posted them. Or you don't even have to print the date and caption. We love these books! We printed additional copies for grandparents for Christmas and they were a HIT. You can't go wrong! They do all the work for me. High five Chatbooks.
5) Hands-Free Pumping Bra - Now, I only breastfed for about a month but, while I did - and was a pumping machine.... this bra was HEAVENLY. However, don't go spending $60. My husband is so thrifty that he took an old sports bra from wal-mart and cut two small holes in the nips. WALAH. Either way, having one of these bad boys was awesome.
6) Dr. Brown's Forumla Mixing Pitcher - All of you formula feeding mama's out there now what a pain it is to shake the bottles and mix stubborn formula. So, I have quite the RAD system down for my daily bottles. I sanitize the bottle nipples and the Podee cords while I'm mixing the formula and cleaning the kitchen. The formula we use gets super bubbly when we mix it so I usually let it sit for a couple of minutes before I pour it anyways. But, this pitcher has made bottle making SUPER easy. I make 6 bottles a day for RJ in the morning and this helps me so much. I love it! I wish they made them a little bit bigger. This one holds 32 oz of liquid and spills over if you get too crazy with the blending. So, it would be nice to see a bigger version. But, overall I love this! I was using my blender and it made SUPER bubbles of our formula and still left a few clumps of powder. And this mixes it just right and doesn't get super bubbly.
7) Breatheable Mesh Crib Liner - As a first time mom I was worried about all of the things you hear about how "crib bedding can suffocate your child". So, we bought this and it it awesome! I thought it would look WT but it doesn't! It took a few choice swear words to put on the crib but, it's done.
8) Amazon Prime - SO worth the money. You can buy pretty much any of your mom needs (or use amazon mom) without leaving the house. Amazon prime gets you free 2 day shipping, which almost everyone knows unless you've been living under a rock. Pretty much everything on this list is an item I've purchased off of there. Mostly because you can read reviews from other parents. And again, so I don't have to leave my house.
9) Costco Diapers & Wipes - When RJ was a newborn the ONLY diapers that we used were the Pampers Swaddlers. LOVED them. But, once he hit size 1 we went to Kirkland. I have done my shopping and this is the best quality for the best price. OF course, it is Costco. And the wipes are great! Every kid is different so these may not work for yours.. but we are super happy they do for RJ. His formula is so expensive we're happy to save a dollar anywhere we can.
10) The Mormon Channel App - Since I used to work for Mormon.org, I've pretty much seen all of those video 100 times. So, if you aren't me - then you can download that one too! But, when I'm having a mommy breakdown I try to watch videos on there. I love Mormon Messages. I always seem to find one that speaks to me that day. Even if it's one I've seen ten times, I hear a different message. I can't do this mommy stuff alone and I need the spirit to give me patience and perspective. Religious or not, this is an awesome app for anyone! There's tons of GOOD content. I am terrible at reading my scriptures, so this is sort of my spiritual food most days.
I'm sure I've left out things that I like even more than some of these. BUT, it's what came to my mind. I'm sure as RJ gets older the list will go on!
What are some things you can't live without and why?
I've been working on a master "We love" list from our experiences the past 7 years and if I remember I will let you know when I'm done it. Nose Frida and mesh bumper pads are two products we've used for years and love them!
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