I'm beginning to wonder when I will ever get back to blogging or when I'll have time to myself again! Life has gotten crazy as of late, and I've really struggled to make time to blog. Friday five posts are going to be my goal for the next few weeks until I can get back in the swing of things!
This post is going to be baby. allll baby. Sorry guys. But, there are things I've learned that I think NEED to be shared. I saw so many posts about the 'baby must haves' and the things you HAD to register for, but I have come up with several ideas/tips that I think are a little more on the practical side -- i.e. not a $200 diaper bag or a $400 stroller.
1. Hand Sanitizer at your changing station.
I'm married to a doctor, so perhaps this is why we found this to be a 'must have'. Often, you get the baby up, change him, grab a snack, settle on the couch and start his feeding. Did you catch the part where you have a chance to lay the baby down and wash your hands? No? Yeah, that's because it never seems to work out that way. The first few days of having a baby it was non stop for me. I was always doing something, and eating was a luxury. Seriously, I'm pretty sure I LIVED on pretzel sticks in a giant Costco sized tub. I only had time to eat things that were 'on the go' or ready made - no time to make a sandwich. I quickly found that keeping a bottle of sanitizer on the changing table helped me to keep my hands, and then when I found myself snacking on finger foods shortly after I wasn't totally grossed out. After you have a baby, personal hygiene can go to the back burner - you're thrilled if your teeth get brushed - so yeah, hand washing can be one of those things you forget to do.
Side Note: I also keep a little rag by the changing table to wipe off the diaper rash cream - never thought about that until I had it all over my hands and had no where to wipe it off...
2. Dimming Lamp in the Nursery
We had this old 1990s style floor lamp from my husbands bachelor apartment that I happened to place beside my nursing glider. It was THE best idea. I am able to feed and change the baby at night without using bright lights and slowly dim the lights until the baby is totally asleep. Try it, you'll be a believer!
3. Baby accessory baskets around the house
I live in a small rental right now, but I've found that no matter what room you are in, you need some baby essentials on hand. I keep a small basket in my bedroom and living room with a few things in it - a pacifier, a toy, and a burp cloth (maybe a blanket). Initially I felt like I would have 5 burp cloths in one room and ZERO in another. This has helped tremendously!
4. Babywise
I tried to read this book pre baby and was overwhelmed and slightly confused by it. Now that I have a baby and am learning my baby I now better understand it all. I started really implementing the principles at 6 weeks, and now my baby is sleeping about 6-8 hours (normally 7-8) at 8 weeks. I highly recommend giving it a try!
5. Birth Announcement Addressing
Prior to your baby being born, I recommend getting your list together of recipients and then paying the service (I used Tiny Prints) to address the cards for you. I did NOT do this because I thought it would be too hard to get all the addresses together into a spreadsheet and didn't want to pay the fee. PAY THE FEE. I'm still addressing announcements. It may never end.
