Questions Answered

Sorry for the delay, but I wanted to answer some questions some of y'all had for me a couple months back!

"What's been the biggest adjustment being a mom?"

Ava comes first... always. My free time is limited (although Daniel is great with being home with Ava after work most nights, so I can get out of the house and I'm able to sleep in every weekend). Now that I have Ava in tow all day every day, a day of grocery shopping or running errands is quite stressful-- get ready (i.e. throw up hair, wear workout clothes, no makeup), pack the diaper bag, feed/change her if we're gone a while, worry about her being home for her naps, etc.  It's also physically exhausting some day's taking care of her that I forget to make myself lunch, or even drink water. I'll get the worst headaches. I'm learning to do better with both of these! I guess the biggest adjustment for me has been learning how to not be selfish and put your babies needs before your own while still being your own person, having your own identity. Having patience is also SO important.  I have many days that I am having to remind myself "this season is temporary" when she's sick, teething, fussy, etc. Not every day is good, but there is something good in every day! 

"What are your most used baby items?"

I have a lot of "must-have" baby items!  Let me just preface this by saying I was obsessive about registering/buying everything that had a good review or rating. I did my research and of course, wanted the best for Ava!  However, after the first few months you kinda just learn what works for you and your baby! All babies are different and prefer different things. Keep receipts and take back what doesn't work!

Most used:

Sleepsacks - Ava never took to the swaddle, she wanted her hands out and by her face. I swear once we started using them, she started sleeping through the night! However, we couldn't use them right away, because there was a weight limit and she was underweight for about a month, so we swaddled then with a velcro swaddle. Our favorite sleepsacks are from Halo (we used a micro fleece one in the winter months), A cotton one from PBK, also Aden + Anais makes a lightweight muslin cotton one that we use almost every day. I highly recommend sleepsacks, getting a couple in different sizes. We had 3 in the small size and 2 in the medium size, so far. You will need more than one, because it's inevitable that your baby's diaper will leak and you'll need a backup!  **Sleepsacks are the safest "blanket" you can give your baby. It's a wearable blanket, with arm holes, zips up and is safe for them to sleep with, causing no risk for SIDS/Suffocation.

Swing - A friend gave us her used swing which we were so grateful for.  Ava slept in the swing for the first month of her life it seemed. She didn't have reflux, but she preferred to sleep at an incline. I'd sleep on the couch most nights in the first month or so with Ava in her swing beside me. It just worked best in the beginning! She also took naps in it and I was able to get some cleaning done with her in it.

Vibrating floor seat - There are several names for these, but that's basically what ours was! It was portable, so I could buckle Ava in and take her around the house with me. It especially came in handy when I wanted to take a shower. For a few weeks or so Ava slept in this on the floor beside our bed. Sometimes you just do what works!  When we traveled with her before 3 months, we had her in this and she'd sleep great in it. We got the most use out of this out of all of her baby things, I believe!

Fisher Price Sit Me Up Floor Seat- This was a new product that had just came out shortly after Ava was born. My friend Hailey told me about it and I knew we had to have it! I'm so glad we bought it because with an almost mobile baby 4 - 7'ish months, it was such a lifesaver! We still actually use it now that Ava's crawling. We've taken it to the beach, so Ava can sit up and chill under the umbrella. We use it for feeding snacks, when we take a shower, she can sit and be safe by, she can watch a show in it while I prepare a bottle for her, etc. It folds up almost flat, so it'll fit in a small space great.  I've taken the cover off and washed it in the gentle cycle several times now and it's held up great!

Britax B-Agile Stroller and B-Safe Car Seat - I love the convenience of this travel set. Ava's almost 9 months and still in her infant carrier, but we are on the verge of upgrading to the convertible car seat. I wanted a click and go system, so I just transfer her from car to stroller. I can't say enough great things about the stroller. It is the perfect size and width to fit through tiny aisles, doorways, etc. It's also super easy to fold up and store in your trunk.

Playard - We have the Joovy Room 2 playard, I like it a lot! It's not the easiest to fold up, but it is great quality. We have used it a handful of times for travel and Ava sleeps great in it. We are starting to bring it out on our deck with us, so she can play in it while we do yard work or hangout.

I tried to be conscious about registering for all of our big stuff in gender neutral colors. I don't expect to have another baby shower, even if our second is a boy, so I wanted to register and buy things I knew could potentially be used for a second child whether it be another girl or boy.

Of course, there's a ton of other small things like our preference on diapers (Target brand till size 2 and Luv's) and wipes (Pampers Sensitive), Babyganics foam shampoo & bodywash, California Baby Mineral Sunscreen, PBK hooded bath towel, zip up footed jammies the first few'ish months, Snap onesies for around the house and sleeping in during the warm months, Boppy pillow, cold mist humidifier for stuffy noses/colds, Nose Frida, Aden + Anais blankets & burpies, tons of bibs and pre-fold cloth diapers to use as burp rags, Boppy changing pad liner pads, OXO TOT Wipe case and OXO travel wipe case, Dr. Brown's bottles 4oz and 8oz, MAM pacifiers and pacifier clips for car rides!, Primo bath tub.

I didn't really "wear" Ava a lot. We weren't big on baby-wearing, she wasn't a fan, you get really hot, sweaty with a heavy baby on you, but I do recommend getting one like a Baby Bjorn or Ergo for walks, quick shopping trips, etc. 

Hope that helps! Thanks for y'alls questions, sorry it took me a while to respond!