HankandLucy

hi guys! thought i would emerge from hiding to share some unexpected essentials that have made life so much easier:

• we have this industrial type floor fan we use for the week or so it actually gets hot in san diego. and we have been using it for the ultimate in white noise. honestly weaning off of this is one of my biggest worries. i tried to just use the bed side fan while he napped the other day so that i could sweep the living room? woke up the second the broom hit the wood.

• i picked up this baby gym from ikea, then taped some black and white images to the bottom (since thats what the babies see best. i will remove them later). henry likes to be held. a lot. but he also likes laying under here and you know, doing his work. it gives me a chance to pick up the bedroom and stuff like that.

• kristina wrote about what good nursing tanks that threads for thought makes, then when rachel pointed out they were on sale i scooped up a bunch. seriously i have been living in them. mediums when i was pregnant and wanted to accentuate my figure, extra large for post partum hiding. pick them up at whole foods or online (free shipping!) for just 8 bucks.

• i totally turned my nose up to the velcro swaddlers that were given to us. our baby would be swaddled in a blanket, as one does. we exchanged all but one. just in case. a few days after he is born and we still can't do a proper and tight swaddle, this thing was magic. we quickly bought two more after an episode of the leaking diaper in the middle of the night and ben freaking out, what will we do????

• something else we turned our nose up at was most of the clothing given to us. yeah we are snobs. picky ones at that. we happened to hold on to a few items by carters, which have been a major staple in his wardrobe now. they make long skinny stuff (like our guy) and these were some of the only things that fit him. plus, baby socks? they always fall off. and those first few weeks we were obsessed with him being in "one layer more than us" so the footed outfits were essential. plus, carters makes some pretty ok basics that wont make you gag, for example.

• ok i suspected that these cordless/rechargeable candella lights would be perfect (so we registered for them), and they are. keep them on the bedside for middle of the night nursing and diaper changing (we dont ever leave the bed for this stuff, just do it all right there) and they are bright enough to see what you are doing, even read, but soft enough to not disturb the night time mood. (or the lucky one who is still sleeping.)

• and finally, the exercise ball. henry LOVES bouncing up and down. no other motion calms him so well. does anyone know of any type of baby device that goes up and down like this? oh well. when he can sit up i am sure he will love the bouncy hangy chair thing like this.
  

well. for those of you expecting, i hope this is a little helpful. but of course part of the trick is every baby and family is so different. what works for us might not for you!

i will try to get back here sooner than later! (to see henry birth-two months in iPhone pics, pop over to this post, or his first roll of film here. )

xx