My Baby Essentials (so far)
How is it already July? The past ten plus weeks have been a happy blur of feedings, rocking, bouncing, and falling in love with my beautiful baby girl. Our little family is now settled out in East Hampton for the rest of the summer and I am slowly attempting to get back to work. Please forgive me if the posts are a little light for the next few weeks!
At my baby shower a girlfriend with two children gave me an amazing hamper chock full of her favorite baby essentials. I was both impressed and overwhelmed by this incredibly thoughtful gift. Weeks away from having my own little one I felt as if I knew nothing about baby essentials! My friend promised me that in a few months I would have my own essentials and favorites and she was right! I am now proud to say I have given advice to a few expecting friends on what has made these early weeks with Hermione easier. Here are my baby essentials so far:
Exercise Ball
My exercise ball may just be the best $20 I have EVER spent. When I was hugely pregnant it served as my desk chair. When I was in labor it made my contractions much more bearable. My OB literally sat on it while delivering Hermione. Now that Hermione is here, bouncing on the ball is her most favorite activity in the world. Nothing calms her down, relieves her gas, or put her to sleep like being held and bounced on her ball. For our summer in the Hamptons we bought a second ball and made the mistake of not having it blown up immediately upon arrival. Let's just say my thighs were quite sore from bouncing sans ball our first day here!
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is extremely versatile in and out of the kitchen. Hermione has a big jar on her changing table that I use instead of diaper cream. It is super gentle on her sensitive baby skin, and is anti-fungal. So far we have had zero diaper rashes! I also give her a coconut oil massage every night after her bath. It relaxes her and makes her smell even more delicious than usual!
TANE Organics Onesies
For simple, soft, organic baby wear nothing beats TANE. Their clothes are incredibly adorable! For the first month of her life Hermione basically lived in their onesies. I think little, new babies look best in white so white onesies were her uniform those first few weeks when she was spending most of her time at home. While I now get her dressed in an outfit for the day you can still always find her in a TANE onesie when we are just hanging around the house or at bedtime!
Aden + Anais Serenity Star Clock
Newborns love white noise. Loud white noise. The uterus is a very noisy place to grow up so it makes sense that white noise comforts and calms tiny babies. At first I thought a stuffed sheep that gently made ocean noises would lull my baby to sleep. No such luck. Hermione sleeps best with blaring, surround sound white noise. We put a standard issue (like you find outside a shrink's office) white noise machine under her bassinet and this clock/white noise machine on a nearby shelf. The clock is surprisingly loud- she loves it! It also serves as a night light and shines red or blue if the room is too hot or too cold. Now, whenever we spend a night away from home the clock is one of the first things we pack!
Aden + Anais Swaddles
The womb is a pretty cozy place. After being nice and snuggly for 40 weeks new babies can find physical freedom a little overwhelming. Swaddling a baby tightly helps relax them and minimizes their natural "startle reflex." Hermione loves her swaddle so much. As soon as I lay her on the blanket she immediately calms down. Aden + Anais swaddles are my favorite to wrap her up in. They come in tons of beautiful prints and the muslin is thin and breathable. Not only are these blankets great for swaddling but they also make a great stroller cover on a sunny day, or nursing cover if she get hungry away from home.
