Baby essentials

Once again, my totally biased opinion here. These were the things I have found to be most useful/helpful during the first two months of babyhood, and I don't know how I would have survived without them.

1. Diapers: I didn't find disposables to be very satisfying, so I mainly use cloth diapers (except when we're out of the house for an extended period of time). I had to wait a few weeks for him to get big enough to wear cloth diapers, but once he filled out a bit, they worked really well. I use prefolds and covers, and find them just as easy to use as disposables. On average, he goes through about 10-12 a day, so you need a lot of diapers and covers unless you want to do laundry daily.

2. Clothes: One thing I noticed right away is that all baby clothes are clearly not designed with cloth diapers in mind--they don't fit well over cloth diapers because disposables are slimmer/less bulky, and I guess the people who design baby clothes assume that you're gonna be using disposables.

The other thing I noticed is that my baby grew out of NB (newborn) and 0-3 sizes REALLY fast. It's a good idea to get a lot of clothes if you can, because a baby goes through a lot of clothes in a typical day. I thought I had way too many clothes, but it actually turned out that most of them got used.

Footed sleepers were definitely the easiest baby garments to manage on a floppy newborn. The snap-up ones fit a lot longer than the zip-up type (due to the cloth diaper issue). Bag sleepers are great, especially for those late-night diaper changes. My baby lived in footed sleepers for the first month before I even attempted other types of garments. Later, I branched out to shirts and pants (the kimono type are the easiest to manage). When it comes to pants and cloth diapers, you will need the bigger sizes much earlier. Onesies were less useful in the beginning due to the fact that it was winter, but lately have seen more use--you can't snap them over cloth diapers though, so for me, they function more like a tunic. Socks are critical if you're wearing real clothes, and hats are good for going outdoors--good luck getting them to stay on though! Babies don't see the point of wearing them, and can get them off without even using their hands!

3. Wipes: I use homemade cloth wipes (made from cut-up bath towels) for everything and just wash them when I wash clothes or diapers. They're good wet or dry, and frankly nothing comes out of a baby that doesn't respond just fine to plain ol' water.

4. Nursing paraphenalia: Lansinoh was a must-have item the first two weeks while I was building up a tolerance, but since then I haven't needed it. Pads are nice because the leaking can be a bit awkward. I have a pump (which was useful in the very beginning), but it will really be even more useful when I have to return to work. Another useful nursing item is Mother's Milk Tea.

5. Car seat: Obviously if you want to legally take a kid anywhere in a motor vehicle, you need one of these. I like the fact that it doubles as an infant stroller seat. Fortunately the baby likes the car seat, so I can take him in the car and stroller without the drama. Hopefully he'll still feel that way when he's a toddler.

6. Swaddling: Not all babies enjoy being swaddled, but mine sure did. I received several kiddopotamus swaddle blankets and used every single one of them. What's nice is they have a winter (fluffy) version, and a summer (cotton) version. You can also wrap babies up in receiving blankets, but I was never particularly good at that, and appreciated the velcro strips.

7. Stroller: I have a jogging stroller that is useful when I want to go on long walks. For short walks, I just use the carrier.

8. Clothes for mom: Honestly the best thing in the world during the post-partum period was my kimonos (yukata, technically). They're the perfect nursing outfit, and good for those late night sessions. My next favorite were my button-up flannel shirts, and old t-shirts that I didn't care if the baby spit up on them. Wearing a tank top is also a good idea when you're nursing.

9. Boppy: They're for breast feeding, but my favorite use was as a cushion for mama-they're good for sitting on while you're waiting for your perineum to heal. I had mixed results using it for breastfeeding (they don't fit well in some of my chairs--too wide, and don't work well if you aren't sitting bolt upright, but they're still helpful in the very beginning when you're still working on positioning). Another excellent use for a Boppy is propping up the baby when laying him down so he doesn't spit up as much. He really likes napping propped up in a Boppy--it keeps his head elevated so he doesn't spit up, and the wrap around side probably feels like two big soft arms.

10. Swing: You can't use them in the very beginning because of the floppy neck issue, but now that he's older, the swing is a lifesaver. It's good for when he gets fussy in the evening, or for times when you want to get something done around the house. I was especially pleased to find a hand-crank one at a garage sale that didn't require batteries.

11. Carrier: Technically this should be in the #1 position! This is one of the best things I have in my arsenal for soothing a cranky baby. If he gets fussy, in he goes, and he settles right down and conks out with his head right over my heart. It's a womb simulator, and he clearly finds it very comforting. He likes to be held anyhow, and this way I can give him what he wants while still getting stuff done.

12. Rocking chairs: This kid likes to rock. If I hold him and rock him, he'll go right to sleep in 10-15 minutes most of the time. Then I can usually put him down and he'll stay asleep for awhile. It's a good relaxation ritual for both of us.

13. Moses basket: I'm glad someone gave me one--it's not something I would have ever thought of, but it's like having a really portable bassinet. Aside from being aesthetically pleasing, it's great to have a safe spot to put a baby down that you can take anywhere indoors or out. Now that he's getting older, he doesn't necessarily want to be held all the time, but wants to be where he can see you, so this makes it easier for me to do a lot of things around the house. I can also put him in it when I want him to take a nap.

14. Books: Now that he's getting older, and tends to be awake more, I can read to him during those times when he's alert, but doesn't need anything. Board books are nice to have around, and he seems to enjoy it for about 5 minutes at a time. I grew up with "A Child's Garden of Verses" and like reading some of those poems to him at night when he's winding down.

15. Medical supplies: a nasal aspirator is a must during the first few days when the baby's still mucousy, and it's useful later when they get colds. A thermometer is good to have because it'll give you some peace of mind knowing whether your baby is fine or not. I remember one time, he felt really hot, and I got worried. Since he didn't have a temperature though, I figured out that he just needed cooler clothes! Sure enough, that did the trick. Another thing that's helpful is Mylicon and Gripe Water for gas. Mylicon works best if taken prior to eating (preventatively). Gripe water can be used any time. Both are also ludicrously expensive, yet neither is totally effective. Still though, they do help a little bit. Having a small syringe around makes it easier to administer medications--droppers are imprecise, and measuring spoons are messy and difficult to use.

16. Baby bath tub: Some people get by without them, but since my sink is always full of dirty dishes, and my bathtub usually full of dog hair, it's nice to have a safe dedicated space for bathing the baby. I don't use it very often, but I do like having it.

17. Pacifiers: I had a baby who had a strong need to suck, so pacifiers were useful for awhile. Fortunately it didn't seem to interfere with nursing any--and maybe the shape of the Soothie has something to do with it (it's about the same as a nipple compressed after feeding). For about a month and a half, he sure loved his Soothies. He outgrew them quickly though--and now doesn't seem interested at all.

Things I didn't need:

bottle warmer: a large coffee cup full of hot water does essentially the same thing.
bib: won't really need them until the baby starts eating solids.
baby towels: regular towels seem to work just fine.
burp cloths: I just use the small kitchen towels I already have.
baby washcloths: I just use the cloth wipes I made, which are basically the same thing, only way cheaper.
sterilizers: if you have a dishwasher, you don't need to sterilize much of anything.
skin care products: you don't need to use anything stronger than water on a brand new baby-they really don't get that dirty, and their various skin issues resolve best if left alone.
baby monitors: I live in a small house and don't leave my baby unattended anyway, so I have never needed these. If he's in the bedroom and I'm not, I just leave the door open so I can hear him.
changing area: I just use the bed and kitchen table with a towel or puddle pad thrown over it.

Smiley Boy!

For the past couple of days, I've noticed that the baby's been getting a lot more interactive and he's been smiling quite a bit. He only does it for a fleeting moment, so it's hard to catch on camera, but he does it pretty frequently. It's quite endearing and has a funny way of wiping away the trauma of all those sleepless nights. Today, he was eating, and looked up at me and smiled a few times with this wonderfully content look on his face. Too cute!

5 weeks

Cedar's about 5 weeks old this week.

He's still waking up wanting to be fed once in the middle of the night, and again around 6am, but otherwise stays asleep at night. He's usually pretty mellow during most of the day (although he tends to get a bit fussy in the evenings--poor Brian doesn't get to see him at his best, most of the time). He's been eating a lot more now (which used to worry me until I realized it's actually quite normal for a kid his age), so that keeps me pretty busy all day long (I pretty much feel like all I do most days is feeding/diaper changing which I could pretty much do with my eyes closed and one hand tied behind my back). His gas issues have improved quite a lot though, so he seems more comfortable.

He's been awake a bit more lately, and his eyes are wide open, and I've noticed him looking around at stuff. He's also getting to the point where he'll take naps more consistently during the day, and doesn't have to be held quite as much (he wouldn't really let you put him down the first couple of weeks). He still likes to cuddle though, and I spend a lot of time holding him and rocking him, which he loves. I finally found the power cord for the radio, so I've been playing music for him, which he still seems to like. It's been sunny off and on this week, so I've been taking him outside for walks around the neighborhood every chance I get. Sometimes I bring the dog if I'm in the right mood (and she's not totally getting on my nerves). He still seems to like car rides, which is fortunate since I had to drag him with me to the doctor's office, and on Sunday, I took him over to Margo's house for their Superbowl party, and he did alright overall (I had to take him for a walk during half-time).

I have seen him smile a few times, but can't usually catch him at it when I've got a camera handy. He does this cute little sigh, but otherwise still does his newborn squeaks and grunts. Everyone who sees him declares he's adorable, and I tend to agree!