Preparing for Baby [... and what you really need]

You have taken a test, gone to the doctor, had an ultrasound, you are having a baby! There are few things more exciting in life than finding out you are starting a family. It can also be the most terrifying and overwhelming news ever. Our society is flooded with "do this" and don't do this"; "this is the best [whatever]", "I would NEVER use that." There are so many choices for what should be very simple and exciting decisions. When you feel overwhelmed, try to look past all the pretty colors and crafty advertising and figure out what you really need for your baby.

This is a list of what I have used, bought and never used, and wished I would have bought in the first place for my babies. I'm sure with the next one this list will evolve even more. But for now, this is what I can offer you. How do you prepare for a baby and what do you really need?

First of all, YOU CAN'T really prepare for a baby! Babies are tiny humans, each with a God-given personality and person that is different from every other human being. They are unique and unpredictable and messy. So, before you go any further, make sure you are ready for the unpredictable and messy bits of life that are sure to be in your future.

Now that you have accepted that, we can move into the more practical parts. What do you really need for a baby?

-a place to sleep

-a way to eat

-clothes to wear

-toys to play with

-ways to transport them

Pretty basic, right? There are countless variations that come from this one little list, but it all boils down to those few things.

Here are the specific items I used for my babes.

A Place to Sleep

4MOMS Breeze Playard

The one I purchased in 2016 is no longer available, but the new ones look very similar and still look amazing! This is basically a pack-n-play, but nicer! It is super easy to unfold and fold back up. That might not seem like a big selling feature, but have you ever had to use one of those old fashioned ones? They are impossible!! The 4MOMS one is so easy to move around! It also has a super fine mesh so it is breathable and you can see through it very easily!

Jenny Lind Crib with a mattress (I'm not picky on these and purchased the one in our price range at the time) and a breathable mesh crib liner.

When I found out I was pregnant with our first, I knew this was something I wanted to get and let me tell you, it is well worth the investment. This is the Owlet. This product has given me such peace of mind at night and let me sleep soundly after bringing all 3 of my nursery/NICU babies home. 100% recommend this product. This company has so many ways for making it affordable on all budgets, too!

My new favorite baby gear product we discovered before the twins we born is the Hatch Baby Rest. It is a sound machine with and night light and an "ok to wake" indicator. This is

amazing! I want one for my room! You can change the sound and the color of the night light, adjust the volume and the brightness of the light. PLUS, you can do it all from your phone! you can even set programs up and set a timer for naps and morning ok to wake lights. It is a little pricey, but we used one of the $20 sound machines from Target and it brought after 6 months. We would much rather invest in one of these than have to keep buying new cheap sound machines.

A Way to Eat

I was blessed to be able to nurse all three of my boys until about 4 months and then we switched to formula. Even while breastfeeding, we used bottles for pumped milk. I only ever tried 3 types of bottles and will never use others because there is no need. We love and now only use the Philips Avent Natural Glass bottles.

The other type we used were the Medela ones that came with the pump and the Comotomo Brand. I have no issue with either of these, and I actually love the Comotomo, we just chose not to purchase the quantity we needed with the twins and went with the Avent instead.

For when your babies are eating purees or mashed up food, I love these Ikea dishes!

I would also like to include breastpumps in this category. I used two different kinds and love different things about each. If you are looking for two great pumps that are affordable, check out this Medela pump and this Spectra pump.

Clothes to Wear

Obviously clothes are pretty self explanatory, but here are a few of my favorite extra wearables.

Swaddler/ Sleep sack for when they are older.

Footie pajamas are a must, especially if you live in a colder area. We do footie pajamas until they get to the point when they are running a lot (so around 18-24 months). If we lived in a colder area, I would keep them in footies longer. My twins lived in footie pajamas for the first couple months because it was easy and I didn't have to worry about socks.

Pacifier clip (this might see like an extra, but they have been a life saver with the twins and even for a singleton, it is handy to have in the car so you can leave a pacifier at home too. This Etsy shop is great! I was able to pick my colors and get their names put on their clips. Plus, they are great teether toys too!

If you are interested in purchasing one of these clips, the owner has graciously offered a discount for purchasing through my blog. (I don't receive any compensation for it. I just want y'all to be able to take advantage of this deal!) Here is the discount code: SHANIBLOG15

Make sure you use all caps!

Toys to Play With

This might not seem like a necessity, but think about how you are going to teach your baby new things and skills everyday. From learning how to follow something with their eyes to learning to hold something for the first time, to tummy time and onward. These are some of our favorite toys.

Teethers like this and this are awesome because babies are learning motor skills and have something fun and colorful to look at.

This huge playmat is great! A friend of mine got it for her little guy and when the twins started playing, I just knew we needed one too! [THIS IS GREAT FOR MULTIPLES!] WARNING: DO NOT DRY THIS IN THE DRYER. I did and had to throw it away. :(

We love this jumper. There are lots of great ones out there, but this is the one we used. It does take up some space though.

As they get bigger and are learning to sit up some, I recommend this as opposed to the Bumbo. I think the Bumbo doesn't support enough of the back and my boys never liked it. The Fisher Price seat however, is comfy and very supportive. we used this as a 'highchair' for the twins when they were first learning to eat.

For your crawlers and early walkers, this VTech multi-use toy is great! I actually had to hide this from Raylen when the twins came home because even though he loved it, he would have run them over with it!

For learning animals I love, love, love these Learning Resource Jumbo Animals. There are several different sets.

For colors and fruits/vegetables these have been awesome!

Ways to Transport Them

I love this infant carrier. The bigger carseat I'm using right now is not my favorite, but it was budget friendly. I am on the search for a new one that will fit three across in the van so I will update more on that when I find one.

When we just had Raylen, we had this stroller and I LOVED IT!! If I even get the opportunity to only need a single stroller again, I will totally get another. They also have a double but with Raylen still being so young, I really need a third seat.

The stroller I have now is a triple, but unfortunately it is not manufactured anymore. This is a product you will need to find used on craigslist, Facebook marketplace, or at a mom to mom sale.

Since the twins are still in their infant carriers, we are still using what we (and everyone we meet) lovingly refer to as 'the bus.' This thing is huge but it is a life saver! I don't know what I would do without it right now. They make singleton ones as well as several other types of strollers. I highly recommend this brand.

Baby wearing has become very popular these days. I wish that i liked it more, but all of my baby are hot babies and I just never could do it for everyday. However, I love the Ergo for going out places. I had this one with Raylen. For the twins we use this one. It's not an ergo, but very similar. It can be one carrier so I can wear both of them (one of front one on back), or it can separate into two carriers. I really like it!

Well, that's all folks. This just scratches the surface of the different things we use, but I hope this gives you a good starting point for wading through the abundance of baby products out there. I would love to hear from you. What are your favorites?

Picture [Im]perfect

It is very rare that I get to actually be in a picture with my kiddos because I am usually the one taking the pictures. I have learned to just ask someone to take a picture. We don't all have to be perfectly positioned, and we rarely will be with my three little monsters, but I cherish those imperfect moments that are captured for me to look at forever!

This is one of those moments at the strawberry patch last week. My sweet toddler had eaten his weight in strawberries by the time it was all said and done. He had smeared the juicy remnants of his favorite snack all over his sweatshirt, but hey, at least he was happy, right?

I'm thankful for pictures like these. They show the perfect imperfections of my journey through motherhood. When I look at this I see what many people don't see: the enormous, beast of a stroller that I can only take on outdoors adventures such as these because it doesn't fit in normal everyday spaces. My two little guys who probably should have had more layers on considering how windy it was, but I just kept tucking the blanket around them. The sandals that Raylen is almost too big for, but I don't have the brain capacity or the spacial awareness to safely take all 3 kids into a Walmart to buy him a bigger size. None of the boys are smiling and my mouth is open because I'm trying to encourage Raylen to look at the camera. My wind blown hair, makeup-less face and baggy clothes because I'm [a] still trying to figure out how to dress my postpartum self and [b] just want to be comfortable.

But then, if I just take a minute to stop fussing and running through all the 'wrong' things in the picture, I see what really matters. Me and my boys. We went on an adventure and had a blast. It didn't matter what we looked like or how we got there, just that we did. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Well, that's all for my sappy little post. Hope this encourages you to jsut take the picture and not get caught up in the [im]perfections! Have a blessed day!

[As a side note, I did successfully get the stains out of the sweatshirt.]

Just another day...

Today was just another day in my world of 'Mom'ing, but follow an especially difficult and trying day like we had yesterday, today just seemed exceptional. My sister came up and spent the morning and early afternoon with us! We took her to our favorite coffee shop here in town and then ventured to the park (something I don't do by myself with all three.). After running around and cheering himself on every time he went down a slide, we, very reluctantly, packed up and headed home. The weather was so beautiful today that we just continued right on out back and played for another couple of hours before crashing for naps.

Now, I am sitting in the office at my computer working on videos from the last week and holding back tears. My precious, first-born son is going to be 2 in a month! How is that even

possible??? I remember the day we went to the doctor and had to rush home, grab our

bags, and head to the hospital for an induction. I remember laboring for 24 hours and then finally holding my perfect little 6 lb boy. I remember being wheeled to the nursery to get to hold him and having to see IVs and cords all over his little body for the first few days of his life. I remember bringing him home and every night sleeping with one eye open and one eye reaching for any noise he made. I remember going to all his doctor's appointments and trying to not worry about every little scrap and bump he got. I remember watching him learn to sit up and then crawl and eventually stand up and walk.

Now, he is running faster than I can catch up. Please slow down, just a little so I can savor this time, buddy.

That is why I always have my phone or camera out. I don't want to miss a second of it! He is growing so fast and sometimes it is easy to forget what he was like even just a month ago.

Then there are the twins. How are they almost 8 months old?? Leland is slightly smaller than Asher, but holds his own quite well. They love to eat, like LOVE to. They constantly soak up anyhting and everything Raylen does and are just itching to run around with him. As much as I want them to be as independent as their big brother, I don't want them to grow up too fast.

My sweet Raylen came and sat with me while we were outside and just wanted to hug me. Sometimes it is frustrating when I'm right in the middle of something, like finally sitting down to read after getting everything just perfect for him, but I'm glad he is persistent. I wouldn't want to miss the opportunities to hold him close and squeeze him tight.

These days are going to fly by and I don't want to miss a single moment.