I feel like I blinked and Briar is now FIVE months. A quarter of the way to one…I’m not even going to let myself go there but instead enjoy all the new and fun things he is doing. Rolling, grabbing, cooing—I can’t get enough of every single stage.

I thought it would be fun to share a current round-up of our favorites from the first few months and why I would recommend each of these items for a mom-to-be.

1. Our UPPAbaby VISTA stroller has been the absolute best for hauling three kiddos around. I love how many different options it has with the bassinet, 2 seats, and even his car seat can click into it. It’s easy to set-up and take down as well as fitting through all doorways because of how narrow it is. Last, I also love that even though it may carry three kids at a time, the storage space underneath their seats is still HUGE.
2. We are a Pampers family and have loved using them with all three of our babies! I can’t recommend them enough to a new mom for so many reasons. Swadders recently got an upgrade with new Heart Quilts to now be 2x’s softer than before. — it shows because Briar has the most sensitive skin and he has had no problems with Also, Briar is in a diaper almost 24 hours, 7 days a week so knowing that he is wearing a diaper that is extremely soft on his skin is important to me. Because he is always in a diaper, especially for longer stretches in the night, I always look for a diaper that is going to have over-night protection so it can keep him dry over-night. Pampers Swaddlers provide up to 12 hours of protection, and have Pampers Air Channels™ that allow air to reach babies’ skin to help keep them dry and comfortable.
3. The Snuggle Me Organic lounger has been used every day since we brought him home from the hospital. He takes the best naps in it and I love how it cradles him so he feels secure. I even took it on a trip this summer and it was so easy and light to take traveling.
4. Loved Baby sleepers are basically what he lived in the first couple moths of life, and now they are just a staple for bedtime. Incredibly soft, made out of organic cotton, and have the prettiest colors to choose from.
5. Aren’t these pacifiers SO cute?? Made all the way over in Denmark with natural materials and 100% BPA free.
6. This pacifier clip is the only thing Briar really likes to chew on so it’s a double win to have something that also holds his pacifier too!
7. Speaking of teethers…we also love this one!
8. My Charlie Crane rocker is the item I was most excited about with Briar. I loved the simplicity and modern shape of the rocker as well as how compact/light it is to be able to carry him around the house in it.
9. Last, this play gym from LovEvery Baby is so much fun for Brair! The perfect place to work on tummy time as well as many sensory areas on the mat for babies to learn/play with.

We have so many favorites but these are definitely my top nine for those first few months.

I always joke that truly the only thing you need when coming home from the hospital is diapers… But truly when I look at this list, diapers are the only I absolutely need, everything else just nice to have around with a baby to make things more comfortable. And when it comes to diapers I will always choose Pampers Swaddlersbecause of the softness, protection, and absorption.

These are my must-haves, what are some of yours?

  This post is sponsored by Pampers, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Pampers has no affiliation with and makes no endorsement of any of the other brands or products mentioned in this post.Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible.

 

 

 

 

I recently had a good friend ask me some advice for her close friend who was about to have her first baby. I realized that I started this blog when Emery was around 2 months old, so didn’t have any posts about the process of getting ready for baby and after birth. My prayer is that this series can help any about-to-be mamas, new mamas, or even mamas about to have another baby.

The first part of this series is some tips to prepare for the birth of your baby. Please note I am by no means an expert, but have had two babies and do have some tips that you may find helpful!

Getting Ready: This obviously looks different between having your first baby, and your second. With Adelyn, the house was semi-clean , bags packed at 30 weeks, and enough meals made for 3 months. With Emery, the house was a disaster, I packed my bags 30 minutes before leaving for the hospital, and we had Stouffers lasagna in the freezer.  Of course I’m exaggerating, but you get the point – it becomes more hard to prepare the second time but there are some things I did before having both girls that were helpful.

Preparing Meals: Before I had Adelyn, I had a friend who was also expecting her first baby around the same time. She came over and together we made a bunch of meals. With Emery, I made the few meals that I knew we enjoyed eating after we had Adelyn, and also froze well. I tried to make something for breakfast, lunch, and dinner so that I always had something quick on hand.

Breakfast:

Breakfast Cookies

Mini Quiches

Cinnamon Baked French Toast

Oatmeal Applesauce Muffins

Lunch/Dinner:

Quinoa Patties

Spaghetti Casserole

Enchilada Casserole

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

Beef and Bean Burritos

Writing these all out made me want to take an afternoon and add to our freezer meals. So expecting, or not, these all make great freezer meals. If you are like me, 5:00 rolls around too quickly and I love the option of having some easy meals in the freezer to pull out for dinner! Also…you may have noticed many of these meals were from Imagine Great Living – my mothers blog! Her cooking was the best growing up, so I can honestly say every recipe on her blog is amazing!

Treat Your Self: With both girls, I was induced, so knowing their exact due date gave me the option to take it easy the week before. I realize that this may not possible with every birth, but if your due date is getting closer, I believe every mama should take a little time for themselves to help ease nerves, slow down and enjoy the last moments of pregnancy, and to have an excuse to do things that you may not take the time to usually do. Getting a pedicure and prenatal message were two things I did the week before giving birth, but I know there are so many other things to do such as: getting your hair colored/cut, going out for a nice dinner, going on a “babymoon”, treating yourself to a large sundae (or two), organizing/preparing the nursery, or even just going for a nice walk outside. Remembering to just take the time for yourself before your baby arrives is so important (or really after having kids too), because if you aren’t feeling taken care of, it can sometimes become difficult to fully put your energy into caring for others. Last thing my husband and I did was made sure to save up and have cleaners come to clean while we were at the hospital. If you are able to, I would highly recommend doing this because the best feeling after giving birth was to walk into a clean home that I didn’t have to stress about cleaning.

I hope you may find a few of these suggestions to be helpful as you prepare for such an exciting time in your life! Next week I will be sharing what I packed in my hospital bag!

I believe that newborn photos are some of the most treasured photos that you can have professional taken. I love how they show the newness, the sleepiness, and the tiny details that should always be remembered. For our photos we were blessed to work with, LyndseyLew Photography . After sending her a few ideas and giving her Emery’s nursery colors, she was able to capture the most beautiful photos of the girls. I loved working with Lyndsey and her attention to every detail. I mean, a photographer that can catch a 14-day-old newborn’s smile on camera has a ton of talent.

I am no expert on having photos taken, but we have had our photos taken a few times that I thought I would share some tips with you.

Plan Ahead – When you have your photoshoot scheduled, start looking around for ideas so that you can order outfits and props. A few too many times I waited last minute to look for ideas and to have anything shipped, would’t have made it in time. My favorite prop I ordered was a feather crown for each of the girls.

Give Yourself Time – A few times we’ve been running out the door half ready to get our photos done. I knew with two babes that I would need even more time than usual and then some. Making sure to have all your props and outfits ready the night before can save time in the morning. Feeling stressed can sometimes be shown in your photos and babies can pick up the feeling as well. Try to make getting ready as relaxed and calm as possible.

Be Prepared for Sibling Shots – Photos with two are a game changer. Lyndsey was so patient and kind with our girls, which helped a lot. To help start the morning with a calm vibe, we gave the girls a bath. We also made sure to pack lots of snacks and things for Adelyn to do as baby sister was getting her photos done. Last, be patient when getting sibling photos done. We played peekaboo behind Lynsdey with Adelyn. It made her smile and look at the camera. Win, win.

Most of all have fun, don’t stress, and know that the moments that you are capturing behind the camera will be cherished forever.

My little Emery Jane just turned 2 months and has made a few fun changes in the last month. She is now weighing 13 pounds and is such a sweet little butterball. Oh, how I love some cheeks and thigh rolls on a baby. She is starting to come around on her baths, as the first month she was not happy when we gave her one. Emery found her sweet little hands and loves to chew on them. She also started sleeping through the night which calls for a huge, “Yahoo!”, when having to care for two babes. It is so fun to go through all the fun changes that a baby takes in the first year again. Emery Jane you are a total dreamboat and we just love you.

One of the perks of having another baby is being able to know what is necessary and what isn’t. After having Adelyn I had a better idea of what things we needed for Emery, while also finding a few other new things we love! Here is what I found necessary for baby #2 during the first 2 months.

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1. Swaddles are a must have with newborns and these are incredibly soft. Whats even better? They get softer by each wash AND they help her sleep through the night. These are also great for the summer months because they are light weight and breathable.

2. My favorite diapers with Adelyn are the Honest company diapers and still are with Emery. Very absorbent, eco-friendly, and oh, so cute.

3. The 4Moms Mamaroo infant seat is a dream come true. It sways just as a mom would. Especially with two kids. It is the reason many mornings that I am able to even take a shower. That is a huge win in my book.

4. Emery loves this pacifier. She is still learning how to hold her pacifier in, and this one helps hold it in her mouth. I also love how she holds onto the animal with her chubby little hands when she sleeps.

5. The Ollie Swaddle is an instant calmer. Emery has nights where she is more fussy than usual and just wrapping her in this swaddle instantly calms her down.

6. The Rock n Play Sleeper is what she sleeps in right now at night. With her still being in our room, it can fit right next to my side of the bed and is easy to move from room to room during the day.

7. The Nosefrida Snotsucker  sounds gross, but works so much better than the bulbs. Emery had quite a bit of congestion the first month and this helped a ton.

8. We used this bathtub with Adelyn and it is still a favorite with Emery. It is great for using on the sink or in the bathtub and is one that babies can grow into as it can be used all the way up to 2 years of age.

9. Babies nails can be tough to cut and these worked well with Adelyn and I continue to recommend them as great clippers.

What were some of your must haves the first couple of months?

As my first blog post, I thought it would be fitting to introduce our newest tiny love, Emery Jane. This video is a dream come true and will be treasured for many, many years. Liz Osban Photography made this beautiful video and I couldn’t be more thrilled of how it turned out. My idea came for the video while I was pregnant with Emery and was thinking about bringing her home. Our home is special to me as it was built by my husband. As we pray together as a family in this home, I know that it has a continual presence of the Lord. I wanted a video of bringing our new tiny love into our home to remember how its serene feel calms and brings peace to our babies. More than anything I wanted a video to show our family in the home that we will love and raise our sweet girls.

“By wisdom a house is built and through understanding it is established; through knowledge it’s rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.” Proverbs 24:3-4

Music: “Communion Cups and Someone’s Coat” by Iron & Wine

Video: Liz Osban Photography