The "must haves"

Since I'm more than three months into this "Mommy" thing, I think it is time I sit down and write about my Mommy must-haves. Otherwise known as things that have been saving my rear the last couple months, and I need to remember to recommend to other new Mommy friends.

1. Swaddlers-Seriously, Ellie sleeps a million times better swaddled. I totally think that the fleece sleepsack swaddlers are the reason she's been sleeping through the night pretty much since day 1. We are going to have to wean her off using these soon since she can roll, and I am TERRIFIED.

2. A Nice Robe-This makes feeding so much easier. I spend LOTS of time in my big comfy robe these days. Who needs real clothes?

3. Cloth diapers-Okay, so my cloth diapering decision was initially based on economics and environmental concerns. I did not expect to love it so much. I hate disposable diapers. She wears them when we are out, and at night since they keep her feeling "dry" longer. I don't know if it is just my kid, but when she wets a disposable diaper, it reeks! Like worse than a poosplosion. In cloth, it doesn't smell at all. The laundry has not been bad. And she loves diaper changes, so I don't feel guilty changing her a million times a day.

4. Co-sleeper-Just the thought of moving E into her own bed right now makes me twitchy. Her co-sleeper is basically a three sided mini-crib, so she has her own space, but she is sleeping level with me, literally inches away. I love being right there to check on her a million times. And i can just sit and listen to her baby coos before I go to bed. When she was waking more frequently in the night, it made feeding her a snap. She loves it too, because she often scootches right over to me. Love that! I am ridiculously grateful that Ryan is completely supportive of this. You often hear of Dads wanting their space back, but Ryan is completely on board. We'll have the discussion about when we will move her to her own room at 6 months. For sure until that point she'll be in our room.

5. The Snuza-So this is a little monitor that clips on her diaper and has a rubber tip that presses against her belly. If it doesn't sense movement for 5 seconds, it sounds an alarm. I realize this is not the be-all-end-all, but it certainly helps me sleep better. And yes, it works. Miss Wiggle Worm has kicked it off a couple times, and it has went off. Luckily the heart attack wasn't to bad as she was kicking away!

6. One-handed snacks-This is going to be my go-to gift whe someone has a baby. A basket full of snacks that can be eaten one-handed. Because for SURE in the first couple months, that is all you have. We quickly ran out of granola bars and such, and while eating "real food" is awesome nutritionally, it is sometimes laughable in the new mom stage. And breastfeeding makes me a ravenous monster who wants to eat everything in sight. The soup Ryan made was delicious...when someone else was holding Ellie. Soup plus squirmy newborn...NO. Granola bars. Trail Mix. Crackers. Yes. I'll leave the elaborate freezer meals for new moms to others. I will be taking a basket stuffed with one-handed snacks.

That is what I've got for now. I'm sure I'll add to this as Ellie grows. But for now, these things make a big difference for me. Big.