Zander - 1 Month

Zander is one month old today. It really is unreal how fast time goes. It feels like yesterday when my water broke and we were waiting out contractions to welcome our sweet boy. His birth was nothing short of amazing and he is not disappointing us since his arrival. Did you really think he would. No way possible. He is the sweetest baby and we are enjoying all the baby cuddles every chance we get. Matt goes back to work on Tuesday so I will be flying solo trying to survive with two of them. Wish me luck!

We don't really have much of a schedule yet. I feed him on demand and he sleeps on demand. I was very strict with Kinley's schedule and if you've been reading you know that got us no where. Over all I have been more flexible and laid back this time. He eats every 2-3 hours during the day and then around 7:00pm when we are reading books with Kinley before bed and then I feed him again around 9-9:15 before we go to bed. He sleeps til about midnight or 1, then I feed him, change him and he goes back down again. The next time he gets up has been totally random. Anywhere from 3-5am. I change him again and he goes back to sleep until about 7-730am when Kinley gets up and we all must get out of bed. 

The past few nights he has been sleeping in the rock n play. We started with the pack and play but he seemed to be spitting up a lot when I lay him back down so we tried the rock n play. It seems to be working better but I am a little hesitant to keep him in there because we had a really hard time transitioning Kinley to flat. We might try the pack n play again.


Things he likes:

• Being breastfed and eating. We have not tried a bottle yet, though we will probably try within the next month since when he is 12 weeks I will be going back to work. Last time we used Tommee Tippee bottles and will try those again. 

• Being held and lots of cuddles. We are still holding him a lot during the day while he sleeps. It is so hard to put him down, though I am sure when Matt goes back to work that is going to have to happen a little less.

• His sister. Kinley is the sweetest thing to him; I look at them and my heart melts. She loves laying next to him in the morning when we all wake up, cuddling him and giving him kisses. 

• Bath time. We have only done a few baths since he has been home but he seems to really enjoy it. We have done bath with the both of them since Kinley always asks for him to sit with her. She dumps water on him so he stays warm. Did I mention she is so sweet to him. 

Things he does not like:

• Being changed. During the day he usually screams when we try to change his clothes. It is the saddest cry. At night he doesn't really cry when I change him but I do it between boobs so that might help. 

• Being Hungry. I am pretty good at knowing right away when it is time for Zander to eat. If I make him wait he isn't very happy. Who would be though right. 

This past month has been full of some challenging events and much love. Zander has been such a blessing to our lives and we are so overjoyed. Overall he is really laid back and has been a perfect fit to our family. We needed a little bit of laid backness (is that a word) in our lives after Kinley giving us a run for our money!

When Kinley was little I did a must have post for months 1 and 2 and looking back I have used everyone of them except the Ergo so far. I have used the Solly Baby Wrap many times and love that but am looking forward to using the Ergo soon. I would add Aden and Anais blankets to the list of must haves. I am obsessed with muslin blankets and you can never have enough. 

Happy one month sweet boy! We love you very much! 

10 Must Haves for Months 1 and 2

Where has the time gone! I can't believe our baby girl is already 2 months old! It has flown by! I am a little behind on this post, she will be 10 weeks tomorrow but hey we will go with it!

When I was pregnant I searched blogs to find must haves for newborns and as they grow. Being a first time mom with so many options it was overwhelming! I didn't want to buy everything but wanted to have what we needed for success. Below are my must haves for month one and two.

1. California Baby Shampoo and Body Wash: I love this body wash and shampoo. I had such trouble deciding what body wash to use for Kinley. Matt has very sensitive skin so I was picky with what I choose. We love the California Baby line and it smells good :)

2. Boppy: This has been a savior many times! It has helped me so much with nursing and Daddy also loves it for bottle feeding. If I had all the money in the world I would have two so I didn't have to bring it up and down every night and day.

3. Rock and Play: We've been using this since she was a few weeks old. I love the incline and the vibration mode. I also like the idea she feels snug in it. She sleeps in the rock and play for night sleep and naps. Who am I kidding this kid doesn't nap. I also love the fact it's pretty small and fits right next to our bed. I'm not sure how long she will sleep in this. We are just going with the flow.

4. Pampers Swaddler Diapers: Again many choices when it comes to diapers. I have never had a problem with rash or irritation with the pampers. I like how the swaddlers fit and the blue line that tells you the diaper is wet is a super bonus!

5. Lanolin Gel: My nipples KILLED me the first few 5 weeks of nursing. I wanted to quit breastfeeding many times. It was so painful. Lanolin was my best friend and might be the reason I got through the first 5 weeks.

6. Lamaze Peacock: We started using "Petti" the peacock when she was only a few weeks old. She loves the black and white contrast and the colors on the other side. It also has a lot of different textures that she is starting to enjoy more as she gets older.

7. Medela Freestyle Pump: There are many pump options out there but since my insurance reimbursed for any pump and pump parts I decided to go with one of the more pricier ones. I love that I can carry it around it me and not be plugged into a wall or battery pack.

8. Halo Swaddle Sleep Sacks: Kinley loves to be swaddled at night and it helps tremendously with allowing her to sleep through the night. She startles herself very easily when not swaddled so she wakes up easily.

9. Ergo: My go to MANY times when I have a fussy baby. I left home one time without it and will never make that mistake again. We also used the infant insert when she was smaller and she loved it because she was wrapped up like a little baby burrito. It is very helpful to get things done around the house when all she wants to do is be held.

10. Nursing Tank: I have lived in my nursing tanks while on maternity leave. They are so convenient for under shirts and to sleep in.

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Share some of your must have's in the comments. I would love to hear!