I cannot believe we have had our precious baby for 6 months now; it does not feel like 6 months has passed! He is such an incredible blessing!
Sizes? We have our six month appointment tomorrow to find out an updated weight/length, but right now sizes are kind of hard to determine -- one brand's 3-6 months is another brand's 6 months which is another brand's 6-9 months. Who knows? He wears what fits. I can definitely tell he's grown!
Eating? Gideon is 75% formula fed and 25% breast fed. He nurses once per day, then receives 3 other formula bottles throughout the day (6-8 oz a bottle). He also eats two solid meals per day, with oatmeal or rice cereal mixed with some fruit around lunch time, and a veggie around dinner time. He likes to play with baby "snacks" like Gerber puffs and yogurt drops, and we even tried out a mesh feeder today with some cut up strawberry dropped in. He LOVED it! Gideon is definitely an eater, and will try to eat anything that he sees you eating. He's gone after my hot tea recently, and tried very hard to steal some Fritos off my plate at a church social today.
Favorite foods? Banana-blueberry puree and banana-mango puree are favorites right now.
Least favorite foods? He doesn't like green vegetables right now. I think it's a texture issue more than a taste issue- a small downside of homemade baby food making.
Favorite toys? Gideon still loves his crinkly giraffe; he snuggles with it at bedtime. He also loves his activity gyms that have items hanging down, and works very hard to try to pull the items off of the gyms. His train from grandma is always a favorite, especially once he realized that it makes noise if he pushes it off of his high chair. He'll play with pretty much anything these days- a recent favorite is a wooden spoon.
Other favorite things? Our labrador, Benelli. Gideon smiles his biggest smile for Nelli dog. He likes to put his hands on her cheeks, and Nelli responds with lots and lots of kisses. They are so sweet together! I'm hoping Nelli will be good crawling/walking incentive in a little while. (Gideon also likes our other dog, Lucy, but since Lucy is not quite a year old, she's still a puppy and very clumsy. We don't trust her as easily with Gideon, yet).
Developmental milestones?
-Learning to use a sippy cup. He can get it to his mouth without help, but since we usually just have a small amount of water in the bottom, he needs help to get the cup angled to where he can drink.
-Some self-feeding. He can get a "wagon wheel" snack in his mouth and feed it to himself. He also held his mesh feeder without help.
-Sitting in a bumbo seat for extended periods
-ALMOST sitting without support. There have been a few times recently where he's been sitting with me just using a finger or two to keep him balanced.
-Lots of different noises! I love to hear him "talk" to his mobile/toys/dogs.
-Distance vision- I noticed today at church that while we were a half a room's length apart from each other, he found me in a group of ladies and was focused on me.
He is such a precious little boy! I just love being a mommy!
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Gideon's Baby Dedication
Gideon was dedicated to the Lord this morning at church- something I'd been looking forward to for a long time.
However, I was a little sad this morning coming to church. Since one grandfather is a pastor and another grandfather is a nurse practitioner who was scheduled at the hospital, we knew that extended family would not be able to make it up for the service, and I was thinking today how I wished his family could be here with us. Then we walked into the church building. Immediately, we were greeted by various "aunts" and "uncles" who approached Gideon, and I realized what a blessing we have here- an incredible church family who loves Gideon almost as much as we do. How wonderful to be surrounded by people who care so deeply for your family!
For those unfamiliar with a baby dedication service, a baby dedication is designed to give parents the opportunity to publicly commit to raising their child in a Godly home, and to give the church body the opportunity to stand behind the family and hold them accountable for raising their child to fear and love the Lord. Having Gideon dedicated does not ensure that I will get to see him again in heaven one day; that decision will be up to him when he's older. I pray daily that he will chose to follow the Lord, as his parents have.
After we were called on stage, Gideon was presented to the church and we received a small gift to share with him- a storybook Bible (he's got quite a collection of those, now!), a small New Testament with his name engraved on it, and a letter for him to open the day he decides to follow Jesus. I cannot wait for that day! The pastor prayed over us, and then we took Gideon to the nursery.
(Burp cloths- Spring 2013's hottest accessory)
We understand that it is not the church's responsibility to fully shape Gideon's spiritual growth- that responsibility ultimately lies with us, his parents- but we are so blessed to have a church family walking with us. Even now, we're trying to teach Gideon about how much Jesus loves him. We pray with him and over him, we read to him from his storybook Bible, and we sing songs about how much Jesus loves him. I pray that the simple truths we're repeating day after day will be truths he'll grow to understand.
"God loves Gideon. God loves Gideon. In your Bible book it says that God loves Gideon."
What a blessing he is. The time we have with him is moving so quickly.
After we were called on stage, Gideon was presented to the church and we received a small gift to share with him- a storybook Bible (he's got quite a collection of those, now!), a small New Testament with his name engraved on it, and a letter for him to open the day he decides to follow Jesus. I cannot wait for that day! The pastor prayed over us, and then we took Gideon to the nursery.
We understand that it is not the church's responsibility to fully shape Gideon's spiritual growth- that responsibility ultimately lies with us, his parents- but we are so blessed to have a church family walking with us. Even now, we're trying to teach Gideon about how much Jesus loves him. We pray with him and over him, we read to him from his storybook Bible, and we sing songs about how much Jesus loves him. I pray that the simple truths we're repeating day after day will be truths he'll grow to understand.
"God loves Gideon. God loves Gideon. In your Bible book it says that God loves Gideon."
What a blessing he is. The time we have with him is moving so quickly.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Baby Food- Prep Day 2
Since I was off today, I spent a few minutes making some more baby food for Gideon. I decided to make a few single vegetable purees, as well as some blended fruits. I'm excited for Gideon to have more variety in his diet; we'll see what foods he likes next!
Prep Day 2
Spent- Approximately $7
Yield- Approximately 50 oz
Time- 30-45 minutes
Green Bean Puree
- Prepare 1 bag of "steam in bag" green beans, puree until smooth, and add water to desired texture. Place in ice cube trays and freeze. Yield- 1 ice cube tray
Carrot Puree
-Peel 1 bag of carrots and cut into cubes. Steam until soft. Puree until smooth, adding water if necessary. Yield- 1 ice cube tray
*I'd done some research which suggested that the nitrates in soil could precipitate certain types of anemias in infants who ate home prepared carrots. My pediatrician didn't seem alarmed about my wanting to prepare my own baby food, and said that this risk was very small. To make the risk of anemia even smaller, I prepared this recipe with organic carrots, and thinned the puree with fresh water (instead of residual cooking liquid).
Banana-Blueberry Puree
-Cook 1/2 cup blueberries over low heat with a small amount of water until soft. Puree with 3 peeled bananas. Yield- 1 ice cube tray. (These are VERY yummy!)
Strawberry-Plum Puree
-Peel, cube and steam 4 plums, as well as 12 fresh strawberries. Puree until smooth. Yield- 1 ice cube tray. (This makes a very pretty puree, and it tastes very yummy, too!)
*Strawberries used to be a "Forbidden Food" due to the risk of food allergies. Some recent publications from the AAP suggest that after exclusively breast feeding for at least 4 months, there are no protective benefits from withholding certain foods from a baby's diet (with the obvious exceptions of things that could cause a child harm, like honey). There is additional evidence that suggests that cooking strawberries reduces their allergenic potential. Since there are zero food allergies on either side of Gideon's family, and our pediatrician did not suggest that we withhold strawberries until 1 year old, I was okay with introducing them.
Simple avocado puree
-Smush up 1/2 avocado. Serve.
*I'd read that due to the high fat content of avocado, this puree is nutritionally similar to breast milk. I know of other mommies who mix avocado with banana. I know several babies who LOVE mashed avocado; Gideon was less than impressed.
We've also added a new snack food to Gideon's diet- Gerber Graduate Puffs. He REALLY likes them. He also tried to steal my Earl Grey tea yesterday morning.
Little boy is growing up so fast!
Prep Day 2
Spent- Approximately $7
Yield- Approximately 50 oz
Time- 30-45 minutes
Green Bean Puree
- Prepare 1 bag of "steam in bag" green beans, puree until smooth, and add water to desired texture. Place in ice cube trays and freeze. Yield- 1 ice cube tray
Carrot Puree
-Peel 1 bag of carrots and cut into cubes. Steam until soft. Puree until smooth, adding water if necessary. Yield- 1 ice cube tray
*I'd done some research which suggested that the nitrates in soil could precipitate certain types of anemias in infants who ate home prepared carrots. My pediatrician didn't seem alarmed about my wanting to prepare my own baby food, and said that this risk was very small. To make the risk of anemia even smaller, I prepared this recipe with organic carrots, and thinned the puree with fresh water (instead of residual cooking liquid).
Banana-Blueberry Puree
-Cook 1/2 cup blueberries over low heat with a small amount of water until soft. Puree with 3 peeled bananas. Yield- 1 ice cube tray. (These are VERY yummy!)
Strawberry-Plum Puree
-Peel, cube and steam 4 plums, as well as 12 fresh strawberries. Puree until smooth. Yield- 1 ice cube tray. (This makes a very pretty puree, and it tastes very yummy, too!)
*Strawberries used to be a "Forbidden Food" due to the risk of food allergies. Some recent publications from the AAP suggest that after exclusively breast feeding for at least 4 months, there are no protective benefits from withholding certain foods from a baby's diet (with the obvious exceptions of things that could cause a child harm, like honey). There is additional evidence that suggests that cooking strawberries reduces their allergenic potential. Since there are zero food allergies on either side of Gideon's family, and our pediatrician did not suggest that we withhold strawberries until 1 year old, I was okay with introducing them.
Simple avocado puree
-Smush up 1/2 avocado. Serve.
*I'd read that due to the high fat content of avocado, this puree is nutritionally similar to breast milk. I know of other mommies who mix avocado with banana. I know several babies who LOVE mashed avocado; Gideon was less than impressed.
We've also added a new snack food to Gideon's diet- Gerber Graduate Puffs. He REALLY likes them. He also tried to steal my Earl Grey tea yesterday morning.
Little boy is growing up so fast!
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
5 Months Old!
Our sweet boy amazes us more each day with how much he's growing and changing. Here are a few updates from our big 5 month old boy!
Sizes? Size 2 diapers, size 3-6 month clothes. We're actually going shopping today cause he has outgrown all of his pajamas- as in every single pajama outfit we have.
Eating? We're in the middle of transitioning from exclusive breast feeding to a combination feeding schedule. Once the transition is complete, he'll receive formula bottles during the day and breast milk at night. He also eats about 2oz of fruits and veggies in the evenings.
Favorite foods? Right now Gideon loves apples and sweet potatoes the best, but he did try a fresh banana over the weekend and was very excited about it.
Least favorite food? English peas. Can't blame the kid; I don't like peas either.
Favorite bottles? His favorites are still Dr. Brown's bottles, but he'll also take a Tommee Tippee bottle with no trouble. He does not do well with Medela bottles.
Favorite toys? His crinkly giraffe. (Is that a word? Crinkly? As in, an object that makes a crinkle sound when it's manipulated?)
Developmental milestones?
-Rolling from front to back. He's VERY close to rolling from back to front, but not quite there yet.
-Reaching out for objects he wants- he really does this when the dogs are around, or when he wants to be picked up.
-Holding his own spoon during dinnertime. This is a very messy milestone- I've cleaned squash from hair, eyelashes and dog fur.
-Practicing more sounds- he really likes to work on his "H" sound.
-Propping up on his arms while on his tummy and looking around.
Like mommy? Your big grin. I've also noticed our eyes are the same shape- with the right eye being more pronounced than the left.
Future predictions? We still think you're going to be left handed.
He just gets more precious every day. I never knew something so small could be such a big blessing!
Sizes? Size 2 diapers, size 3-6 month clothes. We're actually going shopping today cause he has outgrown all of his pajamas- as in every single pajama outfit we have.
Eating? We're in the middle of transitioning from exclusive breast feeding to a combination feeding schedule. Once the transition is complete, he'll receive formula bottles during the day and breast milk at night. He also eats about 2oz of fruits and veggies in the evenings.
Favorite foods? Right now Gideon loves apples and sweet potatoes the best, but he did try a fresh banana over the weekend and was very excited about it.
Least favorite food? English peas. Can't blame the kid; I don't like peas either.
Favorite bottles? His favorites are still Dr. Brown's bottles, but he'll also take a Tommee Tippee bottle with no trouble. He does not do well with Medela bottles.
Favorite toys? His crinkly giraffe. (Is that a word? Crinkly? As in, an object that makes a crinkle sound when it's manipulated?)
Developmental milestones?
-Rolling from front to back. He's VERY close to rolling from back to front, but not quite there yet.
-Reaching out for objects he wants- he really does this when the dogs are around, or when he wants to be picked up.
-Holding his own spoon during dinnertime. This is a very messy milestone- I've cleaned squash from hair, eyelashes and dog fur.
-Practicing more sounds- he really likes to work on his "H" sound.
-Propping up on his arms while on his tummy and looking around.
Like mommy? Your big grin. I've also noticed our eyes are the same shape- with the right eye being more pronounced than the left.
Future predictions? We still think you're going to be left handed.
He just gets more precious every day. I never knew something so small could be such a big blessing!
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Pears, Potatoes, and a Rice Cereal Hiatus
Gideon is a pretty outstanding sleeper, as far as babies go. In general, we do his bedtime routine (bath, bottle or nursing and swaddle) around 6:30-7, he'll go to sleep very quickly, sleep until around 3:30 when he wakes up to nurse, and then back to sleep until I wake him up at 6:30 to nurse before work. This schedule worked great from about 8 weeks until about 4 months old, when he started waking up for a 10:30 feeding every night. I'd read that waking up for previously skipped feedings was a sign of solid foods readiness, so we decided to gradually introduce some solid foods.
Our "feeding table" from the pediatrician's office said to introduce rice cereal first, so we gave that a try. While he tolerated the cereal pretty well, he wasn't a reliable cereal eater. Some nights he would love it and eat every single bite, other nights he'd decide cereal wasn't for him (which is not okay when that cereal is mixed with breast milk!). After doing some research, I realized that the American Academy of Pediatrics doesn't recommend rice cereal as a first food (they actually don't have a recommendation on which food to introduce first), so I opted to forego cereal for a while and introduce just fruits and veggies. As I love to cook, I decided I'd try my hand at homemade baby food. I figure I'll update here with the recipes I try out and Gideon's reactions to his new foods. This should be fun!
Some homemade baby food basics- baby food is prepared and placed in ice cube trays, frozen, and then the cubes are removed and stored in freezer bags. Each "ice cube" is approximately 1 ounce of food.
Baby Food Prep Day #1
Total Kitchen Time- 1 hour
Total Money Spent- approx $8
Final Yield- 90 oz baby food
On this prep day I decided to stock our freezer with the basics- pears, apples, peas, sweet potatoes and butternut squash. (Recipe note- while I used cooking liquid or plain water to thin purees, it would be best to use breast milk. I don't have much extra to spare, so I opted to thin purees with water).
Sweet potatoes- Wash 2 sweet potatoes and prick multiple times with a fork. Bake at 350 until tender. Spoon the flesh away from the skin, puree, and add water if necessary. Yield approximately 1 ice cube tray (I had one full tray plus about 5 cubes on another tray).
Butternut squash- Cut 1 squash in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds, and place face down in a baking dish with a small amount of water. Bake at 350 until the skin puckers, spoon flesh away from the skin, puree, and add water if necessary. Yield approximately 1 ice cube tray (again, I had one full tray and a few cubes on another tray).
Peas- Prepare one bag of "steam in bag" english peas according to the package. Puree until smooth and add water if necessary. Yield- 1 ice cube tray. (This could be a smoother puree if done in a food mill instead of a food processor. I don't have a food mill or a strainer, so hopefully Gideon won't complain).
Apples- Peel, core, and cube 4 medium sweet apples (I used Red Delicious). Place in saucepan with a small amount of water and cook on low until tender. Puree until smooth. Yield- 1 ice cube tray plus a few extra cubes
Pears- Peel, core and cube 4 medium pears. Place in saucepan with a small amount of water and cook on low until tender. Depending on the ripeness of the pears, water could be optional. Puree until smooth. Yield- 1 ice cube tray.
So far Gideon has had sweet potatoes and pears, and has LOVED both of them. I'm looking forward to trying more fruits and veggies here soon!
Our "feeding table" from the pediatrician's office said to introduce rice cereal first, so we gave that a try. While he tolerated the cereal pretty well, he wasn't a reliable cereal eater. Some nights he would love it and eat every single bite, other nights he'd decide cereal wasn't for him (which is not okay when that cereal is mixed with breast milk!). After doing some research, I realized that the American Academy of Pediatrics doesn't recommend rice cereal as a first food (they actually don't have a recommendation on which food to introduce first), so I opted to forego cereal for a while and introduce just fruits and veggies. As I love to cook, I decided I'd try my hand at homemade baby food. I figure I'll update here with the recipes I try out and Gideon's reactions to his new foods. This should be fun!
Some homemade baby food basics- baby food is prepared and placed in ice cube trays, frozen, and then the cubes are removed and stored in freezer bags. Each "ice cube" is approximately 1 ounce of food.
Baby Food Prep Day #1
Total Kitchen Time- 1 hour
Total Money Spent- approx $8
Final Yield- 90 oz baby food
On this prep day I decided to stock our freezer with the basics- pears, apples, peas, sweet potatoes and butternut squash. (Recipe note- while I used cooking liquid or plain water to thin purees, it would be best to use breast milk. I don't have much extra to spare, so I opted to thin purees with water).
Sweet potatoes- Wash 2 sweet potatoes and prick multiple times with a fork. Bake at 350 until tender. Spoon the flesh away from the skin, puree, and add water if necessary. Yield approximately 1 ice cube tray (I had one full tray plus about 5 cubes on another tray).
Butternut squash- Cut 1 squash in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds, and place face down in a baking dish with a small amount of water. Bake at 350 until the skin puckers, spoon flesh away from the skin, puree, and add water if necessary. Yield approximately 1 ice cube tray (again, I had one full tray and a few cubes on another tray).
Peas- Prepare one bag of "steam in bag" english peas according to the package. Puree until smooth and add water if necessary. Yield- 1 ice cube tray. (This could be a smoother puree if done in a food mill instead of a food processor. I don't have a food mill or a strainer, so hopefully Gideon won't complain).
Apples- Peel, core, and cube 4 medium sweet apples (I used Red Delicious). Place in saucepan with a small amount of water and cook on low until tender. Puree until smooth. Yield- 1 ice cube tray plus a few extra cubes
Pears- Peel, core and cube 4 medium pears. Place in saucepan with a small amount of water and cook on low until tender. Depending on the ripeness of the pears, water could be optional. Puree until smooth. Yield- 1 ice cube tray.
So far Gideon has had sweet potatoes and pears, and has LOVED both of them. I'm looking forward to trying more fruits and veggies here soon!
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
4 Months Old!
I cannot believe we have had Gideon in our lives for four months now! Here are a few quick updates on our sweet little man.
Sizes? Size 2 diapers, size 3-6 month clothes
Eating? His diet is still primarily breastmilk, however, we did introduce rice cereal just a few days ago. Our eating chart from the pediatrician's office said to start at 2 TBSP a day, but since some babies have a really hard time digesting cereal, I wanted to start even smaller. Right now he's getting a TBSP at night, and we're gradually increasing the consistency every day. I'm looking forward to adding fruits and veggies in a few months!
Sleeping? In general, he's a great sleeper at night. He usually goes to bed between 6:30-7, wakes up around 3, and then I wake him up at 6:30 to eat before I go to work. This past weekend was rough, and Gideon woke up every 2 hours wanting to nurse. After introducing cereal at night he fell back in to just waking up once, and even slept through the night one night!
Naptime? Gideon does not like naps, and spends vast amounts of energy fighting them. We're getting his nursery set up this weekend (what? Babies sleep in their parents room the first few months anyway), so hopefully having a set nap time routine will get better once we have his crib.
Developmental Milestones? The things I can remember off the top of my head include
-interest in the game "peek-a-boo" (This one is really precious, it's funny to watch him furrow his brow and then light up when you "reappear")
-Propping up on his arms when on his tummy
-Discovering his feet
-Intently watching his hands
-Linking his fingers together when his hands are palm to palm
-Reacting to sounds that he can't see (for example- noticing that Daddy has spoken from the other side of the room).
-Discovering his voice- he'll babble for hours. It's like he's listening to hear what sounds he can make.
-Almost rolling. He's SO close.
-Reaching for toys when they're in front of him.
-Tracking objects by just moving his eyes. I really notice this when the dogs are around.
He is such a blessing!
Sizes? Size 2 diapers, size 3-6 month clothes
Eating? His diet is still primarily breastmilk, however, we did introduce rice cereal just a few days ago. Our eating chart from the pediatrician's office said to start at 2 TBSP a day, but since some babies have a really hard time digesting cereal, I wanted to start even smaller. Right now he's getting a TBSP at night, and we're gradually increasing the consistency every day. I'm looking forward to adding fruits and veggies in a few months!
Sleeping? In general, he's a great sleeper at night. He usually goes to bed between 6:30-7, wakes up around 3, and then I wake him up at 6:30 to eat before I go to work. This past weekend was rough, and Gideon woke up every 2 hours wanting to nurse. After introducing cereal at night he fell back in to just waking up once, and even slept through the night one night!
Naptime? Gideon does not like naps, and spends vast amounts of energy fighting them. We're getting his nursery set up this weekend (what? Babies sleep in their parents room the first few months anyway), so hopefully having a set nap time routine will get better once we have his crib.
Developmental Milestones? The things I can remember off the top of my head include
-interest in the game "peek-a-boo" (This one is really precious, it's funny to watch him furrow his brow and then light up when you "reappear")
-Propping up on his arms when on his tummy
-Discovering his feet
-Intently watching his hands
-Linking his fingers together when his hands are palm to palm
-Reacting to sounds that he can't see (for example- noticing that Daddy has spoken from the other side of the room).
-Discovering his voice- he'll babble for hours. It's like he's listening to hear what sounds he can make.
-Almost rolling. He's SO close.
-Reaching for toys when they're in front of him.
-Tracking objects by just moving his eyes. I really notice this when the dogs are around.
He is such a blessing!
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Baby "Must Haves"- Months 0-3
The day I found out I was pregnant, Keith took me to look around Babies R Us for the first time. I left the store feeling so overwhelmed; I had no idea there were so many baby products out there! I did extensive research before making my baby registry, and found the best advice came from seeking out family blogs.
So, to help out any pregnant friends, as well as to help me remember in case we decide to have another child, here are my top baby "must haves" for months 0-3.
1. Fisher Price Cradle 'n Swing.
Gideon is a finicky napper during the day, but we can usually count on him taking a good nap in his swing. I like this particular swing because it plugs in to the wall, meaning we're not having to spend extra money on batteries (or turn a crank repeatedly like my parents had to with my sister's swing). The swing can move from side to side or front to back, and has a fun mirror and mobile overhead for Gideon to watch. This was the first baby item we received, and something we use every single day.
2. Moby Wrap
I love my Moby Wrap! The day we brought Gideon home from the hospital I was overwhelmed, exhausted, and recovering from emergency surgery. I had no clue how to take care of a newborn! We realized in the hospital how much Gideon liked to be swaddled and snuggled, so I figured he would like being in the Moby Wrap. I was right. I figured I couldn't screw up taking care of my child when he was right on my chest, so I tied the Moby on (it's easier than it looks!) and snuggled him in. We use the Moby at least weekly now; it makes a great substitute for a stroller when I'm running errands. I just tie it before I leave and then put him in the wrap when we arrive wherever we're going. The wide fabric means his weight gets evenly distributed across my shoulders, so wearing him this way doesn't hurt me. (Side note- since drafting this post I've discovered that Moby makes a Moby Petite wrap for smaller framed mommies. This would have been a better purchase for me.)
3. Boppy Pillow
This pillow was a nursing lifesaver the first few weeks of Gideon's life. The C shape gave me a place to rest Gideon beside me, so he could nurse without putting any pressure on my incision. We still use this daily for feeding, as well as a means to prop him up during playtime.
4. Fisher Price Animal Krackers Rinsin' Fun Tub
We purchased this product based on a recommendation from a stranger in Babies R Us. Seeing our looks of bewilderment (there are so many bath tub options for babies!) she pointed this tub out and told us this was what we needed. I'm so glad we took her advice! Our favorite features include
-a newborn sling attachment, which keeps Gideon safely upright
-indented "feet" on the bottom, so the tub sits securely over our double sink. This also means there's virtually no bending over at bath time, which is great for our backs.
-a drain, so no struggling to dump out a tub full of water
5. Angelcare Monitor
We already had a baby monitor when we brought Gideon home, but it didn't have motion detection. The Angelcare monitor has a movement sensor pad that rests underneath the mattress, and registers Gideon's movements on the parent unit. A warning beep sounds if he goes 15 seconds without moving, and an alarm sounds if he goes 20 seconds without moving. We are able to sleep without constantly jumping up to make sure Gideon is still breathing. We love it!
6. WubbaNub pacifiers
This is such a great idea! We were sold the first time Gideon spit out a paci and it got "eaten" by our house. (Seriously, where do lost pacifiers go?) Since these are larger, they're much harder to lose, and the stuffed animal part helps keep the pacifier in his mouth. He currently has a frog, bear, and dinosaur.
7. Dr. Brown's Bottles
I'd heard veteran moms praise these bottles for months before I got pregnant, so I knew Dr. Brown's bottles would be a "must have" baby item. He took one of these bottles for the first time at 3 weeks old, and has had no issues with them at all. The lack of gas/spit up with these bottles makes their cleaning and assembly (they have multiple parts) worth the extra time.
3. Boppy Pillow
This pillow was a nursing lifesaver the first few weeks of Gideon's life. The C shape gave me a place to rest Gideon beside me, so he could nurse without putting any pressure on my incision. We still use this daily for feeding, as well as a means to prop him up during playtime.
4. Fisher Price Animal Krackers Rinsin' Fun Tub
We purchased this product based on a recommendation from a stranger in Babies R Us. Seeing our looks of bewilderment (there are so many bath tub options for babies!) she pointed this tub out and told us this was what we needed. I'm so glad we took her advice! Our favorite features include
-a newborn sling attachment, which keeps Gideon safely upright
-indented "feet" on the bottom, so the tub sits securely over our double sink. This also means there's virtually no bending over at bath time, which is great for our backs.
-a drain, so no struggling to dump out a tub full of water
5. Angelcare Monitor
We already had a baby monitor when we brought Gideon home, but it didn't have motion detection. The Angelcare monitor has a movement sensor pad that rests underneath the mattress, and registers Gideon's movements on the parent unit. A warning beep sounds if he goes 15 seconds without moving, and an alarm sounds if he goes 20 seconds without moving. We are able to sleep without constantly jumping up to make sure Gideon is still breathing. We love it!
6. WubbaNub pacifiers
This is such a great idea! We were sold the first time Gideon spit out a paci and it got "eaten" by our house. (Seriously, where do lost pacifiers go?) Since these are larger, they're much harder to lose, and the stuffed animal part helps keep the pacifier in his mouth. He currently has a frog, bear, and dinosaur.
7. Dr. Brown's Bottles
I'd heard veteran moms praise these bottles for months before I got pregnant, so I knew Dr. Brown's bottles would be a "must have" baby item. He took one of these bottles for the first time at 3 weeks old, and has had no issues with them at all. The lack of gas/spit up with these bottles makes their cleaning and assembly (they have multiple parts) worth the extra time.
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