Baby essentials - the first few months

When I was pregnant, I did a ton of research on baby gear.  I wanted to buy the best items that we could, but without spending a lot, and definitely not "overbuy" as people often do when preparing for the arrival of their first kiddo.  Well, that didn't exactly work out as planned...  I wanted one stroller that "did everything" and we somehow ended up with four...  The cloth diapers that I originally bought didn't work out for us and I had to buy a whole new system.  The Moby wrap ended up being a pain to put on so I bought a different wrap style carrier.  And the list goes on.  So here are the things that I did find the most useful.  The starred items are my very favorites!

★ JJ Cole Agility Wrap - I have previously wrote about this wrap on the blog, but I love it so much that it's worth another mention.  Ten times easier to put on than the moby wrap, much more compact and lightweight, but just as useful.  Perfect for running errands or anytime you want to hold baby but remain hands free to get a few things done.  The only downside is that it comes in various sizes for the wearer so it's not one size fits all, meaning I am pretty much the only one who is able to use it.  Erik uses my homemade baby wrap when he wants to wear Arlo.  Also, I feel that the product is a little expensive for what it is.  It is basically very expensive t-shirt material.  Then again, so is the Moby...

Whale bathtub - This tub helped calm the anxiety I had about the first few baths we had to give Arlo as a slippery little newborn, as it was easy to use over the kitchen sink in the early days and works equally well sitting in the big bathtub now that he is a little older.  The insert that keeps him from sliding down is removable so when he is able to sit up well on his own for the bath, we can remove it and he can still use the tub.  I didn't originally want a baby bathtub ("just another big piece of plastic" was what I had originally thought) but this really ended up being quite useful.

★ Grovia Magic Stick - I have a full cloth diapering review post in the works, but this product is absolutely on my must-have baby list.  Don't ask questions.  Just buy this.  It's awesome.

A few other items worth mentioning in the diaper department, are the disposables we use at night.  Ever since I discovered Nature Babycare I have not bought any other brand of disposables.  They are the most natural diapers I could find and they fit Arlo really well.  The wipes we used when we were still doing disposables full time are Water Wipes - and I put this item on the must-have list.  These wipes have nothing but water and a tiny percentage of grapefruit seed extract to prevent mold and stuff from growing on them.  They are awesome because they contain ZERO chemicals and can be used anywhere on the body.  Love these!  While we are now using cloth diapers and wipes (except one disposable at night), these products are still worth mentioning because they were so useful early on when poor Arlo seemed to be super sensitive to any little thing that touched his rear end!

★ Rock n' Play - Arlo has gotten so much use out of this little cradle!  It folds in half with the push of a button so it is quite portable and easy to move around the house.  We kept it primarily in our bedroom, as that is where he would nap most often in the early days.  We also used it at night to keep him at an incline when he was sick, as well as when he was dealing with reflux.  When we took our beach trip a few weeks ago, we brought it with us and he slept the night in it.  At almost five months, he doesn't spend much time in the rock n' play anymore, but this was still one of our favorite items from the very beginning.

muslin swaddle blankets - We have used these from the beginning, but are finding them especially useful now that the weather has warmed up.  I hardly ever used them for swaddling, mostly just as a light cover, or now a sunshade over the stroller during walks.  I never worry about letting him sleep with these blankets because they are so light and airy.  I bought several secondhand from yard sales and consignment shops for around $1 each.  The price of these things new is the only con I can list.  Find these used if you can!  The very best blankets we have were actually made by Arlo's Grandmas.  Erik's Mom made us some really great flannel receiving blankets, and when my Mom saw them she loved them so much she wanted to sew us a couple more.  I don't have a picture of those handy and I can't link to them online, so you will just have to find yourself a Grammie to make you one  ;)

In the feeding department, there are several items we have bought and really liked.  I feel like I am washing bottles and pump parts around the clock and for this the boon grass drying rack has been a great item to have on hand, and much cuter on the counter top than traditional drying racks.  We also have the twig to hold the nipples and small pump parts.  If you are doing any bottle feeding or pumping, you will need this or something like it!  Our favorite bottles are the 4 oz glass bottles by Evenflo.  We have been using Dr. Browns Premie nipples as recommended by the lactation consultants early on - good for breastfed babies of any age since the flow is so slow.  Only recently did we switch to the level 1 nipples to increase the feeding pace a bit.


And finally, I will mention all those strollers we ended up with...  I picked up a chicco liteway in like-new condition at a yard sale when I was pregnant.  I got an amazing deal on it, and we have used it a few times.  I know it will be great when he is a little bigger, but right now we are primarily using his car seat and his snap-n-go.  Since he has an infant car seat that easily pops in and out of the car, it is easy to just set it in his snap-n-go so if he is sleeping we don't need to wake him up to put him in a separate stroller.  I know they make entire car seat and stroller systems that go together, but those strollers always seemed to big and clunky to me.  This little stroller frame is super lightweight and easy to throw in the back of our cars.  Unfortunately both of these strollers are not practical for the long walks that we take everyday with Lucy.  Enter the jogging stroller.  After much research we decided to buy the Baby Jogger Summit X3. We absolutely love it.  I can't say that it is great for toting around town, but for neighborhood walks I can't imagine a better ride for Arlo!  I wish there was a single stroller system in existence that worked for all of our needs - getting around town, walking the neighborhood, super portable, etc. but so far I haven't figured out what that might be.  Always taking suggestions if you have them!


I hope that you found this list useful if you are furiously researching baby stuff as I did while pregnant, or if you are just keeping these things in mind for down the road.  Next up - little Arlo is almost five months old and some big changes have happened this month.  Stay tuned for the update!

2nd trimester essentials

As a follow-up to my 1st trimester essentials post, I figured I would share (and document for my own future reference) some things I found helpful as I navigated the second trimester of pregnancy.

 

Earth Mama Angle Baby: Natural Stretch Oil & Body Butter

 
Starting at week 10, I have applied this oil to my belly religiously every single night before bed.  I absolutely love the smell and it really does a great job of moisturizing without being too oily.  I liked it so much I decided to try the body butter, and while I wouldn't say it's anything close to the viscosity of other body butters I have tried (it's more of a lotion) I still really like it.  I use this in the morning and it has been especially helpful for the itchy skin that started mid-way though the 2nd trimester.  I choose these products because they are completely natural, certified zero toxin, vegan and cruelty free.  So far they have worked against stretch marks as I don't have a single one, but I am getting to the point where my skin is really starting to stretch so we will see what happens at we get closer to the end!  I will report back.

 

Belly Band

obviously not me...

I picked up my belly band gently used at a yard sale for something close to $1.  It was money well spent I tell ya!  This thing worked great as I started to outgrow my pre-pregnancy clothes but was not quite ready for maternity wear.  I thought for sure it would be hard to keep in place or that my pants would eventually start to slide down being unbuttoned, but I found that not to be the case at all.  It gave me an extra few weeks out of all my jeans and shorts, but eventually I outgrew the band and was ready for...

Maternity Clothes

Silly thing to add to this list?  Maybe so.  But I am here to tell you that it's not hard to put together a decent maternity wardrobe for very little cost, if you know where to look.  Baby/maternity consignment stores, thrift stores, yard sales, and even the sale racks at Target & Old Navy have been my primary shopping locations for my "new" wardrobe.  I couldn't see spending a fortune on new clothes I would only wear for a few months, quite honestly I hate paying full price for non-maternity clothes that I plan to wear for a long time!  For work, I picked up some plain black maternity shirts and these awesome scrub pants.  Highly recommended if you wear scrubs to work.  They are so comfortable you just might want to wear them at home too... 

Favorite Water Bottle

I admit it, I am a terrible water drinker.  I almost never get thirsty and so it's very easy for me to forget to drink.  Carrying a water bottle with me wherever I go has helped me be better at getting in my daily fluid requirements.  I happen to love this water bottle by Lifefactory.  I know you have seen them around.  It's made of glass so it's BPA free, and you don't have any weird plastic water bottle taste with this.  Plus it's cute with the silicone sleeve and pretty much screams "drink me!"

DHA Supplement

So, technically I didn't start taking this until the very beginning of the 3rd trimester.  But I wish I would have started it earlier, so I am putting it on this list.  Around the beginning of the 3rd trimester is when the baby's brain really starts to go crazy making it's neurological connections and all that, and DHA is important for that brain development.  Since we follow a plant-based diet and don't consume any fish products, there is not much opportunity for us to eat foods that naturally contain DHA.  Fish and fish oil contains DHA because they have a diet high in algae, which is very high in DHA.  (As a side note, cows milk contains so much calcium because they eat leafy greens all day long, which are a great source of calcium.  You can cut out the "middle man", and save an animal, by going straight to the source - leafy greens for your calcium and algae for your DHA!)  After a lot of research, I decided upon this supplement which is made from algae, completely vegan, and carrageenan free.  In case you haven't heard, carrageenan is a food additive that is on the list of potential carcinogens.  A lot (and let me tell you A LOT) of pills and products contain this additive.  Until more is known about it, we have decided to avoid food that contain it.  As far as this DHA supplement, it is in liquid form so it has a bit of a "fishy" taste if you take it plain.  Funny enough though, I learned it's actually fish that smell like algae, not the other way around.  Mixed in a little OJ, the "algae" taste is masked and it goes down quite easily. 


So those are the things I found to be most helpful as I went through the 2nd trimester.  There are a few things I have started to use recently as I started the 3rd trimester, so plan to see one last "pregnancy essentials" post, hopefully before our little guy arrives! 

1st trimester essentials

I know I am now well over a month into the second trimester, but I thought I would put together a little list of the things that got me though those first few months of nausea, fatigue, excessive hunger, and the other fun symptoms that the 1st trimester brings!

Lemons

This was the first thing I would say my body was truely craving during the pregnancy.  I have gone through at least a pound of lemons each week since the very beginning.  The main reason they were so important early on is that they really helped me drink a ton more water and ensured that I stayed hydrated.  Plain water, especially dealing with the nausea, was something I had no desire to drink but I found that adding squeezed lemon actually made me want to drink it.  Limes are also a good option!

Prenatal Vitamin

I did a lot of research before we even started trying to get pregnant, as I wanted to find the best prenatal vitamin that was plant-based and as natural as possible.  Prenatal One by Rainbow Light contains no gluten, soy, yeast, milk, eggs, nuts, fish or shellfish. It is lactose-free and contains no artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, preservatives or additives.  What is does contain is food-based vitamins, plant-source enzymes, ginger juice and probiotics that support digestion and absorption.  I have been taking this for over a year and a half now and have never had any issues with an upset stomach.

Pregnancy Apps

I don't know many first time mothers who don't measure the weeks of their pregnancy by the size of fruit that their baby has grown to.  There are several apps for your phone/ipod that will tell you all kinds of useful information on fetal development and pregnancy customized to how far along you are.  My favorite apps are BabyCenter and WhatToExpect which I read daily, and Sprout and TheBump which I read weekly.  They were all free in the Apple App Store!

 Sea Bands

I debated on adding this to the list, as I am not completely sure whether or not it really helped my nausea.  I can't say anything made me feel completely better, but I think these Sea Bands did help a little.  They are accupressure bands worn on both wrists to help with morning sickness and motion sickness.  At at around $6 per pair, they are definitely something worth trying if you are dealing with morning sickness.

New Bras

Before I was even out of the first trimester, I realized that new bras were going to be the first maternity clothes I would have to purchase.  Knowing they were only going to keep getting bigger, I didn't want to spend a whole lot on bras that would only fit temporarily, so I picked up a couple inexpensive bras from Marshalls and TJ Maxx.  I like the wireless customflex by Barely There.  They are so comfortable you can sleep in them if you want!  I like that they are quite stretchy too so they will hopefully grow with me for a little while longer.

Starchy Snacks

I found one of the best ways to keep my stomach happy was frequent snacks.  High carb with a little protein kept me the most satiated, although I still felt hungry most of the time - even when I was nauseated.  Weird, I know.  I brought several snacks to work with me everyday so I could eat every couple of hours, one of my favorites being rice cakes and peanut butter.  I also snacked on natural granola bars, dry cereal, and dried fruits.

Ginger Tea & Ginger Candy

It is true - ginger really does seem to help with nausea.  Organic Ginger Tea seemed to help settle my stomach most of the time when I drank it.  And the Candied Ginger from Trader Joes also seemed to help!  Plus it was a sweet treat when I was feeling like dessert and nothing else sounded appetizing.

Lists... lots of lists!

 

Yes, seriously.  "Pregnancy Brain" is a real thing (even though my husband thinks I am just using it as an excuse for being forgetful!)  If I don't write it down these days, chances are that I will forget it.  Even at work I have found myself forgetting to do things shortly after I am asked to do them!  Yikes.  Fortunately no harm has been done and it seems to have gotten better in the 2nd trimester.  Perhaps the 1st trimester fatigue plays a role in the forgetfulness?  Whatever the cause, I found it helpful to write everything down as that was my best chance at making sure it got done!

Hopefully this list will be helpful if you are newly pregnant or planning to become pregnant soon. I also wanted these things documented for my own future pregnancies.  I have started a list of 2nd trimester essentials, and I am continuing to add to it as the weeks go by and I discover the things I find most helpful as I find my way through this amazing adventure known as pregnancy  :)

Favorite things: house edition

I am a firm believer in the statement:

I certainly value people, experiences, and feelings over physical objects.  All that being said, we do have quite a few nifty things around our house that I love, and most are associated with a happy memory or person in my life.  I decided to share some of those things with you today...

Shadow Box

My sister Megs made this for me 5 or 6 years ago... I have had it sitting on top of my TV stand (in all three places I have lived in that time) and still love it very much.  The contents include: a poem about sisters, french coins, pictures of the Eiffel Tower, and an envelope addressed to me at my old house.  So sweet!  :)

Black vintage table

There is a somewhat funny story on how I acquired this...  I had just moved into my first house in Michigan, and was still working on getting it furnished.  One day, an older man came knocking on my door.  He had been looking for my landlord (who used to reside there) and I told him I was renting and had just moved it.  As it turns out, one of his relatives who lived right down the street had just passed away, and they were working on cleaning our their house.  He asked me if I wanted to take a look at any of the furniture there to see if I needed anything. Before you think I am crazy for going to a strangers house, let me tell you that the neighborhood I was living in was a close-knit group of friendly Finnish people, and the likelihood of danger was extremely low...  I ended up going to the house to check things out, and fell in love with this table immediately.  I offered to pay him for it, but he refused, and even delivered it to my house in his truck.  I never saw him again, but when I mentioned this to my landlord he did say that the nice man was a good friend of his.  I love how this table is so aged and well-loved, the back is kinda wobbly, the legs are scratched up, the knobs are original, and it is such a perfect fit it in our entryway.  The bottom shelf is our winter hat/scarf/glove storage area.  Sitting on top are two gourds that I crocheted to hold keys/work badges/etc...

Teapot

Erik bought me this teapot this past Christmas for making loose-leaf tea.  I just love the green color and the two little cups that came with it.  My mom recently sent me the BEST tea I have ever had (Shang Tea) and this is the perfect tool for making it!

Reading nook

This chair is in the corner of what is now our office, and what will be the future nursery.  We had this chair at my parents house when I was a kid, and somehow through all these years I have managed to hang on to it...  Perhaps since it is very comfy and reminds me of my childhood home, as well it is still in excellent condition.  I bought the foot stool at the local thrift store for around $5 and recovered it myself.  The lamp was given to me by a friend.  Most of the plants on the windowsill also have been gifts.  On the wall behind the chair there are nine or so frames with family photos in them.  I love this cozy corner for reading, blogging, or crafting  :)

Yarn!

Most of you already know how much I love to crochet...  I am on a bit of a crochet hiatus at present as my crafting time has been taken over by sewing, but I am still working on a few projects on the side.  This is... some of my yarn.  Maybe half.  Or less.  I have a lot...

Pothos Plant

This plant doesn't "technically" belong to me, as we are just plant sitting for Erik's brother for a few years while he is working on a ship near Alaska.  I am hoping he lets us plant sit forever.  This plant loves it here, and I love this plant!  The candle sconce to the left is a yard sale find, as are the bookcases that the plant lives on.

Birds!

It is no secret that I love birds...  These are just a few (of the many) who live with us.  The first bird on the left was purchased last September on our honeymoon when we visited Savannah, GA for a night.  He got cold this winter so I made him a hat.  The middle bird lives on our coat hanger (another awesome yard sale find).  The bird on the right sits on the end of a curtain rod in our living room.  His brothers and sisters live on the ends of the other curtain rods.  I wish I had a cool story about these but they honestly came from Lowes...  Still cute though  ;)

Pin & Needle Holder

Handmade (and personally designed) by my talented Mother.  Do I even have to explain why I love this so much?  The picture says it all...

Bookcase + Colorful Glass Collection

Bookcase was a $2 (yes TWO DOLLAR) yard sale find in MI.  It is sitting in the little alcove in our upstairs hallway.  On it lives: colorful glass collection (mostly from my Grandma - she has quite an extensive glass bottle collection), my wedding bouquet (handmade by me, obviously I opted for silk), a framed picture of Erik and I (frame was wedding gift from relatives, picture is an old-timey photo we had done on our honeymoon), and on the bottom shelf are some of Erik's books... Yes you see mostly Bill Bryson and Harry Potter books...  ;)

Bike Clock

A present from Erik's brother, Scott.  We have it hanging in our kitchen, and I think this is a favorite thing of both Erik and I.  Funky, eclectic, and cool.  Just like us  ;)  haha

Vintage Chair

To date, my all-time favorite yard sale find.  I picked this up last year at a sale in Chapel Hill.  Solid wood, handmade, and just plain awesome.  There is an aged hand-stamped tag on the bottom indicating it was made locally in Siler City, NC.  I wouldn't usually pay $20 for anything at a yard sale, but this was definitely worth it.  And it even came with the cute little hand sewed chair pad.  Score!

Bathroom Floor

Okay, so this might not be very high on most people's "favorite things" list.  However, my amazing husband cut and installed every single piece of tile himself when we renovated our house nearly two years ago.  I love the pattern he came up with and he did a fantastic job. Even though we renovated the entire house at the time, for some reason seeing this floor brings back the most memories of the whole experience.  I can almost see him kneeling on the floor smearing around that messy grout like it was yesterday...
So yes, I am ending this post with a picture of our bathroom floor.  And I love it.  ;)

What I am reading...

One of my favorite hobbies is thrifting...  and yard sailing.. basically anything that involves searching through other peoples no longer needed "stuff" in hopes of finding something super cool.  I have found some of my favorite things at such places, and I love the thrill of the hunt.  Last weekend I looked through literally hundreds of shirts and sweaters and a nearby goodwill and walked away with a bag of AWESOME clothes for around $12.  So completely worth it!  Really nice Aeropostale and Gap sweaters, plus a brand new DKNY dress shirt for Erik (that turned out to be a perfect fit) for only $3.  Anyone who knows me is aware that I love getting a good deal, but the environmental benefits to buying pre-owned things make me just as happy.

Anyway, in recent weeks of hitting up the local PTA Thrift shop and a few others on our visit to Raleigh, I happened to come across a few books on pregnancy and breastfeeding.  Gettting a little ahead of myself?  I don't think so.  It's good to be educated!  Here is what I have picked up so far...

I seriously think I spent less than $2 on the whole lot...  Two were free and I think the others were only $0.50 each.  (Yay for thrift stores!!)  So far the Mayo Clinic book seems to me the most informative.  I browsed through "Skinny Bitch Bun in the Oven" in about 20 minutes and think I got out everything I can out of this one.  Unfortunately there are not a lot of books out there in the category of "Vegan Pregnancy" and I am kind of bummed that this seems to be the most popular one.  While it does offer some good information, I am not a huge fan of the style of writing and "angry vegan" mindset these girls seem to be in.  While I was there myself in the beginning of my plant-based lifestyle embarkment, I have moved past that and now just want information that is going to help ensure a healthy pregnancy for me and our future babies.  Not to worry though, I have been vegan for long enough (going on six years) to know what I need to eat and where to get my vitamins, protein, and all those other things everyone probably worries I am not getting enough of..  Plus I spent a year as a plant-based cooking and nutrition instructor for the Cancer Project and Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine so I have a little training on the subject  ;)

Speaking of vitamins, I have also started taking prenatals.  When my regular vitamins recently ran out, I decided it made sense at this point to go ahead to switch over to the prenatal variety.  E and I have been taking Rainbow brand for a few years and have been happy with them.  I was excited to learn that they offer a food-based prenatal vitamin that carries a "vegan-guard" label, meaning they guarantee it to be free of animal products (and the potential toxins that come with them.)

I also liked that they contain everything I need instead of having to swallow three different pills as I have been doing.  My previous vitamins didn't have much iron so I took an iron supplement, which I believe to be the culprit to the occasional nausea that sometimes set in about 20 minutes after taking.  I have been taking these for over a week now and have had no tummy upset whatsoever.  I read that it is important to start taking prenatal vitamins for 1-2 months before you conceive so I feel good about getting a head start on this!

We are finally having a wet and rainy weekend here in NC which I have actually been looking forward to for a while.  You wouldn't think it would be possible to be sick of warm and sunny weather (especially in January) but sometimes it is nice to have some cozy weather that offers a good excuse to stay inside in your PJ's with a cup of tea... and spend some much needed time on craft projects!  More on that to come in my next post.  I have going a bit overboard lately on baby craft projects and I am excited to share them with you.  Stay tuned!