MY ORGANIC SHEETS REVIEW
Say hello to the softest crib sheet you’ll ever meet! With having two babies still in cribs, we have tried a fair amount of crib sheets.
Say hello to the softest crib sheet you’ll ever meet! With having two babies still in cribs, we have tried a fair amount of crib sheets. But I have never felt one as soft as this one from My Organic Sheets. Even Luca commented on how soft it was!
They are ridiculously soft because they are made with organic bamboo! Each sheet is 300 thread count and is cool in the Summer and warm in the Winter. The bamboo causes the sheet to be stain resistant! Which is a very good thing for us because this boy will be starting to potty train soon.
There are 5 great colour options: white, pink, blue, light pink & light blue! Use code LAURA40 to save 40% off your purchase. They'd make a perfect gift for a new mama who wants the softest sheets for her babe! Go check out My Organic Sheets and let me know what you think!
XO,
Laura
WHAT YOU NEED FOR YOUR 0-3 MONTH BABY
There are SOOO MANY BABY THINGS out there. It’s overwhelming. Lots of people say you don’t need much. Those people are liars…or delusional. (JK JK)
But thing is, you do need a lot of stuff….just the right stuff. After having two under two, I learned quickly what you need and what you don’t need.
Scroll for my master list!
There are SOOO MANY BABY THINGS out there. It’s overwhelming. Lots of people say you don’t need much. Those people are liars…or delusional. (JK JK)
But thing is, you do need a lot of stuff….just the right stuff. After having two under two, I learned quickly what you need and what you don’t need.
Scroll for my master list!
0-3 MONTH BABY ESSENTIALS
SLEEP: I shared everything that you need in HOW TO GET YOUR BABY TO SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT post, be sure to check it out for some amazing sleeping baby tips! But here are the is what you need for the first 3 months.
VELCRO SLEEP SACK (US Link) Velcro Sleep Sack (CAN Link)- keeps baby’s swaddled so they will not wake themselves up with their arms!!
WHITE NOISE (US Link) White noise (CAN Link)- helps baby sleep longer and also soothing for you to go back to sleep. We had both kids in our room until they were 7 weeks old.
Baby Bed or Dockatot- The Dockatot was a LIFESAVER! London settled to sleep so easily in this. It was also great to put her in it around the house. USE THIS LINK TO SAVE $10! Luca slept great in this bed.
SWING/BOUNCER (US Link) Swing/Bouncer (CAN Link)- The swing is great for getting baby to sleep for naps or just a place to put baby down. I like the two in ones because you can take the bouncer out around the house. I’d put London in it and then put it on our table so Luca couldn’t poke her while I was cooking dinner! Also, I would bring it to the bathroom when I would shower or do my makeup!
ACCESSORIES:
PACIFIER (US Link) Soother/Pacifier (CAN Link)- These are my favourite. As baby gets older they can hold it in!
Milk Snob Cover- These are a lifesaver for me!!! I would usually time London’s naps with my outings. I’d nurse her, put her in the carseat, and when we’d go out, I would pop this cover over the carseat and stick a portable white noise in it. She’d stay asleep the whole outing! You can also use it to nurse under. My baby’s get easily distracted so it was perfect to keep them eating AND they slept on flights nursing under this cover. I can’t recommend a Milk Snob enough!!
STROLLER TOY (US Link) Stroller Toys (CAN Link)- We loved this little cloud from Skip Hop!
DIAPER GENIE (US Link) Diaper Genie (CAN Link)- We love our diaper genies! Babies POOP a lot!! And their poop stinks so you defs want to not let those dirty diapers sit in your garbage! The diaper genie hides the smell. We have a white one for Luca and a pink one for London.
GO GO GO:
BUCKET CAR SEAT (US Link) Bucket Car Seat (CAN Link)- I loved my Maxi-Cosi but there are so many great ones on the market. Make sure you get one that attaches to your stroller because taking a sleeping baby out of the car seat is NO FUN.
Stroller- We have a Bugaboo single and a double Bumble Ride. The Bugaboo is great for city living (we loved using it in NYC) but the Bumble Ride is soo great for any terrain! We got ours used, which I HIGHLY recommend as brand new strollers are PRICEY!
HEAD REST MIRROR (US Link) Head rest mirror (CAN Link)- This makes driving waaay better because you can actually see your little one! Even though London is 11 months, I still glance at her sweet face in the car.
NURSING/FEEDING:
COMOTOMO BOTTLES (US Link) Comotomo Bottles (CAN LINK) + NUK BOTTLE (US Link) Nuk bottle (CAN Link)- I breastfed both babes off the top but we tried to give the occasional bottle of pumped milk. Luca only took the Comotomo but London preferred the Nuk (she wouldn’t really take a bottle until 4 months!!)
MEDELA FREESTYLE PUMP (US Link) Medela Freestyle Pump (CAN Link)- I had a single with Luca but this time around I borrowed this one from my sis and it is AMAZING! I love how it’s cordless
Cheap Sports Bras from Walmart- Here’s a hack. Cut holes in the nipples and BOOM handsfree nursing bra!
Am I missing anything? Let me know in the comments :)
HOW WE GOT OUR BABIES SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT (PART 2, 0-3 MONTHS)
Baby sleep. It is SUCH an obsession!
Well, at least it was for me...and maybe you if you're reading this...or you've reached the end of your netflix queue and have nothing else to do, ha!
In this post, I will go over baby sleep from 0-3 months. If you haven't read part 1, then get on with it and then come right back! In Part 1, I go over our sleep story and the methods that we used to get our babies sleeping through the night.
Baby sleep. It is SUCH an obsession!
Well, at least it was for me...and maybe you if you're reading this...or you've reached the end of your netflix queue and have nothing else to do, ha!
In this post, I will go over baby sleep from 0-3 months. If you haven't read part 1, then get on with it and then come right back! In Part 1, I go over our sleep story and the methods that we used to get our babies sleeping through the night.
This post will be broken up into two parts: 0-6 weeks and 6 weeks-3 months.
NEWBORN STAGE (0-6 weeks)
Newborns sleep A LOT! Usually people are totally okay with newborn sleep and just let their baby dictate the day. Which is totally cool but for me it was different because my babies were both jaundice. I had to wake them every 2 hours to feed and then put them back to sleep until the next feed. During those feeds, I googled the heck out of baby sleep and once they were at a healthy weight and the jaundice was at bay, I put this stuff into practice and they started sleeping in 5-6 hour stretches.
Here's what worked for us:
SLEEP, EAT, PLAY, REPEAT. You can't really put newborns on a schedule but you can put them on a routine. Try to get in the routine of feeding after they wake up (I'd always nurse 15 mins on each side so they get a good fill).
Then it's awake time, which for newborns should be about 45 mins to an hour max, then it's time to sleep.SWADDLE. I am a HUGE believer in the swaddle. Newborns have the startle reflex and their arms need to be held down or they'll wake themselves up. These swaddles are my absolute favourites. The velcro ones actually hold their arms down. You can use swaddle blankets but honestly they aren't fun to try to do at 3am. We weaned from the swaddle at 4 months.
DOCKATOT. Luca didn't have a Dockatot but London did. They both were amazing sleepers but I feel like the Dockatot helped London settle easier and she napped way better than Luca did. We took the Dockatot away at 4 months.
WHITE NOISE. It's loud in the womb. It's loud in the hospital. Babies are used to noise. I highly recommend getting a white noise...one that goes all night. It will also help disguise your noise when you sneak into bed! I don't love the one we have (not very durable) but I've heard great things about this one!
HEATING PAD/BOTTLE. During the night I would always pre-heat the bassinet/Dockatot. It helped to keep them calm and settle back into sleep after nursing. Just remember to take it out before you place baby in obvs!!!
SWING/BOUNCER. In the early days, I would nap them in the swing/bouncer a lot. We have an older version of this one. I like it because you can remove it from the swing and take it from room to room. I wouldn't do a swing/bouncer overnight because I'm a bit paranoid.
SOOTHER/PACIFIER. Both my babies weren't big on the soother but they did use it for the first 6 weeks. I remember placing London in the dockatot, and then holding her soother in with one hand while I placed the other on her chest. It got her to sleep very quickly!! I recommend these ones.
GET DAYS + NIGHTS ON TRACK. Often babies get their days and nights mixed up. It's a common thing but it's not hard to fix. During daytime feeds, bring your baby to the living room. Go outside during the day. Talk to your baby while nursing during the day but at night, keep the lights low and your voice quiet.
DARK ROOM. Some babies can sleep through anything but some can't. Mine needed dark to sleep so by two weeks, I usually had them napping in their own rooms with blackout curtains.
WAKE UP AFTER 3 HOUR NAP. I would usually wake them up after 3 hours. If they sleep all day, they'll be up a lot of the night!
6 Weeks to 3 Months
After the 6 week mark your baby technically isn't a newborn anymore (cue all the tears!!!) but they are still little and snuggly! And by this age they are probably awake to the world a whole lot more than they were! This means that sometimes sleep is harder but it isn't impossible. Luca started sleeping 8 hour stretches by 8 weeks and London was sleeping anywhere between 8-11 hours STRAIGHT.
Here's what worked for us:
We kept doing all the things listed above: swaddle, white noise, heated dockatot, but at this point I really tried TO NOT NURSE TO SLEEP.
PUT BABY DOWN DROWSY. As I said above, at this point I really tried to not nurse to sleep. It's a super easy and natural routine but it can bite you in the butt at 4 months when they can't go back to sleep unless they're nursing.
FUSS IT OUT. At this point, I would put them down drowsy but awake and then I'd close the door and wait ten minutes. Often times they'd go to sleep. Other times they'd fuss a bit more and sometimes I'd go in and either nurse again or settle with the soother/hand on chest. If I heard a cry in the night, I would check my clock and then wait TEN minutes before entering. Usually by then, they'd be fast asleep. I never let them cry hysterically at this point, just a soft cry/fuss.
ESTABLISH A BEDTIME + ROUTINE. I'd try to put them down at the same time and wake up 12 hours later. Usually 7-7 at this point but most people do about 8-8 at this age. For routine, we'd do a bath, nurse, cuddle lay down in crib.
MOVE THEM TO THEIR OWN ROOM. We moved both out babies to their own rooms at 7 weeks and they slept waaaay better. I was crazy paranoid but had a video monitor so I could watch them breathe! They could always smell my milk or me tossing and turning would wake them up. For us, we slept way better in separate rooms.
NAPS ARE IMPORTANT. An overtired baby is NOT a fun baby. This chart from Precious Little Sleep is a life saver. At this age we'd usually do 2 out of the 4 naps on the go (car seat, stroller, wrap or carrier).
If you have any questions, please let me know! I'm no expert but I have two babies who sleep through the night ;) I'll be posting part 3 soon!!!
LONDON'S ROSE GOLD NURSERY
London's nursery is finally finished and it is my most favourite room in the house. Because she came fashionably late (you can read her birth story here!) I had lots of time to put finishing touches on it.....but it wasn't finally complete until months later of course!
London's nursery is finally finished and it is my most favourite room in the house. Because she came fashionably late (you can read her birth story here!) I had lots of time to put finishing touches on it.....but it wasn't finally complete until months later of course!
If you're wondering why we look a bit glistening in these photos, it's because the shoot was done on the hottest day of the year!! HA! The lighting is perfect RIGHT at London's bedtime so she was a bit of a sweaty mess but a good sport.
ROOM DETAILS:
Rug: The amazing rug is by Lorena Canals. All of their rugs are MACHINE WASHABLE. Yes, you heard me. When your baby poops or cat pukes or vice versa you can pop it into your washing machine. They also have a beautiful social mission. For every purchase of one of their rugs, you help a child in India attend school.
Unicorn Head: We purchased this one here while we were in NYC! So glad we got it.
Wall Bookshelf & Arm Chair: Ikea.
Wall Art Above Crib: DIY
Heart Decals: From Walmart but these ones are similar!
Changing Pad Cover: You can find it here.
Somebody donated the crib and dresser to us and we picked up the change table on a buy + sell site!
OUTFIT DETAILS:
ME: My shirt is from Pink Blush. I wore a ton of their clothes during maternity and was so happy to find out that they make non-maternity as well! I've been eyeing up more of their tops because I'm in need of some back to work clothes and I have so many in my shopping basket, ha! Here is the link to my shirt I'm wearing!
London: Still squeezing into this romper!
Her room is one of my favourites in the house. It's so peaceful and I can't wait to see it transform as my little girl grows up. I can't believe she'll be one in two short months!!!
Huge thanks to Rachael Alexandra for shooting these photos in the crazy heat!!
XO,
Laura
FAVOURITE BOOKS FOR BABIES + TODDLERS
This week is Luca's final week taking part in our local library's (and province-wide) Summer Reading Club. It's a seven week program where you record the books you read and then at the end of the week you get a sticker and a prize! It's kinda surreal because I did it when I was a kid (at the exact same library too!!!!)
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This week is Luca's final week taking part in our local library's (and province-wide) Summer Reading Club. It's a seven week program where you record the books you read and then at the end of the week you get a sticker and a prize! It's kinda surreal because I did it when I was a kid (at the exact same library too!!!!)
If you've been following me for awhile, you'll know I'm a book lover through and through. My hope and dream is that my babies will follow suit. Thankfully they've already developed a love for books. Throughout the day Luca will bring me books to read and at bed time he would read hundreds if he could.
Here is a list of our favourites:
- That's not my Lion - These "That's not my..." books are soo good for babies! They have touch and feel parts that babies love to interact with. London just adores this book and when Luca was her age, he loved it as well. (I'd say best for age 6 months-18 months). London also gives the lion kisses at the end of the book and it is the cutest thing ever!!!
- Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You- Oh my goodness this book and every other book I've read by Nancy Tillman make me weep!!! They are so beautifully written and capture the heart of parenting (and heart of God.) I was given a number of her books when I had Luca and I was so glad because I had never heard of her books. I 100% recommend getting these for a baby shower!!
- Little Blue Truck Leads The Way- These Little Blue Truck books are sooo sweet. Now that Luca is a bit older, he likes longer stories. I love the illustrations in these ones too.
- Little Owl Lost- I just LOVE these books by Chris Haughton! We also have Oh, No George! and it's soo great. Cute, witty writing and cute illustrations. Luca loves them and often requests them!!
- Each Peach Pear Plum- We love this classic one.
- Are You My Mother?- Another well loved classic.
- Llama, Llama Red Pajama- Probably the most fun rhyme to read!
- DADA- I do NOT recommend this one if you want your child to say MAMA first, ha!! I hid this one from London. Luca said Dada first and I blame it all on this book!!!
- Goodnight Moon- Such a classic!!! I did read a funny buzz feed post on about all the quirkiness in it and made me LOL.
- Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb- We love drumming along to this one!
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See?- We love this classic so much, I have a t-shirt of it!!
- Hello My Name is Bob- Luca randomly picked this one out at the library and it's SOOO GOOD. I'm tempted to buy it for him.
- Little People, Big Dreams: Rosa Parks- These books are written about amazing women who changed the world! We have Rosa Parks + Audrey Hepburn but I plan on getting London the whole set!
- The Gruffalo- Such a good book! I have it memorized.
PIN FOR LATER!
That's my list of favourites, I'd love to hear what you love to read to your littles!
XO,
Laura
photos by Rachael Alexandra Co