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!!!
32 + SOME FAMILY PHOTOS
Today I am 32. I don't know what it is but I look at that picture above and I feel that I look 32...which is odd to me because I feel like I've been 29 for the past 5 years...and will say I'm 29 for at least five more.
Today I am 32. I don't know what it is but I look at that picture above and I feel that I look 32...which is odd to me because I feel like I've been 29 for the past 5 years...and will say I'm 29 for at least five more.
My 31st year (or was last year my 32nd year? I can't remember how that works...I'm pretty sure it's my 32nd come to think of it because this fall London will turn 1 but this whole year was her first year so scratch that, it was my 32nd year!) was a crazy one. It went by in an instant.
With us getting pregnant January 2017, I went back to work one month early so by my birthday last year, I had one month left of working and had a 14 month old little lion. It seems so surreal that one year later, I go back to work in just over a month, have a TWO year old and a baby girl who is turning ONE in less than two months!! INSANE.
31 went by waaaay too quickly! I started out by finishing work, then waiting for London to come and between that my beloved Nana Rosa passed away.
And then London came on October 19th, 2017 and we had TWO children under the age of 16 months. It was pure insanity. So so special but such a blur. I can remember certain moments from those early days but it breaks my heart with how much was a whirlwind.
2018 came and I felt like I could finally take a breath. I slowly got the hang of taking care of two kiddos and I sloooooowed down. I neglected this space for awhile...I'm sorry but I can only do so much.
We went to Mexico and NYC and had some good times with family. But there were also LOTS of hard times. Hard times where I got mad at the kids or mad at James or mad at something. Remember instagram often shows the highlight reel. There is sooo much more behind the scenes that isn't shared.
But God was always there, giving me new mercy after new mercy. I've come to know His grace for this season in a huge way. My devotions look different than they once did and I know one day they'll be that again but He knows I need sleep in this season...and I'm learning to give myself a bit more grace.
Things I learned this past year:
- It's ok to not have it all together.
I'm a bit of a control freak and this whole past year was out of my control and you know what, I survived. It's ok to not be at your goal weight. It's ok to put your career on hold. It's ok for your house to be a mess. It's ok. - Slow down and enjoy the season.
This summer was one of sloooowing down. We went to lots of parks and lots of playdates. We didn't accomplish a whole lot but that's ok. I made memories with my favourite people and that's what counts. - God's grace is always there.
Like I said before, I felt his grace more than ever. I made mistakes, said things I shouldn't and yelled at my kids. My devotions were nothing like they've been in the past but God was so gracious to me. He loves me because I am his child not because of my efforts. He gave me strength to be a mama and a wife and he will continue to do so. He gave me peace in those early postpartum days and hope when things were tough. He is a faithful God. - Kindness is important.
I didn't talk much about my word for 2018 but it was KINDNESS. Kindness is something I need to work on and I'm still working on it but what I do know is that it is dang important.
Goals for 32:
I have a few goals which I'll be working on but in a nutshell my main plan is to focus on:
- JESUS. Get back to consistent daily devotions. I'm about to order a 40 day prayer devotional. London sleeps through the night so I really have no excuse. I can go to bed earlier and wake up early.
- FAMILY. When I return to work, I'll be going down to four days a week. My plan is to be very intentional on those Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays. I signed Luca up for gymnastics so I'm excited to have some dates with him there!
- HEALTH. I have totally neglected my health and I am feeling it. My goal is to get signed up to a gym in September and commit to working out/running/walking 3x a week.
- WORK. I have a new role at work and it freaks me out in the best of ways! I get to do what I'm passionate about but I'm going to reallly need Jesus' strength!
I have some more things I want to work on but I'm trying to simplify it!
31, you were one for the books....crazy amazing, but also crazy hard. 32, I'm coming for you!
XOXO,
Laura
SIX YEARS OF MARRIAGE + SOME MARRIAGE ADVICE
Throughout these six years we've soared on glorious highs and crawled through rocky lows. No marriage is perfect. We've had seasons where all we could do was keep our head above water. There are days where we annoy the heck out of each other BUT throughout all of it, we have seen God's faithfulness. We have seen that he has truly brought us together and as we trust in him, we both know that he will keep us together.
Today James and I have been married for SIX YEARS. My goodness, we're four years away from ten years!!
It feels like it's been a day and it feels like it's been 100 years.
Throughout these six years we've soared on glorious highs and crawled through rocky lows. No marriage is perfect. We've had seasons where all we could do was keep our head above water. There are days where we annoy the heck out of each other BUT throughout all of it, we have seen God's faithfulness. We have seen that he has truly brought us together and as we trust in him, we both know that he will keep us together.
Kids throw a giant wrench into your married relationship. And for seasons you do what you can do to survive...that was us for the first 4 months of London's life.
BUT we always try to remember that our marriage comes first and kids come second. It's easy to say but much harder to do and this one is a daily challenge!
I often get asked marriage advice (which is a bit crazy as it's only been 6 years!!) here's what I usually say:
MARRIAGE TIPS
- Keep God the centre. Again so easy to say but harder to do. For me this means, praying with your spouse, praying for your spouse, declaring God's promises over your marriage (especially through the rough times). Ask God what your next steps are.
- During conflict, remember that you are on the same team. The problem (kids, money, etc) is not between you (even if you have different opinions). You are side by side and the problem is across from you and you are called to work together with your spouse to tackle the problem. The problem is not between you!
- Talk it out. Obviously communication is HUGE. In the early days, I often had to remind myself that James could not read my mind. If something is bugging you, BRING IT UP. Don't bottle it up, you'll just resent your spouse. Talk it out.
- Have sex. Sex strengthens your marriage. It's a gift from God not to be abused or unused. Use this gift.
- Have intentional time together! Schedule a date and go out together! Get off your phone and talk to each other. Have fun and enjoy each other!
- No phones in the bedroom. This one has been a game changer for us!!! We haven't had electronics in the bedroom for over 2 years and it is such a peaceful environment. We're not really good at going to bed at the same time but I want to work on that one!
- Put your marriage before your kids. I talked about this above but I always go back to this quote....Tell your kids that they came into your life not the other way around. Don't ignore your spouse. It's a hard one for mamas because at the end of the day you are sooo touched out, ha! But make time for your hubby. It's important.
I'd love to hear your favourite marriage advice! Let me know in the comments!
Happy anniversary James. Love you for life and I'm I 100% believe that our best days are ahead of us. The best is yet to be. xoxoox
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