Noelle's Stuff

I love going into Babies 'R Us and seeing the confused, newly pregnant parents wander about aimlessly trying to piece together this whole baby world. Makes me realize how far we've come and how much we still have to learn. I often end up educating some of these new parents on baby carriers, car seats, bottles, pumps, cloth diaper options and more. One of the employees actually brought me over and application once. I still cant tell if that was backhanded or not. Not my fault they dont do their research. Research was my favorite thing in the world while I was pregnant and then some. Anyways, here is a list of Noelle's "stuff".

* = absolutely essential
** = makes life easier
*** = best luxury ever (worth every penny)

*changing table- I found one at goodwill for $12.99. It was old, ugly and this poopy polished wood color (yuck). My husband sanded it and painted it chartreuse. I bought a pad with two covers and it's been an essential part of our life. She LOVES her changing pad.

***DIY mobile- I hung a chinese paper tiny parasol mobile above her changing table. They spin and she loves it.

*diapers- 3 dozen pre-folds (three sizes), 10 diaper covers (adjustable sizes), 5 snappis.

**coconut oil- I don't mean to brag but this baby has never even seen a trace of diaper rash. I coconut oil up her butt with every change. I also use it for her cradle cap and her nightly lavender massage. She has earned her name as my coco butt goat.

***bottle warmer- We warm all 36oz.(a day) of her donated breast milk 4oz. at a time in this bottle warmer. It's 2 minutes, 10 seconds and super east to use in the middle of the night. I suppose we'll use it for formula too if we ever need to.

*clothes- I find the CUTEST stuff at thrift stores. And of course people bought her lots of clothes while I was pregnant. Check for stains, bring em home and throw them in the wash. Boom!

**carriers- I'm one of those annoying moms who loves baby wearing. I have my ergo, pikkolo & a girasol converted ring sling. All of these mean she's being held while my hands are free. Awesome!

*snuggle nest- we co-sleep and this means giving her a safe, comfy place to sleep in our bed. I love our snuggle nest! Seriously I dont know how we lived without it. She can hear us breathe and I can hear all of her noises and movements throughout the night. She stays super safe and cozy.

***amber necklace- she started showing signs of teething at like, 2 months so I put on her amber teething necklace and it's been really helpful with her discomfort.

***Sophie giraffe- this was a gift from her aunt Erin and its the best gift ever. She loves to chew on her Sophie!

**snugabunny swing- a wise lady once told me that parenting is all about tricking your baby lol. after I rock her to sleep with a bottle, I put her in her swing and she feels rocked and cuddled for a good long time while I do laundry, pay bills and other general stuff. her swing is versatile, quiet and gentle. Perfect for my little sleeping goat.

***lifefactory glass bottles- i only use glass bottles. I'm not sure what my deal is with this. There's something that makes me uneasy about plastic. I'm one of those weirdos that only has glass food storage containers too. she has 6 lifefactory 4 oz. glass bottles and we use them every day. They come with caps that will be used as a little cups when she's ready.

*graco snugride 35 car seat- this car seat is safe, comfy and pretty. we leave the base in the car 24/7 and the car seat can also be put on a stroller base and converted into a stroller! yay! I think the whole set up was $200 but totally worth it. Big girls love safety!

***petunia pickle bottom diaper bag- um, have you seen these. they're way cuter than any purse I've ever owned. super convenient and can be made into a backpack. hooray!

**fisher price rock 'n play- Its a staple in the kitchen. I give her a measuring cup to chew/suck on and put her in this thing and she watches mama cook and clean.

***medela Hospital Grade Breast Pump- I didn't end up getting to use it (boohoo) but if you get an electric breast pump, don't go cheap! Spend on that shit! Breast milk is liquid gold.


Well, that's pretty much the basics. I hope she reads this one day and can laugh at all of the awesome new stuff we used for her. Rearing babies gets easier and easier in the stuff department. I laughed so hard at some of the things my mom used to use on me and my brother. Rubber pants & pins! Love it!