Three Baby Products Every Mom Needs

My little sister is expecting a baby in the fall and I have been sharing with her all the essentials to register for.  Beyond the basics it gets kind of tricky.  I will say that there are a lot of amazing products out there and it can be really overwhelming to decide on what you need.  I want to share my top three baby items that have made life with babies so much easier.

1.  Owlet monitor

I purchased this when my second baby arrived and I wish I had gotten it with my first.  Lizzie slept in her crib from day two and this little sock gave me peace of mind.  Owlet tracks your baby's oxygen level and heart rate through a sensor placed in a sock on their foot.  The sock is really easy to put on and it doesn't irritate or both the baby.  It comes with three different sized socks, so as your child grows you can keep using it.  The base alerts you if oxygen or heart rate levels fall below normal or if the sock stops monitoring.  They have an app that you can watch -- it even will tell you when your baby is wiggling.  I remember with Brecken, my oldest, checking on him all the time to make sure he was breathing.  So beyond the many times I was already up and feeding, I was losing even more sleep because I was scared he wasn't breathing.  The owlet changed EVERYTHING.  I could monitor her and I knew if something changed, I would hear the alert through her monitor.  Not that I slept a lot because life with a newborn is not that way, but I slept soundly.  It is worth every penny to purchase this to get the peace of mind that comes with knowing your little one is okay.  It is also so easy to take with you on trips.  We went on two trips away from home when she was just a few months old and had no issue using the owlet in hotels.  Purchase yours here.

2.  Bumbo

I have used my Bumbo with both of my babies a lot!  They are the perfect size to put on the floor, table, counter, pretty much anywhere you want to your baby with you.  It's got a safety belt to make sure they don't fall out and of course always monitor them if you have them up on a higher surface.  We use ours a lot when I am cooking dinner, so I can have the babies right by me.  They are great for feeding in leiu of a highchair.  I also like putting Lizzie in the bathroom with me while I do my hair and makeup.  Once your kid can sit up supported they are ready for a Bumbo.

3. Play Mat

Brecken got our play mat for Christmas when he was just two months old.  He loved it instantly and was entertained by the lights and sounds.  As he got older he could play with the hanging animals as well as the crinkly leaf on bottom portion.  He is now 2.5 years old and will still lay under it (especially if little sister is under there).  Lizzie loves it too.  We have only had to change the batteries a few times and this baby has been sturdy and durable for both of my kids.  We have the older version of the Fisher-Price Rainforest Melodies and Lights Deluxe Gym, but the new one looks really cute and is a lot cheaper!

What are your life saving baby items? I love hearing about new products that are great for my kids!

*This is not a sponsored ad, just products I love and want to share!*

Mommy Style Monday: Bonding with My Kids

A while back I wrote a post on my transition from one to two kids.  I have to say that as Lizzie is getting older, daily survival is getting easier, but each stage brings new challenges.  Learning to share, taking turns, and all those fun social skills are a big part of Brecken's learning right now.
From the beginning I have been a huge advocate of making sure that both my kids are loved, protected, and taught by me as much as possible.  Most of our days consist of the three of us playing together.  The balancing act during those times can get tricky, but I do my best to ensure that I am giving them both what they need.

This week's Mommy Style Monday post is answering the question "How do you bond with your kids?"  Being 2.5 and almost 8 months old, it all comes down to one word: TIME.

Brecken has been a trooper going from getting all my attention to sharing it with his sister.  When she has her morning nap and late afternoon nap it is his time with me.  I basically give him free reign to decide what we do, but we do it together.  I don't get on my phone, turn on the TV, or anything that would distract from him.  Normally we play with toys, read books, and he likes to run around the room and then jump on pillows to play "night night".  This past week his favorite things were: playing with Easter eggs and building towers with his legos.  This time with him is precious to me and I know he craves that one-on-one attention as well.  When Brandon is home, he often will take Brecken outside, just the two of them to play, ride tractors, etc.  I can see a huge difference when he has these times with us.

Elizabeth gets a bit more one-on-one with me than her brother.  I love my bedtime feeding with her.  She is usually very snuggly and smiley.  Same goes for her though, if she wakes up early from her lunchtime nap (when Brecken naps) then I give her my time.  We play with learning toys, I read her books, and we also just walk around the house and look out the windows (her new favorite activity).  Again, just giving her my time she knows she is the center of my world in those moments.                                
                                                            

As the kids get older we plan to do two-on-one and one-on-one "dates" with the kids.  It just consists of having them with both parents and individual parents to go out and do something fun together.  Brecken will probably be ready to start doing this soon.  He and I did go to the dentist this week with out his sister.  He loved it!

There isn't much complexity to what I believe makes kids (or people for that matter) feel special.  Give them your time.

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Check out the other Blogs: 

Kiana at Glitter&Donuts

Madeline at CaseyLand

Alexis at Witt Family Happenings

Haley at Embrace the Journey