Some things I love

I've been a mom for almost 3 years now. I've seen a lot and learned a TON and tried many things along the way. I am nowhere near the Momma I want to be yet, but I'm on my way. With Izacc, everything had to be fresh and new and clean and, well, it gets exhausting and almost impossible when the second one comes around. Ian has become my second-hand baby when it comes to clothes and toys and blankets and whatnot. Poor kid hardly has anything new. I am, however, finding a new appreciation for Mommy gadgets and products. Things I never looked twice at with Izacc, but with Ian almost become a necessity. So here are a few things I love.

Hugamonkey

HugaMonkey Baby Slings

I was looking at getting a sling. I have a knock-off baby Bjorn but I've seen mommies all around with these slings and I thought that having one might come in handy, especially with Izacc's fast and furious ways. So I began the search, reading people's feed back and reviews of so so many slings. Maya Wraps, Moby Wraps, Ring Slings. There are SO many different kinds of slings out there! Some looked complicated, some looked downright scary. I went to a baby store and tried on a few. I could NOT justify spending $80 on a piece of fabric.

Enter Hugamonkey.

HugaMonkey Baby Slings

I stumbled upon this website in my searching and couldn't believe my eyes! First of all, the price was unbelievable! It was really affordable PLUS free shipping! And free returns if you don't like the sling, so you can't lose! And I read all the reviews and they were all so positive. I also loved the fact that it had a monkey in the name. I mean c'mon, do you even know me? So I ordered one with a coupon from here and saved 10%. It came fairly quickly and when I received it I fell in love! It is super easy to use, no folding, no tightening, no clasps or clips. I can just put it on and go. Ian loves it too. He goes right to sleep usually whenever I use it. And it's small enough to keep in my diaper bag. I can wear it for hours with no pain in my back or shoulder. It's so versatile, there are so many ways to wear it as he gets older and bigger. Plus when he falls asleep all I have to do is take off the sling and lay him down. He totally stays asleep! Thom has even sported it a couple times while shopping, so that's saying something. Well, as you can see, I just love this little thing and think I will be bringing one to every baby shower I attend until the end of time. Best.Thing.Ever.
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Snuggle Nest
When Izacc was born, we had a bassinet given to us, which we set up next to our bed and used for 3 or 4 months. Well, we moved and not only did the the size of our room get significantly downsized, but we switched from a queen to a king sized bed. When I set up the bassinet for Ian, I soon realized that this room isn't big enough for the three of us...literally. I was tripping over it all the time and putting the Boppy and clean clothes and basically anything that was in the way in it because Ian seemed to prefer sleeping on our bed anyway. So I started looking at co-sleepers that connected to the bed and soon found out just how expensive they are. My search, however, was not in vain because I ran into Baby Delight's Snuggle Nest. There weren't many reviews about it that I could find, but I thought anything was better than waking up to your husband about to squash your 2 week old baby. So I ordered it and am so super glad I did! It is awesome!So the picture is a little creepy. I know, can't you just imagine me and Thom gazing fondly at Ian? Gag. Anyway, skeezy picture aside, I love this dang thing. It has these hard plastic sides to prevent any middle of the night squashings and a sweet nightlight at the top so I don't have to turn on my lamp. It has sleep positions that not only keep him where he needs to be, but also make him feel nice and snuggly like he were in my arms. (Have I mentioned this baby LOVES to sleep while being held and most days will only sleep while doing so? Yeah, for the first few weeks of his life he was literally glued in my arms.) I also love the fact that the bottom of the bed is not enclosed because Ian is a giant in the length department and he can still fit into it. Oh and it folds up and can travel. Way easier to pack than the pack and play, takes up a lot less space. Not to mention that I can just wake up and feed him and we can both get right back to sleep. It's been awesome and I love it.
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Huggies Brand Little Snugglers Diapers
I loves me some Huggies diapers. Izacc was a Luvs baby for the simple fact that I could not afford Huggies. All of a sudden, however, the prices seemed to become the same and so we switched. When Ian was born, I fell in love with them even more. They had a strip on the front that would change color when wet, which was AwEsOmE with a newborn baby boy. And the best thing about them is, in my opinion, the little waistband in the back that makes a sort of pocket and keeps all the, erm, runny yellow messes where they need to be. We have not had one explosion that went up the back (knock on wood) the whole time. That's 3 months strong! Now, that's not saying that sometimes the diaper doesn't get away from us and hiked over on one cheek, but that's a whole other mess altogether.
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Udder Covers

I know, the name is revolting. And honestly, I wouldn't have even looked twice at these if it weren't for Thom. He found a coupon online and told me to check 'em out. So I did. Nursing was almost a new thing for me. With Izacc it was practically a chore. He was very stubborn and it was difficult and I didn't have a very good supply so we only lasted four months or so and he was bottle fed mostly. But Ian, man, he sure loves to nurse. And I was beginning to make my family uncomfortable with all the boob action motherly attention I was paying toward little Ian. I was thinking about making an apron for myself, but then I found Utter Covers. It's a sweet little apron with boning around the neckline so you can see what's going on under there. And it's got a couple of "D" rings so you can make it as loose or tight as you like. And on their website, if you enter the promo code onefree, all you have to pay is shipping, which is like $8.95 or something. They basically take off the price of one cover, which is $32. So considering, I think it's a pretty good deal, especially since I don't think I could make one for nine bucks. It's nice and convenient and easy to use. My brothers especially love it...ahem...I mean when I wear it...moving on...
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Dreft Laundry Stain RemoverAhh Dreft, how do I love thee. The detergent that make everything smell like a baby. Ahh, the sweet smell of Heaven. What is not the sweet smell of Heaven is what comes out the southern end of said sweet baby. Ahh eww. There have been many a onsie stained around the legs, you know, where the Huggies waistband can't protect. Here is where the Dreft laundry spray comes in. I honestly swear that this stuff works miracles. Even on the hand-me-down stains! It is awesome. I have two bottles, one in the baby's room and one in the laundry room. It works on other stuff too, but it's amazing on the, as my hubby likes to call it, "danger poop".