registry must haves [play!]

1. Melissa & Doug Linking Crab. 

hands down, Ronin's favorite car seat toy. my aunt told me that red is the first color that babies see, so that may have something to do with it. the bottom legs are crinkly, so he loves squeezing them. 

2. Fisher-Price Luv U Zoo Musical Mobile Gym. 

I'm pretty sure all mobile gyms are one in the same, but we really liked this one. it plays music and the actual mobile moves in a circle. before Ronin could reach the toys, he liked watching the lights blinking while laying on the mat. all the toys are different too - one is a rattle, one has little links attached to it, and another is a mirror. he still plays with this today, just from a different perspective than laying on his back. 

3. Taggie Blanket. 

fact: babies love tags. if you give them a stuffed animal, they will search for the tag. these blankies are nice and soft and the tags are brightly colored.

4. Sophie the Giraffe. 

I know that some people think that Sophie is a glorified dog toy, but we love her. the rubber is smooth and soft, and it has numerous parts for him to chew on. in the beginning, he loved chewing on her legs & feet, but now that he's bigger, he shoves her whole face in his mouth.

5. Rhino Toys Oball Rattle. 

this toy is great and I think it was one of the first toys that Ronin was actually grasp and play with. it's design makes it easy for tiny hands to grip and babies like the fun rattle sound. 

6. Sassy Spin Shine Rattle. 

my BFF bought this for Ronin when he was one month old. I would hold it above him and move it around and he would be absolutely captivated by it. the bold patterns and colors really stand out to young babies and help develop vision as well as encourage eye-tracking. 

7. Fisher-Price Soothe & Glow Seahorse. 

I remember one night when we were trying to get Ronin to sleep in the early days... I think he was a week or two old, if that. he was so upset and we had no idea what was wrong... he was fed and had a clean diaper, so we thought he was just tired, but was so stubborn and wouldn't sleep. 

I remembered that we had this seahorse in the package upstairs in his room. I sprinted up the stairs and tore it from the cardboard and put it next to him as I carried him around the house. I shit you not, the silence was almost INSTANT. he loved the music and the soft glow that the seahorse provided, and we used it to help him sleep every night for those first few months. 

even though he doesn't really pay much attention to it now, it provided invaluable sleep in the early days of sleep deprivation. 

8. Baby Einstein Music & Discovery Octopus. 

this is Ovie the Octopus and he is Ronin's best friend in the entire world (besides me, of course). this guy is awesome. he plays music and water sounds and some of his legs are crinkly, so naturally, babies love him. he has some teething toys attached to him as well. he goes everywhere with us and I think he will be a part of Ronin's life for a long time. there are different sea animals on his tentacles and they are labeled in English and Spanish, so it's something that we will use to teach him things down the road as well. 

9. Cloud B Gentle Giraffe. 

our Giraffe's name is Gerard and he is a staple for nap and bed time. we love the white noise that he makes and Ronin sometimes likes to suck on his ears to soothe himself to sleep. weeeeeirdo. anyway, he is awesome and the only thing that would make him better is if he played noise longer than 45 minutes. 

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and because I can't help myself, here's Ronin enjoying all of these products:

registry must haves [bath time]

1. Pottery Barn Hooded Bath Towel. 

I received many bath towels as gifts at my shower. this towel is, hands down, my favorite. it's soooo soft and soaks up water like an adult bath towel. I find some of the others are quite thin, almost like a tea towel. 

2. Octopus Bath Thermometer. 

this little floating thermometer is great. I just plop it in the tub when I'm filling it up and check it before I put Ronin in for his bath. it tells me if the water is Cold, Ideal, or Hot. easy peasy. 

3. SwaddleDesigns Washcloth Set. 

softest washcloths on the planet. end of story. 

4. Munchkin Shampoo Rinser. 

a friend gave me one of these under the advice of her sister, and it is one of my favorite and most used unexpected gifts. the cup is nice and soft so that you can rest against baby's head and rinse out shampoo without getting water all over his face. honestly? I just like the cup. I still put my hand across his forehead to block the water, haha. however, the cup itself is huge and I use it for rinsing all the soap off of him. I feel comfortable letting him play with (and inevitably chew on) the cup while I'm washing him.

5. Skip Hop Whale Spout Cover. 

pretty obvious why this is needed, right? to protect little heads from a hard and possibly sharp faucet. we haven't had an issue with this yet since Ronin is still only 6 months old, but I'm sure it'll happen eventually. 

6. California Baby Calming Lotion. 

I love the California Baby line because the product is free of yucky chemicals that have no business being in baby products. the lotion is nice and thin and therefore, dries quickly... which comes in handy when you have a naked baby that need pajamas on... don't wanna dress him while he's still lotion-y! oh, and it smells fantastic. 

7. Just Luve Bath Towel. 

this little towel is shaped like a frog and it fits over baby so that he can stay warm while taking a bath (best used for newborns). you just dunk the towel in warm water and place it over the baby. Ronin enjoyed chewing on the frog's legs a lot. 

8. California Baby Calming Shampoo & Body Wash. 

again, it only contains organic ingredients, and smells divine. I'm unsure as to whether the formula actually calms babies, as it's the only kind we've used. I think that babies are generally calmed by bath time anyway, so I can't provide a review on that aspect. 

9. The First Years Infant to Toddler Tub. 

it's not the stylish Puj Tub, and it is a bit of an eye sore, but I love this tub. it fits right in the sink for those newborn baby baths and then can be placed inside the tub once baby is a little bigger. it's designed to be used from birth until the baby can sit in the bathtub unassisted. it's easy to fill, easy to drain, and has a little compartment to keep his soap and wash cloth(s). the only con is that it takes up a lot of room, but considering my house looks like BRU exploded in it anyway, who cares. 

baby registry must haves [feeding]

I realize that I've never talked about our breastfeeding relationship on here yet, so I will definitely get to that in a future post. 

despite a valiant effort, nursing didn't work out for us (I'll discuss our issues in a different post). it was still important to me that Ronin get his nutrition from breast milk, which led to the decision to exclusively pump and bottle feed him. 

these are the items that I've found most helpful for our situation. if you are successful at exclusively breastfeeding, you may not need a 5 pack of bottles and a double electric pump, so keep that in mind. :) 

1. Lansinoh Lanolin.

this stuff is heavenly for sore/cracked nipples. when you have a baby figuring out how to latch, you WILL have nipple pain. once you get into a rhythm, you may not need it anymore, but I highly recommend having it on hand for those early weeks. 

2. Ameda Purely Yours Double Electric Breast Pump. 

the only reason I recommend this pump is because it's the one that was sent to me for free from my insurance company (thank you to my government employee husband for having awesome insurance). if you plan on pumping a lot (either to build a stash or because nursing doesn't work for you), a double electric pump is a must. 

confession: up until Ronin was 5 months old, I used a single electric and a manual hand pump to express breast milk. the single took too long and the manual left blisters on my hands. needless to say, I jumped for joy when this baby arrived on my doorstep.  

3. Boon Grass Drying Rack. 

this is pretty self explanatory. it's just a drying rack for bottles, pump parts, tiny little spoons, etc., but it's not an eyesore to look at. 

4. Oxo Bottle Brush. 

I love this bottle brush so much more than a person should love a bottle brush. the bristles are soft, and they fit perfectly into EVERY bottle. there is a little rubber piece that twists off from the bottle of the handle to clean the inside of the nipples... works like a charm. 

5. Breast Milk Storage Bags. 

like I mentioned above, if you're solely nursing, you probably won't need these... at least you won't need 100 of them. because I pump and I have a decent milk supply, I am often pumping more than I need for Ronin's daily intake. in that case, it's nice to be able to put milk in the freezer for a day when I need to leave him and won't be handy to pump his next meal. 

truthfully, the only reason I use the Lansinoh ones is because I got them as a shower gift and haven't had to buy anymore yet. however, they are very easy to pour milk into/out of and I like that I can label the tab at the top with the date and amount. 

6. Bottles. 

we chose to use Avent bottles on a whim, and thankfully, Ronin took to them just fine. sometimes, baby can be picky about bottles, but we got pretty lucky.

we chose these bottles because of the two part anti-colic system that includes the nipple and a plastic adapter ring. I don't know if they had anything to do with Ronin's easy going nature, but we've never had any issues with them, so I'll continue to use them for our future kids. I also like these bottles because the nipple is wider than most, which led to less nipple confusion back when we were still trying to nurse. 

7. Boppy. 

I liked using the Boppy when breastfeeding, but even though we no longer do the boob feeding, we still use the Boppy almost every day. it's a great way to prop Ronin up when trying to get him to sit up unassisted, and he enjoyed leaning on it to practice tummy time. I suggest getting a cover or two... there WILL be spit up on it. 

8. Lansinoh Disposable Nursing Pads. 

if there is one item I should buy stock in, it's these damn things. fun fact: when you produce milk, you will likely leak. I have to wear these every single day to prevent soaking my shirts. in fact, when I had to go topless at my annual womanly appointment last December, I leaked all over the flimsy gown just from talking about Ronin. I tried the Medela pads as well, but I preferred the Lansinoh ones because they were more comfortable and didn't make it look like I had weird nipples. 

round up: so you want to cloth diaper your baby...

I can't even count how many looks of disgust I received when I told people that we'd be using cloth diapers on Ronin. people act as if your kid is going to be covered in poop or something. 

before I even got pregnant, I knew I wanted to cloth diaper, for a variety of reasons. the most obvious reason is the money savings - the average family spends $1,000 on diapers for the first year, meaning (assuming the child potty trains at two and a half) one child will cost the family $2,500 in diapers alone. I think by the time we're done building our stash, we may spend as much as $800 in cloth diapers, which will last us until Ronin is potty trained AND will last us through future children. 

also, cloth diapers are ideal for sensitive babies' skin, and studies show that cloth diapered babies potty train earlier and easier than those that use disposables. and finally, it's so, so, SO much better for the environment to use cloth diapers. 

(disclaimer: for the time being, we are using disposable diapers on Ronin at night, simply because I've been spoiled with a baby who sleeps through the night and I don't want to ruin that by having him wake up from being wet. I am doing some reading and investing in some bamboo inserts to stuff in his pockets.)

when I found out I was pregnant with Ronin, I immediately went into research mode to find the best way to build our stash. I knew that I wanted to cloth diaper from the beginning, which meant that I needed to have teeny tiny newborn size diapers to start with.

but before we get into the details of our inventory, let's cover the essentials that are needed for cloth diapering. 

keep in mind that these are all items that have worked for OUR family. not every CD mama uses Charlie's Soap or ditched the disposable wipes. some moms prefer using a diaper pail with a liner instead of wet bags. it's all in what works best for you. 

1. Cloth Diaper Safe Detergent. 

most mainstream laundry detergents contain ingredients that will build up in diapers and cause them to repel. here's a great list of detergents to use as a reference. we use Charlie's Soap and have had no problems with it. we are actually still using the first tub we purchased and Ronin is six months old (almost). 

2. Wool Dryer Balls. 

if you want to avoid static and soften your clothes/diapers, dryer balls are the way to go. dryer sheets like Bounce leave a film on diapers (as well as other clothing) and cause them to repel. wool dryer balls are also better for the environment and they shorten drying time. 

3. Thirsties Cloth Wipes. 

we chose to use cloth wipes instead of disposable wipes for a few reasons. first off, like using cloth diapers, it's cheaper. secondly, it's just easier. instead of having to separate the disposable wipes from the diaper and throw it away, I just tuck the cloth wipe(s) into the dirty diaper and throw it all in the wet bag to be washed. it just makes more sense that way. I like the Thirsties wipes because they're super soft... and fun colors. 

4. Hanging Wet Bag. 

as I mentioned above, some folks prefer having a pail with a liner & a lid, but I love having wet bags. they have a little strap that I use to hang on the Pack N Play (or a door knob) for convenience. I use the large Planet Wise bags and have yet to have any issues with smell. I toss all the wet and dirty diapers, along with wipes, in the bag and when it's time to do diaper laundry, I unzip and dump the contents into the washing machine and just toss it in with the diapers. I have another wet bag that replaces the one in the wash. 

5. OzoCozy Flannel Wipes. 

I like these wipes because they get the job done and they're cheap, and I didn't have to make them. there's nothing special about them, but I tend to use them more often than the Thirsties wipes for quick changes.

6. Cloth Diaper Safe Diaper Rash Ointment.

regular diaper rash creams create a barrier on the inner portion of the diaper, which causes repelling of liquids. we just had our first experience with diaper rash and Nature's Baby Organics Diaper Ointment cleared it up overnight. 

7. Spray Bottle. 

if you're using cloth wipes, you'll most likely want to make a wipe solution to use for dirty diapers or just to rub your baby down if they're soaked in pee. I just fill this spray bottle up halfway with hot water, a teaspoon of baby oil, and a teaspoon of baby wash. I then just spray the wipes (or the baby) when it's time to change a poop diaper. when I'm out in public, I just wet the wipes with plain old water and it does the trick just fine.

8. Travel Wet Bag. 

along with the two wet bags I keep at home, I also have a smaller one that I keep in the diaper bag for outings. it can hold 4-5 diapers (max) but is small enough that it doesn't take up too much room while we're out and about.  

let me just say that CDing has been a great experience for us so far and not nearly as difficult or time consuming as I imagined it might be. I look forward to putting Ronin in cloth for the day (remember, disposables at night), because they leak SO MUCH LESS than the disposables. and let's face it, it doesn't get much cuter than a big fluffy baby butt. 

if you have any questions about cloth diapering, I'd more than happy to answer them. feel free to leave them in the comments! I also recommend Jillian's Drawers as a good place to get started.

baby registry must haves [nitty-gritty]

these are items that everyone should have on their registry. yes, every baby is different and blah blah blah, and while brand names may vary for a few (Soothie vs. MAM, etc), this is a pretty universal list in my opinion. I only learned about these baby essentials from other moms, and I'm SO glad I did. 

1. Angel Dear Blankies.
Ronin has two of these (the tiger and the blue hippo) and absolutely LOVES them. he sleeps with one every single night. he mostly cuddles it, but occasionally enjoys chewing on it too.

don't worry, they're completely breathable. I slept with one on my face to be sure. 

2. Vulli Vanilla Teethers.
we have Sophie too (to be reviewed in another post), but these things are golden. they are much easier for little hands to grip. I feel like these feel better on his gums because they're harder than the rubber that Sophie is made of. and? they smell like vanilla!

3. Baby K'Tan Carrier.
when researching carriers, I was pretty overwhelmed by 1, the many different kinds out there, and 2, how the hell to actually wear a baby in them. the Baby K'tan solved all my insecurities. instead of a continuous length of fabric, it's separated into two loops that work to create different positions for baby based on his/her age and comfort ability. very easy to use and (most) babies love to be snug up against mama.

it comes in handy when I'm doing things around the house and when I'm out shopping. Ronin prefers to be carried to his car seat/stroller, so I take it with me everywhere. lugging around a baby in your arms is tiring after a while. it's incredibly comfortable for me too because the double loop design allows for lower back support.

4. Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometer.
let me preface this by saying that the most accurate way to take a baby's temperature is rectally. however, when your baby is sick and sleeping, you are sure as hell not going to want to wake him up to stick a thermometer up his butt. I've found that, when used correctly, this thermometer is accurate and non-invasive. however, when Ronin is awake and I need to take his temperature, I use a rectal thermometer.

5. Aden + Anais Muslin Swaddle Wraps.
you will hear it from many moms - these blankets are the BEST for swaddling. they are light, soft, and super stretchy to make sure your burrito baby is nice and snug. they're pricey, but worth it. even though we don't swaddle anymore, we still use these daily.

brand new Ronin!

6. Little Tummys Gripe Water.
in the first few sleep deprived days of motherhood, I gave Ronin Gripe Water. he was screaming after meals and with him being so new, I didn't have a clue as to what was wrong, so I assumed it was gas. Gripe Water is a natural remedy for colic and gastrointestinal discomfort, containing ginger and fennel. worked like a charm, every single time. later on, I learned a few tricks to help prevent and treat the gassiness, but I loved having this on hand when I didn't know what the hell was going on.

7. Safety First Nail Clipper.
dudes. clipping baby nails is ridiculous. they're little fingers are so incredibly tiny that if you slip, you will cut their whole finger right off. that probably won't really happen, but trust me when I say that clipping them while they're sleeping is SO much easier than when they're awake. my BFF actually gave me these after I complained for the 3948th time about accidentally clipping Ronin's nails too short. these clippers have a little light built in so that you can see those teeny little talons in the dark.

8. Phillips Avent Soothie Pacifier.
pacifiers are a personal preference for babies, but I liked the Soothie ones because I was trying to avoid nipple confusion. now Ronin will not take any other kind of pacifier (and honestly, he only uses it to fall asleep and then he spits it out), and I'm totally okay with it. sucking is a natural soothing method for babies, and giving baby a pacifier at night also helps to prevent SIDS.

9. Hyland's Homeopathic Teething Tablets.
Ronin started experiencing teething discomfort at around 4.5-5 months. I didn't feel comfortable constantly dosing him with Tylenol, so I ordered these (which came highly recommended from a few moms who also prefer homeopathic remedies) in a 2 pack from Amazon. they dissolve instantly when placed under baby's tongue and help with teething pain. I don't know what it is in them that helps, but they work like Valium, so they make it on the list.

10. Boogie Wipes.
we are currently all getting over the cold from hell... I'm talking about 10+ days of stuffy noses, chest congestion, and SNOT EVERYWHERE. Boogie Wipes are soaked in saline as opposed to alcohol, so while they clean up snotty noses, they also help to loosen any mucous in the nostrils without drying them out. needless to say, we've gone through an entire pack in a weekend. 

baby registry must haves [baby gear]

1. Baby Jogger City Mini Stroller. 

I'll be honest. we haven't used this yet. the one we have (pictured) is the 2011 model, because when we registered for it, the 2012 model wasn't out yet. plus, I wanted the orange since it matched our car seat and was gender neutral. anyway. I did a lot of research and this seemed to be the best stroller for your money. 

we decided against the idea of a travel system because we'd heard that they were mostly bulky and inconvenient, so we instead chose the car seat + Snap-N-Go solution until Ronin is big enough to sit up on his own in the City Mini. once we use it, I'll give a more accurate review. 

2. Graco Pack 'n Play Playard with Newborn Napper Station LX.

because Ronin's bedroom is on a different level than ours, we knew we needed a place for him to sleep and have his diaper changed in our room for the first few months. this Pack 'n Play has been awesome. the Newborn Napper Station was perfect for him as a newborn (although, admittedly, he only slept in a handful of times, because he didn't want to sleep anywhere but on Mama) and the changer has been super convenient for us, especially with the storage pouch on the side. 

we are still bedsharing, but plan on moving Ronin to his room in the next week. we've never used the pNp as a sleep spot because we knew if Ronin was in our room but not in bed with us, he wouldn't sleep. however, we will definitely use it in the future when we travel. until then, we'll continue to use it as a changing station on the first level of the house.

3. Fisher-Price Newborn Rock n' Play Sleeper. 

this item has been a life saver. when Ronin was a newborn, he slept in it quite often. now that he's bigger, it's a great spot to sit him in when I need to get things done around the house. it's easily portable, so I bring it into the kitchen with me while I'm doing dishes. we also bring it with us when we attend family functions so Ronin can play in it when he's not being held. I'd say that it's our most used baby gear item to date. 

4. Baby Trend Snap-N-Go Stroller. 

like I mentioned above, we opted for the Snap-N-Go instead of the Chicco travel system, and it's worked out wonderfully for us. this stroller is SO easy to use with the infant car seat. it just sits right in the base, you buckle the straps over the seat and go. it collapses with the quick push of a button and is super light - I can lift it with one hand. 

I think the only con to this stroller is the lack of storage space beneath the seat area, but it's not terrible. I don't find myself ever really needing more storage, but then again, I wear him most of the time. ;)

5. Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat. 

obviously, this will be the most important piece of baby gear you purchase, as it keeps your child safe while traveling in a vehicle. like I said, I did tons of research, and the Chicco car seat has excellent safety ratings, and is extremely easy to install (which is important because installation is actually one of the most important aspect to car seats... a car seat is not effective if it's not installed properly). the car seat just clicks right into the base, which is attached to the vehicle's LATCH system. 

I wanted something that would last us a while, and I really don't see us switching to a convertible car seat anytime soon. we are able to use this until Ronin weighs 30lbs. as with the stroller, I chose the orange & grey pattern because I wanted something gender neutral that we could use for a second child. 

baby registry must haves [COMING SOON!]

so I'm bound and determined to bring life back to this blog, damnit.

I remember when I was pregnant (which I miss, like woah) that I loved to look at other moms' must-have registry items. I scoured the internet and researched my ass off for the perfect items to add to my registries. honestly, a lot of the items I ended up adding were found through other lists from bloggers I follow, along with the ever popular Baby Bargains book.

so in order to pay it forward, I've created a few lists of my favorite registry items. these are things that made life with a newborn (cause let's face it, those first few weeks are no fucking joke) bearable and so, so, so much easier than they could have been.

please keep in mind that every family has different needs and that each baby is different. hell, our next kid might hate all the shit we have and I might end up with a completely different list next go around. the items featured in these upcoming guides are things that worked well for us and Ronin. so basically, take my advice with a grain of salt!

I'll post the first guide (baby gear!) soon.



oh, and be on the lookout for a new blog design in the next few weeks too. :)