You guys I am really afraid I have bit off more than I can chew. Finding the time to blog every single day has been really tough and today is only day THREE. But I’m not going to quit. I always quit things, but I will prevail!

I have been going to a lot of playgroups with Caspian the last several months & pretty much all the moms I have met are first times moms so I am like veteran smart mommy of the group {ha! never thought I’d say that!} with my brood of two. I certainly in no way have all the knowledge of parenthood but I think I have a few words of wisdom that I can pass along to new parents.

1. If you can pick a sleeping baby’s boogers without them flinching then, and only then, is it safe to lay them in the crib.

2. Silence makes the heart grow fonder.

3…it also makes the house messier.

4. Never under estimate the power of the proper dosage of Dimetapp

5. Not all children’s shows are created equal. Some are created just to make us crazy.

6. A fragrant baby lotion can cover a multitude of smells.

7. Never count out a sick child. Just when you think they are the sickest their energy will rival that of a puppy on speed.

8. No matter how much you spend on Christmas, the toy from the happy meal will always be better.

9. Nothing will ever seem fair so don’t even try to make it.

10. 20 Questions is a preschoolers version of waterboarding. 

Boom. 

1. Aden + Anais Blankets- I didn’t have these blankets with Phoenix but I should have because I love them. They are so soft that I want to sew 100 of them together to make my own. I prefer them over these over the SwaddleMe ones. I only bought one of those & Caspian has outgrown it already & I don’t see the point of continuing to size up on a 1 use blanket. The best baby products are the ones that can do double duty. I also bought the A&A security blanket for Caspian as well & this is equally as soft. I have both the Muslin & the Bamboo swaddles. Both are soft but the bamboo is ah-mazing.

2. MamaRoo by 4Moms- I knew I wanted this swing simply because of the cool design of it. I love the modern look, but I also love that portability. Admittedly Caspian didn’t like the swing at first-but he didn’t like anything. Now he loves it & I catch him batting at the toy balls above him every time he’s in it. I think the only downside to this swing though is the toy mobile. I wish that it would move on its own or they offered different toys. Maybe something with a mirror because Cas is quite the narcissist.

3. UppaBaby Vista- I love the look of a pram stroller, but they aren’t very practical so I knew I wanted something with a bassinet. Not able to convince my husband that I needed the Bugaboo Missoni I eventually fell in love with the Vista. We haven’t used the toddler seat yet, but the bassinet is comfortable enough to keep him sleep 4 plus hours at the mall & looks amazing. Every time I use it I have people coming up and asking me who makes my stroller. Also remember I said baby products that do double duty are always a win? The bassinet is the perfect “grocery cart” to get all the stuff from the car to the house.

4. The 90-Minute Baby Sleep Program-I could write a hundred blog post about how much I love this book. My midwife told me about it at my 1 week PP checkup. She gave me the gist of the book-which is a baby has 90 minute cycle of awakeness. 90 minutes from waking up baby is ready to go back to sleep. I started practicing that the minute she left & it worked. I bought the book but it basically just reiterated that. Caspian has been on this program now since week 1 & at the 45/50 minute mark he is ready to be swaddled & bounced to sleep. Honestly if you don’t buy anything else I recommend, buy this. It will save your life. Caspian is an excellent sleeper during the day & I owe it all to this book. 

5. Puj Tub- We don’t have a lot of room in this tiny apartment so I love this tub. I can hang it on the back of the door in the bathroom or store it under the bed! I’m not sure though how much longer I will get out of it because Caspian already seems to be squished in it. I’m thinking of getting this to use in a few more weeks. 

6. Timi & Leslie Casey Messenger Diaper Bag- I bought this on Gilt a few weeks after having Caspian. It’s a cross-body bag that looks like a briefcase. I don’t carry a ton of stuff in my diaper bag. I learned early on with Phoenix that you don’t need that much stuff. This bag is big enough for MY essentials without being too big.  

7. Fisher Price Zen Bassinet- Again not a lot of space in our place so we actually do not have a crib. I needed a bassinet with the largest weight limit on it and after searching for the entire 9 months this one was the best & the least ugliest. It has the largest weight capacity I could find plus I loved the gliding motion.

8. Moby Wrap- I loved my Moby Wrap with Phoenix so I knew I’d be using that again this time around. I like using the Moby at home & for longish walks because it’s comfortable. Caspian sleeps in it very well (I can also take an awkward positioned nap while he’s in it too) & nursing in it is easy too.

9. Baby Bjorn Carrier- Also purchased from Gilt is my On-The-Go carrier. It’s a lot easier to put on than the Moby which is why I like it for being out. Caspian isn’t always the best when he has to be put down so I use this a lot like at the mall once he’s had enough of the stroller or for quick trips to the store. 

10. Baby Connect Activity Log App- I read about this app on another blog while I was pregnant & downloaded knowing that I would need it. It’s the perfect companion to the sleep training. Its hard to always stay on top of the clock or remember when he woke up or ate last so whenever I can’t remember what’s happened during the day I refer to my app. If I’ve noticed that for a few days Caspian has been especially cranky I check to see how many hours of sleep he’s gotten. Usually is at the lower end I start his sleep cycle earlier & that helps fixes it {usually} but none of this would be possible without this app. Best $4.99 & its available on both Android & the iPhone.

Do you have any favorite newborn/baby products that didn’t make the list?

A little while back I stumbled on a post about another pregnant blogger who was being criticized for excessive hospital bags. {Yes BAGS} I for one read her list & actually didn’t see anything incredibly wrong with it. Yes, she over packed but who doesn’t with their first baby?

I certainly over packed when it was time to have Phoenix. In fact I think the only thing I forgot to pack was toothpaste & ended having to use some from the gift shop which left me with a worse taste than stinky breath did. And for Phoenix I brought about 6 outfits for him thinking I’d dress him every day, all day. When in reality he stayed in the hospital provided onesies because I thought he looked so adorable in them. 

But now I’m like a pro because I’m on my second baby & even though I won’t need a hospital bag & all my supplies are neatly contained under our desk I still wanted to help you hospital going Mama’s out & give you a list of things you don’t need to pack because yes, it can be confusing. 

1. Shaving cream & Razor- You won’t be shaving your legs in the hospital. And in fact if you have any at home you can probably donate it as well because you’ll be lucky if you even take a shower the first several months.

2. Thongs- I know that you probably have these delusions that once you’ve pushed out your innards you’re going to be feeling like your old sexy pre-pregnant self. Not the case. Besides the thongs don’t accommodate the Depend size pads you’ll be wearing.

3. 50 Shades of Grey- A book about a sexy 20 something & her rich mysterious sexy man toy & all the black lace & leather & whips & chains? Does that really seem like appropriate reading while waiting for your epidural to kick in? But than again. Bondage & Sadomasochism is a bit like labor & parenting right? Just think about it…

4. White bodycon dress- I for one have loved having a belly because those tight fitting bodycon dresses actually look really cute with a bump but afterwards that bump is flab & it doesn’t look so great in that F21 find. Plus. You’ll be bleeding like 50 stuck pigs & things could get really messy. 

5. Nail polish- Ever take an overnight trip or vacation & toss in some mani/pedi things for your leisure time? Yeah. You won’t need that.  Here you are trying your hand at that ombre look you saw on Pinterest when BAM. Contraction hits. I don’t think that’s the look you’re going for am I right?

6.  Tampons- By now you’ve read enough books to know you will be bleeding afterwards, but trust me when I tell you tampons are not the way to go to handle your flow. Just stick with the diapers & don’t stick anything in there for a while. And that goes for penises too…I’m looking at you Tori Spelling.

7. Scale-  Just don’t.  And before you ask, who packs a scale when they go anywhere? My husband.

 What are some other things you shouldn’t pack when heading to the hospital to have a baby?

photosource 

Justin Bieber tells us to Never Say Never. In fact he felt it was so important that he made an entire movie out of it. AND he put it in 3D because that’s how important it is to never say never.

Like when you’re a parent, there are a million things you should never say never to. Co-Sleeping, bottle feeding, TV watching, McDonald’s. The list could go on & on. 

In 31 days I will have another boy living in my house. My expectations are low in terms of the hijinks I’m sure will ensue with TWO boys jumping & running. Swording & Gunning. Superheroing & Rescuing. The rest of my life is sure to be full of never say nevers.

Here are 10 things I thought I’d never say to my oldest boy…but like that tousled hair Bieber told us…Never say never people.

1. Why are you taking off your pants?

2. Where are your underwear?

3. Please stop touching your penis.

4. Stop talking about dying.

5. No you can’t watch Family Guy or American Dad.

6. Please don’t kiss my butt.

7. Please point your pee stream in the toilet.

8. Phoenix you can’t always pee outside!

9. Please do not come & get me to wipe your butt until you are all done pooping. 

10. Can u please put your penis away?

You would have seen this picture if you hung out with me on Facebook or if you followed me on Instagram (@allieleighann)

 Like all smart bloggers my mind is always ablaze with topics to write about. Sike. But sometimes it is, more times its not & I’m sure my blog shows it. But I just keep writing. When ideas do hit me I write them down in Catch Note on my Droid. Sometimes it’s just quick titles or paragraphs or whatever.

Last week I had an idea for a post about things that would come in handy when pregnant. Unlike Rachel Zoe’s top 10 my list is actually REAL. I mean when is the last time you said you needed 6 inch wedges when balancing a basketball under your shirt, yeah me either.

Here’s my list {let me know if you recognize a pattern}

1. A catheter.

2. A bed pan

3. Chucks- you know the things they give you at the hospital so you can,er, uh bleed all on it.

4. Overnight Depends

5. Ice packs for your undies.

6. Nair

If you haven’t gotten the theme by now let me tell you. There are two. First theme- {Mostly} items you can find at a hospital and second all items related to your bladder or your down there region.

That’s right inquiring minds, I’ve reached that forgettable & frustrating part of pregnancy that has me running to the bathroom twice an hour…and not to throw up. Before I actually hit REM sleep last night & before my husband came to bed at 11 {I went at 9} I peed no less than NINE MOTHERFUCKING TIMES. On the last time I actually cried because I had to get up again & with the baby only being the size of spaghetti squash I fear this can only get worse.

Some of you may be scratching your heads & wondering what the ice packs are for. First. Do you remember the ice packs? I stole borrowed like 10 of them when I had Phoenix {along with the mesh undies} I thought they felt fantastic! Those are for all the chafing I’m getting down there because of all the extra {TMI ALERT TMI ALERT} leakage I have going on. Yesterday I was walking like I was balancing a basketball under my shirt AND between my legs. And to make matters worse I couldn’t see the chafing, only feel it…

This leads me to #6 because duh, like I can actually shave anything past my belly area. Who knows what it looks like right now?