Jenn&Renee Graphic

I sit here writing this post with a toddler sound asleep in the next room, and an 11 day old newborn sleeping away, milk drunk after a late night nursing session, and a husband snoring. I can’t believe I am a mother of two now! I think back to the time we found out we pregnant with our son Camden. As a soon to be new mom, I diligently read through articles and searched blogs from other moms doing endless amounts of research on just about everything. That’s the thing about the internet, everything is at your fingertips and as a hormonal emotional pregnant person, that isn’t always a good thing. But I did learn what products I knew I wanted to try to see if they really did make my life easier. Some worked and some didn’t. When it came time to have my second baby, I knew what products I trusted. I also knew I could trust my friend Jenn, who was right behind me in the baby department. Her son Nash is 3 months younger than Camden, and well guess what, she is due any day with her second baby boy. We live near one another and go through so much of the same experiences we thought it would be perfect to do this Giveaway together since we both get asked all the time what works for us. It is filled with products that I know are tried and true, that I trust, and fill my home with so that this transition from having one baby to two is easy peasy.

1.) My fist born was jaundice since he was 2 weeks early, so I needed to start pumping right away to get as much fluid running though him as possible, so not only did I have a regular dual electric pump but I was also Rx’d a hospital grade one. That thing was awesome, but it was big an bulky and I definitely couldn’t take it places. I knew I wanted to start pumping soon after having my second because storing up on the liquid gold straight out the gate is so valuable to me. I heard about the Medela Freestyle Breast Pump and how it was hands free. Chasing after a toddler while trying to pump seemed impossible before trying the Freestyle.  I can hook it up, tend to Camden, or send emails etc.,. It’s a multi-takers ultimate dream machine.

FS3 Freestyle

2.) Everyone who sees my carseat and stroller set up always asks, “What is that? It swivels! I wish I had that for my kids.” Yes, the orbit system is quite possibly the most convenient system, so that you aren’t tweaking your back and straining your arms getting your kids in and out of it! I knew I was going to need to upgrade to a double stroller, and the Orbit Baby Double Helix is the answer. It also comes with a skateboard attachment for Camden to stand on when I take him to school. Love!

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3.) I use a co-sleeper for my kids, but I don’t co-sleep. Confused? Co-sleeping is having the kids in bed with you. I am so not for that, only because my husband has crazy dreams and can thrash about, and the last thing he nor I would want is our new born baby becoming victim to the actions of one of his dreams of catching a 30 foot wave and getting barreled. Our solution, at least for the first 3-4 months is having a basinet next to our bed, making those middle of the night feeding and changes much easier. Say “halo” to the Halo Bassinest 🙂 I wish I had this with Camden. This is the Rolls Royce of co-sleepers with added features like a built in sound machine, two vibration levels, night light, and feeding timer. I absolutely don’t know what I would do with out it!

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4.) When it is time to bring a newborn baby home, there is a huge learning curve. I swear sometimes I wonder how it is allowed to be solely responsible for someone so tiny especially not knowing what heck you are doing with said being. But they do, and what people don’t tell you is (especially if you are breastfeeding) how important a certain amount of wet diapers and weight gain are in the first week. I remember taking a pen and paper with my first (and this was only two years ago) to record the time, duration, and side I was nursing from. Yes I said pen and paper. Then after about 5 days of this, I awoke from my sleep deprived craziness and remembered it was 2014!! There was an app for that. Well jump to 2016 and I have something even better! The Hatch Baby Smart Changing PadI will be doing a full product review on this in the next few weeks, but let me just tell you it is completely awesome! I can record my babies weight, since while breastfeeding you don’t know exactly how much they are taking in, and I can record when and what kind of diaper they have. All at my fingertips on the pad. Then, through the app I can time my feedings, record how much (or how little) sleep I am…I mean the  baby is getting. You can get reminders to take a daily photo of your baby which will then be in a slideshow. It puts you at ease before going to that first doctors appointment. Plus you can have more than one child registered, and have partners/caretakers join, so you can keep tabs while you are away. It is the ultimate piece of tech baby gear that puts a new moms mind at peace . More to come, like I said, on this soon but in the meantime you can get $20 off at checkout when you enter Renee20.media-photography1

 

5.) Speaking of tech savvy gear, here is the Owlet Baby Monitor. If you are on Facebook or Instagram then you probably have seen ads of this. It is no gimmick. This is a monitor that tells you if your child stops breathing. Through the app you can see what their oxygen level is at too. We have all been those parents that hover over the babies face to listen to hear them breathing. With this you can rest assured. And all the information is right at your fingertips with the app. Obsessed!

Owlet Baby Monitor

 

Owlet Baby Monitor

 

6.) I met the Evolur Nursery team while at the ABC Show in Las Vegas last October, when Jenn BrownAkemi Sue (Mommy Guru) and I did some social media takeovers. Not only is their furniture amazing, but what everyone needs is a great mattress for whatever crib they have. We are having some work done to our house, and I will be doing a full nursery and toddler room reveal when we move back in, and it will include Evolur. Stay tuned for that!

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7.) One look at Jenn’s nursery for her son Nash and you want to know who is responsible. Look no further than Oilo Studio and their bedding. This is my inspiration for Bowynn’s nursery. Need I say more!!

Oilo

 

8.) My son was born in August in Los Angeles during one of the hottest summers, so needless to say he didn’t really wear a whole lot of clothing the first month or so. Plus, he runs hot naturally, so he was always sweaty. Having my second in April during the cooler weather I actually wanted to dress her in something cute for when I brought her home form the hospital. Now I was familiar with Kickee Pants  and luckily I have friends that know how cute and soft all their items are, so I was gifted many of little miss Bowynn’s newborn outfits. The “nightgowns” make it super easy to do middle of the night diaper changes, and I don’t think I could do bedtime with out them .

 

KickeePants elephant gift set 2

9.) Bouncing back after baby. It is a huge topic moms talk about or seem to stress over. Getting back to your prebaby body and weight. I will address how I do it in another post, but to be honest, I don’t really worry about it. My body just did an amazing thing and it took me 10 months to do it, so I don’t put a time frame on getting back to what was. That being said, there are things that can help in the process, or just plain motivate you. I use the Belly Bandit  because it not only draws your tummy in, something that has been stretched out for so long, but for me it provides great back support. Something new I just tried were the Mother Tucker leggings. Those things are the best. Not only are they made a great material, but the compression like feel “sucks” everything in while still being comfortable! I highly recommend both items for after baby is here!

Belly Bandit

 

10.) Just like being able to pump hands free, I needed an option to baby wear so that I could get stuff done around the house. Enter the Baby K’Tan CarrierIt was the one carrier that made “wrapping” so easy. I didn’t need a lengthy tutorial to learn how to put my baby in it. It is light, easy, and great for new borns. No inserts or extra material necessary. They have so many great options to fit your lifestyle, but they keep it simple. This makes attachment parenting easy.

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11.) Did I mention that labor isn’t the difficult part, it’s the breastfeeding that is where you need to put in the work. I could go on and on about the sore nipples, the Pamela Anderson sized boobs that are rock hard at first, the leakage, then constant adjusting to you babies needs while severely sleep deprived…blah, blah. blah. So having tools to just ease some of these side affects are very helpful. The Ergo Baby Nursing Pillow is something that again just makes things a tad bit easier. Ergo is a brand that prides itself on making gear ergo dynamic which in turn works with your body. This pillow allows you to relax while nursing, and gets rid of this terrible arm cramps you can develop. It also can act as a little prop station for when baby is a little older and stronger. Two birds!

Ergo

 

12.) You may start to see a trend, and how I just love a good tech item when it comes to baby gear. Again, it is 2016 so ride that wave. The Summer Infant Babble Band Monitor will be something I can use once baby girl is in her own room and crib. I can also monitor her when I need to go out or for when someday (oh someday!) the Husband and I have a date night. There are a ton of monitors on the market, but being able to gain access straight from your wrist, is great for the parent on the go.

 

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13.) Comfort, comfort, comfort…oh and fashionable design. A good nursing tank or bra is an essential item. You need to be able to whip out the food source with ease, all while looking great and feeling good. Bravado Nursing Tanks and Bras are an item that I can pair with jeans and a t-shirt, I can wear with leggings for walks with he babes, or can even sleep in. The versatility is endless, and can be worn after nursing subsides. That’s how comfortable they are!

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bravado14.) When I mentioned I had a sweaty baby with my first is an under statement. I was so concerned in the beginning that my baby would overheat, but if I had the air conditioning on he would be too cold. I want him comfortable, but I also needed something that would make changes possible in a swiftly manner all while keeping him tightly swaddled to help with sleep. I wanted the Summer Infant SwaddleMe Pod and Swaddle  to use with my second because I just feel they are the easiest. Plus for those lazy days, the designs are super cute for when neither one of us makes it out of our pajamas for the day.

 

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Summer Infant Swaddles

15.) My goal this time around was to dress “up” more often. As you read above it is so easy to just stay in your pj’s all day when you first bring baby home, and by all means do it as much as you want. For me, I just knew putting on makeup and getting dressed would make me feel better. The problem with trying to wear normal clothes again is that you have to nurse every 2-3 hours. I need maximin boob accessibility that can pair well with said nursing bra and tank from above. Luckily Loyal Hana exists. I even wore one of their items as a maternity dress. Check out my Instagram post from the JuJuBe Onyx Collection launch party. I can’t wait to pair some of the other items with clothing I already own. The “secret or hidden” paneling is so inconspicuous that you will wear the clothing even after you are done nursing.

Loyal Hana

 

16.) I love 4Moms.  We were gifted the MamaRoo when we had Camden and the kid loved that thing. It’s a spaceship for babies and the only “swing” we used. Then he turned 3 months old and I needed something more portable.  The new bounceRoo is the only bouncer with 3 unique vibration modes (heartbeat, wave and bee) and 3 intensity settings to help calm and soothe baby. My favorite thing about the bounceRoo is how compact it is, and won’t break by back when lifting which makes it easy to move around the house or take on the go.

 

4 moms bouceRoo

 

So there you have my round up. These items are my go to’s! And if I’ve learned anything from jumping from having one child to two, is to keep it efficient. Only use things that work!!

GIVEAWAY

I hope you were able to take something away from this post and it will make your shopping or registry list making easier. I’m really excited to announce that Jenn and I were able to get most of the brands on board for being a part of a giveaway so one lucky reader can have the chance to win these fab products.  We are giving away over $1500 worth of products and store credits.  To enter follow the instructions below.  The winner will be picked on May 16, 2016.  Good Luck!

Click here to enter!

First Time Loves The Second Time Around Giveaway Valued at $1500