This week's obsession

DockATot

Remember back when I was pregnant with my son- I used to post about baby products that I was crushing on. in all honesty I planned to also do that this go 'round but never had the opportunity. However, as I continue in my sleep deprived stupor I can't help but think of ways to entice my little girl to stay in dreamland for more than  four hour stretch.  I came across this from an Instagram follower and was intrigued!

Product Info

Doesn't it look comfy cozy and sleep enticing?! DockATot's are basically little baby sleep stations made from breathable fabric. It's makers cite it's many uses such as tummy time, cuddling, changing, resting, the list goes on! And I could think of a million reasons why I need to get one too.

My 5 favorite toddler apps

My 2nd year favorites!

I know every mom has their personal faves about what works and what doesn't work for them- so I decided to share a few of my own! This isn't a comprehensive lists but these are my absolute faves that I'd thought I would pass along.

Little Quack counts. My son loves this book!

Y3W: T-W-O

TWO = this week's obsession
Y3W = your three words

So remember my obsession with baby products while I was pregnant? Now that baby is here I actually get to get all these cute little products! One of the very first things I gushed about were baby legs. Well, they were having a sale this past weekend and look whose got baby legs:

I feel compelled to do a a good review as I have learned from the best. However, this is NOT a sponsored post, I was in no way compensated for this, in fact I am pretty sure that Baby Legs do not know that I exist!

What I like:
Fast turnaround
I ordered them on 2/2 and had them on 2/4. They were washed and ready for super bowl Sunday although I had no idea it would be here so soon! The address on their website says they are located in Washington and I chose first class mail at check out. I do not like to pay a lot for shipping and on average whenever I order something I always order the slowest (read:cheapest) shipping option, which normally means I can expect a few days to a week to receive my product. The time stamp on my order confirmation email says 6:23 am. Seeing as how Washington is 3 hours behind my time zone- this may play a role in such a fast turn around. I was in no way shape or form up at 6:23 on 2/2 so I am assuming I must have had one of the first orders of the day.

Product quality
I must say these two little tubes of fabric are pretty good quality. I don't think my son is an ideal baby weight for his age and he's quite chunky as most babies are. I was leery about the way they would fit but lo and behold they fit quite well! They are a little long in length but I am assuming because it is one size fits all so taller babies can use them as well.

Cost
I almost never pay full price for anything- I try not too. So when I found out that they were doing a 50% off sale, I had to jump on it. I also ordered some socks because my little guys feet are huge plus he needed more socks anyway. Now the real test comes in if I would pay full price for these. My answer: probably not. It's not because I don't think it's worth it but because I just don't have to.

What I didn't like:
Product quality
I know this is a double edge sword. I kind of don't like the one size fits all. I felt like they were a little too long for his legs right now. They only have two sizing options: newborn and toddler, and my baby boy is too big for a newborn size. I guess in the end I will get a longer use out of them if he can grow into them- assuming they will last that long without fading, shrinking, or just becoming downright- used. Depending on how those factors play into them I can't complain too much.

Selection
Okay, the product selection isn't really bad. The 'i love mommy' and 'i love daddy' babylegs from my previous post weren't available- I am not sure if this is a seasonal thing and they are only available in May and June for Mother's and Father's day. If they were available I would have purchased both of those. I guess it worked out because he had the football ones for super bowl Sunday. I also think they need more of a gender neutral selection. The ones they classify as gender neutral I feel aren't really gender neutral... maybe it's just me.

Overall:

I love these baby legs and will likely get more if they have another sale. And this concludes my first officially unofficial baby product review.

I'm linking this post up with Jenni's Y3W blog hop

This week's obsession

It's no secret that I'm a crafty wannabe. I've always had an appreciation for creativity and the great things that come of it. I came across this blog while I was still trying to conceive and I completely forgot about it until it resurfaced in my twitter TL. Now that I think about it- I came across a lot of great things that were shared via the message boards- none of which I bookmarked, all of which I regret. But anyway to my point...

photo credit

I am so excited about the release of this book! Basically this mom would create scenes around her baby while she was napping based off what she thought the baby was dreaming about. I fell in like from the first time I saw this. She used only fabrics and household items to create the scenes and I am so impressed that she was able to do this without waking baby. Actually she explains this in her blog: http://milasdaydreams.blogspot.com/

If you have a moment please hop on over and have a look see. While she has removed all of 'Mila's daydream photos' due to the insensitivity of a lot of people- you will get the gist of what she's done. I wish you could have seen it before mean people started stealing photos of her daughter (which is why I am deathly afraid of posting pictures of my little guy- thank goodness for watermarks) {but check out what is now her first post}. Also check out her FAQ page. It gives a lot of insight into how something so sweet ballooned out of control.

While you are browsing her FAQ page to understand what she, her daughter, and her blog has been through, i'd like to point out something I find to be a little "unfair" for lack of a better word. She talks about Finland's (where she's from) maternity package which contains clothes and other goodies for baby. And if you peruse the site a little further you will come across the maternity AND paternity leave allowance. While I understand American customs such as baby showers help the parents a lot with baby goodies I think their government is pretty supportive of mothers and new babies. Did you see that you may take maternity leave no more than 50 days before your due date and no later than 30?? I know some moms who didn't even get the standard 6 week leave but rather had to use PTO (personal time off) days. I'm not saying- I'm just saying

My hubby and I were very blessed to have supportive family and friends to help us celebrate the birth of our first born and we are truly grateful for everything we have been blessed with. I just find it nice that their government also celebrates with mom and dad rather than penalize. I am sure that Finland may have issues that Americans may not have ( I am in no way versed in wordly governments)- my husband always says "Yea, the grass is always greener on the other side". So I should be grateful for what I did receive... Now back to the regularly scheduled program.

It's no secret that I love good photography. I even want to start a photography project dedicated to my son this year - all which is why I'm excited about the release of the book. I know it takes me a while to get to the point. I love it when ideas come to life to be enjoyed for years to come. So the book release along with Jen's 365 tips, and Lacey's link to the helpful list, I think I may be able to pull off the Love Letters to my son. Wish me luck!

Baby, You've got what I need!

Inspired by another mommy blogger- I decided to post my top five necessities during his first month.




1. Moby. I never thought I would be a baby wearer. In fact I never even researched the topic until I discovered that my little boy needed to be held all.day.long. I came across this wrap on another blog and I had been obsessed with getting it. My lactation consultant had one for my to try in her office and I loved it and so did he! Now I can actually use the bathroom when I need to.

2. My camera. This kid is so darn cute! And I want to be able to relieve every moment of this cuteness. I can't believe the difference in him in just 6 weeks... crazy!

I'll give this tummy time thing a try



 3. Car Seat/Stroller. There were quite a few times where I desperately needed to get out of the house. Perfect for long walks in the park.

4. Bottles. My intention was always to be able to pump breast milk so that other people can assist with feedings, however the bottles were needed way faster than I imagined.



5. Bassinet. There is no way as a first time mom that I could sleep very far from my baby. This is very convenient for middle-of-the-night feeding, naps, and everything in between. It's a safe way for co-sleeping although I will admit to bed-sharing a time or two.

Shut it mom! I'm trying to sleep here!

and there you have it. My list of must haves for this month {and a half}.

Preparing for baby!

This past week we have made a few more steps towards preparing for our little bit.

On Saturday we finally ordered the crib! Most mama-to-be's who aren't even as far along as I am would cringe if they wait until 6 weeks before baby is due to order a crib- especially when most crib orders take 10 to 12 weeks! But the crib we order is in stock and we just have to pick it up!

We got both pieces shown in the picture above (in espresso). This is great but even if we had to wait I wasn't too concerned because the crib was going to be in the baby's nursery and not our room- baby however would be in our room. So, I registered for a bassinet and hopefully someone will be kind enough and gift it to us- if not I am grabbing up some coupons and going to get one!

On Tuesday, we went our last installment of baby classes. It was called breastfeeding basics. I really want to breastfeed for as long as possible and I have done a lot of research on this topic. I have quite a few resources already lined up (including my momma who breastfed both of her kids!) and I am feeling quite confident that I will be successful at it. I know I have heard quite a few stories from moms who felt like their babies didn't want to be at the breast, moms who felt like their milk 'couldn't come in' and a whole host of other stories. The class was taught by a lactation consultant who explained all of the reasons a mom would feel this way and what they could do to solve the issue. I know it may not necessarily be the easiest thing in the world but my husband promised to support me and I won't give up after the first few tries. I also found out that they give you a list of local lactation consultants in your baby's bassinet at the hospital so I'll have even more resources by the time I am ready to begin.

My husband was deathly afraid of being the only guy in the class and seeing some other woman's boobies (I highly doubt that one!). All but 2 of the women there had a support person with them and we all stayed full clothed. The only boobs he saw was the women in the video they show you and I'm positive he's over it now. In order to demonstrate proper positioning and latching techinques, we did have hands on demos with a plush boob and baby doll. It was very unassuming and not as uncomfortable as I thought! I didn't get a picture of the practice boob but here was our baby:



I think I want to do the natural birth class as well. Some days I feel like I can do it, othere days I feel like I can't. Ideally I think I want to go as long as possible without meds so that they don'taffect the baby too much- but pain is pain and childbirth pain is nothing to play with! I keep meaning to give the hopsital a call to see if they have any classes left this month. I know it's getting down to the wire- but I think I want to give it a shot.

Today, hubby is supposed to do some more painting in the baby's room. I really wish I had taken before pics, but I guess during and after pics will do. Here's to a busy weekend!

Y3W: Yes! I won!

Y3W stands for your three words. The point of it is to sum up your week in three words. One of the mommy blogs I follow does a blog hop every Friday for Y3W. I normally join the blog hop but never really can sum up my week in 3 words.

Today I am hopping aboard the Y3W train, because Yes! I won! Jenni (mommy blogger) hosted a Butt Paste giveaway for her readers and yep, I am one of the lucky winners! I am so excited because a) free stuff is ALWAYS a good thing b) winning is fun and c) I hear this stuff is good. With a little one on the way I am sure I'll need plenty of butt paste so I am glad we will have this in our arsenal. I also have a coupon for the orignal butt paste so I am definitely starting to stock up. I'll be receiving thier newest product the maximum strength butt paste. You should definitely check them out to get more info! I can't do a product review until Septemeber but I definitely will when the time comes :) In the meantime you can go on over to Jenni's and join the blog hop (or at least see what all the hoopla is all about)!

This weeks obsession:

Baby legs!



photo credit

 I think these are the cutest! They come in different colors and patterns and are quite stylish :) Our little one will be arriving in late summer so we wouldn't need them right away but will definitely be used during the cooler months. If baby is anything like me s/he will not like to wear clothing while at home so once it starts to get cool I think these will help keep baby warm while wearing just a onesie. It also make diaper changing easier and will protect little crawling knees.

I love "unique" products and think this fits the bill- for more reasons than one. They have 'em for all different types of "legs". From newborn to child and some of the cutest designs!

From Lil' Football Fans to Fashionista's-to-be:

                   

                                           

And these must haves! I can see little bit going to the mall with his or her Uncle (my brother already made this a must!)  rocking these cute little baby legs in his or her stroller :)