Favorite Things: Months One to Four

Here are some of the things I have relied upon over the last 16 weeks of Motherhood - gee, has it only been 16 weeks?

1. Being a first time mom, there is so much I don't know and this book has been very helpful.
2. I like Lansinoh's breast pads the best. They seem to absorb more and wear better over the course of a day.
3. I registered for this bouncy seat at my cousin's suggestion and it has been an accessory I couldn't have done without. It's very portable and supports even a little baby's head well. I've even gotten her to take a nap in it a few times. She didn't show much interest in the detachable toy until a few weeks ago but loves it now. They come in a variety of themes and colors.
4. I also highly recommend a swing. Ours was a hand-me-down so I can't suggest a brand. Just make sure you note whether it's battery powered, wind-up, or plug-in and consider each option. Of course, some babies hate the swing, so you may want to borrow one first.
5. Mylicon Gas Drops = Liquid Gold. We bought our first bottle a couple of days after we got home from the hospital. And my husband's aunt swears they should send you home with a bottle. A couple of ounces of sugarwater (3T. to 1c. water) will get you the same results most times, but it's not as portable.
6. Ainsley also loves her playmat. She started out just talking to the animals. Then learned to grab them. Then kick them. And now they go straight into her mouth. The mat is washable so you can occasionally remove the slobber and spit-up stains. Now if we could just find a location for it in the living room where she can't see the t.v.
7. We use this bathtub. It comes with a sling so they don't have to sit in the water all the way at first. And it fits perfectly into one side of our kitchen sink. Be careful though because if you use it in the big bathtub, the water can get pretty high.
8. A lot of people recommended the gowns for her to sleep in, but we prefer the footed pajamas or jumpsuits. There was just too much of a struggle trying to get a newborn into those long sleeves.
9. We swaddled Ainsley blanket-style for a while but when she started to get more active, she'd just wriggle out of the blanket. So we started using the SwaddleMe wraps. Those worked great until she got active enough to kick out of those, too, velcro be damned.
10. If your baby will take a pacifier, there can't be an easier way to take her temperature than with this.
11. I highly recommend keeping Baby close by at night for the first few weeks. And this Graco Pak 'n Play was ideal. It fit into our bedroom and had a little changing table attached. The mobile doesn't move, but it does have a vibration feature that's nice. My only complaint is that everything except the mobile and changing table bundles up into a neat carrying case.
12. We also had a smaller version in the living room downstairs which we use on trips.
13. Finally, there were days when I could only get her to nap in the Boppy - completely supervised, of course. And for those times when you have to hold her for a long period of time, it's a treasure.

Just remember every baby is different and these things may not work for you. I'm not sure how anyone ever raised a baby without them.