Baby Boy Prep

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Ah! Less than 2 weeks out until baby boy's due date! I mean, I'm hoping he arrives a little early like his awesome big sister. But then I'm thinking, "No not yet! I need more time. More sleep!" We are officially ready for him. Everything is washes, set up and in line for his arrival!

I've been slowly rounding up all of our favorite tried and true baby gear we used for Kess & lining up some new things I've been anxious to try for his newborn/infant stage! There is tons of new baby gear - every year. Some stuff seems ingenious. Some stuff seems like it could make your life easier & some stuff is downright a waste of money. I try to steer clear of the "new, trendy baby gear" mostly because I think we can do without it, but some stuff has caught my eye & I'm dying to try it.

Here's a quick round up of some of our baby favorites...

Carter's Little Layette Swaddle Blankets - These are our absolute favorite swaddle blankets. I got these as a gift. I didn't think much of them because I had some 'trendier' swaddles that I was far more interested in using. Well they didn't hold Kess very tight in a swaddle. And she loved to be swaddled. The tighter the better.These are a stretchy cotton that doesn't slip. I have found a few at Ross & Burlington for a screaming deal ($8) JCPenny also carries them. You can get them for about $12/pair if you run across a good deal! I always stock up for baby showers or myself! ;)

Halo Sleep Sack - Because Kess was a swaddle addict we kept her swaddled for a long time. Even after she started rolling over - she never did while she slept so we kept her little arms swaddled. At about 3-4 months she outgrew her newborn blankets. I heard really good things about the Halo Sleep Sack & snagged one from Target. She used this until she was about 6 months. Seriously. She never rolled over or anything & loved it. We were running out of options. Yikes...

Enter in the ZipadeeZip - You guys, this thing is life saver! Matt even mentioned how great this purchase was. Several times. I have every intention of buying another one for baby boy. The best sleep invention ever! Kess slept in this until she upgraded to the Flying Squirrel pajamas later. She used the Flying Squirrel until after she turned 1. Sleepingbaby.com has more size & print options. 

Seriously praying this baby boy loves to be swaddled because I am a swaddle expert. Self proclaimed, of course! ;)

A few other things we really loved for the newborn/infant stage is a white noise machine, the MamaRoo (I have the older version from about 3 years ago) & doTerra oils. We started using a White Noise machine for Kess when she was 3 months old. We are starting from day 1 this time! Kess still sleeps with hers...not sure if she actually needs it or not, but we like not having to tip-toe and whisper after her bed time ;) I set up our MamaRoo this week for baby boy! I caught Kess trying to sneak into it. I let her have a go at it... she wasn't as impressed with it as she was when she was tiny. Let's hope "brudder" likes it. We are big time essential oils users. I love how easily they mix with modern medicine. We don't like to bombard our newborns system with oils, but diffusing is a great way to start. Plus, I stocked up for those baby blue/PPD symptoms.

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The new gear that I'm dying to try...

DockATot - I heard about this little infant bed & just knew I wanted to try it for our next baby. Fast forward a ways and we got ours in the mail! It's ready to go! I've already washed mine - thanks to Kess' little snack covered fingers. ;) Probably shouldn't have gotten it in the 'Pristine White' color (duh, mom.) But... it was easy to wash and reassemble. It's all breathable fabric, great for co-sleeping, and easy to travel with. 

Ollie Swaddle - my sister tried this with her youngest & loved it. Being "swaddle obsessed" I added it to the baby list. I'm sure in will eliminate my Halo Sleep Sack, but it is more expensive - so I think the Halo is a great alternative if it's not budget-friendly for some. Although - I have noticed that I will pay big $ to get my kids to sleep! ;) I love the moisture-wicking fabric of the Ollie. Kess was/is a sweaty little sleeper, so maybe this baby will be, too. Sweaty sleeps mean good sleeps, right?

Binxy Shopping Cart Hammock - Apparently you're not supposed to put your baby carrier in the seat of the cart anymore & it sure is difficult to put it in the bucket - where do all your groceries go? This little genius hammock was screaming my name. I'm excited to try it out. It fits your typical cart, meets all safety standards & rolls up, making it easy to store in your diaper bag. I think this will make grocery shopping with 2 kids much easier!

What are your go-to baby gear items? Anything you just couldn't live without?