Baby Item Reviews

Before Ryleigh was born, I posted about the items below being ones that we either bought or had on her registry.  I figured that I should update you all on our thoughts and opinions after using them over the past 11 weeks!  

 

1. The Fisher Price Rock & Play Sleeper worked perfectly for when Ryleigh was still sleeping in our room.  I originally wanted the Snugapuppy design because it's so cute, but when I went to the store to buy it they only had the My Little Lamb version.  Still really cute and gender neutral.  I'd say that I especially liked this for a winter baby, because the insert and head pillow are super soft and plush to keep little one warm at night :) I still use it as a place for her to lay in and rest while I get a shower, usually on the weekends because during the week I shower at night once she's in bed.

 

2.  Britax B-Agile and B-Safe travel system works great for us! The carseat is very safe and secure, and everything is just really easy to use.  Easy to fold, unfold, click in place, etc.  At first Ryleigh hated being put in the carseat, but now she tolerates it.  I think sometimes she even likes it because she's interested to see where we're going.  The stroller is so easy to use and rides very well.  Highly recommend!

 

3.  Ryleigh LOVES her Fisher-Price Kick N Play Piano gym.  She will wail her arms around and talk to herself in the mirror.  Not to mention she kicks the heck out of the piano keys.  I don't know if she even realizes that the kicking is what makes the music play, since it's non-stop from the time you lay her down.

 

4. Fisher-Price Monkey Bouncer has been a necessity so far.  When we are not feeding or cuddling with her, she's usually found in this thing.  It's still one of the only bouncers that I've seen that has an activity bar that actually lights up and provides interest and stimulation.  It's very comfortable for her to sit in and nap in, and the activity bar can detach for when she just wants to hang out instead of play.  She loves to sit in this and talk to the blue ladybug.  Simple pleasures :)

 

5.  I am really liking my Built Go-Go Diaper Tote.  I'm amazed at everything that I can fit into this thing.  It's a great size and has tons of pockets on the inside as well as the outside.

 

6.  Motorola Video Monitor.  Must have.  Ours works great so far, was extremely easy to set up, and I can't imagine not having the video aspect.  It's so helpful when she fusses, cries, coughs, etc. to be able to see her and know if she's ok or if I need to go check on her.  Especially as she grows and starts rolling over, I know we will love having this monitor even more than we already do.

 

7.  Graco Playard with Newborn Napper/Changer We haven't really used this all that much yet, but we have it set up in our living room.  Ryleigh has slept a little bit in the newborn napper, but it's only been for tiny little cat naps while I wash dishes or something like that.  I will say that this was the most difficult item to put together, and I don't think it would be the best option for a pack & play that you were going to be travelling with a lot.  But, for what we will use it for, I think we will really like it.

 

8.  Graco Sweet Slumber sound machine has been great so far! We leave its nightlight function on all night long and leave the instrumental/classical music playing.  Ryleigh seems very soothed by it, and it's not bad for us to hear either since it comes through the sound on the monitor!

 

9.  I'm a huge fan of Boon products--the quality, colors, clean lines...With me exclusively pumping, this Boon Orb bottle warmer has been vital.  Extremely easy to use and works quickly.  It works amazingly for Medela 4oz bottles and works well for Avent 9oz bottles.  I haven't been able to get it to heat Dr. Brown's bottles correctly yet.  I' m looking forward to using it for baby food also once Ryleigh is older. 

 

10.  Summer Infant Contoured Changing Pad.  Not a whole lot to say here, but it's a necessity and I like the design of this one. 

 

 

Overall, I have been really happy with everything we've chosen.  I can't even explain how happy it makes me to see how much Ryleigh enjoys some of these as well. 

 

Sorry I haven't been posting as frequently lately...we've just been busy enjoying our new little family, and transitioning into our new "normal" with work and daycare schedules. 

 

Have a great weekend :)

 

 



 

Baby Gear assembly!

Well we had a very fun and productive weekend!  Thanks to some amazing family, friends, and a few coupons, the corner of our living room has looked like this since my baby shower a couple weekends ago [post about the shower coming soon once I upload the pictures!]:

And as of yesterday, every single one has been assembled!  We feel quite accomplished.  Our living room currently looks like a baby store showroom, but these will be making their way to their "places" around the house and in the car very soon :)

In case it's hard to tell from the boxes, here are the items we've gotten for baby Ryleigh...

1. My Little Lamb Platinum Edition Rock N'Play Sleeper / This is what we are using for the bassinet while Ryleigh is sleeping in our bedroom.  I like that she will be sleeping at a slight incline [although I hope that doesn't cause issues when we transition her to her crib later..] and it's the perfect height for sitting beside the bed.  All parts of it are very soft and breathable, and I love how easy it is to fold up or to carry and move around. 

2.  Britax B-Agile & B-Safe Travel System / This choice went heavily on safety ratings and reviews.  Britax is a great brand, and these will be two of the most used pieces for not only Ryleigh but also more than likely for Baby #2 whenever she/he comes along in the future.  Typically strollers & car seats have a "lifespan" of 5-7 years so we wanted something great quality, gender neutral, and a stroller that was easy to fold and use.  Once we saw this demonstration video we were sold.  Of course, Jake wanted it in Georgia Red :)

3. Fisher-Price Discover N'Grow Gym / This play mat just had really great reviews when I was looking at all of the different play gyms for tummy time & stimulation.  I like that it is so versatile and can "grow with the baby" for the different stages of play and learning. 

4. Fisher-Price Deluxe Monkey Bouncer / I have heard mixed reviews about whether or not to get a baby swing [price vs. use], so instead I looked for a good bouncy seat because I've heard they are generally much more useful.  This seat is actually more on the affordable side, but has fantastic reviews.  I love that the activity bar is electronic and has lights and sounds for stimulation, this is the only one that I have seen like that. Usually, if there is an activity bar it just has dangling stuffed toys.  The activity bar is removable so this will also be a great little spot for her to take naps and relax.

5. Baby Einstein Musical Motion Activity Jumper / I admit, I totally buy into the Baby Einstein brand.  I love for every toy or book to be educational in some way.  I think it's great that they have a purpose to the reason things are colored a certain way or including different patterns on things.  Even when babies are too young to understand, they are still getting the visual exposure to the concept.  This jumper has great reviews and lots of fun things to play with. 

6. Graco Pack N'Play with Reversible Napper & Changer / I really like the Graco brand, and their pack n' plays have great reviews.  I really like these ones with the napper/changer attachment so that we have a convenient little changing table when we are traveling, or even if this just ends up being set up in our living room.  We chose the Scribbles pattern because it's a nice gender neutral color and pattern, and it just so happens to match the colors in our house really well too!

 

Nesting Mode

Yay for things coming together!  This week I have been nesting like crazy.  I don't know what it is...I will be tired and worn out, dealing with sciatic nerve pain, but then all of a sudden get this huge urge to do something.  Opening the box of Amazon goodies turned into opening the box, unboxing and putting everything away, setting up the sound machine, reorganizing the changing table [which was covered in baby shower goodies], cleaning and organizing the guest bath vanity, master bath vanity, kitchen countertops, completely cleaning out and reorganizing the pantry, and I ran two loads of laundry...within a span of about 2.5 hours!

 

 

Then last night, Jake had to run to Walmart to get a couple things, and I all of a sudden had a burst of energy and decided to finally sew the crib skirt.  The design I was going with was really simple, the skirt is actually 3 pieces [2 sides and front] that stay separate and as you lower the crib you can adjust the three skirt pieces so that it doesn't get all bunched up and lumpy looking.  I still need to get the Velcro to attach it, but we taped it in last night to make sure the size fit and see how it looked :)

 

 

And to further help with my need for organization, I found a fun diaper bag today!  I originally chose one from Target, but saw this deal on Zulily today for a Built brand diaper bag--usually retails for $120 and I got it for $55 including shipping!  That's still $20 cheaper than the original one I wanted, and I'm excited because I love Built products...

 

I love all of the pockets and the two options for shoulder straps.  I was debating which pattern to go with, and ultimately decided on the black/white polka dot one.  It's neutral but still fun :)  It will also match our Travel System and my designer mind really cares about that...I can't wait until it arrives and I can start filling it up!

 

 

 

Packages :)

Have I mentioned how much coming home to baby packages on my doorstep is pretty much better than Christmas? Cause it is.  For our baby shower, one of my aunts from PA mailed us a sweet card with Amazon [one of the places I registered] gift card.  We were able to get all of these items for her since Amazon was having a great sale!  & I just received the notification that I'll get to open these fun things tonight:

1.  Boon Squirt Spoon / I have read amazing reviews on how easy this spoon makes feeding a little one [once she's old enough] especially when you aren't at home.  I'm already planning on getting a couple more.
2.  Boon Pulp Silicone Feeder / Also read great things about this feeder, especially when you freeze it for teething babies. 
3.  Summer Infant Contoured Changing Pad / A changing pad is a changing pad I guess, but I like that it's a double layer of quilted vinyl to be soft, durable, and easy to clean.
4.  Aquatopia Bath Thermometer & Alarm Turtle / This little thing seems helpful and cute! I like that it's not only a thermometer, it also has an alarm to alert you when the water is too hot OR too cold for baby. 
5.  Graco Sweet Slumber Sound Machine / I've read great reviews about this sound machine.  I like the range of songs, nature noises, and white noise that you can choose from.  It also lets off a soft glow for a night light.  It also has an mp3 player plug in, so we can play any songs that we want for her.  It's also only about 6" wide so it's nice that it isn't too big and won't take up too much room on the dresser.
6.  Boon Orb Bottle Warmer / I chose this bottle warmer because of the great reputation of Boon products, and also because I love that it comes with a basket to also warm baby food.  I plan to dabble in making baby food once Ryleigh is old enough, and I think this will really come in handy!


I'm hoping that all of these products live up to the hype!  Once little girl is here we will find out :)  But in the mean time, it makes me so happy to see the final bits and pieces of her nursery and other house baby prep coming together!

 

Baby Bargin!

Today thanks to Frugal Coupon Living, one of the deal blogs I follow, we scored a great deal on our baby monitor for little one!

I was checking the blog updates and saw that Kohl's had a great deal on the Motorola 2.8" Wireless Baby Video Monitor that we are registered for at Target.  Here's the breakdown:

Original Price:           $229.99
Kohl's Sale Price:      $189.99   [Target Sale Price is currently $179.99]

Coupon: BABYLOVE20 saved $38
Coupon: LUCKY15OFF saved $23

AND:
Kohls.com on orders of $75 or more = Free Standard Shipping!
Earn $10 Kohls Cash on every $50 spent:  $20 Kohls Cash earned

So, our baby monitor is originally $229.99, and with sales tax I paid $138.23.  With the Kohls Cash that we will receive, that's like getting our monitor for $118, over $100 in savings :)


**Other Mommas:  The Frugal Coupon posting is from yesterday and says to stack the coupons BABYLOVE20 and HAPPY2014, however today HAPPY2014 did not work for me.  I found LUCKY15OFF and that worked like a charm for the same discount!


Gotta love a great deal! Plus, we just received a card for our baby shower gift from my grandparents who live out of town, and used that money towards this purchase.  I love to keep track of what we purchase with gift cards or monetary gifts, because we can let those people know what they helped us get for Ryleigh and how useful/helpful it will be!  Especially with having a lot of far-away relatives, it makes it more fun since they can't experience the actual baby shower.



The countdown is getting real....

Look for another "bumpdate" later this week after my 33 week appointment on Friday :)