A Few of My Favorite Things

This post is just regular Mom blog stuff.  I have been feeling pretty good and normal the last few days.  Grace is with me, I miss her, I always will, but Rosabella is the main focus of my days, and nights.  I have a living baby to care for and honestly this is what we have been hoping and praying for.  So here are some of the baby items we have been given or purchased that I absolute love!

1.  My Brest Friend Nursing pillow: This thing is fantastic, I mean I thought who needs a nursing pillow?  Then I tried one at my Lactation Consultants house and what a difference!  I mean the baby is positioned perfectly, no cramping arm and you can even go hands free and do something (like type on your blog) while nursing.

2. Baby Hawk: This baby carrier rocks, it looks cool, is easy to use and Rosabella loves riding in it.  It also keeps prying hands away from her when we are in public.

3. Aden and Anais blankets: These are muslin, but super soft and big enough to swaddle her for some time.  I love that they are not heavy since Rosabella often needs to be swaddled to get to sleep and it is HOT here.

4. Thirsties diaper covers: We have not had a single leak or blow out yet using these over pre-folds.  They have lots of fun colors and are so easy to clean (other than the white cover).

5. Snappis:  We love these, no diaper pins, easy to use and work so well

6.  My home-made hands free pumping bra.  Take an old sports bra, mark where your nipples are with a Sharpie marker, then cut small holes over the marks.  Your pump flanges fit through the holes and keep them firmly against your breast while you pump.

These are some of the services that I have used that I cannot recommend enough

1. Home visit by a lactation consultant.  Without our lac consultant I doubt that I would still be breast feeding, she made a huge difference.  I read on the Rookie Mom's blog that you should have a home visit set up with one before leaving the hospital.  I completely agree.  The consultants in the hospital just don't trouble shoot latch issues and nipple soreness like one doing home visits.

2. Doula.  She made labor so much easier.  I felt supported and safe and I could not imagine having an un-medicated birth without one.

3.  Placenta encapsulator:  We debated on whether to have my placenta encapsulated or not.  In the end I did not see a down side, but now I am a huge advocate.  I really was close to having some PPD and I believe that the placenta capsules helped balance my hormones and bring me back from the edge.

4. Diaper service.  We will eventually launder our own cloth diapers, but this was a gift from my Dad, and wow how nice it is to just put out the diapers every week and then wake up the next morning to a bag of clean diapers.  Love it.

That is all for now.... and to end a cute picture of my second girl, the light of my life, who lives and breathes and reminds us daily that life can still be good, even when crap things happen to you (like your beautiful first born dying).

Nap time with Rosabella and Banksy