- Video monitors
- We bought Summer Infant Video Monitor for both kids! The cameras are a room apart, and the screens are right next to each other, and we haven't had trouble with interference (they are each on a different channel). The first one we bought came with a wireless, audio only monitor in addition to the video monitor, but the second one didn't, and was cheaper. They aren't the flashiest on the market, but they did a great job! If you have a little extra to spend, a wireless, mobile video handset would be nice, since it's kind of a pain to have to move the larger video monitor around. We were just fine without one, though, so it's not bad if you need to save a few ($50-100!) bucks. I really recommend some sort of video monitor, though. We really like being able to peek at our kids without opening the door, which is why we still use the monitor in our toddler's room.
- Update: We have one for the big kids' room, and one for the baby's room. We attempted to have 3 set up, but there was too much interference and none worked well.
- Baby Carriers
- We have used the Peanut Shell, the Moby, and the Baby Bjorn. Update: With baby #3 on the way, we finally bought the Ergobaby. In a nutshell, carriers like the Peanut Shell are great for quick carries, but make my back and shirt hurt for long periods. The Moby is awesome, albeit a bit cumbersome, but it's by far my favorite: packs down small, durable in the wash, comfortable to wear for newborns to toddlers, and can be worn under sweaters. The Ergobaby is so great for carrying crabby toddlers while cooking.
- White noise, oh how I love thee. Having white noise in our kids' rooms is most likely why we already have three of them. White noise not only replicates the noise of the womb and is therefore soothing, it can drown out the noises of the house (or neighbors, or traffic, etc) after bedtime. Not all of my kids are deep sleepers, even though I tried to acclimate them to noises at an early age, so it's great to be able to walk down a creaky hall or watch a movie without worrying about waking them up. And it's important for tired babies to get the sleep they need. When a baby wakes up earlier than he should have, he can be too crabby to eat well, and then spends his entire awake time even more crabby because he's both tired and hungry. One crabby rotation can throw off the entire day, because over-tired babies just can't deal.
- Wear a bikini top in the shower the first few weeks. It protects you from the spray, and then stops you from dripping all over as you towel off.
- Eat-Play-Sleep really does work, and makes for a predictable, happy baby!
- Sometimes, babies go on "nursing strikes." Mine has started to go on one if I don't nurse him in a quiet area! I used to be able to talk on the phone, watch Hulu, or listen to a podcast, but now that Mr. Social is more aware of his surroundings, he will not eat well if there is something else going on! Who knew?!
- After delivery, hormones change, and hair goes into a resting phase, then falls out! I'm losing so much hair right now (for me, I noticed the hair loss right after my son started losing his baby hair, around 3 months postpartum)! *Update: I noticed it coming back around 5 months. Phew!
- Three-month old babies are a lot easier than 2-month olds, and moms are also more confident then (at least I am)!
- Currently: My son was sleeping great (9-11 hrs a night!) for about a month straight, and I thought I was the luckiest mom ever! Then he began to roll from front to back a bunch, and would wake up when he did it while he was asleep (I know, scandalous, I let him sleep on his tummy) . He almost seemed to go back to sleeping well, but then for the past month (5 mos-6 mos) he stopped sleeping through the night (back to 3 hr chunks, it seemed). I thought maybe he was just learning new things, or that he was teething, but it didn't stop and baby Tylenol didn't seem to make a difference. My current theory is that his little tummy isn't quite ready for solid food - During this bad-sleep month, I had started to feed him one veggie/fruit & rice meal a day (only about an ounce). He was a great little eater, but I think it was bugging his digestion. I have him back on only breastmilk for 48 hours now, and he's slept great and been happier for 2 days now (he just went down on night 2, and he went to sleep easier than he has been). I'm going to continue skipping the solids for a few more weeks, and see if his night sleeping gets better again.
- To help him learn to be comfortable sleeping on his back, I've been doing what I call "cuddle feeds" that allow him to fall gently to sleep on his back: Instead of sitting in a rocking chair to feed him, I will lay down with him, and let him nurse away while I doze (I'm a super light sleeper, so no smother worries here). Not only is this the BEST THING EVER because I get to take rests multiple times a day, if he needs more sleep, he will nod off after eating, and will end up sleeping on his back. Amazingly, I think it's working, because he just squirmed/talked himself to sleep tonight, ending up on his side, and now his back! Yay!
