Zachary

The band

The other band

Cooking stuff (temporarily inactive...)

 
He loves the swing, and the mobile, and other battery sucking toys, but we've discovered new applications for non-baby things that have made our lives easier. Babies eat, sleep and poop. Anything you can do to make these three tasks easier to manage is worth the time and money.

* Every bedroom should have a dimmer switch. Instant ambiance, and it makes putting to bed and midnight diaper changing less harsh.

* Get a rocker/glider that is a nice piece of furniture, not baby furniture. I purchased my glider many years ago for reading before I moved out.

* We had issues keeping our baby boy from peeing up the back of his outfits. Every diaper change = outfit change. Tedious. First we bought a bunch more onsies. And now we put a maxi pad across the top of his diaper. Silly, but it works!

* Adult bed in the baby room. Or a futon, which is what we have. If he won't go down, it's easier to plop on the futon and nap with him, especially if his spastic arms keep him up. Some day if we have a second baby, we'll invest in a good twin bed to replace the futon, and eventually give it to Zach when he graduates from the crib.

* Odor eaters. Little canisters with vents and some weird substance inside that absorbs odors. They're in the cleaning aisle of the grocery store or Home Depot. Use next to the diaper pail. 'Nough said.

* Clock radio with CD player. The radio is the only way I keep in touch with the outside world right now, plus Zach can go to sleep to some baroque.

* Blank journal. Use it to record stuff you need to tell the doctor at checkups, and write down your questions because you'll forget. Take it to the doctor's and use it to take notes. I image the journal will be an interesting read later.

* Waterproof pads for the beds. It really sucks to put the baby down on your bed while you get ready, only to find a big wet spot when you pick him up. Save your mattresses (yours, the crib, the bassinet, the spare bed...) and invest in waterproof, washable pads. I got ours on sale at JCPenny.

* Burp clothes. AKA spit rags. Instead of "designer" baby towels, or even cloth diapers, we opted for a big package of car cleaning towels at Costco. They're bright yellow (stains don't show and they're easy to find) and they're super soft.

* Lots of tubs and baskets. Babies come with lots of stuff. We have a basket downstairs for diaper and clothes changing. Another big tub to rotate out clothes that no longer fit (YES that's happening already!) Tubs for toys. Buckets for bath items. Another emergency diaper basket in the car. I could go on.

* TV + DVD player. Ok, we don't have this yet, but plan to. My laptop works for now. If you're stuck in the baby's room, it's nice to have entertainment. Later Zach can watch his movies and Baby Einsteins without occupying the main TV.

* Dark curtains. We sleep strange hours, as most new parents do. My main sleeping block is from 9am to 2pm. We hung dark curtains in the bedroom to keep the sun out. Or buy a sleeping mask... Sometimes I use both.

* A backpack instead of a diaper bag. We're using a basic bag with several inside mesh pockets, but eventually we'll switch to a laptop backpack. LOTS of pockets. Lots of dividers meant for papers and computer, great for separating diapers from toys from clothes from snacks. Top it off with padded back and straps for long strolls through malls, fairs, zoos and the like. More practical than any diaper bag we've seen, and cheaper than designer garbage. And it's "manly"; my husband can be seen in public with it.

* Tissue at the changing table. To prevent diaper rash, we use tissue to pat him dry before the clean diaper goes on. It's soft and disposable. Perfect.

* Chalk board. We use it to write the baby supply shopping list, to-dos, and to record when we made the last bottle so we know when to toss it. In the first couple weeks, we used it to track feedings and diaper changes until he stabilized. Later Zach can draw on it.

And don't forget all your moment-capturing gadgets: digital camera, digital recorder, photo editing software, scanner, web site for the relatives, and the like. :) Blogger rocks!!
posted by hbt at 4:16 AM