Baby 2: What I’m Buying New & Reusing

So, as you guys know by now– I am very pregnant, and we could be meeting this little babe any day between now and the end of the month. The emotions are so real, I am feeling everything at such an extreme level these last few weeks. My sister and I were talking yesterday and she said something that had me thinking all day, she said “I’ll never forget the first time that I met Luca, it was like time just stood still.” Isn’t that the truth? I remember the first time that I looked in his eyes and it was one of those moments that life just stopped, it was completely sobering, yet intoxicating and magical all at the same time. I cannot believe that I am getting to experience all of this over again.  I feel so fortunate.

Having said all of that, I would be lying if I told you that pregnancy second time around is the same as the first– it’s not, not even close. In some ways it is a whole lot better, ie: the constant worry about every single thing is lessened and you feel better equipped now that you’ve “been there and done it” once before and in other ways it’s a bit more challenging, ie: morning sickness while chasing a toddler… yah, I look back on weeks 7-14 and I am not sure how I am sitting here writing to you now, it was ROUGH. If you talked to people who spent time with me during my first and my second pregnancies I think they would tell you that I have been about the same, people are so kind and tell me “that I do pregnancy well”, which I really appreciate a lot, but I always find myself begging to differ. Pregnancy, no matter how amazing (and easy) it looks from the outside is a challenge, it is such a selfless thing.. you give up literally everything in order to provide the best possible start and life for your baby and obviously, I wouldn’t have it any other way, but after 40 weeks.. it get’s interesting.

I will tell you this, as uncomfortable and “over it” I am right now, I know without the shadow of a doubt that about (give or take) 6 months from now my husband will roll his eyes at me when I see a pregnant woman out in public and I say to him “awh, I miss being pregnant.” Mark. My. Frickin. Words. this will happen… it did last time, it will this time. It’s just how is goes.

Okay, enough about that. Let’s talk logistics of baby 2. Am I nervous that my Luca will not understand that baby is fragile and that he cant tackle them the way he does his 110lb Italian Mastiff…100%, am I already wondering how the heck I will find like 20 seconds to use the bathroom while leaving both children unattended..100%, do I find myself playing situations in my mind such as “okay, so from now on when we go out, who do I put into the car first? who do I take out first?” etc, 100%. The good news is that there are a lot of products on the market that I think will really help me to make this transition, and I have been researching the heck out of them/interviewing every single mother of two that I know (sorry, if you are one of these people, but just know I love yah). I know in some family’s that when a new baby is welcomed that Dad gets to stick around for a few days to help with the adjustment.. that isn’t the NFL, folks. At this point I am praying hard that I don’t go into labor on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday or any time before Monday 9am for the next 3 weekends because if so, R is going to meet his baby via Facetime (unless he is on the field). Anyway. My pregnancy emotions just got the best of me for a second, back to the topic at hand. The truth is that I will be doing a lottt of this mother of two thing on my own until the season ends. It is empowering and nerve wracking all at the same time. I am lucky to have family and friends around to help, but if you know me, you know I absolutely suck at accepting help. So, preparing (and knowing myself) I have come up with a list of the things that I have bought new this time around and also a list of the items that I plan to reuse. Believe it or not, there are so many new products on the market from just two years ago when I was shopping for all of this with Luca. There are a few that I am super excited about and can’t wait to share with you! As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I can only tell you so much about them as of right now, I am sure that my review will be a lot better after a few weeks of use– which I plan on writing all about the adjustment period once baby is here, and i’lll be sure to update as changes are made!

WHAT I BOUGHT NEW FOR BABY #2

Uppa Baby Vista Stroller: 

Guys, this was by far the hardest decision that I had to make. I spend a lot of time on the go, and outdoors with my babies, so I know just how important a good stroller is. I have the Bugaboo Cameleon and when I tell you that I am obsessed, I mean it. It has been incredible for me, but 1) it doesn’t convert to a double and 2) their double version of my stroller is a side by side. After talking to a lot of mamas out there that have two, they have pretty much all agreed that having the babes stacked front and back is a whole lot easier than side by side– and I can understand why. When I found out we were expecting a second I started to pay attention to things such as the width of bathroom stalls, the width of city streets, the width of the sidewalks in my neighborhood, how closely clothes racks are placed in stores..and I just realized, okay, a side by side isn’t really the best option for me. I was kind of upset about it to be honest because my stroller is one thing that we could say I am kind of “boujee” about… judge me, but when you become a Mom, your once super cute house turns into a daycare overflowing with children’s accessories and toys, your once super chic car becomes a transport system full of snot and snacks and diaper changes and guess what– if I can feel “chic” while pushing my child around, you better believe I am going to make that happen– which brings me to my next point, I didn’t really like the appearance/lack of character that the Uppababy had, which any stroller is hard to compare when coming from a the Bugaboo line which is so aesthetically pleasing and yes, boujee… THAT WAS UNTIL UppaBaby released their new and aesthetically pleasing to the eye line of 2017 Vistas, it was like the stroller God’s knew what I needed. So dramatic, but come on, I know someone out there can relate. Leather details. A larger storage basket. Front and back. Carseat adaptable. Third child rideable (through attachment of a skateboard piece, if we decide to be crazy and have another while still having two in a stroller). It has everything. Needless to say, it is hands down the item that I am most excited to break in once babe joins the family. There are so many color options, I had a really hard time choosing between Henry and Loic, and after much consideration, I decided to go with Henry, just because I know how messy life and children are and how there is a zero percent chance of me not taking coffee on our walks.. so, to make my life and stress level better, Henry ended up being the winner. Disclaimer: if you have a second child and you are purchasing to use this as a double, you will need to purchase an additional “rumble” seat, the stroller comes with just ONE seat that converts from bassinet to rumble.

Happiest Baby SNOO Smart Sleeper Bassinet:

Okay, not going to lie, I judged the HECK out of this thing the first time I saw it advertised. I remember thinking to myself “wait, so people can’t just get up with their babes and soothe them when needed?”.. yah, i’ll admit it. Then I was reminded after a two week stretch of Luca getting molars and being up every 2.5 hours just how really draining that “newborn, no sleep” life is, and I decided to start reading up on this product. The reviews are literally insane. The product legit sells out the minute they restock, and it had me curious. I continued to read reviews, and I was lucky enough to know a few new moms who purchased it and I had to chance to pick their brains. Sure enough, their babes were sleeping in 4-6 hour stretches by 6 weeks.. every. single. one. of. them… music to my ears. Not to mention, this thing is beautiful. It’s so chic, it literally fits into any bedroom and goes with any style. As you can tell by now, and as I am quickly realizing after reading the words flowing from my fingertips, I am clearly all about “chic” motherhood. I will be sure to write an entire post on this product alone once baby is here and it is actually being put to use. I will tell you, it was easy as pie to set up, and it is SO well made.

Moses Basket:

I purchased the most beautiful, hand woven, Moses Basket from a company on IG called Plum & Sparrow. Their products are all handmade and unique. I had my eye on the one that I wanted for my entire pregnancy, but apparently a lot of other mamas did too, because every other Friday when they restock it was one of the first one to sell out. Luckily, the company was super amazing and after reaching out to them, they made sure that I got the one I had been eyeing just in time for baby to arrive. I am so excited to share photos, it’s beautiful and it’s practical. I figured that I needed a “safe place” for baby, that was also mobile, especially for naps and when I just need a quick second.. this product was perfect for what I was looking for. I can already see the basket being carried around the house, set on the table while baby naps and I play on the floor with Luca, taken outside, etc. If you’re interested in shopping for yourself, here is their website and as always, let me know if you have questions!

New Bottles: 

Fun fact, Luca still to this day has never accepted a bottle…EVER… and it is 110% my fault. I was so terrified of nipple confusion that I completely missed the opportunity to introduce and then it was too late, he knew real from fake. Needless to say, 19 months later of strickly boob, I plan to introduce a bottle around 4-6 weeks this time around. I want R to have the opportunity to do more this time around than just change diapers, I want him to have the chance to feed our baby just as I do and I also want to know that if we decide to take a trip just the two of us following football season that both of our kids will be fine, and fed. As amazing as Luca and I’s breastfeeding journey has been, it at times has felt very restrictive. Knowing that my breast is the only thing that soothes him is a lot, it has made it hard to ever be away from him. In all reality, I cannot do this for another 19 months. I have done a lot of research on bottles and we have pretty much purchased the entire market (trying to find just one that Luca would accept) and I have decided that my favorite brand is the Comotomo line. I have ordered a set of new ones for this babe and I fully intend on using them before it’s “too late.”

Miscellaneous Items:

Aside from the major items listed about, I am reusing a lot of the clothes and things that we had for Luca. I have obviously ordered some new swaddles, because those things just go through the ringer and were used for so many different purposes (and there are so many new cute prints out). I have bought a new changing table pad, because obviously. Also, new crib and bassinet sheets. I have bought a few new clothing items, but I remember how quickly Luca grew and how a lot of the items used the first 6 months literally would fit one week and be too small the next, so truth is, where I spent money on clothing for Luca I decided to put that money towards more practical items (such as the expensive stroller and SNOO). I have ordered a few new teething toys and things of that nature, but pretty much, we are reusing 90% of what we had before.

WHAT I AM REUSING

Dockatot: 

These things literally hit the market towards the end of my pregnancy with Luca and I literally couldn’t understand why on earth someone would spend $189 on what appeared to be a dog bed for an infant… and then a girlfriend of mine was gifted two and so generously gave me her extra and guys when I tell you Luca LIVED IN THIS THING, I am not kidding. Even if I would’ve spent my own money on this thing, it would have been worth every single penny. I forsee myself putting this inside of the Moses Basket, and also using it on it’s own whenever we travel. If you are planning to travel with your baby anytime within the first 4-5 months, this thing will change the game. I literally just smashed it into my suitcase and he slept besides me in bed in it whenever we would travel. Do yourself the favor and order an additional cover, because accidents happen and you really will rely so heavily on this in those beginning months. Side note: if you want to be the MVP of the baby shower in the gifting department, order this.

Ergo Baby 360 Carrier: 

Life saver the first time around, and I am sure it will be even more so this second time. Whenever we traveled, Luca lived in this. Having free hands is so nice and necessary, especially when your hands are needed to care for another (very active) sibling. The cost is 100% worth it, another MVP baby shower gift item. I love that it has multiple ways to wear the baby, and that it can grow as they do. We never used the infant insert, but that is because I waited until he was a little older to use the Ergo. The wrap that I used for the first 3 months, is the next item that I talk about!

Solly Baby Wrap: 

I am all about baby wearing. The research of the benefits to baby is mind blowing and the convenience for mama is absolutely amazing. I ordered two of these for Luca, one in the grey and white stripe and one in all black, because Rico really enjoyed wearing him and I figured black was kinder than the sage green color that I was really eyeing. I haven’t ordered a new one this time around, because I know it isn’t necessary– but there are some new colors out that literally have my heart, so idk, it may happen. These wraps have been machine washed, worn, used, and still hold up as great as they were when we ordered them and took them out of the box. I love this brand. I love the mama behind this brand, and I love supporting other women. If you’re interested, here is Solly Baby’s Instagram

Owlet Monitor:

So, I am a psycho in the beginning of my child’s life. I found myself waking up almost every time I would drift off to sleep just to make sure Luca was still breathing in those early weeks. Any new mamas out there know this feeling. After making my own exhaustion worse from worry, we decided just to take the plunge and order the Owlet Monitor and I am so glad that we did. This monitor is a small sock that fits onto baby’s foot and it measures their oxygen levels and heart rate and it alerts you if anything changes from their normal ranges– it uses the same technology that hospitals use to measure these vitals. The monitor comes with three socks in different sizes so that it can grow with your baby. Do I think that out of all the items you really need for baby that this is “necessary”, not so much, but, it gave us great peace of mind and as a new parent, (in my opinion) there isn’t a price you can pay for peace, or sleep.

Preparing to welcome a second baby into our family has been so exciting, and I am counting down the days and hours until we get to meet. I feel insanely lucky to be able to sustain life inside of me. Children are no doubt hard work, but they are every bit and ten thousand times more rewarding and bring pure joy into our life and our home. I wouldn’t change my job as “mama” for absolutely anything in the world. It is something that I am passionate about to my core. I want to be the best that I can be. I want to do the best that I can do, after all..

we are the only ones that can give our children the gift of a mother who loves her life, xo. Grace