Margot's Newborn Essentials

As Margot turns three months on Wednesday (!) I wanted to share some of our favorite things and items we honestly would not have survived the fourth trimester without. A lot of these things were different from my essentials with Harry — since over the past 2.5 years, I have discovered new brands, small shops, and am just overall deeper into the mom world. Also, each baby is so different and Margot is a huge snuggle bug, so I have bought a few different things with her that Harry never cared for/about.

Sharing in the event you are pregnant, and/or close to the arrival of meeting your little one, I always found it helpful to know what other moms couldn’t live without those first few months:

Willaby Baby Blanket, Solly Baby Sleeper, Snuggle Me Organic Lounger

Willaby Baby Blanket

This was the first thing to touch Margot’s skin in the hospital, after me and Nick ;) It is the most soft, most snuggly and also beautiful blanket. I wash it about once a week, and it washes beautifully. It’s also my go-to baby gift!

Charlie Crane Rocker

During the day, when we’re home, Margot takes the majority of her naps in this chair. I know it is not considered “safe sleep”, so she is never in it for long naps, or unattended. She also loves to lounge in it while I’m making dinner or we’re eating. I found it to be really comfortable for newborns, as opposed to some of the other chairs Harry had I didn’t feel comfortable putting him in until he really had better neck control.

Lovevery Playmat

For Harry we had borrowed a few different mats because I could never bring myself to buy them because they burned my eyeballs. I found out about Lovevery after Harry was about six months, and didn’t think it was worth it at that age and SO regret that decision. It is a game changer, and Margot is obsessed with it. I feel like she’s really engaged with the black and white cards so far, and loves the mirror for tummy time — I can’t wait for her to discover more of it as she grows.

Little Ellie Co Lovey

As I said, Margot is a complete snuggle obsessed little bug. She is currently asleep in her chair, with her Willaby blanket cozied up on one side of her face, and this Little Ellie Co lovey on the other (don’t worry I’m watching her every breath and of course never leave her unattended). I ordered her pattern custom through Sally back in late August, and this little rabbit was so worth the wait. It already goes everywhere with us.

Solly Baby Sleepers

Most days, you can find Margot in one of these — and it’s what she came home from the hospital in! So soft, so adorable and easy — while still looking like a cute little outfit.

Briar Baby Bonnets

Fun fact, this was the first thing I bought in the hospital after having Margot. We didn’t find out the sex, so it was veryyyy fun to start buying all the girl things — and I knew she was going to be a bonnet girl. These were also a savior when she started losing her hair around the one month mark…

Green Sprouts Burp Cloths

A godsend for Harry AND Margot. Our favorite burp cloths ever.

Loui Pacifiers

I was sent these to try out by the cutest team at Loui, and Margot was smitten at first suck. Pacifiers are tricky with babies of course, but this one she literally fell asleep with within minutes of first trying it. They’re made with non-toxic medical grade silicone, and my favorite part is they’re one solid piece, so there’s no place for gross things to get stuck or grow.

Willaby Wraps

The best swaddle, the best light blanket, the best cuddle — a million uses and beautiful!

Snuggle Me Organic Lounger

Our favorite sleep time lounger.

Again, this is not safe sleep certified so please ask your pediatrician, and never leave baby unattended while sleeping in loungers or chairs.

Puj Bath

We have a very small bathroom, which means a small sink — and the Puj is perfect! I love how secure a newborn feels in it — since baths can feel a bit uncertain…

Tubby Todd Shampoo & Moisturizer

I tried all the usual suspects with Harry and never really settled on one I loved. I tried Tubby Todd for Margot and so far we’re in love. Smells divine and leaves her clean and soft.

Coterie Diapers

Super absorbant, soft, easy text re-ordering! I will never use any other diapers.

Bloom Baby Wipes

I think I’ve had these on monthly order since Harry was born? I don’t ever plan to cancel. The. Best.

Gathre Padded Mini Mat

We use this alone, or under her Lovevery mat. Super soft surface for babies, but Harry also uses daily to play on! You all know how I feel about Gathre products — I am their biggest fan and think every single thing they make is just perfect.

Gathre Padded Micro+

Oh hey another Gathre product! I ordered the padded micro+ mat for our first floor changing station, mainly to use when I was recovering from my c-section and Nick had gone back to work. I use for both kids, and it’s a lifesaver. Comfy for them, and wipes down perfectly clean. It has so so many uses, so I'll probably use in the bathroom by the tub to save our knees when I don’t need downstairs anymore!

Comotomo Baby Bottles

Margot is (as of now) 99.9% breastfed, but the few times we have given her a bottle, she took these perfectly! We love ‘em.

Happy Baby Carrier - Original

My go-to with Harry, and Margot is another #1 fan. On Harry’s first flight to England, he slept in this the ENTIRE time. I am the biggest believer of the Happy Baby, so was so happy when Margot agreed. Whenever we’re out and about (the playground, farm, etc), she is in this carrier, and most likely sleeping. It’s must easier for me to wear her than have her in a stroller — keeps me free and mobile to chase/play with Harry! And now especially with COVID — I feel safest with her so close to me and protected.

I think that’s it! I hope you found this helpful!

This post contains affiliate links, and I make a small percentage of commission through some sales — this allows me to buy some special things for my babies, and I really appreciate your support in doing so!

Hospital Bag Essentials

I’m here to add yet another “hospital bag essentials” blog post to the internet. When I was pregnant with Harry, I think I read every single one, compiling lists and basically completely overpacked. It was overwhelming to have so much STUFF with us in the room, especially when you’re with a newborn for the first time.

I went through my list right after, and parred down what we barely used/didn’t need/never took out of our multiple bags. I swore to myself if we were lucky enough to have more babies, I was never bringing that much to the hospital again. So now here we are, less than two weeks til delivery day with our second baby and our bags are packed!

It’s important to know that the hospital literally has everything you will absolutely NEED for you and the baby. Everything you’re bringing is to simply make your time more comfortable and personal.

So, here’s this parred down list. I hope you expectant friends find it helpful as you start to plan for the first few days of your little one’s arrival!

For Mom

• Wallet with ID and don’t forget your insurance card — You’ll need to register as soon as you get to the hospital and want to make sure you have all the right identification needed

• Extension cord/extra long phone charger — Most of the time there are minimal outlets in the labor and postpartum rooms, and they can be far away from your bed. An extension cord makes life so much easier to ensure your phone/tablet is charged and easily accesible.

• Toiletry Bag — Dry shampoo, wipes, nipple cream, makeup, toothbrush/toothpaste

• Robe / Nightgown — While sad, it makes life a little bit easier that no visitors are allowed with the pandemic going on, so you don’t have to worry about having anything too elaborate to wear when visitors come. Since I’m having a c-section, I searched high and low for a comfortable, yet pretty lightweight nightgown. I ended up going with this cotton nightgown with buttons for easy breastfeeding/skin-to-skin and this Monica & Andy robe

• Nursing Bras — My go-to with Harry was the Bravado ‘Ballet Nursing Bra’, which I plan on using again this time around, SO incredibly comfortable, which is very important when you’ll be wearing these bras 24/7. I also got the Lively ‘Mesh Trim’ bralette because I did want something with a little more support when out and about. No need to worry about bringing underwear — they got that covered for you ;)

• Socks — Love Bodily’s ‘Cozy Socks’

• Pump — The hospital will also provide one, but I think it’s best to bring your own so you can get used to using it plus ask alllllll the questions for best practices for your specific model from the nurses and lactation specialists who will visit you in postpartum care.

• Boppy Pillow — Makes early days of nursing easier, especially for recovering c-section moms

• Going Home Clothes — I don’t even remember what I wore leaving the hospital with Harry, but it was definitely not what I packed, all such a haze. This time I’m planning on a light-weight, loose fitting dress to make things easy and also make myself feel good. Most likely this MDS Stripes dress or my Hatch go-to

For Baby

• Baby Blanket — Very important for alllll the newborn cuddles, and cozying up for skin-to-skin. So madly in love with our Willaby ‘Lace Baby Blanket’ in Moon

• Swaddle — They will provide the classic blue/pink hospital blankets (which I actually love and are the BEST for swaddling), but it’s always nice to have one or two of your own as well. We love Solly Baby, Pehr, and Quincy Mae

• Hat(/Bonnet(s) — Again, they will provide, but since we’re not finding out the gender until delivery, I like to have a girly/boyish option for hats to make things a little more special. Our favorites: Briar Baby, Quincy Mae, and Organic Zoo

• Going Home Outfit — Something cute & comfy — Fin & Vince, Solly Baby, Quincy Mae, Summer & Storm, and Go Gently Nation are some of our favorites.

• Pacifiers — Again, they will give you! We didn’t bring any last time and it was fine and he ended up using those same kind until he quit them. This time we’re going with the Mushie ‘Bibs Pacifier”

• Bibs — Harry was a drooler/professional spit up-er since the moment he was born, and bibs saved (and continue to save…) so many clothes. I swear by Charley Charles bibs, and are going to try out her smaller ones for the newborn this time around!

For Dad

• Toiletry Bag

• Change of Clothes - button down for easy skin-to-skin and comfy clothes

Preparing For Baby When You Don't Know the Sex

I know we’re part of the small percentage that didn’t find out the sex of not only our first, but now our second either! I’m very superstitious (read: nervous) about knowing too much, or jinxing anything and plus the element of surprise is nice, right? Right?

Anyways, if you’re like us (read: crazy), and also are waiting for the delivery room to find out the sex of your newest arrival, preparing can be tough. On top of getting everything else, clothing can be hard to navigate, especially if you want some fun pieces and not just grey.

With Harry, a LOT was grey during his newborn days, and over the years I have found some wonderful small brands and companies that offer better solutions, whether your little one ends up being a girl or boy. I’m keeping this simple with the absolute necessities (onesies, bibs, hats) because personally that’s all Harry was in for the first 3-4 months. But, I have a weird thing about babies being in “real clothes” — might just be me… definitely just me…

Anyways here you go! Most of these are spring/summer focused, but the brands of course offer other options seasonally. Hope this helps all you soon to be moms/dads out there.

Onesies - Playsuits - Rompers

1. Quincy Mae - Pointelle Kimono Onesie

2. Oeuf - Pocket Romper

3. Quincy Mae - Ribbed Longsleeve Onesie

4. Misha & Puff - Plum Island Playsuit

5. Go Gently - Woven Tank Jersey Onesie

6. Les Gamins - Bloomer Overalls

7. Quincy Mae - Kimono Onesie

8. Quincy Mae - Retro Romper

Bibs

Never met a blog post I didn’t like where I didn’t have to mention my favorite bib of all time and the only bibs Harry wears. Wish I knew about these amazing bibs when Harry was born, we didn’t discover until around his first birthday! Definitely a must have, and come in amazing (gender neutral!) colors.

Hats

1. Quincy Mae - Pixie Bonnet

2. Oeuf - Honeycomb Hat

3. Quincy Mae - Knotted Hat

4. The Blueberry Hill - Honeycomb Bonnet

5. Pehr - Knot Hat

6. Quincy Mae - Pixie Bonnet

Favorite Baby Shower Gifts (That You Won’t Find On The Registry)

These days, with the current quarantine, many baby showers have unfortunately been cancelled or moved to a digital space. Luckily, almost everything is available on line, and thankfully most small shops have been able to stay open - even if that means just virtually.

While the registry is always the safest and easiest place to start shopping for new parents, if you’re like me you might want to get the expecting mom something fun, or a little surprise.

I’ve rounded up some of my favorite pieces, some I received during the early days with Harry, others I have acquired over the past couple years and I now hold them near and dear, and a few I am hoping to add to our collection for the new baby!

Thought I’d share in case anyone else wants to go off-registry for something special..!

Image via Willaby

Willaby Lace Baby Blanket Set

Solly Baby Sleeper

Pehr Pom Pom Storage Bundle

Ollie World Swaddle

Senger Goose

Gathre Mini Mat

Dove & Dovelet Pacifier Clips

Artifact Uprising - The Story of You Baby Book

Organic Zoo Wrapover Bodysuits

Baby Mori Starter Set

The Birth Poster Gift Card

Olli Ella Baby Rattle

Wooden Push Wagon

Grimms Clutching Beads Toy

Hazel Village Doll or Animal

Oeuf Rabbit Sweater

Uncle Goose ABC Blocks

10 Baby Items We Can't Live Without The First 6 Months

Your baby registry is one of the hardest parts of pregnancy. Where do you even begin? Nick and I made the decision to not find out the sex of the baby, which many people thought was nuts because ‘how could we buy anything’ but it’s not like we were going to buy only pink or blue anyways so it was actually pretty simple. Turns out getting all first baby (we want 4 because we’re crazy people) gender neutral items really maximizes usage!

I asked a lot of recommendations from other new young moms on what they couldn’t live without for the first 6 months when I was putting together my registry, and lots we have used and LOTS we haven’t — so here is our list of 10 items we would absolutely go insane without for Harry’s first 6 months in this world.

Happy Baby Carrier

My absolute favorite carrier by far. So easy to use and put baby in, especially when home/out & about alone. Harrison takes full on hour+ naps in it and also loves to just hang out in it and watch everything. They’re made from an amazing light weight linen, made in the USA and come in such beautiful colors. I couldn’t recommend more!

Baby Bjorn Bouncer Bliss

We started putting Harrison in this around 4 weeks and he still loves to sit in it 6 months later. He now bounces like a crazy person the entire time but regardless.. it’s a great option for when you need to use two free hands/eat!

Bumbo Floor Seat

Another go-to option for playtime! Also super portable, easy to clean (no brainer) and has a great tray option which makes for an easy eating spot for weekends away. We love to put Harrison in his on the table while we eat (Is this allowed? Probably not..) or on the floor with his toys (scattered) around him.

Bibs

We go through approximately 5 bibs a day now that Harry is teething/cutting teeth — but even before that it was an easy way to get more than 1 hour out of onesies!

Onesies

Speaking of onesies. Buy them all. Do not waste money on more than a few “fancy” ones, since day in and day out you will change them multiple times out of multiple onesies. For everyday, I love Carters and have reordered so much I have lost count. For actual outfit options, I love Gap and Loved Baby.

Booties

As you can probably tell, I have a thing about dressing babies like babies and not like adults for atleast the first year. The only shoe/sock that I have found to LOVE and does not ever fall off (basically all that matters) is the Zutano bootie. Again, I have re-ordered too many times…

WubbaNub Pacifiers

God. Sends. They keep pacifiers from falling out, and as Harry has gotten older he strokes it to fall asleep. My heart.

Ollie Swaddle

A baby straight jacket that is SO easy to use. We never got the hang of learning how to swaddle (oops) and this saved the day and Harry loved being so secure. He broke out of this finally around 4 months when he started rolling over front/back and back/front!

Lamaze Toys

I truly tried to keep color out (bad mom…), but my mom bought Harrison the Lamaze peacock and moose a few weeks after birth and he was transfixed. We now have practically every item they make..

Greensprout Muslin Burp Cloths

So good, they made it into two blog posts!