Tag Archives: haute off the rack blog

An Open Letter to Our Baby Boy

Hey everyone, I recently posted this caption on my Instagram and thought I would re-share it here along with an open letter to our baby boy.

One day when you’re old and grown, we’ll tell you about the last 30 days before you were born and how you served as a symbol of hope and love during a time of fear and chaos. We’ll tell you that above all the confusion and uncertainty there was one thing we were certain of and it was to make the world a better and safer place for you. Because you were the light shining at the end of that dark tunnel guiding us through and ready to pull us out to brighter days as a family of three. We’ll tell you that every time we seemed to lose hope, you were there reminding us to be strong because you needed us. But really it was us who needed you. And even though we dreamt it all would be different, you were perfect and that was enough.

| Shop My Look |

Outfit: Sequin Maxi Maternity Tulle Dress (wearing sz 6)— also comes in silver & taupe blush (I wore the taupe to my baby shower) | Amiya Gold Cuff Bracelet in Pearl & Avi Hoop Earrings In Rose Gold c/o Kendra Scott | David Yurman Bracelets | Sam Edelman Yaro Heels

Blake’s Outfit: Slim Traveler Pant | Classic Fit Short Sleeve Chino Shirt | Similar Suede Wingtip Shoes here & here

Dear Beck, by the time that you’re old enough to read this, you’ll already know how much we love you, but we want you know how much we loved you before we even knew you. The best way to describe that to you is tell you the story of the last month leading up to your arrival. Some people will you tell you that it was a scary and chaotic time to bring a baby into the world. Others might say it was all a blur of a nightmare, but in the midst of all that, there was goodness and that goodness was you.

Was I scared at times? Sure, but I knew had to be strong for you and put my trust in God. If I had the choice, would I have chosen to bring to you into the world when it felt calmer, absolutely! But life doesn’t always go the way you want it to. You can’t control everything not matter how hard you try, but you know what you can control? Your perspective! You can control how you see the world and how you respond to it.

You want to know what I saw during the last days before your arrival? I saw the world come together and stop everything that they were doing just to keep you and loved ones safe. I saw them sacrifice their jobs, their travel plans and their social lives for the greater good. I saw doctors and nurses heroically put their lives on the line to save others. I watched families grow closer to one another and I smiled as they came up with creative ways to celebrate birthdays, weddings and anniversaries. People still celebrated and made moments feel special even when they couldn’t physically be together. Because love wasn’t canceled nor was laughter, happiness, relationships, hope or family. You see Beck, life may not always go as planned, but that doesn’t mean you should give up. You just have to look for a window or the silver lining in the situation to pull you through. Sometimes you have to look really hard, but I promise you it’s there.

As for us, it was a time when your dad and I just got to enjoy each other’s company. He cooked me breakfast every morning to help me with my special diet that I had to follow to keep you healthy and he worked tirelessly on the house and your room to make it perfect for you. We walked every evening after dinner and talked about how excited we were for you to arrive and what you might be like and look like. We joked about me teaching you sports and what an awful idea that would be because I’m sure you know by now that I know nothing about sports. We watched Disney movies that we loved as kids and couldn’t wait to show you one day. We felt your kicks all day and night because you never stopped moving and laughed because that meant you might have my non-stop energy. Best of all, we were able to find the joy and beauty in each and every day all of because of you. You opened our eyes to everything else the world had to offer during a time when it was hard to see those things. And for that we love you to the moon and back.

We pray that one day you’ll experience the same love with your own spouse and that God will bless you with a baby as wonderful as you.

Love, your mom and dad

To everyone else, especially all of your new and expecting mothers: Be kind, hopeful and positive and send those vibes back into the world and I have a feeling that we’ll come out of this even stronger and more connected than before! We’ve all experienced natural disasters before and we’re all in this one together. Stay strong friends!

| Shop My Look |

Blake’s Outfit: Slim Traveler Pant | Classic Fit Short Sleeve Chino Shirt | Similar Suede Wingtip Shoes here & here

Photos by: Aperture Photos Co

What I’m Packing in My Hospital Bags For Labor & Delivery During The Pandemic

March 24, 2020

Hey everyone, one of my most asked questions recently is what are you packing for the hospital especially now with all the new pandemic regulations. To answer your question, if there was a person who packed like there was a pandemic before there ever was one…it’s me! Ask anyone who knows me, I comes a lot of baggage! Literally though. I’ve been this way since I was a kid so you may not find some of these items necessary, but I’m going to share everything with you. Also, I had a lot of help from my friends Kathleen Barnes and Krystal Faircloth who both had babies within the past year. So I feel extra prepared.

| Shop My Look |

Tabby Dress (wearing sz 4) — similar dresses here & here | Pearl Headband (similar here) | Kailyn Gold Statement Earrings, Heart 14k Yellow Gold Pendant Necklace in White Diamonds & Cross 14k Yellow Gold Pendant Necklace in White Diamonds | Bracelets c/o Julie Vos

**Important Information:

In case you are unaware of the new Labor & Delivery Department policies during this pandemic, you may only have one visitor at the hospital and that visitor is not allowed to leave them room until you have been discharged with the baby. This means you have to pack absolutely everything you might need including extra clothing if you end up having to stay longer. This changes a lot of things because it also means that Blake isn’t allowed to leave and grab food or something we left at home. We also won’t be able to have our families see the baby or have our photographer come to snap a few photos. Fortunately, they will at least be providing the visitors with cafeteria meals and I have my fingers crossed that one of the nurses won’t mind grabbing a photo of the three of us as a new family.

Expecting moms, if you’re reading this, we’re going to be ok! We will make it through this chaotic time. Here is one positive way to look at this situation…moving forward everyone is going to be the cleanest they’ve ever been and just in time for your baby to arrive and no one will blame you for all of your specific rules when it comes to visiting with your baby.

This quarantine will not only help flatten the curve of covid-19, but it will also help prevent other viruses from spreading too! Did you think about that? Now you don’t have to worry about people passing around any other kind of illness to you or your baby!

Now if we had a choice, would we choose to have a world crisis going on in the middle of pregnancy or when our baby is born? No! Of course not! But yet here we are so how can we make the best of it? How can we still make these moments feel special? I’ll remind you again that at least everyone is being super cautious, which is very ideal when it comes to newborns! You can take this time to pray, nest, work on the baby room, write the baby book, fill up your registry and finish thank you cards. If your baby is already here, soak up all the extra time together at home. While everything else in the world may be cancelled… here are some things that aren’t:

Love

Relationships

Self care

Family

Laughter

Hope

Be kind, hopeful and positive and send those vibes back into the world and I have a feeling that we’ll come out of this even stronger and more connected than before! We’ve all experienced natural disasters and we’re all in this one together. Stay strong friends! I hope to serve as a beacon of light to you all during this time by continuing to share my life’s journey and things that bring me joy!

Scroll through this post to see everything we packed and why!

MZ Wallace Crosby Traveler Bag

What I’m Packing for Myself:

Wallet & ID card for registration

2 pairs of nursing-friendly pajamas | I’m packing this one from Target and this one from Nordstrom. I also like this short sleeve one from Pink Blush Maternity.

Laptop & Charger | The laptop will come in handy when we want to watch Netflix.

My personal pillow & pillow case | Kathleen suggested a colored one so I know which one pillow is mine when it’s time to leave.

Blanket & Sound Machine | I can’t imagine that I’ll sleep well at the hospital, but I figured I would bring as many comfortable things as possible to make it feel more like home. We sleep with a sound machine every night so I’m bringing the baby’s portable sound machine to use to drown out the sound at the hospital.

My own towel | This was also something Krystal and Kathleen suggested to have a little more comfort and luxury from home because the hospital towels are kind of small.

Slippers | I don’t ever want my bare feet to touch the hospital floor so I’m packing slippers, socks and shower flip flops!

Cozy Robe | I’m bringing a cozy robe to keep warm and that’s what I normally wear around the house with my pajamas.

Pretty Robe | I’m also packing a pretty robe to throw on to snap a few photos with the baby that Blake will take of course since photographers will not be allowed in. This crochet trim robe is cute and comfy too

Outfit to wear home + Baby Name Necklace | I’m packing a couple of flowy dress options and sandals to wear home. I really like this blue dress and this coral dress.

Goodie Basket for our Labor & Deliver nurses | I wrote a little thank you card and put together this basket with candy, chocolates, bars, coffees, gum and Kendra Scott jewelry (not pictured) to thank the nurses who will be assisting with my birth experience. I’ll probably ask of the nurses to take to their station so they don’t feel awkward coming in and out of my room to grab goodies.

Nursing bras, nipple cream, nipple cooling pads | I heard all of these items are vital when it comes to breastfeeding and since we don’t know how long we’ll be in the hospital for I figured I’d bring them all with me.

Dermaplast | This is a numbing pain & itch spray for your you-know-what after you give birth.

XL long phone charger & wall piece | It’s nice to have an extra long cord that reaches from the wall to the hospital bed. Don’t forget the wall piece too.

Tripod for self timer photos | Since we we aren’t allowed to have any visitors including the hospital photographer, we’re bringing our tripod for self timer photos to be able to capture special moments with all three of us.

Post pregnancy panties | I know the hospital gives you some postpartum underwear, but I’m bringing and extra pair just in case!

Plastic bags for dirty clothes & zip lock bags for anything I want keep from getting germs at the hospital.

Travel Size Toiletries + Makeup Bag + Aquaphor + Shampoo/Conditioner + Curling Wand + Wet Hair brush + Hair Spray + Hair Dryer | I never leave the house without Aquaphor because I use it for everything especially as lip repair. I plan on doing my makeup at some point to take some photos with baby because I’m sure I’ll look a little rough after giving birth.

Ponytail holders, Bobby pins, Dry Shampoo | I’m definitely packing dry shampoo in case I decided not to wash my hair in the shower at the hospital. I’m also bringing ponytails and bobby pins to keep my hair out of my face.

Ritual Prenatal Vitamins | Their prenatal includes 12 essential nutrients with high quality ingredients your body can actually absorb. I love the no-nausea capsule design so I can take my in the morning or night. Other prenatal vitamins made me nauseous or just made my stomach hurt. @ritual prenatal vitamins are vegan certified and have no shady additives, fillers or colorants. They feel gentle and easy on my stomach while helping support every stage of pregnancy. They offer free-shipping are delivered straight to your door with their easy monthly subscription service. Take 10% OFF your first 3 months with code: HAUTE

Young Living Essential Oils & Diffuser | I’ve been using YL oils for about 7 years now and I never travel without them. At the hospital, I’ll probably mainly use lavender to keep me calm, peppermint in case I get a headache or feel nauseous and peace & calming oil well for peace and calming of course! I like that I can diffuse these oils during labor with my diffuser.

Thieves Hand Sanitizer | It’s my favorite because it doesn’t dry out your hand.

Yoga Ball | If I had room and/and or extra hands I would pack my yoga ball because it’s been a life saver during these last few weeks of pregnancy, but we don’t have the room so I just hope that our hospital has one. I also plan to use it for as long as I can with my contractions at home before going into the hospital. I’m not currently planning on doing a natural birth, but I know a lot of people highly recommend the yoga ball for natural births. A doula also told me that that it helps position the baby for birth and prepares your body for labor. Plus it gives your hips a nice stretch!

Colace | I’ve heard that you should start taking stool softener right after you deliver to ensure that your first postpartum bowel movements comes gently and easily. TMI I know, but it’s important to know!

Large Refillable Water Bottle | A few of my friends told me their hospital provided this for them, but just in case I’m bringing one with me especially since I like a straw.

Door Wreath & Gold Paint Pen for Black Board | I was so excited that The Sweetest Grace made me a special door wreath that all of my visitors would enjoy as they walked to see the baby at the hospital after he was born. It has a little black board in the middle where we could write his weight and birth date, but now the new rules we won’t have any visitors so I will actually be leaving the wreath at home and will hang it on our front door once it’s safe for us to have visitors at home. If you’re reading this post in the future when the pandemic is not an issue, I highly recommend a sweet little door wreath for the hospital to make the room feel special.

Letter board | Since we aren’t bringing the wreath I’m packing a little 10 x 10 letter board

Wooden Marker | I ordered this wooden marker with monthly milestones and I am bringing the one with his name on it to the hospital to make the photos feel more special.

Boppy pillow & Cover | I figured it would be nice to have my Boppy Pillow for breastfeeding at the hospital.

Breast Pump + Supplies – I’m so glad that Krystal from a A Pinch of Lovely mentioned to pack this because I won’t know what I’m doing when I get home, but this way I can have lactation nurses can help me with the pump and show me how it works.

Baby Book for Footprints | This didn’t even cross my mind until Krystal mentioned it so I’m so glad she did so I don’t have to worry about losing his foot prints or wrinkling the paper. I also have a book that I can write letters to him in while we’re at the hospital and my thoughts and feelings are still fresh in my mind.

| Shop My Hospital Bag |

| Shop My Toiletry Bag |

| Shop My Postpartum Essentials |

Happ Diaper Bag | Heirloom Baby Book | Monica & Andy Hospital Cuddle Box

What I’m Packing for the Baby:

A few going home outfits | I’m packing a couple different options because we don’t know which ones are going to fit him

Baby Hats | I love this little hat with the ears

Monica & Andy Hospital Cuddle Box | This box includes a hat, newborn outfit, blanket and swaddle

Baby Blankets & Swaddles | We’re packing extra in case we have to stay longer!

This outfit is included in the Monica & Andy Hospital Cuddle Box

Baby Socks

Baby Mittens | They say that sometimes the baby’s nails are long and they tend to scratch their faces so the mittens will help prevent that.

Baby Gowns | love this grey one for photos. I also like this organic kimono gown for easy diaper changes in the middle of the night.

Wooden Name Plate | Pacifier | Modern Pacifier Clip for Baby | 2 Button Baby Nightgown | Sage Baby Gown

Pacifiers | A lot of people suggested these soothies!

CAR SEAT!

I’m told that the hospital provides you with diapers and wipes, but I’m packing my HONEST Wipes just in case.

Burp cloths

| Shop My Baby Bag |

What I’m Packing for Blake:

Pillow + Colored Pillowcase | I did the same for myself!

Blanket | I want Blake to be as comfortable as possible on the couch since he’s not allowed to leave with the new hospital regulations.

2-3 Changes of Clothes | You never know how long you may need to stay in the hospital after birth so we’re both bring extra clothes since we’re not allowed to leave no one is allowed to bring us anything

Extra Pajamas

Travel Size Toiletries like deodorant, toothpaste, body wash etc…

iPhone charger | make sure you each have your own charger to be able to stay in touch with your family!

Large Refillable Water Bottle

Lots of people suggested an air mattress for Blake, but he said he was fine with couch.

Snacks | We’re packing plenty of snacks in Blake’s bag like gatorade, peanut butter crackers, snack bars and dried fruit. **Update: If you’re delivering during these time of specific hospital policies, our doctor suggested that we pack a cooler with cold coffees and foods we like in addition to the pre-packaged snacks because Blake won’t even be allowed to leave the room to go the vending machine for drinks or the gift shop for a coffee. So we are packing our cooler with fruit, cold Starbucks and drinks and sandwiches. You never know how long your food may take from the cafeteria or if you’ll like it or not so it’s nice to have some backup food packed that you know you’ll enjoy. I also packed myself some junk food like Oreos, M&M’s and Doritos since I’ll finally be allowed to have those snacks again after delivering with gestational diabetes.

Slippers

Beats Pill Speaker with charger | A lot of people told me they liked listening to music during labor.

Side Note! We originally packed our belongings in duffle bags, but once we realized that we needed even more items given the crazy circumstances we transferred everything into rolling bags to make it easier on ourselves when we check in.

Please let me know if there is anything I left out that you think we should bring.

A Whimsical Gender Neutral Baby Shower

March 20, 2020

Hey everyone, I recently lost track of what day it is since this crazy quarantine began, but I thought we could all use some pretty distractions today so I’m sharing all of my baby shower details. If you unfortunately had to cancel your baby shower due to the recent world crisis circumstances, my heart goes out to you and I hope you’re able to reschedule and celebrate later. Your baby shower host could even throw you a “sip’n see” party once everything settles down and it’s safe for the baby to be around friends and family. In case you aren’t familiar with sip’n see parties, it’s basically when you have the shower after the baby is born so everyone gets to see your new bundle of joy while showering you with gifts. Speaking of gifts, be sure to check out my top baby products here—> My Top Baby Registry Picks

Scroll through this post to see m whimsical gender neutral baby shower details!

| Shop My Look |

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3950241″]

My Outfit: Sequin & Tulle Maternity Dress (wearing sz 6 —comes in a few other colors) <—For size reference: Before pregnancy I wore size smalls and still usually order smalls now, but my bust has gone from a small 32B to a full 36C so that is why I sized up to the 6 | Nude Ankle Strap Heels | Avi Hoop Earrings In Rose Gold | Name Necklace | Amiya Cuff Bracelets

Cake Table Details: Gold and Marble Pedestal Stand | Three Tier Sweet Stand | Gold Frame found at dollar store & sign from Etsy | Wooden Block Letters (spray painted gold) from Hobby Lobby | Ribbon c/o Paper White Collections | Gold Cake Knife set (old from World Market)

Another option is for your original host to reach out to all of the invited guests and let them know that she’s decided it’s best to throw you a virtual shower. In this case, everyone would have your presents sent directly to your home before the baby arrives so you can still get everything you need. Plus I know your friends and family still want you to feel special during this time especially with the given circumstances. If you want to take it a step further, you could even send little videos of yourself opening gifts to family members when you receive them in the mail.

If you’re waiting until this whole Covid-19 mess dissipates, be sure to check out my tips for throwing baby showers here—> Top 5 Tips for Planning and Hosting a Baby Shower

I found this rattan chair at World Market and have used used it at multiple other baby showers and parties too.

I almost feel guilty sharing all of my shower details with you at this time, but again I know you all enjoy pretty distractions from the real world so without further ado, here we go! My mom and mother-in-law threw me a family shower, in which I could have invited my friends to, but I decided to keep friends and family separate so I would have equal time to enjoy with the both them. With that being said, I decided to throw my “friend” baby shower myself and not because my friends weren’t willing to host one for me, but because I love planning events and parties. So it was like a treat for me. I thrive on designing and planning plus I had the assistance of Paper White Collections who helped me come up with the most beautiful color scheme.

Before we came up with the color scheme we met to brainstorm ideas and since I had already booked the venue (Maison Lafitte) in the previous year, we knew exactly what kind of vibe we wanted: the perfect combo of glam and whimsical while still staying within that gender neutral bracket. Initially, we thought about doing a full-on rainbow theme, but then we decided to narrow it down to just a few colors and create a softer ombre look. I ended up choosing a beautiful boho invitation design from Minted with the colors: gold, blue, green and peach so we decided to use those as our base colors. The Paper White Collections team went to market with those colors in mind to find the perfect table settings and decor for the tablescape. They were also able to hand select the colors of all of the linens and ribbons that matches with my invitations.

Tablescape c/o Paper White Collections

Then I reached out to Moonbeam Fleurs and Animated Art Balloon to discuss the two big balloon and floral installations. We sent a photo of the invitation as well as color swatches to both of them so everyone would be on same page. Usually when I work with Tabitha from Animated Art Balloon, we design a fun a balloon arch together, but this time we decided to do something we’ve never done before. Ashley from White Paper Collections had a floating balloon garland installation at her shower and I loved the idea so much that we decided to recreate it with my soft ombre color scheme.

As for the crescent floral installation, I had saved a photo of one from a wedding that I saw on Instagram and Whitney from Moonbeam Fleurs was the perfect florist to recreate it. She also arranged all of the flowers on the dining table as well the flowers that were incorporated into the balloon garland. The floral crescent installation was really important to me because I always like to have a beautiful designated spot to take photos in front of and it worked wonderfully as you can see in the pictures below.

Signs and Welcome Decor: I found all of my signs on Etsy and printed them at local printing shop. I framed them using gold frames from the dollar store and Hobby Lobby that I keep in a decor box in my garage.

Glo Event Decor installed these drapes for me at the entrance of Maison Lafitte, which also worked as a great spot for photos in the afternoon once the sun moved over.

Food: Fortunately, I didn’t have to think much about food because Maison Lafitte offers catering. I decided to go with a seated lunch menu as well as some passed appetizers, cheeseboards and bottomless mimosas.

Cake & Cookies: My cake design was supposed to look a little different as it was supposed to look like a blue agate stone, but it still tasted delicious. The cookie designs turned out absolutely beautiful. I made sure to send her a photo of the invitation so she could create cookies using the same colors and she even made a cookie looked exactly like the invitation designs.

I found these wooden block block letters at Hobby Lobby and spray painted them gold. I do this for every shower I host so they can be used in the baby’s room as decor.

Not only do decorative cookies make great desserts and table decor, but they’re also perfect to use as shower favors too.

Diaper Raffle, Favors & Guest Book: I’ve been working with GiGi New York for 8+ years now and we have designed three different handbags together as well as a special wedding collection when I got married. So they of course wanted to be a part of this life milestone too by providing me with a Teddy Tote to give away during my shower for the diaper raffle, leather embossed pens as the favors and personalized leather children’s book to use the guest book. I feel so fortunate that I was gifted those items because of our relationship, but I understand that may not be within everyone’s budget. So if there’s one you thing you can do, I highly recommend purchasing one of their personalized leather children’s books to use as the guest book because it’s a special keepsake that the child can keep forever with sweet notes from their friends and family.

For the diaper raffle, we mentioned on the back of the invitation for guests to bring a pack of diapers any size for a chance to win a special prize. This obviously was NOT required of guests, but most of them participated knowing there was prize involved. At my family shower, we had guests bring books with hand written notes inside of them instead to bringing cards.

At the end of the shower, I put all of the decorative cookies right next to the favors by the entrance so guests wouldn’t forget to take one home.

Gifts: I decided to do an open gift concept where we put the the gifts on display using a small rolling rack for clothes and baskets with ribbon to make the diapers and baby products looks decent. I did this at my friend shower because friends our age usually don’t have any desire to sit there and watch you open presents for a whole hour. Also, I don’t know about you, but I hate opening gifts in front of people. How did we keep track who the gift came from you ask? My friend wrote down the names and items as people walked in and handed the the gifts so it was very easy to do.

All of the baskets are available at At Home Stores and the clothing rack you can find here—> Children’s White & Gold Rack

| Shop My Baby Shower |

Thank you all so much for reading this post. I hope it serves as some inspiration for upcoming showers or parties that you’re hosting this spring and summer. Blake and I can’t wait to welcome Baby P into the world and we appreciate you following along with the journey!

Vendors:
Tablescape: @paperwhitecollections
Balloons: @animatedartballoon
Florals: @moonbeamfleurs
Venue: @maison_lafitte

Invitations: Minted

Decorative Cookies: @iwantamyscookies

Hairstyle: Courtney Graham

Cake: Zoe’s Bakery in Covington, LA
Favors & guest book: GiGi New York
Photographer: @aperture_photos_co

My Top Baby Registry Picks

March 11, 2020

Hey everyone, I wasn’t planning on doing this blog post until after I had experience using these baby items, but I get so many questions about my registry that I figured I would just write a blog post now featuring all of the items I researched and registered for. These are all products that my experienced friends recommended or new items that have gotten really great reviews that I decided to try instead. Also, I want to mention that I didn’t have every single one of these items on my registry for other people to buy me, I purchased a lot of these items myself too, but it helps to keep everything organized in one place like my registry. I registered for baby products on Amazon and Pottery Barn Kids.

I will be sure to write a new blog post on all of the items that I ended up using and loving from my registry once I have experience using them all a few months after the baby is born.

We put together a changing table in our bedroom for convenience because we plan on keeping the baby in our room for a couple of months in the bassinet.

Piper Metal Changing Table | This changing table is so chic and matches perfectly with the decor in our room. Plus it’s not too big and only $145. I also like this similar gold changing table for $136. I know that you can change a baby on your bed, but I’d rather not risk the chance of an accident on my bed in the middle of the night. Also, the changing table offers more shelves for baby product storage.

Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit | All of my friends who have had a baby within the past year and a half swear this sleep suit is truly magical and I have actually seen them put their baby to sleep in it and have watched it work before my eyes. LOL The suit is designed to help them transition from swaddles to keep them sleeping on their backs. It also gives them a cozy, secure feeling like a swaddle does. We plan to use this once he reaches 3 months and starts sleeping in his crib.

Halo Bassinet| I know that right now the Snoo is the hottest baby bassinet out there, but I just couldn’t justify spending nearly $1,200 on a bassinet when I’ve also heard so many good reviews on the halo bassinet, which is only around $200. The Halo also comes with some cool features like a 360 swivel for a safe, close sleep and you can even upgrade to the version that comes with a nightlight, 2 levels of vibration, 3 soothing sounds and 3 lullabies with volume control, all with 30-minute auto shutoff. Plus, Back to Bed Reminder alerts mom to put baby back to bed after feeding.

Bassinet & Mattress Pad Set | We also decided to get this beautiful rattan bassinet from Pottery Barn Kids because it has wheels so we can easily move it about the house during the day whereas the Halo really needs to stay put in one room. I think this bassinet will be great for rolling into the living room or kitchen while I’m working.

Babyganics All Purpose Surface Wipes | I like how these wipes are so convenient to grab plus safe for the baby. I plan to keep them in t he kitchen, bathroom and the baby room.

FridaBaby 3-in-1 Humidifier with Diffuser and Nightlight | I’ve read that humidifiers are great for babies especially when they’re sick or congested.

Graco Pack ‘n Play| The Pack ‘n Play is going to be great for us to keep at the beach condo when we visit over the summer and then when he gets older he can play in it too. Sometimes our friends bring over their pack ‘n play for their baby to sleep in if they’re gonna be over late watching a game etc… so it definitely comes in handy.

Bumbo Floor Seat | I’ve heard the bumbo floor seat is nice for playtime once your baby can sit up and also great for eating because it also comes with a tray you can purchase too.

Nuna LEAF™ Bouncer | I picked this specific bouncer to keep in the living room because I’m not a huge fan of all of the colorful kids’ toys and gadgets spread out across my house. After all, you still want your home to look nice. We of course picked out some fun colorful gear too, but we won’t always leave those pieces out whereas the bouncer is more convenient to keep out on the floor instead of having to pull it out of a closet all the time.

Dr. Browns BPA Natural Flow Bottle | A lot of my friends highly recommended these bottles to help prevent gas and reduce feeding issues. However, I will also have to wait and see which kinds of bottles he likes best.

Happ Diaper Bag | This is the baby bag I have and plan to use. I love that it’a backpack style, but can also be carried like a messenger bag. Plus it comes with outer pockets and a changing pad.

ToteSavvy Original 11-Pocket Diaper Bag | I know there will be times when I can’t bring a ton of bags with me and I will have to condense everything into one so this totesavvy organizer will really come in handy when I need to pack a cute tote I already own and incorporate baby items into it.

Dr. Browns BPA Natural Flow Bottle | 2. Dr. Brown’s Bottle Brush | 3. OXO Tot Bottle Brush | 4. BabyGanics Foaming Dish & Bottle Soap | 5. BPA-Free Quick Load Dishwasher Basket | 6. Burt’s Bees Bibs | 7. Babyganics Foaming Dish Soap | 8. Boon Lawn Countertop Drying Rack | 9. Burp Cloths | 10. Soothies | 11. Baby Brezza Formula Dispenser | 12. Medela Breast Milk Storage Bags | 13. Baby Brezza Baby Bottle Sterilizer

Baby Brezza Formula Dispenser | My friends swear by the by this formula dispenser, but most of them didn’t breastfeed exclusively or for long, which there is nothing wrong with that, but I want to see how breastfeeding goes for me first before I order this. However, I did order the Baby Brezza Baby Bottle Sterilizer because even if I can’t breastfeed, I’ll still pump so we’ll still need the bottles and sterilizer.

Doona Infant Car Seat & Latch Base | All my friends who travel say the Doona is where it’s at because it makes it so convenient for ubers since you just fold it right up instead of disconnecting the carseat from the stroller. It’s all in one!

On-The-Go Wipes Dispenser | I know they make small on-the-go wipes packets, but I thinking this dispenser will also help preserve them and prevent them from getting dried out. You can also access them with just one hand.

Nuna PIPA™ lite lx Infant Car Seat & Base | Everyone says this car seat is amazing because it’s so lightweight so I got this one with the Nuna MIXX™ Stroller.

Vista V2 Stroller with Bassinet & Toddler Seat | Since we have two cars and our parents will also be helping too, I figured two carseats and two strollers would make the most sense instead of always having to transfer in and out of our cars. Blake will keep a car seat and stroller in his car and I’ll keep a set in mine. We got the MESA HENRY SPECIAL EDITION CAR SEAT.

Munchkin Step Diaper Pail | A lot of my friends got the Ubbi diaper pail, which I hear is great. However, I like how this Munchkin Diaper Pail comes with a footstep so you don’t have to open with your hands when you’re already juggling a baby and dirty diaper.

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