Keeping Us Sane

Thanks to Abby for all the great ideas for posts & links! Here are our Top 5 things we couldn't have/can't live(d) without:

1) Miracle Blanket - Hands down the best baby item we ever received. Certainly may not be for everyone, but Wyatt started sleeping through the night (6 hours) at 4 weeks old, and we kept him swaddled in this thing until he was 14 weeks. At that point, he would break out of it, but I would have done it longer if I could have! He has always been an amazing sleeper & we credit the Miracle Blanket!

2) Bouncy Seat - This was how we were able to eat all of our meals, watch TV or simply have a free hand during Wyatt's first few months. Another item that we practically wore out - we used this all the time & Wyatt loved it!!

3) B.O.B. Jogging Stroller - One of our first outings with Wyatt was to Greensboro so we could pick up this stroller. Seth did all the research & selected this one, especially for trail running which we both love to do! At the first possible chance, we stuck his car seat into the infant adapter & took him on the Duke Trail - we have been doing it ever since & he loves the stroller still to this day!

4) Little Giraffe Blankie - This was given to us as a gift, but we had already purchased a similar one. My sister used these blankies for her girls & they LOVE them. I bought one for Wyatt before he was born, but he really became fond of the faux fur one when I gave it to him at 6 months. These are small blankies, so they won't get tangled with baby in the crib, and they are easy to travel with or have in the car seat in a long road trip. As a person who (shamefully) still sleeps with her blankie, I was excited for Wyatt to have one.

5) Summer Video Monitor - I cannot say enough good things about this monitor - we LOVE it, and I can't imagine life without it (except when we are on vacation & we use the regular kind). From day one, Wyatt slept in his crib in his room, and I think it is all thanks to this monitor, which also has night vision. When we were letting him "cry it out" or even when he fussed during the night, it was great to be able to just look at the monitor & see that he was fine. I have also been able to see if he has thrown his blankie out of the crib, if he is in fact sleeping when it's quiet in there or if he's tearing off all his clothes!

In addition to these items, here are a few of the books that we could not have lived without:
The Happiest Baby on the Block - Dr. Harvey Karp, Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems - Dr. Richard Ferber & Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child - Dr. Marc Weissbluth