This being our second trip to the baby rodeo hopefully means that we’re a bit wiser going in. We can cherry-pick from what worked well with Clara while trying to improve on some newborn and baby items, products, and methods that might need fine tuning. Of course every kid is different and what worked for baby #1 may not apply for #2 – so we’re just waiting for those curve balls to come flying towards us – but since you guys have been asking, here are five things we’re planning to redo (as in do again or use again) and five things that we’ll do new. And because they pair up nicely, we’ll look at ’em side-by-side. Note: None of the links in this post are affiliate links.
AGAIN – Angel Care Monitor: This was one of 5 newborn “lifesavers” that we shared after Clara was born – just for the peace of mind that it gave us (no getting out of bed to watch the baby breathe). It’s not for everyone, but we found it really comforting, and it soothed a lot of our new-parent anxiety. It’s basically a sound monitor with a motion-sensitive pad that slides under the crib mattress to detect when baby’s breathing (and sound an alarm if it stops). We ordered an attachment (by calling Angel Care directly) with two pads to minimize false alarms once Clara got a bit wigglier (she’d roll out of the single pad’s detection area) and were really happy with it, so we’ll be reusing it while the baby boy snoozes. We’ve also gotten the free cord cover kit that fixes the recent recall issue.
NEW – Video Monitor: We never used a video monitor with Clara, but now that we’ll often be on a separate floor during nap times (along with occasionally having two kids sleeping at the same time, so an audio monitor might be confusing in that “which one is crying?” way) we decided to add a video monitor to the mix. We got the Levana Lila (bought with a trial membership to Amazon Mom) and we found an awesome spot in the nursery where it can peek out from behind the curtain, making the monitor and its cord nearly invisible in the room (there’s an outlet right beneath it that also hides behind the curtain).
AGAIN – Crib Sleeping: You already know that we’re using Clara’s crib again, but we also plan to reuse our technique to start crib sleeping from the very beginning. Our first house didn’t have much room for a bedroom bassinet and Clara’s nursery was just steps away, so she slept in her room from the moment she came home. We have a more spacious bedroom here, but baby boy will just be on the other side of the wall (about ten steps away) – and crib sleeping from the start worked so well with Clara that we’re gonna try it again. We liked that it spared us an extra transition from bassinet to crib down the road, and she was a pretty epic sleeper so we don’t want to change much up in that arena.
NEW – Sound Machine: We used a sound machine with Clara and we will most definitely use one again. But since we can’t steal Clara’s (she still wants “the ocean on” every night) we had to get something new. For her nursery, we had chosen an iPod dock with Sherry’s old iPod loaded with a CD called “Natural White Noise for Babies” on a loop (we thought the iPod would be nice so we could use it to play music down the road too). But rather than splurge on a new iPod and dock, we decided this simple $20 standalone sound machine would work well for the bun (we can always get him a music player down the line if he misses that perk).
AGAIN – Ergo Carrier: Baby-wearing was our preferred method of Clara transport in the early months. Sherry had a sling, but since Clara often took that as her cue to nurse, I mostly wore her in our Ergo Carrier. It held up great and we just recently broke it out and gave it a wash so it’s ready to go again.
NEW – Double Stroller: Clara rarely uses a stroller anymore (day-to-day she either walks or shopping carts it) so we debated whether we’d even need a double stroller at all. But we still like to take long family walks/hikes using our jogging stroller (longer than Clara can last on her own) and she also likes to hop in beside her younger cousins in their double strollers when they’re around, so we took the plunge. Well, Sherry’s mom plunged for us as a new baby gift. We jumped right to a jogging stroller (the double-version of the single InStep Safari we got when Clara was 1) instead of getting a lighter-duty model since that works well for longer hikes without smooth paths as well as long neighborhood walks. I don’t anticipate jogging with both of them often, but it’s nice to know it can do that too. And for the day-to-day stuff we’ll probably just use the Ergo with Clara walking (or in her single stroller if there’s a ton of walking to be done).
AGAIN – Cloth Diapers: The BumGenius cloth diapers that we bought for Clara have held up really well, so for now we plan to use the dozen that we have, and might add six more to our stash as we need them. Like Clara, we won’t transition to cloth until he grows into them (it took Clara a few months but then she could use the same one-size-fits-all diapers for 2+ years). Also like Clara, he won’t be exclusively cloth diapered. We found with her that mixing in the occasional disposable (mostly for extended periods away from home or overnight towards the end of her diapering time) was what worked for us, so we’re going to try that again.
NEW – Honest Diapers: We’re gonna give Honest Co. diapers a try this time before the bun fits into our one-size-fits-all cloth ones, instead of sticking to Seventh Generation ones like we did with Clara. We’ve heard lots of good things about them from a few friends and I’m liking the idea of signing up for a bundle that arrives without having to think about it (we’ll take all the help we can get in those bleary newborn days). Plus, I can’t deny that the designs on Honest diapers are pretty sweet (dude, they have bikes).
AGAIN – Car Seat: Baby Barnacle will also be using Clara’s infant car seat, since Clara’s Chicco KeyFit 30 is in great shape, still meets all current safety standards, hasn’t been dropped or in an accident (you definitely want to replace a used seat that has), is a neutral gray & green color scheme, and shouldn’t expire until the bun outgrows it (it’s good for 6 years from the manufacture date). Is it wrong that I’m kinda looking forward to the days of snap-and-go seat again?
NEW – Car: He won’t be riding in a hand-me-down car though. Yup, we got a new ride. It hit us that our family of five would have a hard time taking road trips in our Nissan Altima (and I very intentionally include Burger in that number, because his crate takes up a whole seat – let alone all the pack & play/baby gear we’ll be toting along). So we traded it in for a 2014 Toyota Highlander because, after some research and test driving, it felt like the best mix of family hauling & DIY hauling for us (it has a collapsible third row). It was a bit of a splurge for us, but having saved by only buying used vehicles before (we drove our first Nissan past 170,000 miles and our second one over 100,000) it still fit into our budget and got us some features that we lacked before: back-up camera, Bluetooth, and (Sherry’s favorite) heated seats. Plus, Clara’s digging the little book caddy I rigged up for her.
I’m sure every family has different scenarios and needs, so I’d be interested to hear what you guys reused or redid vs. what you changed or upgraded when baby #2 came along. Did anyone else feel a huge relief in that their “to do/buy” list was a lot shorter with their second child? It’s nice to have a lot of the basics covered already.
Psst – For more baby/kid related posts, there’s newborn paraphernalia we liked, keeping baby stuff simple, cloth diapering, battling kid clutter, saving money on baby stuff, baby led weaning, 14 months of breastfeeding, being a stay at home dad, baby toiletries, and kid clothes.
Hrma says
Did ye buy the Hybrid Highlander?
I’ve been eyeing one for a while. Can’t justify it. Have a perfectly fine Prius.
YoungHouseLove says
We looked into the hybrid one, but it was such a price jump and wouldn’t save us as much gas as other hybrid cars (like the Pruis) so we found a website that did the math for us and the verdict was that for the way we drive (the amount of miles we put on, how much highway driving we do, etc) that upgrade wouldn’t have been worth it in our case. I was sad though, because I’ve always wanted a hybrid!
xo
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Susan says
Great lists! Looks like you’re all ready for the barnacle.
Did Sherry’s mom really ‘plunge’ for the stroller or is that an autocorrect gotcha?? ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that’s John’s weirdness coming out. Since he said ‘took the plunge’ before that sentence, he said “well, Sherry’s mom plunged for it’ as a reference to that.
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Jessica says
Great list, guys! And congrats on the new car. I wasn’t sure what a Toyota Highlander was, so I Googled it. I don’t know if you’re aware yet, but apparently there’s been a recall due to the third row seat belt assembly. It was one of the first search results I came across and sounded like pretty good information to pass along.
http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2014/03/recall-alert-2014-toyota-highlander.html
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Jessica! I think ours was checked for this before we bought it, but I’ll call to be sure! Thanks again!
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Shams says
Congrats on the car! Reading the post, all I could hear in my head was Bob Barker’s voice saying… A NEW CAR! I’m still giggling a little bit :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! That’s how I felt. John’s parents laughed at me because I kept saying “we’re not getting a new car” and then I blinked my eyes and somehow we ended up choosing one.
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Emma says
Congrats on the new car! Great choice for a family. No need to justify it. And that backup camera is a must – esp. one you have two little ones running around. Happy trails! :)
Emma says
*once* not one
becca says
I sincerely hope baby #2 is a good sleeper for you guys! We are going on 13 months without my daughter sleeping through the night. We used to joke that her goal was to make it to her birthday without accidentally sleeping through her 2 night time feeds, but apparently that was just her short-term goal haha. I am legit happy for parents with naturally good sleepers. Enjoy the little differences that make each little one special.
YoungHouseLove says
I’m fully expecting him to make me work for it. In other words, to make up for all of Clara’s sleeping by giving me none. Haha!
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Grace says
I usually just lurk and rarely comment, but I wanted to say that my daughter didn’t sleep through the night until 18 months (we also co-slept and nursed on demand) and now at a little over two she sleeps like a CHAMP. Hang in there!
Cheryl says
I don’t think you’ll regret splurging on your Highlander. I loved mine and drove it for years before passing down it to my now adult daughter. Never had any issues with it – just did the standard maintenance. When I replaced it, I didn’t need something as big so I got the RAV4 which is basically the same, but smaller. *Toyota did not sponsor this comment :D*
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I love hearing that!
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Christine says
I love the Angelcare monitor for peace of mind. Not that my son spent more than a few nights actually in his crib…but those first few days/nights, all I wanted to do was stare at him to make sure he was still breathing.
I also used your recommendations for cloth diapering when we started. We use the BG Freetime, BG Elemental, and Swaddlebees Simplex. I LOVE them so much. I can’t even describe how excited I get over cloth diapers.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I know what you mean. Just washing them and getting them all out of storage had me humming showtunes.
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theresa says
i just yelled out to my husband, “well, YHL just got a highlander, we’re definitely getting one now!” you see, we are expecting baby #1 AND #2 in August (twins!), and I’ve been thinking we’ll need to upgrade our car situation as well, because we have a pup too. I’ve been researching and the highlander keeps popping up as a good option, so glad to hear that it is working out well for you guys. can’t wait to (virtually) meet the bun in a few weeks! any idea what kind of posting schedule you guys will be keeping after he is born? obviously i’m sure sherry will need some much-deserved rest and recovery time!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Theresa! We have no idea how this delivery will go (things were a lot scarier than we expected with Clara) so we’re going to play it by ear and keep you guys posted on what we think we can handle once he’s here (depending on how my surgery goes and how this boy sleeps/eats/etc). It could definitely throw us for a loop, or end up being surprisingly smooth, so we’ll have to see!
xo
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Brie says
When our #2 came around nearly 3 years ago we bought the same sound machine and double stroller y’all purchased. I’m happy to say that both are still holding up great with daily and weekly use, respectively. We’ll be buying another sound machine for baby #3 that’s due in July, and this time I’m switching from a baby bjorn carrier to an ergo, and am super excited to try it out! Oh, and we had to upgrade the car this time around, although not for the dreaded minivan as most would suspect with #3 (we just couldn’t go there!) we went for a new Issas pathfinder since the scond row seats slide forward while still holding a forward facing car seat!
YoungHouseLove says
So glad to hear that they’re both working so well for you!
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Kelly says
I’d love to hear more about how you rigged up the book caddy in the car! I’ve been on the hunt for something my 2 yr old can use to access things on his own back there. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
John secured one of those magazine holder things to the flat tray-arm-rest thing that’s next to the seat with a heavy duty bungee cord so it’s firmly on there (won’t tip or fly off) and it has worked out really well. Sort of like a book basket on a seat, but it doesn’t slide around.
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Kali says
I don’t have an equipment recommendation per say, more of a suggestion. When our second came along last summer, I signed our first up for swimming lessons as something her and I could do together, alone. I wanted to make sure and literally schedule in one-on-one time with her knowing I’d be nursing and spending a lot of time with her sister. (Although I didn’t consider the fact that I’d have to get into a bathing suit a couple weeks after birth but I had built-in motivation.) We also kept her in daycare to maintain some sense of normalcy and structure. She flourished and since my husband is a teacher, he and I got to have the summer home together, too. Win-win-win. I’m so excited for you guys. The second time around is such a mind-shift. At least for us. We kept saying what a good baby our newest is when in reality, I think we were just far more relaxed about everything. And kudos to crib sleeping immediately. That is the one thing I would do different if I could. Congrats!
YoungHouseLove says
LOVE that idea! Thanks so much for sharing Kali!
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Sam says
I am far off (hopefully) from having children as I am still in college but I love reading this stuff still to get ideas for the future! These types of posts are so helpful, especially for new moms I’m sure! Question, how does having one car work for you guys? That seems like such a great way to save money, but do you run into problems at all? I’m sure the fact that you two work the same job is a huge helper!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Sam, you’re so sweet! We don’t think it would work for everyone (a ton of people have to be in two places at once) but since we both work from home and we don’t have older kids (who might have swimming and a recital at exactly the same time) we find that we just have a need for one car right now.
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Heather says
Just a quick comment on the Honest diapers…I cloth diaper in much the same way you guys have. Bum Genius 95% of the time but always have disposables on hand for travel, etc. I never had much luck with 7th Generation, lots of blowouts but I loved the Honest diapers, never had any blowouts. Unfortunately, once our daughter got a little older (8 months-ish) we never made it through a night without a leak. A couple of my friends had the same issue. You might have a totally different experience but I just thought I would mention it. I still use them for daytime if I need to but use my cloth for overnight. Good luck and congratulations!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Heather! So good to know!
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erica says
congratulations on your soon to arrive addition! we too just added on with a 4 month old baby girl to our 4 year old boy :) in the few months we have made a few adjustments from the first round. like adding a kick board to our uppababy vista, which has been ideal for the older one to watch in on “his” baby and being able to jump off when he wants to explore. the other adjustment has been to using the “train” at target, lol, the extended shopping cart so that baby and pre-schooler can ride along and i still have room for paper towel! although i feel like i need a tractor trailer license to drive it!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so funny! Clara would love that!
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kates says
BABY SWING!!! Totally lifesaver for us with our first and second. It was a hand me down so it no longer works (3 babies was its max)! If I do have baby number three i can see this baby getting lots of new things. Stroller and swing being the main things!! Both our strollers didn’t really perform as well as we had hoped.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Kates! We have one from Clara (admittedly, it’s pink, and it’s a little travel one) so we’ll have to see if this guy likes it ;)
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Alicia C. says
Great ideas.I’ll have to check out that stroller, we are in the market for one that works on greenways and trails better than the one we have. I have to say that I LOVED the video monitor. Our 14mo is a noisy sleeper and it helped prevent the walking in an waking him up when he was just making noise in his sleep. Also, with the diapering, I read an article that graded “green disposables” and 7th generation was one of the worst. We always have leaking problems with them too. We love the honest diapers for travel if we need to use disposables. Also, just putting it out there, but we used the bum genius newborn AIO when our baby was a newborn. He wore them for the first 8 weeks or so and they were just as easy as disposables. They are cheaper than the 4.0s and hold up well (the ones we used were loaned from a 2 kid family so ours was the 3rd baby to use them). You might try clothdiapertrader.com too if you’re looking for diapers. Sometimes you can find really good deals on like new diapers. Some people don’t want used diapers but if you’re planning on using new ones for more than one kid, it’s sort of the same thing. Plus it’s even more green! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Great tips! Thanks Alicia!
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Stephanie says
I can’t wait to hear how you like The Honest Co. diapers. We do the Essentials Bundle from the Honest Co. and love, love their products. Customer service also can’t be beat. They are just awesome. We’re planning on doing cloth diapers with our first…but those Honest Co. diapers are tempting with their adorable patterns and non-toxic ingredients.
Lisa Vandermeer says
You will love the Highlander! It is by far my favourite vehicle on the road. We owned a 2002 Highlander and just sold it to my sister…it is still going strong. My parents bought the 2013 model and its lovely too (so many nice upgrades since the first release). We had to upgrade to the Sienna since there are 6 of us now….but I miss driving it, parking it, etc….it handles so well. Once you get used to sitting so nice and high, you will have trouble going back to a car….and those heated seats put a smile on my face every time! Enjoy it and the sweet days with Clara before your little man makes his debut!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Lisa! So happy to hear that!
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Alexa says
I’m so interested in the crib-sleeping decision, especially as a breast-feeding duo! Our little guy, at 17 mo, has never slept through the night. We co-slept out of necessity for a long time, and even now he prefers not to wake up alone :( Our house has a first floor master suite, so having the new baby upstairs just felt so far away, especially after an unplanned c-section! We’re not sure what our plan will be next time around, but baby #1 was never a good sleeper, regardless!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, I think it would have been a whole different ballgame if Clara (or this bun) were on a separate floor to sleep!
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Lara says
We made a lot of the same decisions going from 1 child to 2. But, the crib sleeping was a must with both babies! And I have to say, my girls are 15 and 12 and they still prefer sleeping in their own beds; they enjoy “their” space and Mommy and Daddy enjoys “ours”. It’s not that was don’t enjoy snuggling up to a movie, but when it comes time to sleep, everyone heads to their own beds. And the white noise, was also a must!! I did a lot of research and it’s a proven fact that you sleep more soundly with white noise. I loved my double stroller (my girls were 2.5 years apart). And good call on the Highlander! You’ll love it! Sounds like it’s all coming together!
Gilly says
You guys will love being Toyota owners…we have a Tundra and the new Venza and we LOOOOVEE the Venza. I can fit dressers, ANYTHING in that baby. Toyota’s are so super reliable and they run forever, congrats!
YoungHouseLove says
SO glad! I was such a Nissan lover (my first car in high school was a Nissan, then John and I got an old Maxima, and then we got our Altima, which we’ve also loved) so I never expected to switch over to a Toyota, but it had such awesome write ups and reviews and then we test drove a few of them, and, well, it was love.
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Paula says
The new car was a smart upgrade. Not having a car with a bench back seat helps during the ‘he’s touching me’ phase. I have 2 daughters and a son, and boy does he love to annoy his sisters to this day (he’s 17). Driving a mini van kept his sisters out of his reach!
Sarah says
You guys will not have any trouble distinguishing who is crying. I have twins and could tell who was crying, even with them in the same crib in the same room (not ours…) and within one day of getting them home. Even tone deaf Daddy could do it. We added a third baby 14 months later – all three had very distinctive “voices” even before they can talk! Enjoy your new little one. Boys are awesome – and soo sweet to their Mommy!!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Sarah! I love hearing that! The hilarious thing is that at Grammy’s house when Clara and her cousin Emanuel are napping upstairs, on multiple occasions his mom and I have been adamant that “it’s mine who’s crying” and we’ve both been wrong. Cracks me up, but they seem to have identical little sleep moans. Here’s hoping the Bun has his own signature scream, er, soft gentle cry. Haha!
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Pamela Bertone says
FYI on the sound machine-there have been studies linking their use to neurosensorial issues related to hearing loss in newborns. It’s usually related to the volume being too loud. My sister and her friend are both pediatric social workers and post good info. Both are moms, as well, and both have used the sound machines with the three kids they have between the 2 of them. One of the kids has a hearing loss. Again, not to scare you, but you might want to do some research on appropriate volumes to get the result you want without causing damage to delicate little newborn eardrums :)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Pamela! We just keep it on a low hum, and it’s across the room on a dresser, so from what we have read that seems to be the way to go.
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Kimberly | Turning It Home says
Congrats on the new car purchase – you worked hard for it, I’m sure! My mother-in-law has a Highlander and from what I hear it is a great, reliable car! (Toyota in general seems to have that reputation going for them!)
Thais Bessa says
Congrats on your new car, you work hard and certainly deserve a treat! :)
I just wanted to share that the signing up scheme for nappies didn’t work well for us. We signed up via Amazon Family for some cool eco-friendly (well, as much as disposables can be) that were not cheap at all. The problem was that even though we tried to time and plan the quantities according to her size, we ended up losing a lot of nappies as she outgrew them. It happened with both size 1 and 2. And we couldn’t return unopened packs as Amazon was charging as much as the nappies cost in post fees. I ended up giving a looot of nappies to a friend who just gave birth.
In hindsight, I regret it not only because we lost money but because it was supposed to make our lives easier. But the whole calling Amazon trying to figure out return etc was not fun and a waste of time.
I hope you guys have better luck and try not to order too much of the same size!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no! Thanks for the tip Thais! This service lets you change the sizes and split orders and pause orders so it’s hopefully nice and flexible. Will keep you guys posted though!
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schmei says
THANK. YOU. This is perfect timing for me, as I’m due with #2 about a week before Sherry, and my parents are coming to town this weekend so my mom and I can do some last aggressive nesting (um, also pedicures). The video monitor has been one of the biggest question marks for us so I’m going to check that out.
We also just got our Ergo out to give it a wash – it practically still looks new! Looking forward to snuggling another little dude in that thing.
Manda Wolf says
I think you guys will love the new bigger car. My husband and I used to have a Jeep and a hatchback out was amazing how much stuff we could fit in those cars. We traded them both in on a single car that gets better gpm but it sucked for that first year until we found a used truck we liked.
Caroline says
Awesome new SUV! I became a mini-van mom after #2. I said I never would- but I did.
And as far as sleeping… we did the EXACT thing for baby#2 and it didn’t work (white noise, swaddle, crib immediately…). We swaddled my son for 5 months and she busted out of her swaddle at the hospital (using the EXACT SAME BLANKETS!). #1 slept through the night at 5 weeks. #2- ohhhh 8 months. Then we started teething and are up 3 times a night again. Oyyyy. They say if you had your 2nd 1st you’d never have another and that has proven to be true for us ;) #2 and we’re “through”!
YoungHouseLove says
My mom said that too! She says I tricked her into thinking babies were easy and then my brother came along. But he was a much easier teenager so it evened out in the end. Haha!
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Claudia says
Hey guys just a heads up about noise machines. I heard on the radio yesterday that they can cause hearing loss. You might want to look into it and use some precautions. Here is an article…
http://www.nbcnews.com/health/kids-health/white-noise-machines-could-hurt-babies-hearing-study-suggests-n41416
Keep up the great work on parenting your little ones! It’s the hardest job you’ll ever do!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Claudia!
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MC says
Great update John and Sherry:> Two things we learned with our third baby last year:
1) We LOVE our iPhone app: Baby Monitor 3G. $4 – four dollars people! Well, you need it on two devices so it was $8 but we could copy it to the ipad as well and saved hundreds!- that way we have the video monitoring and sound and can go further in the yard (our stucco house prevented the regular radio monitor going past the walls). Actually you can go further since it’s internet based but we didn’t go beyond the neighbors:> I highly recommend!
2)With our #3, we bought a van last year since neither of our cars would fit 3 car seats across – we tried:> Although my forever frugal mother had found a website where you enter in your car, you kids ages and weights, and it comes out with which car seats will fit 3 across. Not sure where but someone could google it if they need to avoid buying a van!
Best wishes with the barnacle! My #3 is 9 months now and I’m still goo-goo over babies so I’m of course excited for you guys all over again!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks MC!
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Pamela Bertone says
I’ll sound like a nervous nellie here, but I’m a paramedic and my brain is just hard-wired for thinking this way: Great idea with the book holder. YOu might consider only keeping paperback books. In a car accident, anything loose in the vehicle can become airborne, and hit other occupants. Paperback books probably won’t cause a problem, but some of hardcover kid books certainly could. LOVE the nursery. You two just have a great eye.
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip! We have a ton of paperbacks (Berenstein Bears, Level 1 Reading Books) so I’ll pick out all the hardcover ones. Thanks for the suggestion Pamela!
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Anita says
We’ve been using our Bumgenius elementals since our daughter was 2 months old, but now at 8.5 months we are on the longest rise! Did the same thing happen to you guys, given that Clara is so tall? Glad to hear it lasted through all of her diapering days! I was kinda ‘bummed’ to hear that the new design of the elementals have received mixed reviews, though.
Btw, here’s a tip regarding the Honest diapers – sign up with the company, and give it a few days (or just order the free sample pack). They will likely send you a coupon for 40% off your first bundle! It’s a great company and I use so many of their products – the diaper balm, lotion, body wash, and baby wipes for on the go (we use cloth at home). Their wipes are one of only 2 companies that the EWG gave a 0 hazard rating to!
YoungHouseLove says
Love the tip Anita! And as for our cloth diapers, they lasted the whole time for tall Clara, although I do remember her being on the longest rise early on, she seemed to coast there for a while. Haha!
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Caroline says
We’ve been on the longest rise with the BG diapers since 6 months (my daughter is 10 months now). My son wore them at night until he was 3.5!! It’s almost like they get ‘wider’ instead of ‘longer’ ya know?! Hoping these last until 3 years!! (We didn’t start my son until he was 18months).
Rebecca says
And just like that, BOOM, new family vehicle! :-) That’s a great car too!
Tiffany @ A Touch of Grace says
We used Honest Diapers and they are fantastic! I love all the cute options they have. Good choice! And they come with wipes which we loved as well.
Sound machines really are the best. Amazing what a little noise will do for their sleep. Excited to hear how things go when you get the little guy home!
Alissa says
Still have the cool personalized license plates?
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, you know it! Although it’s different than the one we shared a while back (that one only represented Burger, so we have expanded the shoutout).
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Elizabeth says
What color highlander did you get? I am waiting until summer when prices drop a bit to get the 2014 too. I really wanted the dark gray but my friend got that one so now I’m trying to figure out what other color I should get so I’m not such a copycat.
YoungHouseLove says
We did dark gray. It was the one on the lot so we could get the best deal on it. Sometimes looks sort of coppery brown in the sun. It’s really pretty!
xo
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Ragan says
We are having boy #2 in July, so I am so relieved that everything we already have is boyish! Saves some serious dough. Last time I just sat around and stared at my baby all day, and this time I’ll be moving around quite a bit more (chasing a two-year old), so I thought a good carrier would be a nice idea. Last time we had a sling which I barely used, and this time I got an Ergo! The best part of the deal is that I scored it at a consignment sale for $50! We also have a new car this time around, and will be investing in a double stroller for when they both need to be strolled. I had a travel system, which I still have, but this time I’m only using the carrier/carseat. I just purchased one of the “snap and go” little frames for the baby carrier to snap down into, which should be much easier to tote and finagle around. We also have an AngelCare monitor and will be using it again with this baby! The only thing I’m nervous about is having two in diapers!
YoungHouseLove says
Good luck Ragan! Sounds like you’re all ready!
xo
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Tina says
This post made me so sad! Now I want another baby too! Haha. There are so many things I’d do differently and so many things I’d do the same, too. I can’t wait until one day I’m writing a post like this! Also, congrats on the new car!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Tina!
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Nicki says
I used an Angel Care monitor when my 6 year old was born, and I am convinced that it truly did save his life one night. It started going off completely out of the blue and my husband and I were dead asleep, of course we ran in and grabbed him up out of the crib. I reccomend it to everyone.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh, so scary!
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Jennie says
What is the website you used to compare what vehicle would be your best buy?
We have an air purifier that acts as a fan noise that has been critical for my boys sleeping in the same room & covering up the little (& loud!) noises! You will love the double stroller, if for anything it gives another place to store everyone’s stuff when not being used! HA! They are also REALLY easy to resell. Covet the Hylander, we are a Rav4 family of four and have been talking about getting something bigger. Toyota always has a Fall sales event, so we will probably wait to go looking then!
We have some friends that drove their Pathfinder into the ground…seriously it’s nickname was “The Nissan is our coffin!” The keys would fall out, but it kept running! They sold it & we still see it around sometimes – I have no idea how that is vehicle is still running. :)
YoungHouseLove says
John had about twenty tabs open at any given time, and we consulted everything from general ranked reviews for all cars in that class, to more specific “Toyota Highlander vs Nissan Pathfinder” write-ups (or some other similar car in the class) so that was really helpful too!
xo
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Courtney says
Glad to know we are not the only ones with 2 monitors. My best friend rolled her eyes at me when I said I was going to use the angle are I bought, & the video one my cousins gifted us. Our son is currently in our room (we have a spilt floor plan so until we are 100% over night feelings he’ll be in our room) we use the video monitor in our room. We can’t see into his pack and play from bed, and he is a noisy/busy sleeper. It’s nice to know weather or not I need to actually get him without accidentally waking him by checking (it happened a few times before we installed the video monitor in our room).
Also if you end up adding freetime diapers to your BG stash, I highly recommend folding the front flap in 1/2. On boys it gives you extra absorbency where their little guys is aimed.
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip Courtney!
xo
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Kate says
Love this post and all of your other baby related posts!! Very timely as we’re expecting our 1st child in July and currently researching all the baby gear. I remember seeing a post a long time ago about how many clothes you keep at one time (maybe 10 outfits?) I think it also had to do with hand-me-downs. We’re crazy fortunate that literally ALL of my best friends have had a baby in the past year and want to pass outfits along. I’m lost as to how much & what to accept, it’s already getting to be too much & we haven’t even had the shower yet!! Can you recall that kid clothes post that I’m referring to? I don’t think it’s the one you linked to at the end, I thought it was from when Clara was a bit older. Does this ring a bell? Many, many thanks!! xo
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, the one we linked to at the end was when she was older, so I think that might be the one.
xo
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Krystal says
I’m not a parent, just a very tired college student that got 8 hours of sleep in 5 days last week and listened to/watched a lot of Good Morning America and news broadcasts lately (can we get better TV programming at 3 AM please?)…anyway, all that to say that every news show in the last week has been running segments about the dangers of sound machines, and that a lot of kids now have damaged hearing because of them. I wasn’t sure if you had heard about it, but I thought I’d just pass on the information.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Krystal! A bunch of folks shared the link with us. Very helpful!
xo
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Carrie Jo says
Thanks for this post! Great ideas, and it was fun to read as we’re hoping to add a #2 to our family soon, too. I’m so glad you posted about the Angel Care recall. Somehow, we ended up missing this! I clicked on your link and ordered the cord kit right away. I’ve always wondered about those cords… as our boy gets bigger and bigger, he has shown more interest in pulling them into the crib. Our final solution was to place some cardboard between the crib and the wall – very unattractive. :( I’ll be happy to get the kit so we can fix things the right way!
YoungHouseLove says
So glad!
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Tara S says
Love this!! My second baby, Jasper, is 20 months now and we made very similar choices as you. The double stroller purchase was definitely a splurge but it was the best decision hands down. My 4 year old, Grace, loves to walk, but when her baby brother was able to sit in the stroller next to her she thought it was the best thing ever. I think you made the right decision. Grace was similar to Clara, was a great sleeper, loved the Ergo. My son not so much. I honestly felt like a first time parent all over again, hehehe. He was much more difficult as an infant but he is a lot easier as a young toddler. Maybe because I couldnt give him my 100% attention from the beginning, he really does a lot more independent play that my daughter. Still to do this day Grace wants be to play with me more than Jasper, hehehe.
One tip I had for second baby was during bath time. As soon as Jasper was trying to sit up on his own (around 5-6 months), we put a small square laundry basket (with holes of course) in the tub. Jasper would sit in the basket and Grace would be in the tub outside the basket. It worked perfect. Both kids loved it!! And it made Mama and Dada’s life a little bit easier. I should credit Pinterest for this idea!!
Good luck!! I wish you a smooth delivery and a happy, healthy baby that loves to sleep.
YoungHouseLove says
Love the tip!
xo
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Charlotte says
I would highly recommend the Joovy Caboose Stand On Stroller. Our son was almost three when our baby was born and was definitely done with being in a stroller but would still wear out on long walks. He LOVES the stand on stroller. I think he feels like he has more freedom because 1) he gets to stand up which I think he finds really cool and 2) he’s able to get in and out more on his own instead of feeling restrained
He’s now 4 and we still use it. I bought one used because I was super hesitant on having ANOTHER stroller but I love it. It’s great for getting around in more crowded spaces because its more compact than a typical double stroller. It’s a nice option when the little one gets a little bigger rather than being in a carrier (which I also used WAY more with the second one – but sometimes its nice not to have a baby attached to you!)
http://www.joovy.com/p-129-caboose-stand-on-tandem-double-stroller.aspx
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds awesome!
xo
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lauren says
Great advice! Pinned this for when we start thinking baby in another year or two.
QUESTION for ya: did you guys find that cloth diapers were too bulky? My only friends who used cloth gave up because they couldn’t fit any baby clothes over them. I wonder if that is common, or if maybe they just had extra bulky diapers? Thanks Ps!
YoungHouseLove says
I loved those fluffy buns! Maybe it was because Clara was such a string bean, but all of her clothes fit over them easily enough (we also didn’t add inserts ours were all-in-ones, so that could be a difference too).
xo
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Amy E. says
we used cloth for our daughter’s first 9 months or so. we did find that we had to bump her up in clothing size sometimes because of the bulk (when she was 6 months, she was wearing a bunch of 9 month stuff to fit over them) but it wasn’t bad. and the smaller clothes were still all used.
Tiffini says
Baby wipes warmer. Here in Illinois, this is a must for cold winters and air conditioned summers. The biggest issue with a boy is a sudden squirt during diaper changes when that cold wipe hits the bum. We got one for our son after about a month of dousing, and kept it for the twins 3 years later, then I passed it along to another Mom after that. So for a $15 item, it got a TON of use.