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.
Bren says
Oh man, how much do you LOVE heated seats? Once you have them, you never want to go without. They’re even good in the summer when someone (not mentioning and names here) blasts the a/c. I was just reading an article on Reuters about sound machines. New research suggests keeping them turned down low and turning them off after baby is asleep. Found the link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/03/us-noise-machines-infants-idUSBREA220CM20140303 You may already be doing this with Clara, but I thought I’d share. Good luck with the little barnacle!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Bren!
xo
s
sarah B says
I also think you need to do a post on the highlander.
I’m care shopping myself and loved the highlander, but was worried about the captain seats with car seats and was worried the empty space in the middle would look weird when the 3rd row is down. (Didn’t want to lower trim level w/ the bench seat because I wanted the technology package)
BUT, I didn’t think to hook up some fancy book carrier like you did- more details please!!!!
YoungHouseLove says
John just used a heavy duty bungee cord to secure a magazine rack to the flat tray-arm-thing next to Clara’s seat so it wouldn’t tip or slide or fly off. It’s so nice that she can help herself and nothing is sliding around on the floor. The empty space in the middle is nice when the back is down because it allows us to haul long lumber or big flat packed boxes, etc.
xo
s
kim says
Purely out of curiousity… Did you bank Clara’s cord blood? If so, will you be doing it again with #2?
YoungHouseLove says
We donated it but didn’t bank it and plan to do the same with the bun. We talked to our doc about it and that seemed like the right choice for us but it’s definitely different for everyone.
xo
s
Alicia says
I’m weirdly excited that y’all got a new car! I was just thinking recently that it would be hard to fit your family into your Altima. I speak from experience because I drove a four door Accord until after my second was born. A few months after her birth we got a minivan because the Accord was so crowded. I’m sure you will enjoy your Highlander :)
jessica says
wow “newborn paraphernalia we liked” was the first post I read from you guys back in late 2010 linked from another website and I wish I could figure out what website. Been a daily reader ever since!
YoungHouseLove says
So funny! It’s crazy how fast time goes.
xo
s
Jessica says
Have you looked into the sit & stand stroller? It is nice for the younger and bit older like Clara. We used one for a Disney trip and it was great. My older daughter didn’t feel like a “baby” in a stroller but had a place to chill when her feet got tired.
YoungHouseLove says
Clara’s cousin has one of those but she wanted to sit in the stroller and read books or hold various things (snacks/toys) so she seems to prefer hopping into double strollers of various relatives (no strangers, thank goodness, haha!) over the standing option.
xo
s
Emily says
Honest diapers are da bomb! We use a combo of cloth/Honest, and it has worked really well for us. Also, the shipping is unbelievably fast. I put in an order and it’s on my doorstep the next day – they must have wizards working for them. And I can’t wait to get the bike diapers in my next shipment!
YoungHouseLove says
So glad!
xo
s
Sarah J. says
you’ll love your new ride! we splurged when we started having kids and got a Trailblazer ext with the 3rd row that can lay flat. i can flip up the seats and have room for my sis-in-law and her kids (and mine), or the hubs can drop them all flat and fit an entire sheet of plywood (major selling point for him). suv’s are great for diy-ers. ;)
lilly says
we just tested the 2014 highlighder and is fantastic! like you said it’s a splurge but we have a 13 year old 4runner with 120K miles and still running strong, then tacoma for work and they run for-e-ver!!! great, great choice!
Patti says
Congrats on the new car! That should make your trips to Depot a little easier!
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoooo!
xo
s
Meg says
Just a heads up I think there is a type-o in the car bit. I searched and double checked. Your post when you bought the last Altima said the first car had 170k (https://www.younghouselove.com/2010/03/email-answer-money-management/) not the 200k stated in this post. I know you guys you have SO much going on (secret project and all!) so things may get a bit fuzzy. Congrats on the new ride!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh, you’re right! So strange how in our heads it was 200,000 on that one and 100,000 on this one (I think it was technically 109,990 on this one). So glad we write this stuff down on a blog or we’d never remember. Haha! Just updated the post for ya.
xo
s
Meg says
I think the number stuck out in my mind because that was similar mileage to my Corolla at the time! I don’t think you’ll go back now that you’ve converted to Toyota! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Meg! John usually has a total “number brain” so I can’t believe he didn’t remember that down to the exact mile. I think I might have to tease him about his bad old man memory ;)
xo
s
Carrie M. says
Haven’t read through all the posts to see if someone has told you guys or if you guys already know, but when I googled your new vehicle, the first thing that came up was a thing from Cars.com saying that they’d just been recalled. Hopefully yours isn’t one of the ones needing work, but if it is, it seems like an easy enough fix at the dealership!
http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2014/03/recall-alert-2014-toyota-highlander.html
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Carrie! We think they checked ours at the dealership but will call to make sure!
xo
s
Kirstin says
Does the stroller you bought come with inserts for infants? I couldn’t tell from the website. I’m expecting twins in May (my first) and I’m on the hunt for a good double stroller.
YoungHouseLove says
The jogger isn’t for infants, so we’ll wear the baby for a while (with Clara in the single jogging stroller we already have). Hope it helps!
xo
s
Jeana says
Good luck with everything! I am a huge believer in crib sleeping from the very beginning (I nursed as well and would ONLY feed in the nighttime-no talking, singing, as little light as possible to change a diaper, etc). All four of my girls were (and still are) amazing sleepers. They all would go back to sleep after each feeding (or lay contently in the crib) and were sleeping six to eight hour stretches by four weeks (and longer by two months). hope baby #2 is a great sleeper too.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, that’s so good to hear Jeana! Here’s hoping the streak continues, although I’m fully ready for a rude awakening. Literally. Haha!
xo
s
C. Desiree says
We’re planning on expanding and I’ve been trying to convince my husband the Highlander is the way to go (we currently have a Corolla and a Aveo…teeny tiny vehicles). Please due a review/update once you’ve driven it around some. I would be curious to hear your thoughts.
YoungHouseLove says
Will do! So far we really like it but it’s early days, so we’ll have to really break it in ;)
xo
s
em says
The only new thing we bought when our son was born was a double stroller. I commuted on the metro and city streets, so it was a Phil & Ted’s for me (and it was awesome). When he was about 2 years old and our daughter was 4.5, we also upgraded to a Highlander. We don’t lug as much lumber as you, but having the third row seating is so helpful for carpools (to birthday parties, camp, etc.) It is a bit of a bear to park, but better than a minivan, I guess.
While my second was much more of challenge than his sister (in that he is generally a little ball of testosterone), I can say that both of my kids were (and are) great sleepers. Hopefully Barnacle will be as great as his sister.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Em! Here’s hoping!
xo
s
Renee says
Love this round-up! And congrats on the new car! No need to justify the purchase, though. Your family needs it and deserves it!
Crystal B says
You’re going to love your Highlander. I tend to beat on cars pretty well, and this was my upgrade as well. I had a GMC Terrain prior to this, and it wasn’t good at all. Love my Highlander! I do find that if the 3rd row is actually up that there isn’t much for storage in the way back. Oh well. Our baby #2 is due April 21, and we’re doing a lot of the same as you. Cloth diapers again, keeping the Ergo, but will probably get the infant insert this go round. We waited a while to get it for baby #1. We’ll use the same monitor, but ours isn’t video since our house is small enough I can just go check in if needed. We also do crib from day 1 and are hoping it works out as well this go round. Granted, our first didn’t sleep nearly as well as Clara did. I could’ve set a clock to his eating schedule. Can’t wait to hear how things work out for you.
Melissa says
I used BG diapers with my first due to your love for them! With my second, I found the legs were a tad stretched out on several and didn’t work as well to hold in leaks. So, we added a few more of the Econobum with newborn inserts…also made by BG. Super affordable and the first ones I reach for.
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip!
xo
s
Amy P says
Yay! I’m due with my first in August and I’m currently researching and researching everything and anything to get ready to put together my registry. Ahhh, there are so many options. I really wanted the angel care monitor, and my friend also recommended it so I love that you also put it on your list. Definitely going on mine!
Danielle says
I had a boy (on 11-11-11 :-)) and a girl in June of last year. One thing I got over VERY quickly was reusing some of his clothing for her, like sleepers or pants, coats, etc. Of course she still wears girl stuff all the time, but it was so nice to not have to buy a ton of sleepers in the beginning when they go through clothing so quickly. My mom acted like it was sins for a girl to wear a blue sleeper.
Hopefully you guys can do this with Clara’s stuff!
Tara says
Video monitor – you are gonna love it!!! We have the angelcare video monitor and i honestly dont know how people survive without the video! Still use it for our 2 year old:) got another one for our infant.
Bobbi says
I’d love to hear more thoughts about the Honest Company diapers and wipes service — we’re expecting our first baby and I’ve done a lot of diaper research and have been reading a lot of conflicting reviews about the quality of the Honest Co diapers, leaking issues, blowout problems, etc. I’m fine paying a higher cost if the diaper works well, but not if they’re cute but poorly made. Anyone else out there have experience with these? I’ve got until June 12 to figure out a diaper option :)
YoungHouseLove says
All of the comments here have been really gushy and positive, so that has been nice to hear. I’ll definitely post an update if we have a bad go with them though! I originally thought they were more than other eco diapers, but the bundle with the specials they run breaks them down to being almost exactly the same as Seventh Generation in most cases, so that was compelling as well.
xo
s
Carrie says
Hi Bobbi, we use cloth diapers but use Honest brand when our son goes to Grandmas or church childcare a couple times a week. They are wonderful and great quality! They, however, are not made for overnight if you have an older child or heavy wetter. At 14 months our son started leaking through cloth diapers (even though we were using AIOs plus 2 doublers) so we had to switch to conventional brand overnight diapers to handle the amount of wetness at night.
Tara Olson says
So once you guys have used the toyota highlander for a while I would really like to hear your reviews!! We have two kids in a 2 door G5 (for almost 3 years now)unfortunately we can’t fit a third in our car….(YAY!! Cannot wait to get a new vehicle haha) But, we are hoping to get pregnant with our third this year and have been looking at the Highlander or the pathfinder (I would like a van but for some reason my husband doesn’t agree haha) anyways thanks for the list and I will be looking into some of these for our third!!
YoungHouseLove says
Will keep you posted for sure!
xo
s
Tara says
Ps> love the highlander!!!!
Brooke says
We LOVE our Highlander! Excellent choice! And I love Honest diapers! My son is a leaker and they’re the only diapers that keep him dry. So excited for you guys and the little boy about to appear. Boys are the best! :)
Marissa C says
Gotta say, I was wondering when you would get a bigger car just with all the home improvement stuff you bring home! We just had #2 (2 weeks ago!) and bought a minivan in October. I regularly declare my love for it.
Another question–does your Ergo infant insert have a cushion in the bottom? I bought one used and it doesn’t seem to fit right–I think I’m missing something :(
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, it has a giant box-like base and a cocoon-like thing that slips in. Hard to describe, so I hope that helps!
xo
s
Liz says
The Ergo doesn’t actually come with the cushion and shell that Sherri described…it’s a separate purchase, but worth it if you’re using it with a newborn. You don’t need it anymore after the kid reaches a certain weight/age. Here’s a link: http://www.amazon.com/ERGObaby-Original-Infant-Insert-Natural/dp/B00BMK0NQI/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1394222443&sr=8-5&keywords=ergo
Erin says
We are a Bumgenius family too! Just a word of advice for boys with cloth diapers. They tend to be heavy wetters more so then girls, so it is a good idea to pick up some extras as you may go through more than you did with Clara. We also picked up some extra inserts for at night.
The other thing we have done to grow our stash is to buy them with coupons at Buy Buy Baby in Frederickburg. It is the closest one to Richmond. They will accept Bed Bath and Beyond coupons that are not expired (owned by he same company). Those are usually either for 20% off or $5 off. Just depending on what you get. So if you are in the market for some new ones, that has been the best place for me to go in the area to get the best deal. We’ll worth the hour drive.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tips Erin!
xo
s
Keri says
That’s the best thing about a second baby – you learn so much from the first. I used the things that worked well for baby #1 on baby #2, and they were both great sleepers and overall pretty easy babies, so hopefully you’ll have the same luck!
Amanda says
I know you two are such incredible parents and just love reading all about your journey! I just have to put my two cents in for the white noise machine as an audiologist: try to use the softest sound level possible that’s still effective. My sister in law really blares their machine with my niece and it kills me thinking of any hearing damage happening at such a young age! I hate being “that person,” and I’m sure you’re well aware of the risks but maybe others will see this too and look into it! There’s no problem with white noise machines, but the level of noise is so important since they’re at such a delicate age! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Amanda! We put it across the room on the dresser on a nice low setting :)
xo
s
Jessica says
Fellow Richmonder here and big time jogger just wanted to say I also bought the instep dble jogger and have nothing but good things to say. Plus it was one of the cheapest ones out there. It has been working great for our 4 mile runs!
YoungHouseLove says
So glad!
xo
s
Melisa says
I LOVED not having to buy as much stuff this round. We did almost everything the same. We used the Fischer Price rock and play in lieu of a bassinet in our room and it is two for two on kiddos loving sleeping in it. I didn’t get a bouncer for #1 and regretted it then. Didn’t get a bouncer for #2 and I still regret it. Only “baby” thing we bought for #2 was a sit and stand stroller. I did upgrade from my car to an explorer for #2, for all the same reasons y’all did. Yay for paying cash for a new ride after driving an oldie for the past 7 years!
Camille says
We have TWO 2010 Highlanders and still LOVE LOVE LOVE them for everyday and road trips with baby (now toddler) and dog. We’ve never had a major issue with either & the backup camera, heated seats & proximity keys really do make life easier. The blue tooth is hit/miss in mine but hopefully it’s gotten better sound quality in the last few years. Hopefully you’ll enjoy your new Highlander just as much as we have!
Love the way the new nursery is shaping up too!
YoungHouseLove says
I love hearing that! So far the bluetooth has been awesome (we’re already addicted to saying “Play Frozen” and the CD starts for Clara. It’s a car from the future, I tell ya.
xo
s
Melissa says
Just wanted to say nursing while baby wearing is what saved my sanity! Especially with another LO needing attention, having the option to soothe a baby hands free was a godsend. It takes a little practice when they are wee, but I still use my carrier to nurse my two year old when he’s overtired or overwhelmed when we are out of the house. The Ergo is a great economical choice but Sherry, you may want to look into a Boba since you are slightly framed. I found the Boba fit me and the Ergo was better for my husband. And Boba is a kick ass small business who you can feel fantastic supporting!
YoungHouseLove says
See, I liked doing that for a little while and then every time I put her in there, even if she had just eaten 40 minutes before – she wanted food. And I was like “this is not an all-day milking carrier!” – haha!
xo
s
Jess @ Crunchy Hot Mama says
I’m with you, Melissa…I love the Boba 3G! I got an Ergo with my first (from BabySteals) and decided on the Boba with my second. It seems trivial but I love how the Boba has hooks on the shoulders for a purse/diaper bag/etc. Plus I like the fact that you don’t have to buy an extra insert (the 4G is super fancy) like the Ergo. Since I didn’t get a double stroller, I use the Boba for the baby and the Ergo for my 3yo…when I get strong enough I’ll babywear them both ;)
amy says
That’s awesome about the new car! My family had a highlander while I was in high school and we loved it :) I actually learned to drive with it! Are you guys going to do a full post about the new car buying experience??
YoungHouseLove says
We weren’t planning on it (we aren’t really automotive experts so we just read reviews and test drove things and read more reviews and went for it) but it sounds like a lot of people are interested in an update on a bunch of these things (how we like Honest diapers, how we like the jogger, how we like the car) so we might do something like that down the line!
xo
s
Lindsay says
Two things — You will LOOOOVE the video monitor. It’s basically the best thing ever, especially if you wind up with a kid who’s not a Clara-caliber sleeper.
My favorite baby shower gift is Marpac Dohm sound machine — at 65 decibels it falls below the “dangerous” levels described in the recent study — but it’s super customizable in terms of loudness, tone, etc. It’s expensive, but if you haven’t already unwrapped your new sound machine, I’d totally recommend the Marpac it. We have one in every bedroom of our house.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Lindsay!
xo
s
April Brickhouse says
The motion detector in the crib was a life and sanity saver for us! Smart to do the 2 pads…we had a few false alarms. :O. Congrats on #2!
heyruthie says
John, I just want to say how awesome it is that YOU wrote this post on “baby stuff.” You da man.
YoungHouseLove says
Isn’t he though? Haha! I love that he can work a saw, grow a beard, and talk about diapers and babywearing.
xo
s
Susan says
My kids are twins, so no reusing was ever done-it was all two things at the same time ( car seats, highchairs, etc) and double diapering/feeding.
I used to put them in baby seats on our oversized ottoman and hold two bottles at the same time when they got up in the middle of the night. We’d put on MTV ( it was 1985 after all) and get a good dose of music at 2 AM with our formula LOL. Thank the universe that they started sleeping through the night at three months. Son gave up naps at three, but daughter STILL loves a good afternoon siesta.
We also did the straight to crib routine.
I don’t agree with the sound machine idea; babies don’t need that to fall/stay asleep and then you have the added hassle of dragging it everywhere. Not for me.
Oh we LOVE our Highlander! What color did you get? Ours is green with tan leather. Hubby bought it via the internet in 2005, and living in OR at that time meant heated seats were a necessity. We plan to drive it forever. It has hauled everything from Craigslist stuff to Home Depot purchases to snowboard equipment for four and then some. Enjoy it!
YoungHouseLove says
Woah, twins = you’re Wonder Woman. Haha! As for our Highlander, we got the dark gray one with black interior. So far it has been awesome.
xo
s
Jessica says
I fought getting a double stroller because they just seemed like a huge pain but I am so glad that I broke down and bought one! Mine are 24 months a part and it has been a life saver! Even when only one is riding in it it’s great to just have room to throw all the extra stuff in when we go to the park/splash pad! It’s like having and extra pair of arms with wheels ;)
and I loved my Ergo as well and recommended it to every mom!!! I don’t know if Clara was a drooler but my son was and I found a tutorial to make washable drool covers for ergo so I didn’t have to wah it every time he drooled on the straps that just kinda jazzed it up a bit! I even put a ribbon look so I could attach a toy/paci etc!
Kimkay says
Thanks for promoting cloth diapering. I have a sweet memory of my first child in the backpack while hanging the diapers up to dry in the sun. That is, when weather allowed :)
Been a few years so there’s more technology now. I would have enjoyed the video monitor. Love baby wearing and that’s been around for awhile, a long while.
If I was a new parent or becoming a new parent I would love your blog and resources. As it is, I love it and am looking forward to grandkids.
best to your family!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Kimkay, you’re so sweet!
xo
s
Courtney says
We had a similar age gap and used/reused a lot of the same things you did–baby carrier, car seat, cloth diapers. We have a video monitor that lets us add a camera and switch between both kids, which is nice. We found that we didn’t need a double stroller, though–we thought we wanted one and even picked it out but decided to wait to buy it, and I’m glad we did. Our son ended up preferring to walk, or we would put the baby in the carrier when he wanted to walk.
I definitely like Honest Diapers. We managed to get them on a Black Friday 1/2-off sale, and one bundle has lasted us for a good four months (we still have one pack left) because we cloth diaper so we don’t use them often. And it turns out Seventh Generation gives our daughter a nasty rash anyway.
We did crib sleeping with #1, but with #2 we co-slept a little longer and then had her in a Rock N Play in our room for about 6 weeks (she had reflux). If this little guy isn’t a great sleeper, you might want to try one (ours was borrowed).
It’s funny because some of the things that worked really well with our first (like sleeping in a swing) didn’t or weren’t need for our second. Some of it just comes down to different personalities, so it will be interesting to see a follow up. Best of luck!
Courtney says
Uh, I mean we would have the baby in the carrier when our son wanted to RIDE. We also got this: http://www.target.com/p/radio-flyer-pathfinder-wagon/-/A-523015#prodSlot=medium_1_1 Which is a little pricey, but from about 6 months on most of our trips to the park and farmer’s market have been in this thing and it’s so fun for them to ride together.
YoungHouseLove says
So sweet! Grammy has something like that and the grandkids all fight over riding together.
xo
s
Jen says
We have that same sound machine and our 2.5 year old still uses it every night. We did the white noise up until she was probably 18 months or so when she discovered the music button. Now she insists on that function. It’s been a sanity saver as she is the youngest of 4 and the only girl. Quiet never happens here. Ha ha! She sleeps right through it as long as that machine is on though!
Ali says
We have 3 boys, so it was nice to have a lot handed down. By baby #3, he truly did not need a thing and so I bought a few random baby objects so the poor kid would have something to call his own. Ha!
Our staples were the Ergo carrier (love that thing! My 3-year-old will still occasionally ride on my back in it), the SwaddleMe or Miracle Blanket (depending on the degree of Houdini-ism that each child displayed), the video monitor, and our Arms Reach mini co-sleeper. My boys were veracious eaters (heads-up!) and I just could not get up to go into the other room a million times until the night nursing slowed down a bit.
Becky says
1. We have that white noise machine, and it works great! Although some of the sounds on it seem a little harsh (there’s one that sounds like weird traffic), we’ve found a couple that work really well for us.
2. A note about the video monitor by the window – ours is installed very similarly (by the window behind the curtain) and we have to tuck the curtain behind it so it doesn’t mess with the night vision/day vision sensor. You may not have that issue since it’s a different camera – but just wanted to point it out in case you run into issues and aren’t sure why.
3. Honest diapers are great! We were getting them (and I too was swayed by the awesome designs and monthly delivery). But ultimately we switched back to Pampers Swaddlers due to cost. I couldn’t justify spending double so our kid could poop in something cute! Haha. Plus you can get pampers delivered monthly via Amazon Subscribe and Save (and if you have 4 other subscription items in any given month you get 20% off all of them!). With the discount, Pampers cost us less than half of what Honest did.
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip about the monitor- will check that out tonight!
xo
s
Mary says
Hi there, I’ve been a reader for awhile and am expecting my first baby in August. We’re planning on cloth diapering and really like the all-in-ones but I’ve heard they can leak at times. Did you have any of those issues with Clara? If so, any ways to combat them? I appreciate it!
YoungHouseLove says
We didn’t have any issues with that for the most part (sometimes at night in the end, so we used one disposable before bed on her). There’s a link to a big post about cloth diapering at the bottom of this post if that helps :)
xo
s
rachael says
We use cloth diapers too. I found they hardly ever leak. Maybe at night if he’s drank alot during the day. But I cannot remember one single blow-out, and our first born wore only disposables and she had blowouts almost every day in the beginning. Leaking really only happens if you don’t have the fit right or your washing method is off. You need to read up on how to prevent/fix repelling issues. Good luck! Oh PS. We have two bumgenius freetimes, 2 bumgenius elementals(the old kind, not the revamped kind), 5 Flip covers with 13 inserts and 3 overnight hemp doublers, only 1 dozen cloth wipes, and 2 large size Planet Wise wet bags and one small Planet Wise wet bags. We bought 90% of our cloth diapers used from Kijiji(Canadian Craigslist). We only wash twice a week. Our son just turned one. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Great tips Rachael!
xo
s
Holly says
Is that peacock fabric a diaper?! So cute- that would be a perfect pattern for crib sheets or a baby blanket. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, isn’t that cute? We got a free sample pack of diapers from Honest and it was in there.
xo
s
Julie H. says
I recently started reading your blog and want to say that you guys are the best!
My hubs and I are expecting our first little punkin’ in August, and I attended an event in Chicago where the founder of Cotton Babies (parent co. of bumGenius) spoke this weekend. Jennifer is awesome and her story is so inspiring. In the beginning she cloth-diapered because she couldn’t afford disposables, and she works hard on solutions for families that are in that same situation today.
In addition to the recommendations we’ve gotten from friends about bumGenius, I feel great supporting her company!
YoungHouseLove says
I love that story Julie!
xo
s
ashley d says
YES YES YES!! Crib sleeping from the start is what we did and I thank myself for it daily!! My 17 month old is a champion sleeper because of it!!
ashley d says
Great choice on the Highlander. I’m a lifetime Toyota driver! Just traded my Highlander to go back to a Camry though!
Theresa says
My sister got the Highlander after she had my nephew and LOVES it, she says it’s the best car she’s ever owned (there have been a lot)! I’ve heard everyone loves the video monitor too! Have a great weekend!
YoungHouseLove says
Love hearing that!
xo
s