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.
carley says
You will love the video monitor! We had it with our first and got a second camera with our second. It scans between the rooms every 10 seconds or so. I love it at night and at nap time. We also have a 2 story house and it’s especially helpful when we are down and they are up. Seriously our favorite baby splurge ever!
Sarah says
You may want to read this latest news about white noise machines. http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/03/health/noise-machines-study/index.html
I’d still use one if I were having a new baby. We really liked the one that came with the Gentle Giraffe because it was small and only stayed on for 45 minutes. We took the little machine out of the giraffe and put it right in the bassinet at the beginning.
Sarah says
Guess I should have read all the other comments first… so I could see someone already told you this news.
YoungHouseLove says
No worries at all!
xo
s
YoungHouseLove says
Lots of folks have been sharing that news. Very helpful! We keep ours nice and low and across the room so it’s not too overwhelming or loud.
xo
s
Angela says
With Clara’s preference for ocean noises, and you referring to baby boy as the Barnacle, I read “Natural White Noise for Babies” as “Natural WHALE noises for babies” and immediately started picturing sounds like Dory asking the whale for directions to Sydney. I wondered how exactly that was soothing until I reread it and realized it was WHITE noise for babies.
YoungHouseLove says
Bahahaha!
xo
s
Kaitlyn says
I’ve seen little steps that attach to the back of a stroller like this one: http://www.squidoo.com/toddler-stand-for-stroller that I bet Clara would love! :D
YoungHouseLove says
Those seem so cool but Clara’s cousins have those and she seems to prefer double strollers (she usually has a book or a toy or a snack in her hands so that might be why ;)
xo
s
Momma to a boy says
Hope the cloth diapers work well for you again. We did cloth pocket diapers with our son before he potty trained and loved them. Will definitely use them if we have a #2. I did notice, differently than my friends with girls, that there would be some leaking around the groin area. Don’t know if it was the brand we used or if it was more about anatomy and the ability of the pee to distribute throughout the inserts. (It mostly happened when he was sitting up/crawling. Once he was fully on the move we didn’t have the issue as much, so I guess it could have been a sizing issue as well. Bamboo inserts were my favorite fix.
Susan says
My husband is a hater of all baby gear, so we don’t use much of anything. Our fourth is getting ready to turn one and I guess the one thing I’ve loved with her is the ERGO carrier…so easy and comfortable! I used a sling with #3 and this is way better.
Actually, my husband’s been begging me to get rid of the infant car seat/stroller combo for awhile (we never used the stroller…too big and clunky) but I’m still using that infant seat…I’ll strap her in it and give her some toys and set in the bathroom to take a shower. She’s happy and I can take the long hot shower I need to wake up. She’s another baby that NEVER SLEEPS. I dream of sleep!
For those in Richmond VA, we were able to try out cloth diapering through a program we found at Franklin Goose in Carytown called the Cloth Diaper Project. We qualified financially, and they supplied us with all the diapers we’d need for her size. We ended up being cloth diaper drop outs a little after four months (I’ll blame our washing machine which hated washing the diapers) but I really loved it for those early diapers that you go through and grow through so quickly.
Looks like every thing’s ready…now just for the baby! Best wishes!
Nicole B. says
Eeeeee!!!! Man I’m just so excited for this little guy! Everyone loves a new baby! Can’t wait to learn his name & hear more about him.
Wishing you guys all the best & a beautiful delivery!
Nicole B.
Christina says
I had a 2006 Highlander in college and loved it! My husband made me trade it in after we got married and I still miss it–four years down the road. I hope your family adore the Highlander as much as I did.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so sweet. Young Car Love.
xo
s
Pamela F.B. says
I bought a Highlander in 2012 and we love it! The camera, the Bluetooth, the JB stereo, the dvd player, the three heat zones (I’m menopausal…’nuff said), and those glorious heated seats have all made tooling around very comfortable. We kept our Camry, but having the cargo space is a big plus. The 2014 model has been updated nicely, I understand. Enjoy!
cali says
congrats on the new car!! Just got myself a Hundai Tuscon and love it! Would love info on the DIY book caddy since my daughter cant reach the one I set up for her.
Also, while Im sure you did, make sure the car seat didn’t expire as they do after several years.
And finally! Is it weird that I cant wait for a new pic of your new family of 4 (err, 5) and new wording in your “ABOUT” section to the right of the page?? :)
YoungHouseLove says
Ahh, that picture’s going to be a comedy of errors I bet ;)
xo
s
Yulia says
I see a lot of people love the highlander, but since prospective moms might be reading, can I make a plug for the minivan? I got mine when when I only had one kid and I absolutely love it! I am a mom of three now and I never want to give it up! I can’t be the only crazy mom out there who loves her minivan, right?
YoungHouseLove says
John’s sister has one and loves it!
xo
s
nicole j says
LOVE my minivan! Just upgraded to a certified used Town & Country :-) after my 2nd regular used van bit the dust…lol
Morgan says
Not a baby related comment (seeing how we’re still about 6 months away from jumping into that adventure!)…but how are you liking your Highlander so far? We’re interested in upgrading from a small car to an SUV and have it narrowed down to the Kia, Mazda, or Toyota. Toyota is winning by a narrow margin but we’re looking for as many favourable reviews as we can before pulling the trigger!
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve only had it a short time but so far we both love it!
xo
s
Stephanie acker says
Oh, hey, got a nice new SUV guys. NBD. Lol love how that’s thrown in at the end all nonchalant! Congratulations guys!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks Steph! John likes to slip big news to me that way too. Like he’ll list three small things and then say “oh and (giant news that makes me scream) is happening next week.” It’s pretty funny.
xo
s
Steph says
I’m due with my second in April too (also a boy, after having had a girl, though our daughter is only 18 months old). It’s crazy how much of the same stuff we have! We prefer the Snuza breathing monitor because it stays on the baby and can therefore be used anywhere. We love our video monitor – great for figuring out if she’s really ready to get up or just fussing a bit in her sleep. Noise machine has been a lifesaver. Love the Bumgenius diapers. Super excited to read about the double jogger you chose – the one we were leaning towards (double version of the Summit X3 we love) is WAY more expensive. And finally, like you, we had an AMAZING night sleeper and I’m so scared of this one potentially being a poor sleeper.
Alissa says
What a cute post! I agree that prepping for baby #2 is a different experience compared to #1. We’ve been using Honest diapers with our younger (13 months) daughter, and we’ve been super pleased. The customer service is great too – when she was younger I needed to upsize the diapers midway through our bundle, and the company made it so easy. Their other products, particularly the diaper balm and sunscreen, are great too!
One great gift we received for our older daughter when the baby was born was an art box kit from Alex Toys. It was full of projects she could do with minimal/no help (the instructions are just pictures, and the supplies for each project are bundled together). It was such a great special way to keep her occupied either while I was tending to the baby or for us to do together during naptime (and then my exhausted new baby brain didn’t have to come up with an idea for a project!). I’ve already given the box a few times since as a big sister/brother gift!
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds awesome!
xo
s
jodi says
Check the expiration date on the car seat to be sure!!
Crazy that they expire, right?
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Jodi! Great tip!
xo
s
Sam says
Oh, how I loved the Ergo. My twins turned five yesterday and while I was lamenting the passage of time, I actually thought about how much I miss the Ergo! (Although I don’t miss the schlepping of the double stroller in and out of the car!)
My wish for you is to have another great sleeper. Our oldest daughter was such a fabulous sleeper like Clara that I more than got my comeuppance with my twins. We co-slept because it was the only thing that made it possible for me to nurse and sleep at the same time. You’ll find your rhythm as a family of four and do what works for you!
Oh, I would say though as someone who has a two story house, it was really nice to have a changing area with some clothes downstairs as well as upstairs. It saved my from having to run up and down the stairs several times a day.
Tracy says
Don’t forget to check your seat’s expiration date and check for recalls! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip! We went into detail about that process in one of the earlier comments (I think on the first page). Very easy to do!
xo
s
Stacy says
I love my Ergo too! I can’t wait until the weather gets nicer again so I can start wearing it again and taking my little girl on nice long walks. With these NE winters I find it easiest to keep her in her carrier and stick her in her stroller than try to take her out and put her in the Ergo for things like shopping. I do have to admit that double strollers are no fun. We bought a sit and stand since our oldest is 3.5 and I have to admit I wish we’d saved our money. We hardly ever use it. Oh well, live and learn.
Tara says
The honest company diapers arent anything special. We tried them and werent impressed. They are cute, thats about it. Not worth the hefty price tag. http://www.babygearlab.com/Disposable-Diaper-Reviews/The-Honest-Company-Diapers
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Tara! You’re the first not gushing review we have heard! Can’t wait to see what we think…
xo
s
Bridget says
A car book caddy…Why have I never thought of that? I know what my weekend project is.
Lauren N says
I’m sure you know this, but just in case you don’t, car seats can expire. Make sure you check the expiration date, that your prior one has not expired :)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Lauren! We called the number to check ;)
xo
s
Dawn Lowe says
I recently read an article about those white noise machines being too loud for babies and causing hearing/learning problems down the road as a result. As all those types of studies are, they should be taken with a little skepticism, but with Clara you could probably turn that ipod down as low as you need. Apparently the white noise machines have too many decibels even at the lowest setting. I read that you should put the machine as far away from the crib as possible to minimize the volume being too much for baby. Just a little info I thought I’d pass along, you guys are great parents and I know how safety conscious you are, and didn’t know if you’d heard about that recent info. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip!
xo
s
Victoria Ross says
We’re expecting our first child in August and can’t wait. This post really gave me some neat things to look forward to. Being a parent in 2014 seems LOADS easier than it was for my mother. I especially like the Angel Care Monitor. Going to have to pick myself up one of those.
Thanks for all the tips:)
-V
Yancey says
The absolute best thing we bought for baby #1 was this “baby monitor”.
http://www.amazon.com/Foscam-FI8910W-Network-Camera-Two-Way/dp/B006ZPWS4U/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1394216078&sr=8-3&keywords=foscam
It is actually a surveillance camera. After having tons of issues with standard video monitors not working due to our wifi in the house, this was the best solution. I LOVE that we can use our IPhones for the monitor and it was considerably cheaper than a baby video monitor. The best thing is that when our baby #2 arrives in 4 months we just add another camera and are able to see both kiddos on one monitor! It was the best peace of mind purchase we made.
YoungHouseLove says
Looks cool!
xo
s
Bonnie C says
Belated congrats (I just found YHL a few weeks ago ;p)! I’ve used the Honest diapers on and off – the skulls are my favorite – and loved them. 3 has a really sensitive butt and gets diaper rash faster than you can say the words and they really helped mitigate the outbreaks. Unfortunately for us, they are a bit spendy for us to use exclusively, but I still order a pack periodically because, seriously, the SKULZ!!
We have a Collective of 3 – 1 & 2 were planned, 3 was a “wuhhhhh?”. We reused all of 1’s big ticket items for 2: crib, car seat/carrier, stroller. 2 got new/better bouncer, swing, exersaucer. 1 and 2 shared a nursery so the monitor and sound machine were also originally 1’s. 3 popped up on the radar about 4months after we gave ALL the baby stuff away because we were “done.” Well played, Universe, well played. So 3 got all new stuff (pack n play in lieu of crib, carseat, stroller, swing) and hand me downs from friends, but way less because we knew exactly what we needed (and were in a tiny apartment at the time).
Coincidentally, we were a 2 Prius family – around the time we got rid of all the baby stuff, we got rid of the big, expensive to fuel SUV, too because it was too much for our family of 4. Seriously. Can’t make this stuff up. Anyway, try to get a carseat and 2 boosters with backs into a Prius. It can be done. It ain’t pretty. So we upsized to a Highlander, too. ;p
YoungHouseLove says
So funny!
xo
s
Amy W. says
Woop Woop! for the Highlander :) … We upgraded from a ’97 Corolla to a used ’07 Highlander when my little guy was about 4 months old – best decision ever! The amount of stuff it can haul is crazy. (My 3rd row seat is the full bench, not the split, but an adult can fit back there, sideways, with a little room for groceries in the back … not that we’ve ever been forced into that weird configuration ;) ) And the heated seats are awesome too. (Oh, I keep 2 old pillow cases tucked into the front door pockets, everyone thought I was crazy until they went to sit down on a 90* day … legs fried to seat issue. For some reason the leather/vinyl gets super hot/’sticky’…. There should be a seat cool button, too.)
And, woo-hoo for reusing baby gear! I’ve stored everything to try to reuse when we end up with #2.
Ann says
This isn’t really about the baby part (super helpful btw), but I’m surprised you bought new and not certified pre-owned–any reason for that? From families of savers, new cars have always been bad ideas because they lose value so quickly (so like a certified pre-owned comes with a similar warranty, and a 2013 or 2012 would be significantly cheaper for not that much older of a car). That just surprised me in relation to some other things you save on
YoungHouseLove says
I felt the same way! New cars lose value the second you drive them off the lot, right? But my dad and John’s dad are super thrifty and both have bought new cars and driven the heck outta them. John’s dad pointed out that a new car could even end up costing less over time (if you buy something new without any miles you can drive it ten years before hitting high mileage and having issues, whereas you might only get 4-6 years out of a used car before hitting the same age/mileage issues, so he did math on a few used and new cars he had and some of the new ones were actually cheaper per year to drive since they lasted so much longer). Kinda blew my mind when he pointed that out.
xo
s
Ann says
Hmm I guess it depends how much you drive, because mine was only about 20,000 miles when I bought it, which I easily do in a year, but maybe that’s above average.
Liz says
Shocked you guys were able to hold off this long on getting the big car! Good for you. Dangerous thrifting and 3rd row furniture tetris ahead.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha!
xo
s
Erin says
Whoo hoo! Way to jump on the Highlander bandwagon – we bought a new Highlander in 2012 when our youngest child was about 6 months and we loooove it – and especially love the Toyota Care free service for 2 years that we got when we purchased it –
Meredith says
Wow, we have baby #2 due around the same time and are not nearly as well prepared as you guys! It is nice that we have most of the necessities taken care of already, but we need to break everything out of storage and set up the nursery still.
I’ll note that I’ve used both Honest diapers and Earth’s Best Organic/Chlorine Free and they seemed to be pretty much the same thing. Though of course the Honest ones are much cuter! We signed up for Amazon Subscribe & Save with the Earth’s Best diapers, and combined with that discount, the Amazon Mom discount and automatic delivery it was pretty convenient!
YoungHouseLove says
Love the tip!
xo
s
Katie says
Great post! I also agree about earths best. We mostly CD but for the other travel to grandma’s house days, we use earths best. I read a long article comparing all the disposable diapers and earths best was up there. Super absorbent (can use them overnight with our heavy wetting toddler), no blow outs, and amazon s&s with coupons keeps them super reasonable!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Katie!
xo
s
Ellen says
Hi Guys, There was a new study out this week that noise machines damage baby’s hearing and are not recommended as they delay speech too. Just thought I’d pass it along and you can decide what is best. And Congrats!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks! Many folks shared links and it seems if you keep it low and across the room (like we did with Clara) it’s all good. She was an early chatterbug and hasn’t stopped talking since ;)
xo
s
Mikey says
I had a chuckle when you showed the perfect spot for your video monitor – EXACTLY where mine was hid with my son :) It is really the perfect vantage point. Actually, it was installed just around the time I first started reading your blog (my son was born just the month before Clara!)
[img]https://www.dropbox.com/s/4dzjyitn6etyqpg/Photo%202012-05-27%202%2003%2047%20AM.jpg[/img]
Karen says
Looks like your list is pretty much identical to ours! (Baby #3 is due literally within days of the Barnacle). Except we’re squeezing 3 car seats into our Rav4 and they baaaaarely fit and we upgraded to a triple jogging stroller since we will have three under the age of two!
Erin says
Congrats on the new car! We finally bought a “new to us” Saab wagon last spring for our family of four. Before that we has a VW Jetta and the leg room in the back is just non-existent. With our first child, we chose to be surprised regarding whether we were having a boy or girl. That was really nice because we had a lot of gender neutral stuff to pass onto our son when he was born 2 1/2 years later. We used our cloth diapers again for him, as well as the co-sleeper and now the crib. We also for to reuse the infant car seat. My mom also got us the InStep double jogging stroller. Our daughter rides in it about half the time because she would rather walk. Sometimes I will just put our son in the single stroller when we go out, but bring our ergo in case she doesn’t want to walk anymore. One thing about the InStep double to be aware of, is that you won’t really be able to use the basket underneath. After using ours a handful of times, with nothing heavier in it than a few diapers, wipes, and my wallet, the basket started dragging. Even if ours is empty, we’ll still hit “high” spots in the road. I ended up having to get one of those heavy duty carabiners for the handle, because I liked walking to the grocery store with the kids when it was nice out but couldn’t put anything underneath without a horrible scraping noise the whole way home.
Kelly says
Please be sure to update us down the road on the Highlander!! We’ve been looking into that as well in a year or so! Thanks for the great list!
YoungHouseLove says
Will do!
xo
s
Susan Terrell says
Hi John and Sherry,
Mother of Four here and a runner. I have a single and a double jogger. Love and have used them both, although, you are right it is NO fun to push two on a run. Just thought I might add that eventually you may want to look into a sit-n-stand stroller, maybe even on craigslist. Ours has too many miles to count and I didn’t even buy it until I had my third. That way Clara can hop off and on as she pleases. Mine came with a way to attach the infant seat which was nice when they were itty bitty. Youngest is two now and I’m not ready to give it up. Will be thinking of you as you wait for your newest family member. :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip!
xo
s
DontBlameTheKids says
Not sure if someone already mentioned that (400+ comments is a little much for me to sort through!) but a study just came out that said white noise and sound machines could be bad for babies’ ears. I think I read it on the Boston Globe. Just FYI.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks! The consensus seems if it’s kept low and across the room (that’s what we did with Clara) it’s all good :)
xo
s
Emily says
So excited for your #2! We’re expecting our 3rd boy in the beginning of May so I love reading your baby updates. We also cloth diaper with BumGenius, jog with the double instep stroller (in green!), and just bought a new car (a Toyota 4Runner, go Toyota!). And by the way, with a two story house – a video monitor is a must! No need to go running up the stairs to check on every little noise! :)
Julie says
I used a white noise machine too, but I just saw this article on my news feed the other day suggesting that those machines can damage babies hearing.. just thought I would pass it along as I will re-think that decision if we have another baby! http://www.nbcnews.com/health/kids-health/white-noise-machines-could-hurt-babies-hearing-study-suggests-n41416
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Julie!
xo
s
Alina says
There was a recall on Angelcare Monitors, you might want to check if your model was included. I have not really read the article as we never had one of those.
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/11/22/health/baby-monitor-recall/
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Alina! John tried to include a note about that at the end of that section (we got the free cord adapter).
xo
s
Matt says
We just got a newer Highlander too and it is great. Comfortable ride for all involved on long trips… and the fact that that piece in the middle in the back seat goes down (as seen in the pic in the post) is PERFECT for trip to Home Depot for 8 foot long boards while still keeping the car seats in! You can get 10 footers in there, but they have to rest on the dashboard (and could slide into the windshield if they slip).
MonW says
Congratulations on the new car!
The one big thing my dad did when he learned I was on the way was getting canvas car seat covers for both of the cars made and getting sturdy vinyl floor mats to use.
“Digestive malfunction” = pulling out floor mats and seat covers and hosing off in the yard and leaving out to dry. Dad was the envy of the neighborhood.
We have a year old minivan here, and the Weathertech mats and liners have saved us. The containment of the grass, water, slop was surprising.
The other thing we did was gather our maps into a new to us storage item. A check sorter pouch from the office store- expanding kind with tabbed dividers. One of these handles our in-state maps, and another one handles surrounding state maps. Fits nicely in glove box, center console or door pouch areas. No more antique maps hidden all over the car out of frustration. Found the tip via Pinterest.
As kid#1, I slept lightly. noises woke me- sirens, jets, dogs.
Kid #2- slept deeply, until 5am.
I am now an owl, Sis is most certainly a lark.
Sis had for more in common with your Clara at birth than I did.
Relish the differences.;)
YoungHouseLove says
Love all the tips MonW!
xo
s
Hayley says
So very happy for your new addition. You guys are so blessed! My cloth diaper offer still stands :) please check my website and choose anything you’d like. I’m looking forward to “meeting” the little guy soon!
YoungHouseLove says
You’re so sweet Hayley!
xo
s
Mary sterck says
The music is so important, my parent’s every night put to sleep by Peter,Paul and Mary. I am 54 years old and still remember all the songs. It was comforting
Grace says
It sounds like you guys have everything you need!
If there are local Richmond parents-to-be reading that are interested in cloth diapering, can I put in a plug for The Stork diaper service? They’re based out of Charlottesville (but deliver to Richmond as well), and we’ve had our daughter in their prefolds since the day she came home from the hospital! She’s almost 2 and a half now, and we still love them. My husband and I both work full time, and we wanted to cloth diaper but we were worried about the time commitment with laundry. We LOVE the service – it’s the best of all worlds. The only time our daughter has worn disposables is when we’re traveling for more than a night or two. I cannot recommend them enough!
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip!
xo
s
Nicole says
I love your baby/kid posts! Especially this one as I’m due with #2 in May (#1 just turned 2 on Wednesday). My list is almost the same as yours actually… We upgraded our vehicle (you will love the leather seats and captain’s chairs!), just bought a dual-view video monitor, and we also cloth diaper and use Honest diapers at night now that our daughter is older. You will love them! I’m also a big baby-wearer, and am thinking about trying a sling or K’Tan this time around.
Also, we had our daughter in her crib in her room from the beginning as well… We all sleep so much better in our own space, and I don’t mind waking up and walking the 20 feet to nurse. And for what it’s worth, my daughter has always been a phenomenal sleeper as well! :)
Shae T says
Oh we love The Honest Co. diapers! The patterns are adorable, and they switch them up with every season. Hope you enjoy them as well!
Adrianne D. says
Good luck with the new ride! I have a 2012 Highlander and LOVE it!! It’s got awesome cargo and human space. Plus its great in the snow.
Love this list. It makes me think of what I would re-do if/when we have #2.
nicole j says
We have 4 boys ages 11,9,3 1/2 and 2 1/2… we reused everything! With the exception of the travel system and double stroller…(both were expired from the first 2 boys) My first 2 didn’t like to be worn but my second 2 did….I used the baby Katan like the moby but smaller for the vertically challenged :-) My 1st,3rd & 4th liked the bassinet ….but #3 & 4 still end up in our bed…ugh! Despite all best efforts ….the other new purchase we made were :Aden &anise blankets and clothes…everything else was thankfully gifted….and I just passed everything down to 2 mom to be friends….they couldn’t be happier! As I kept everything so nice and clean