The Carlsons' Must Have Baby Products (and Some We Can Do Without...)

When I found out I was pregnant, and in the months leading up to Linnea's birth, I can remember being completely consumed with the world of baby products. Bottles, swings, bouncers, carriers, toys, furniture, strollers, etc. What did I need? What could I go without? What's the best brand? Etc. I was overwhelmed and rather obsessed.

In hindsight, I've been pleased overall with the decisions Jeromy and I made about baby products. I think we've approached things with a good balance of price, quality, usefulness/necessity, etc. There are definitely things that we made the right decision on, and some things that we can improve on next time (at this point we are assuming there will be a "next time"). At the very least, perhaps this post can be useful for readers who are expecting.

Must Have Products

• The Fisher Price Space Saver Highchair: We are pretty short on space, so anything that can serve the same purpose, but take half the space as its traditional counterparts earns HUGE points in our book. Jeromy was super pumped about this baby purchase, and it has not disappointed. It's easy to attach to any chair, and doesn't take up much more space than the chair itself. It's easy to take off and take with you if need be. Even though we haven't started solids with Linnea, she will sit in the chair from time to time when we are eating or otherwise busy in the kitchen. Linnea seems very comfortable and content in it. It also adjusts into a booster seat for when she's older. AND it's half the cost of a lot of full size highchairs. ROCK. ON.
  
• Generic Diapers: Although they may not work for everyone (read: babies with sensitive tushies), generic diapers have been great for us! We use Target brand. We had several friends who swore by them... We used Pampers in the hospital, and I for one was nervous to switch to generic. But they worked great! There was a short time where Linnea was having lots of blowouts where we doubted the quality. We switched to name brand, and had just as many problems! Back to generic for us, and we haven't looked back. Again, HUGE cost savings. Like almost half the price cost savings. For future kids, I might consider doing cloth diapers. But for now, Target diapers (and wipes too!) do the trick for us!
  
• And really...Generic Anything (for the most part): We (mostly me) try hard to be pretty frugal. It's hard, because obviously I want to provide "the best" for my child...but I also want to be financially responsible. I think there is still a bit of a social stigma that generic products are not as good as brand name. I catch myself thinking that when it's time to purchase things like ointment, breast milk freezer bags, and medicines. But for each of those things, we bought generic, and they were just fine! My thought is that if they serve their purpose (i.e. storing milk safely), then why pay more than you have to?
• Dr. Brown Bottles: Granted, we did not try any other bottles, but we haven't needed to! We have been super happy with these! Linnea took to them right away, and hasn't had any problems. The nipple doesn't collapse like other bottles I've seen, and they are apparently vented a certain way to mimic breastfeeding and reduce gas. Linnea's never been super gassy, so I guess they've done their job!
• A Good Breast Pump, BUT...: This was another thing that I worried about. I knew that I wanted (if possible) to breastfeed Linnea, and to continue to do so once I went back to work. This, obviously, meant pumping at work. I had it in my head that it was absolutely necessary to have a breast pump before Linnea was born. However, in conversation with some others, I realized that unless I had a problem, I didn't need a pump right away. In fact, having a pump and feeling like it was necessary to use right away would make things even more complicated. I DID end up needing a pump right away. Linnea was tongue tied at birth, and had jaundice. Those two factors made it important for me to pump in order to establish my own supply and supplement Linnea with colostrum that I was pumping.
  I got a Medela pump a couple days after Linnea was born. I pumped for about a week until Linnea was better, and then into the closet the pump went. Since going back to work, I use the pump 4 times per day during the week...that's a lot of times! I haven't had any problem. I had a scare that the pump was breaking down. I called Customer Service, and got GREAT support and realized there wasn't anything wrong at all. The Medela pump was more than other pumps, but it's really worked great, and I certainly am getting my money's worth...
  
• Summer Video Monitor: I remember hearing about video monitors before Linnea was born, and thinking they were complete overkill. Why on earth would someone need a video of their child like that? Isn't hearing the child enough? Once I talked with a few of my closer friends, and once Linnea was born, I totally understood. Linnea can make all sorts of noises in her sleep (and on the flip side, can be completely, scarily silent). There would be no way of knowing what she was up to unless you were to actually go in and see her. Particularly because we are on a separate floor from Linnea, it definitely is reassuring to be able to take a quick peek at her without having to go into her room and risk waking her up. We have the Summer Slim and Secure monitor. We have been super happy with it. The quality of the video is very impressive. We don't have too much problem with a signal. The monitor is a good size, and comes with a handy clip to carry it around. We definitely recommend it!
  
• Frame Stroller: The stroller was another thing I completely obsessed about. So many choices...we didn't want to end up with a million strollers, so we really wanted to make the "right" decision. The "go to" stroller always seems to be the travel system that goes with your car seat. But Jeromy and I talked about it, and decided we were really not interested in that. It seemed too big for basic, everyday use and not sturdy enough for heavier use. After doing a looooot of research, we decided to go with a stroller frame. Basically it's just that - the frame of a stroller without much more. The car seat plugs into the frame, and serves the same purpose as a much larger system. Plus, it's a fraction of the cost! We paid about $50, and have gotten so much use out of it! We did end up getting a larger running stroller, but the frame stroller suits us just fine for most quick trips, and definitely was enough to get us through the first few months.
  

Things We Did Without (or COULD Have)

• A Bottle Warmer: We didn't end up getting one, but it was definitely something I thought would be a must have. I thought we would end up feeding Linnea a lot more bottles than we do, but more often than not when we are home, I am breastfeeding. Jeromy does feed her the occasional bottle when I am working/gone/etc., but in those few instances, it works just fine to heat water, and warm the bottle "the old fashioned way." If we WOULD have ended up feeding Linnea more bottles, it may have come in handy...
• A Changing Table: We took the tip from others to not get an actual "changing table," and opt instead for a dresser that can serve as a changing table. We got a nice dresser from Babies R Us, that should be able to serve Linnea long after she's out of diapers!
  
• A Swing: Now this is likely just a matter of personal experience, because I know many who live and die by their swing. We ended up borrowing one, because they are so stinkin' expensive. We tried it a couple times when Linnea was itty bitty. She never really seemed to like it, and we just quit putting her in it. I'm glad we didn't spend the money to get one of our own! We wouldn't have gotten our money's worth.
• Travel System: See Frame Stroller above. I'm really glad we didn't spend the money to get the "go to" travel system. The frame stroller works just great.

As I said, all in all, I'm happy with our decisions. And through it all, I've realized that a whole lot of love, a few basic clothes items, and a safe cozy bed is pretty much all you need! :-)

5 Months! A Whole Handful!

Dear Linnea,

You are 5 months old! A "whole handful" as I always say to kiddos who are 5 years old. That's incredible. 5 months sounds SO old to me (I know, I know...that sounds so silly). As has been true with all of your "month birthdays," I find myself reflecting on that special day in August - the day you were born! I can't believe it's been 5 months already. I can't imagine this world without you, and I can't imagine all the days...weeks...months...years of fun ahead of us! It's just crazy! We continue to have a great time, and marvel at the amazing little girl you are. Here are some highlights as of late...

You celebrated your first Christmas...
This month you celebrated your first Christmas! As I said last month, we really had a fun time bringing you into the family traditions we have created. We also had fun talking about what traditions we want to plan for the future. We have some great ideas, and look forward to all the fun Christmases to come!

This year we had a pretty low-key, but lovely celebration. We had some time the three of us on Christmas Eve Day. We went to the Alexander Ramsey House for a tour (yay History, says Daddy). You did great - just a little squirmy near the end. We got dressed up and went to church for service and the Christmas Eve dinner that Grandma and Grandpa host. Christmas Day we were back over to Grandma and Grandpa's for some more celebrating. Your Great Grandma was there too! We had a wonderful time spending the holiday with family.

Other celebrations with Grammy and Grampy and some extended family waited until after the first of the year. It was fun to introduce you to members of the family you hadn't met yet. We had a great time!

You discovered your feet...
You were so into your hands last month...studying them, slurping on them, exploring the world around you...but you hadn't paid any attention to your feet. And then just like that, at the end of December, you found them! Now you love touching your toes, and pulling your feet towards you. You examine them closely. :-) You haven't yet put them in your mouth, but I imagine you might soon. One of your favorite songs is "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes." We sing it often, and you grin as we point out all your different parts. I make up different verses to keep it interesting. Head, Shoulders, Elbows, Tookas is a particular favorite... :-)

You had your first...and second cold...
Right before Christmas the inevitable happened...you caught your first cold. It started with a stuffy nose, and progressed to a barky little cough, and raspy breathing. We hate to see you sick! Thankfully, it didn't slow you down too much. Magna reported that you were your same, happy self! You caught another cold this week. Same thing... I suppose that will happen to a baby...who is in daycare...during the winter. Both times, you managed to give it to Mom and Dad. Perhaps it's all the "kisses" you like to give us?? We're all on the mend now...

You started sticking out your tongue...
Just a week or so ago you started sticking out your tongue...all. the. time! It's so cute. You stick it out when you smile and coo, and you stick it out when you are just hanging out. Like your feet, you seemed to have all of a sudden discovered that it's there!

You've grown and changed a lot too...
This month you had another well baby check-up, and we had so much fun seeing how you've progressed. It was a joy to watch you charm the doctor. You smiled and cooed as she checked your heart and lungs, and you also showed off your rolling skills several times for the doctor and the nurse. You are right on track growth wise. You weighed 14 pounds, 2 ounces (55th percentile), and measured 26.5" (98th percentile). The doctor thought your length measurement was a bit high (probably because you are so active it was hard for the nurse to measure you!). You are doing great developmentally - if anything a bit ahead in some areas. You had to get shots again, but you were so brave and took them very well. A few tears, but you recovered quickly with some mama snuggles and a look at the baby in the mirror. :-) You make us proud, Linnea!

You continue to be VERY active, happy, and social. You love to make noises, and you love to be little Miss Independent. You are not content being held still for very long. You like sitting up, or rolling around...reaching for toys, and exploring everything around you. We love that our daily report from daycare tells of your happy, content, smiley, active days.

Your rolling over is really progressing. You go both ways very regularly, and scoot along the floor. You have, on more than one occasion, traveled a good distance on the floor through rolling and scooting! Grandma even said you were tucking your knees underneath you!

Continuing a bit from last month is your new favorite thing - faces. You love touching our noses, cheeks, hair, mouths. You "give kisses" by slobbering on our cheeks and noses. You also have a fondness for mama's hair. :-)

You continue to grow out of clothes like it's going out of style (ha!). There have been several times within the last month that I have pulled outfits out, thinking they'd still be too big...but they barely fit! There is a particular pair of Oshkosh overalls that we had been excited about that you only wore twice! Shoot! Most of the clothes you are wearing are 3-6 months or 6 months. We haven't broken out any of the 6-9 months or 9 months clothes yet, but I'm sure we will soon!
You continue to wear size 2 diapers.

I say it every month and I mean it every month....we love you so much. We love watching you grow and getting to know you more and more. You are one happy little girl, and we are so glad you are ours!

Love you forever and ever and then some,
Mommy and Daddy

2011: A Year in Review

I got this great post idea from my friend, Melissa (thanks, Melissa, for another great post idea!). 2011 was an exciting, life changing for us. Here's a review, through some of my favorite photos from the year...

January:

Early in January, we had our first prenatal appointment (!!!), confirming that we were expecting our first baby! The month was spent spreading the good news...first to family, then close friends, and soon after that, everyone else! We loved having the first pictures of our Sweet Pea! (Now I love looking back at these first photos. Our bodies are amazing! I can't believe this little blob is Linnea!!)

February:
To be honest, not much happened for the Carlsons in February. One thing of note was that we celebrated Valentine's Day together. We are not huge fans of the "traditional" Valentine's celebrations, so we typically opt for something non-traditional. In 2011 we celebrated by packaging meals at Let's Dish! We knew they would come in handy once Sweet Pea made her arrival! Don't we look hot in our bandanas?! One thing I've always loved about Jeromy is that we can have fun together doing the simplest things. :-)
March:
We celebrated Jeromy's birthday at the beginning of March. I, for one, love birthdays. I think it's a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the life of the ones you love. And I love my Jeromy Steven! We enjoyed dinner out at Famous Dave's. I was finally feeling better, after a rough 1st trimester of pregnancy. Dinner felt like a feast, because I had been living off of cereal and not much else for way too long! April:
In April we took a short weekend trip to Madison to visit our friends Marshall and Christy, and their son Everett. Marshall and Christy are a fellow Luther couple (woot woot!), who moved to Madison a few years back. Unfortunately, we don't get to see them often, but when we do, we always have fun. Christy was pregnant too, so it was fun to share the excitement of babies, and enjoy our time together with them. Everett made fast friends with Jeromy (or J-Pod/J-Pop/J-Bop as he called him!).
May:

In May, Jeromy and I took a little babymoon/birthday trip to Duluth over Memorial Day weekend (which happens to be my birthday weekend!). We had a wonderful time! Usually when we head up north, we go further north of Duluth. Up until this weekend, we hadn't spent a whole lot of time in Duluth. We had a wonderful time exploring the city, and enjoying our time together (our last getaway just the two of us!!) June:
Late in June, we had a WOWZA/MANZA cabin weekend! It's our third (I think?) year of going up to Sarah's cabin as a group. It's always a good time, with our dearest friends. This year, the ladies generously threw me an awesome baby shower! It was perfect...we sewed burp cloths and bibs, had yummy treats, and enjoyed our time together. I'm SO lucky to have these wonderful women in my life. Here's all of us ladies (and our Lil' Manza Gavin). We missed you, Rachel! (It'll be interesting to see if/how cabin weekend lives on, since there will now be three little ones in our group - Gavin, Linnea, and Bethany's baby (due in March). July:
In July, we stuck pretty close to home after several months of out of town trips (see above months). We were busy preparing for the arrival of our Sweet Pea, which included lots of room/house preparations, and many wonderful showers. Jeromy and I (and Linnea in utero) are so blessed to have several very nice showers thrown in our honor. One such shower occurred in mid-July. Thrown by dear friends/former neighbors from Brooklyn Park, the guests included many who have known me my whole life. What a special gift to have such close friends who love you so dearly, and love your unborn child so much already.
August:
It's not hard to think of our highlight from August - LINNEA!! Linnea Beth Carlson was born just 5 hours shy of her due date, on August 13th. Weighing 7 lbs, 13 oz, and measuring 21 inches in length, she changed our lives forever in the matter of a nanosecond. We knew the meaning of love at first sight. I don't even have the words to express how amazing, challenging, emotional, joyful, and wonderful Linnea's birth was, and the journey of parenthood has been. It's already gone so quickly... what an amazing day, the day my baby girl came into this world!
September:September was a month filled with getting to know Linnea, and learning what life is like as a family of three. We enjoyed getting together with family and friends, and introducing her to our favorite places and people. Within her first month of life we went to church, the Farmer's Market, and the State Fair! We may have been a little crazy, but we sure had fun!
October: At the beginning of October, we took our first vacation as a family of three! We packed up the car, and drove to Bayfield, WI for their Apple Festival. We've been there a few times, and were so excited to introduce Linnea to one of our favorite places! Jeromy's grandparents have a house up there, which is where we stayed. That meant lots of good family time with extended relatives. It was so fun to have everyone meet Linnea, and enjoy a little trip as a little family. :-) Jeromy and I both love to travel, so this is the first of many vacations for us! Here's us on the shore of Lake Superior!

November:

November brought a very special day for our whole family - Linnea's baptism! In an awesome coincidence, my mom's birthday fell on a Sunday this year - and not just any Sunday - a baptism Sunday! As many of you know, my mom is a pastor (we are members of her church). It seemed so perfect to have Grandma baptize Linnea on her birthday (which happened to be Linnea's 3-month birthday). It was a beautiful day, and a wonderful celebration. Many family and friends came to be a part of our day, and it's one we won't ever forget. Here is my favorite shot from the day.

December:
December brought the craziness of the holidays, and renewed perspective for the Carlsons. Ususally we are bustling around, in search of the "perfect" gift for everyone, and trying frantically to fit everything that "needs" to be done in. This year felt different. Things were still a little crazy, but we focused our energy on enjoying time as a family, and building traditions. Lefse making, tree cutting, church going... it was wonderful to share those traditions with Linnea, and look forward to all the years to come as well. A favorite tradition of mine is to cut down our Christmas tree. We did this every year growing up, and it's a tradition we plan to keep for us as well. Early in December, we bundled up Linnea and headed out with my parents to our favorite tree farm. Linnea had so much fun - she fell asleep in the middle of it! What a wonderful memory/story, that I know we we tell her for years to come!