7 Products for the Mom of TWO!

My boys are 2 years, 11 months, and 30 days apart ;) Yes, I’m THAT mom. When I started going through Tre’s baby stuff I knew I wouldn’t need many things. But I knew I needed certain items that would make my life, as a mom of two, a little easier (at least in my mind). Because this is a place to share all things marriage, mommy, and ME, I wanted to give my soon to be 2nd-time moms some advice on what products have worked for me from an “I use these products every day; No I’m not getting paid to write this post” perspective.

Previously I've blogged about the 7 products that changed my life (as a first-time mom), my favorite books and CDs for toddlers, and my favorite apps for a 2-year-old. If you are a mom of 1 and you are interested in those topics I encourage you to check those out and share in the comment section any products, books, CDs, or apps you think should be included on those lists. :) 

Without further ado, I present 7 products for moms of two under 3:

1. Munchkin Duck Inflatable Travel tub

 

When I had Tre I looked at all of these super fancy tubs. The only memory I had of baby tubs were those miniature versions of the adult tubs. So of course that’s what I gravitated towards. He had the Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium Bath Center. I loved the sling but was not too fond of having to screw in the legs with tools I did not own. This time I decided to ditch that tub and I picked out the munchkin duck inflatable travel tub. For the first 4.5 months, I used a tub someone gave me and I attached the fisher price sling to it. Around the 5-month mark, I gave this tub a try and I loved it.

Check out his arms! Straight chillin' :)

The back part is for babies who aren’t fully sitting up; it allows them to lie back on the tub and because the bottom of the tub has grooves and ridges, it prevents the baby from sliding down (as I imagined he would). There’s a heat indicator in the bottom of the tub that lets you know if the water is too hot and it is so easy to hang up and put away making it a sleep-deprived mothers dream.

2. Latch Sippy cup

I went through so many cups with Tre by different manufacturers and I finally realized that he wouldn’t drink out of a cup that didn’t have a spout similar to his bottle. His transition was based on the silicone texture which, as a first-time mom, took me forever to discover. This time I decided to go silicone-based first and work my way from there. I kept seeing the advertisements for the new latch bottles and because I had so many baby bottles I couldn’t justify going out to buy this one just because of how cute I thought they were. When I discovered they had a cup I ran to the store to get my hands on it so that I could start our transition to using cups. Unfortunately, this kid isn’t anything like his brother and he refuses to hold his bottle, let alone a cup. However, he did drink diluted baby apple juice from this cup without any issues and enjoyed both the cup and the juice. It’s easy to clean, it’s easy to put together, it’s super cute and it’s easy for him to hold (once he decides he wants to hold his own drinking devices). Lol!

3. Shea Moisture baby soap $4.79 /shampoo $9.99 (Target)

A few months ago we took Tre to an allergist because in July 2013 he started getting these itchy red bumps on his legs and forearms. They would go away and come back making us think he was allergic to something. I started using Aveeno soap, lotion, and ointment and it didn’t help. Finally, after his allergy tests came back NEGATIVE for everything, his allergist said he has a type of eczema. My idea of eczema was dry, and patchy in the crevices of the arm or legs but apparently, that are different types of eczema that exist and I was completely clueless. He told us to start washing everything that touches his skin in fragrance-free/dye-free detergent, he gave us some ointment for his skin and told us to use Cerve cream on top of the ointment. We naturally gravitated to the Shea Moisture baby line because I love their products. To discover that they have a fragrance free/dye-free shampoo and body wash and an eczema baby soap was exciting. Since using the eczema soap (even though it does have a fragrance from the natural ingredients) his skin hasn’t had any issues (of course being consistent with everything else). The soap smells amazing (like many of their products) and the shampoo doesn’t leave his hair feeling dry or brittle. It still feels soft and smells clean. I would recommend these products for children who have a mild case of eczema and for parents wanting something more natural-based.

4. Infantino carrier

We got this carrier with Tre when we didn’t know anything about babywearing. We didn’t know anyone who wore their baby; it was such a foreign concept to us but we wanted to give it a try. We used this carrier three times when Tre was a baby and now that I have two I have no idea WHY we never used it more than that. My husband loves this carrier because it’s easy for him to put on and it’s QUICKER for him to get on (unlike the Boba wrap). I use this carrier when I take the boys to the grocery store by myself. He can face me or face outward which is pretty awesome. It’s for babies 8lb-25lbs and the PRICE is great! It’s simple, it gets the job done and Cole loves it.

Tre 2 months old

Tre 2 months old

Tre 6 months old

2 months

5 months

5. Boba wrap

Hey Heather!

The Boba was something I wanted for those newborn days. Even though Cole was 8lbs 11oz at birth I wanted him to have more head control before I put him in the carrier. The Boba is perfect for keeping the baby close as well as for nursing. Since I had him in the summer time I discovered that it was very warm to wear outside so I would primarily use it in the house. Now that it’s colder outside I plan to take my Boba with me on our holiday travels. Even though it does take more time to put on because you want to make sure you have it adjusted properly and tied securely, I like the fabric and how well it stretches but still holds the baby in. As I mentioned before my husband attempted to wear the Boba and it wasn’t his favorite. He felt like it took him too long to get it on and because I didn’t know if it was tight enough on his body I kept asking him if he felt okay as he walked with the baby. It probably wasn’t the wrap that he didn’t like but more so me harassing him while he wore it. Lol! It’s for babies 7lbs-35lbs (at that weight limit my 3-year-old could still get in it with his tall, thin self). LOL!

Don't mind my moo moo ;)

6. Contours Option LT (crimson) Double stroller

My family laughed at me and told me I was being ridiculous for wanting a double stroller. What they didn’t realize is that during my 5th month of pregnancy I had to run full speed after my then 2-year-old when he ran into a parking lot. At that moment I knew for sure that I was getting a double stroller but I needed one that would accept my infant car seat. I have Safety 1st car seats and many double strollers don’t have attachments for Safety 1st seats. The Contours Option LT is one of the very FEW double strollers that “accepts” the Safety 1st infant seats. I not only fell in love with the fact that I didn’t have to buy a new car seat but that I could change the seats around. The seats detach to face one another, face the parent, face forward, back to back, or one seat facing forward and one seat facing the parent. OR if you don’t have the kids with you and you need to bring groceries in, it becomes your personal grocery cart. The max weight is 80 lbs.

With car seat attachment

6 1/2. Britax stroller organizer

I bought a because the Contours doesn’t come with any type of compartment for cups or your phone. The Britax stroller organizer fits perfectly and it comes with 2 cup holders, two mesh pockets for your phone, and a middle compartment for your keys or whatever else you need to have at hand reach. I do not go running with my Contours; it’s not a jogging stroller. But if you have busy toddlers or preschoolers who have the tendency to take off running when you are out in public (and your husband will not allow you to put those backpack leashes on them) I recommend this stroller. The boys love to look at each other and I like to put a blanket over the stroller in the morning because of how cold it is; my 3-year-old calls it their pirate ship. 

7. Ingenuity 2 in 1 seat

I discovered this seat by accident. After researching reviews on the Bumbo I didn’t want to waste my money buying it knowing that my kid was a little chunk and most of the reviews said that it’s not made for babies who are on the thicker side. I also didn’t want to buy the Bumbo and THEN have to buy a tray. When I searched for “Bumbo alternatives” this popped up. After reading the reviews and realizing it was a 2-in-1 seat I fell in love. We received a new dining room table after Cole was born that seats 8 people. Prior to that, we had a two-chair pub table so up until that point Tre was still sitting in the high chair. One side of our dining room table has bench seating but we discovered food would be everywhere because he would move so much sitting on the bench. The chairs were too low for him to eat over his plate so we knew he needed a booster seat. This was the answer to that dilemma. The booster seat I was looking for AND a baby seat when we traveled. A perfect combo for my kids because again, Tre is a tall kid but he’s thin so he can still fit in this seat. The max weight is 50 lbs and it comes with a tray for the same price as the Bumbo WITHOUT the tray. Cole only likes to sit in this chair if there are people sitting on the floor with him reading or playing with toys. He doesn’t like seeing people walk by him as he sits in this chair on the floor. He would prefer to be in his highchair so that people are almost at eye level. I only use the blue insert when Cole sits in it and there is a holder on the bottom of the chair for the tray when you aren’t using it.

If you are a second-time mom with a toddler or preschooler I would love to hear what products you use that have made your life easier or products that you have enjoyed using.

We've been busy doing a lot of holiday activities:

Supper with Santa

We have a Sitter!

And a teether but no teeth

Silly Boys

He told Santa he wanted candy for Christmas *side eye*

The boys

Silly Faces

Christmas Now and Then Nativity Scene. A real camel in the church :)

Petting animals at another Nativity Show

OLAF!

Helping me put up the tree by putting garland on his brother.

Baking a pizza

In the sunroof at the Festival of Lights

Thanksgiving group shot!

Happy Thanksgiving Face

First Christmas Holiday!

Me and the Mr.

Speaking at the Couples Soul Session. Photo Cred: Fred Daniels

Until the next time, take care!!

All my love,

Caneeka

P.S.

We will be doing a lot of traveling in the next few weeks so if I don't get a chance to pop in and blog before the New Year I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year! 

Love you guys!