FAVORITE things.

fAvOriTe tHiNgS

Okay, I know, you have all been dying to ask this question, "What are the things you CAN'T live without??" I know. You really have been wondering, right? Well, there are a few things that we ABSOOOLUTELY AAAHDORRRE (anyone seen the Mary Kate & Ashley flick, It Takes Two ?? if so, you get why I wrote that. Holla.) And, seeing that many of our good friends are embarking in the whole new adventure of Parenthood, we thought we'd make our favorites known.

So, here is the list of our Parenthood Favorites. These aren't in any specific order, so don't freak out ok? good. Also, I might warn you, two of these items are definitely "investment" items, meaning they were more than I wanted to pay, but justified in the end b/c we're planning to have more kiddos down the line (and they are completely wonderful). So, with that said, here's a few fave's.

* VIDEO baby monitor *

okay, team, I was very skeptical about this purchase. I had registered for a simple regular audio only baby monitor that was about $20 and Aaron's mom graciously purchased it for us. End of story? nope.

Aaron heard from some guys at school that the Video Monitors are WHERE IT'S AT and that it was SUCH a great investment. (yeah, you're not kidding investment... most cost $100 +). Aaron thought it was a good idea and I finally said, "Okay, get the receipt from your mom, we'll go exchange it." Luckily, when Aaron was asking his mom for the receipt, she said that she had just seen an add in Costco for a video monitor for $99. I don't know if you realize this, but Costco is the bomb-diggity and perhaps our favorite store, so we didn't hesitate to buy it there (helllloooo awesome return policy!).

Moral of the story... BEST PURCHASE EVER! I can't tell you what peace of mind it gives me. And it is great b/c it has a battery backup, so even when the power goes out (which it has TWICE!) we still know that our darling little gal is doing fine.

I will warn you though, we stay up late just watching her and admiring her! So, it will cut into your sleep time, but we LOVE it and I love that I can see the detail of her little chest moving up and down to assure that she is still breathing (yes, I am a huge worrier!). So, team... SERIOUSLY we are in LOVE with our VIDEO BABY MONITOR! Totally worth the investment. Best money we spent.

* PILATES/exercise ball *

Remember how my mom bought it for me as a "birthing ball"--and it was the ONLY seat that was comfortable to me during those last few weeks of pregnancy? Yeah, well apparently it is Matilda's ONLY seat she will enjoy. Wonderful LA-Z-BOY recliner? Nope. She hates to rock. She loves to bounce. My friends, this $16 purchase can be yours if you visit your local Walmart. Seriously, it has SAVED our lives. We aren't having to dance around the entire house to make her happy. All we have to do is hop on the ball and bounce away. Truly, it is incredible. She stops crying within 30 seconds. My mother-in-law was also amazed and vowed to make this trick known to everyone who has a baby! (well, maybe she didn't vow, but she was super impressed, as were we!)

Buy one. Best $16 bucks you'll ever spend.

* Graco sweetpeace swing *
(that's how they write it on the box too.)

ok, team. This is the most recent purchase here at the Wood house. As in a few days ago. You see, we had a beautiful little Boppy swing. All was well. Until we went to Utah and tested out the "flight simulator" as I fondly called it. My mom went nuts and bought the coolest swing on the market. Yes, it is one of the ones that swing forward, backward, side to side and beyond. Well, let's just say it was a DREAM COME TRUE. Matilda, of course, loved it. She would sleep for hours at a time. So, what is a desperate parent in need of TWO arms to do? Yeah, fork over the extra cash to help the child sleep... for hours!

LOVE IT. I just finished setting it up. Guess who is already sleeping away in it, as I type (both hands on keyboard). Yes. That would be Tillie. So, yeah, it is expensive, but I figure the extra cash will be worth it once I start working again. If I can have her sleep multiple hours in the day without me having to hold her. Team, all's well here.

AND! wow, I am forgetting one of the best features, we can put her CAR SEAT in it too!!! So, for example, I finish feeding her, change her diaper and strap her in her car seat. Then I pop her into the swing's mantle and rock her to sleep. Then carry her car seat to the car -- bada bing bada boom, she's asleep and ready to rock!

Also, it is great for things like this morning when I went for a walk. She sleeps great in her stroller (which her car seat attaches to) and when I came in, again, I just popped her into the swing mantle without having to get her out of the car seat. People, she slept for another 2 and a half hours!! Am I in love? yes. Yes, people, I am in love.

Oh, and if you want to see this puppy in action, feel free to click on this link for the demo (oh, it if doesn't load right away, click on the "explore" tab and then click on "video product walk through". Be amazed). Awesome, I know.

* Swaddle technique *

Ok, this may sound funny, and I didn't purchase this, but I did learn this from "an old pro"-- we'll call this pro Denise. Yeah, she is something else. And, yes, that is her real name.

Okay, they taught us at the hospital the "sorta swaddle" (i renamed it). But, Denise taught us the "incredible swaddle". Be prepared to be amazed.

(oh, i found this video on how "expert-village" (whoever they are?) thinks you should swaddle your baby. yeah, this is not cool. and remember how the baby is having a cow in the video? obviously the "straight jacket approach" is not working.)

In effect, the method my mom taught is apparently called the "Aussie Method". It is a winner in our books. This is how my mom taught us and Matilda loves it, because her hands, though wrapped, can still be up by her face.
See image above to get the idea of the "tucking arms up in"--- but imagine the blanket in the diamond shape as shown on the above link.

Anyway, those are our favorite things AS OF NOW. I am sure many more we'll discover along the way. Don't you fret, we'll post as we go. But, if any of you have other favorites that you think we should know about, feel free to let them be known in our comment section. We're always looking for new ways to make life awesome. :) Aren't we all?

Well, ta ta for now!