pregnancy & baby

The Great Family-Size Question: How Do You Know You’re Done?

by Mandi on November 16, 2011

family

our family after the birth of our fourth daughter

I always wanted 5 kids. (Well, except when I was little and I wanted 9!)

But I thought we would have 5, and I was sure I would never feel done.

Then, a funny thing happened. While I was in labor with #4, I thought, “I don’t think I can ever do this again.” I know, I know…but honestly, I’d always felt ready for the next baby soon after giving birth, and that was my first inclination that maybe I wasn’t going to feel the same way this time.

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Baby Gear: What Do You REALLY Need?

by Mandi on March 29, 2011

tradingcradles.com

There are entire stores dedicated to baby gear, which makes these tiny creatures seem like complicated and expensive members of the family! The truth, though, is that babies need just a fraction of what is available.

That’s not to say that things like Boppy pillows and baby swings aren’t nice additions, because they are! We had those, plus a separate cradle for those early weeks, an exercauser for older babies and a variety of slings.

With that said, here’s my list of what you need, what’s nice to have and what (in my opinion) is just silly:

Needs

  • a car seat: I prefer to start my babies out in a convertible car seat rather than a separate infant carrier
  • a place for baby to sleep: crib, pack ‘n play, cosleeper, your bed
  • stroller: a simple umbrella stroller works great for older babies
  • baby monitor: we sleep with a fan, so this has always been a necessity for us
  • a sling, wrap or carrier

Nice to Have

  • changing table/pad: we change our babies on the couch or the floor
  • bouncy seat: some babies like ‘em, some not so much
  • swing: a swing saved our sanity with a couple of our daughters, but it’s definitely not a necessity
  • infant car seat: as I mentioned, we start out with a convertible car seat that will last for years

Just Silly

  • wipes warmer: just hold the wipe in your hand for a few seconds and you’re good to go
  • a quilt to match your nursery bedding set
  • diaper genie: wrap the diapers in a plastic bag instead, or switch to cloth
  • baby tub: nice for that middle stage when baby can’t sit up yet, but they’re so big and bulky

Trading Cradles makes the necessities and luxuries more affordable by connecting sellers of gently used items with potential buyers. This free service lets you browse items in a variety of categories, protecting your contact information as you communicate with various sellers. With the dedicated parental team, you can rest assured that all listings are family friendly, and the short ads make it easier to quickly scan ads.

To browse ads:

1. Visit TradingCradles.com and choose your location.

2. Click Start Shopping on the menu.

3. Browse the latest listings or select a category from the dropdown menu.

4. Click the Contact Seller link for additional details or to arrange a purchase.

Visit TradingCradles.com today to sell or buy! You can also follow them on Facebook and on Twitter to win prizes and find amazing deals.

And at the Trading Cradles parenting blog, you’ll find everything from inspirational videos to crafts & activities for the whole family.

What else is on your needs, nice to have and just silly lists? Do you disagree with any of mine?

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Quick Tip: Pack a Nursing Basket

September 18, 2009

As a side note, I call this my nursing basket, but this post is not meant to exclude bottle-feeding families. I don’t really know whether having a basket like this would be helpful for moms who formula feed because I don’t think it takes nearly as long or requires as many supplies as nursing does [...]

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Nesting: Preparing for a New Baby, Part 2

July 28, 2009

Lately, I’ve been nesting in my head (if there is such a thing!), trying to think through what life with four little girls under five years old is going to be like, remembering how having a newborn changes things and trying to come up with a plan to simplify and streamline our routines so that [...]

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Nesting: Preparing for A New Baby, Part 1

July 15, 2009

Sometimes I think I live in a permanent state of nesting, always looking for ways to make our run more simply, be more organized and have less clutter. But then the real nesting kicks in, and I start noticing things in a kind of 4D vision that makes me want to clean and organize frantically [...]

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