1 Month

This Saturday marked Levi's 1 month birthday...WHAT?!?  I know...can you believe it?!?  To commemorate his big day, we had to conduct his first monthly photo shoot.  With Colton, I took his pictures in his daddy's recliner, but I wanted to do something a little different for Levi.  So, I bought the prettiest desk calendar I could find and decided that will be the backdrop for each of his shots:

In honor of his first month of life, I also wanted to highlight some of the essential items we could not have made it through this month without!  It is amazing to me with children how quickly your needs change...some of these items we used for days and others for the entire month, but all of them were absolutely essential nonetheless:

1.  Boppy Pillow: I think this handy little pillow is on everyone's baby essential list and for good reason.  It was helpful with breastfeeding, but I really love it for a comfy place for newborn to lay...on the bed, on the couch, etc.

2.  Soothie Pacifiers: These are the only pacifiers either of my boys would ever take (in fairness we really didn't try too many others with Levi, but with Colton we went through tons of options).  We have these pacifiers stashed everywhere possible and stored in bulk, so we never run out!  

3.  Bouncer seat: Like the Boppy pillow, we use the bouncer seat as a handy, comfy place for Levi to sit and join the family.  Its convenient because we can put him in it and then transport him all over the place...the kitchen while I'm making dinner, the dining table while we're eating, the playroom while Colton's playing, the bathroom while I'm showering...you get the idea!

4.  Snap N' Go stroller:  We already have this monstrosity which I LOVE for when I have both boys:

                                                      

But with Colton in school a couple of days a week I needed something for just Levi.  Unfortunately, Colton's old travel stroller was just too big to get both things in the car, so this easy, light option is the perfect substitute.

5  Lansinoh: The beginning of breastfeeding was just about the most painful thing I have ever been through (seriously...worse than the C-Section to me anyway).  This stuff was basically the only relief I got.

6.  Bottle Warmer:  We had this with Colton, but never used it.  He didn't care if his bottles were warm or cold, so we went the lazy route and just gave him cold bottles.  I guess because Levi was breastfed though, he insists that his bottles be warm.  After struggling through a few days of difficult feedings because the bottles weren't warm enough (it's really hard to get them warm quickly enough when using a bowl of warm water!), I remembered this handy tool and it has saved us!

7.  My car!!!: For my sanity, I find it absolutely essential to get out of the house.  I know some would disagree with taking a newborn out for errands, dinners, etc, but we have done it with boys.