I've had a few e-mails asking me what baby products have made life easier so far, and I think I'm ready to take the time to really think about a good answer. First, because it was something I desperately wanted/needed to know when I was expecting and an answer I desperately searched for, and, second, because Adelyn has been so incredibly easy today that I've been left with nothing to do but watch her sleep with an occasional feeding thrown in. Seriously. Before this morning my days have been filled with mastering the delicate balance of meeting her needs, and although I could feel the stir-craziness bubbling up inside, it was masked by more important thoughts.

But today, I'm almost waiting for her to cry, so I have something to do. A task. She was awake for a couple of hours this afternoon. And that will always bring a bright spot in my day. The rest of it, though, has been spent watching her sleep. And then sleep some more. And then--wait--she's sucking on her fingers in her sleep, so she must be hungry. A task! And then she's instantly back to sleep. Even through diaper changes.



Anyway. Until I get the okay from my doctor that she can venture out into the big, germy world, I'm stuck sitting here. Watching her sleep. As bored as I'm becoming I can think of a million things that would be more tedious. At least, with Adelyn, I get to witness a gas-smile every now and then.



So, yeah, baby-items that have made life easier:



Baby K'tan: The second day we had Adelyn home, I realized that my poor, underworked arms weren't gonna be able to hold her all. the. time. And especially that first week or two I was completely wracked with guilt if her eyes opened for a brief second and there wasn't someone there for her to look at. So as to avoid creepily standing over her 24/7, I ordered a Moby wrap on Amazon, even paying extra for two-day shipping. And then I spent the next two days staring at it, trying to figure out how to put it on in under an hour. Two days after that, it was crumpled up under the bed. Then Jason's mom bought me the Baby K'tan. The two are incomparable. One might as well be the Sphinx, and the riddle it spits out would have been too much work for me even if I wasn't sleep deprived. The other--two steps and you're done.



Adelyn is sleeping inside of it right now (and, surprise! she didn't even wake up when placed inside). Proof:

The Boppy: I know it's a broken record among new parents these days, but I need my Boppy. My friend Crystal got it for me off my registry, and even though she thought it was a teeny, tiny neck support-thingy for the baby when she ordered it, it's proved invaluable the past few weeks. I meant to bring it to the hospital, and since I refused to admit I was in labor when I went there it got left at home. I had to awkwardly fold pillows that refused to stay properly folded under my newborn to practice breastfeeding. But the Boppy does more than that, it turns out. Jason's invented his own way of bottle-feeding Adelyn with the Boppy so that she stays upright, facing him (he creates a little hole for her to sit in between himself and the pillow). Whenever I'm sitting on the couch with Adelyn sprawled out on her tummy on my chest, the Boppy is invariably still on my lap, providing a perfect platform for me to surf the web or hold a sandwich.



I've had a few e-mails asking me what baby products have made life easier so far, and I think I'm ready to take the time to really think about a good answer. First, because it was something I desperately wanted/needed to know when I was expecting and an answer I desperately searched for, and, second, because Adelyn has been so incredibly easy today that I've been left with nothing to do but watch her sleep with an occasional feeding thrown in. Seriously. Before this morning my days have been filled with mastering the delicate balance of meeting her needs, and although I could feel the stir-craziness bubbling up inside, it was masked by more important thoughts.



But today, I'm almost waiting for her to cry, so I have something to do. A task. She was awake for a couple of hours this afternoon. And that will always bring a bright spot in my day. The rest of it, though, has been spent watching her sleep. And then sleep some more. And then--wait--she's sucking on her fingers in her sleep, so she must be hungry. A task! And then she's instantly back to sleep. Even through diaper changes.



Anyway. Until I get the okay from my doctor that she can venture out into the big, germy world, I'm stuck sitting here. Watching her sleep. As bored as I'm becoming I can think of a million things that would be more tedious. At least, with Adelyn, I get to witness a gas-smile every now and then.



So, yeah, baby-items that have made life easier:



Baby K'tan: The second day we had Adelyn home, I realized that my poor, underworked arms weren't gonna be able to hold her all. the. time. And especially that first week or two I was completely wracked with guilt if her eyes opened for a brief second and there wasn't someone there for her to look at. So as to avoid creepily standing over her 24/7, I ordered a Moby wrap on Amazon, even paying extra for two-day shipping. And then I spent the next two days staring at it, trying to figure out how to put it on in under an hour. Two days after that, it was crumpled up under the bed. Then Jason's mom bought me the Baby K'tan. The two are incomparable. One might as well be the Sphinx, and the riddle it spits out would have been too much work for me even if I wasn't sleep deprived. The other--two steps and you're done.



Proof: Adelyn is sleeping inside of it right now (and, surprise! she didn't even wake up when placed inside).

The Boppy: I know it's a broken record among new parents these days, but I need my Boppy. My friend Crystal got it for me off my registry, and even though she thought it was a teeny, tiny neck support-thingy for the baby when she ordered it, it's proved invaluable the past few weeks. I meant to bring it to the hospital, and since I refused to admit I was in labor when I went there it got left at home. I had to awkwardly fold pillows that refused to stay properly folded under my newborn to practice breastfeeding. But the Boppy does more than that, it turns out. Jason's invented his own way of bottle-feeding Adelyn with the Boppy so that she stays upright, facing him (he creates a little hole for her to sit in between himself and the pillow). Whenever I'm sitting on the couch with Adelyn sprawled out on her tummy on my chest, the Boppy is invariably still on my lap, providing a perfect platform for me to surf the web or hold a sandwich.



Proof: (Ignore the fact that I look extremely sleep deprived. Guess what? I am...!)

Read the rest at Nine Months to Life.