Coast to Coast with Lyn & Leigh

Here’s the deal:  You might want to buy everything brand shiny new.  Especially if this is your first baby. Hold yourself back.  Your baby might not even like some of these things.  You may never use them.  And, as a rule of thumb, if anything is big, bulky and plastic, try to buy/borrow from a friend or get at a garage sale.  Especially if baby will only love it for a month.

A vibrating bouncy chair - I LOVED it.  Especially this one with the fish toy bar - so bubbly and relaxing (warning, though!  Might send newborn into STIMULATION OVERLOAD.  Take the toy bar off until the 2nd or 3rd month).  My girls dug their chairs.  Lyn’s daughter wasn’t having it.  Again - might be good to borrow.

Swing - Same thing.  It’s baby’s preference.  And be prepared:  Your Toddler, if you have one, will want to get into that swing.  It might be smart to train them before baby comes.  Have them put stuffed animals in it instead.

Gymini - or whatever these things are called that fold out on the floor.  For tummy time, simply roll up a blanket to prop under baby’s armpits for support.  Then roll them over and see how they love to focus in on the black and white.

Sling/Carrier - Great for hands-free toddler care, and for ‘taking laps’ around the house when newbie is seemingly crying for no reason.  I had a Bjorn, which is nice, but wished I would’ve known about the sling.  

There you have it.  This was my life with a newborn:  feed, change, begin rotation:  gymini, chair, swing, chair, sleeptime (and then start all over again).  Get ready to party, people.  It’s wild and crazy.

p.s.  Stock your freezer with meals (I love Dream Dinners), request that friends bring meals (and assign days- they want to help - LET THEM), and stock your pantry (since you’re nesting you’ll probably want to go through and organize it, too).