4 THINGS EVERY MOM FINDS OUT...AFTER THE FACT

1. Anything Will Do As A Chew Toy. Save Your Money.

Yes, that is my son's ipad holder. :) Teethers? He can't be bothered with them.

2. Anything Soft = Stuffed Animal

 All babies want comfort. When mommy & daddy aren't available, anything soft will do. Stuffed animals are cute but not necessary. The blue polka-dot thingy he is holding came with a play mat I bought him. Its suppose to be a tummy time pillow. My boy wouldn't let this thing go for 2-3 weeks.

3.Fancy Toys Aren't Necessary OR Necessarily Wanted 

That my friends, is a bonafide, vintage-style rattle. As you can see, my son was enchanted. lol. On top of the fact that this toy will only run you about $4.00, the other great thing is that the solid handle will help with your baby's hand dexterity. 

4. Hand Mittens DO NOT Work...

^^socks on hands and not on feet-- imagine that. :) ^^

... Especially on little, new born hands. Unless you give birth to a 12 lb. baby (& God bless you if you do!) those mittens will not fit snugly enough around your baby's wrist. It's best you use socks. The elastic on socks is much more reliable.

Baby Snug and Activity Tray

What I love about the Mamas and Papas Baby Snug Seat and the activity tray (sold separately)is that it promotes independent sitting for your baby and (a big bonus) promotes socializing! When your beautiful bundle is at that age that they cant sit on their own, crawl, etc., where are they usually? That's right, on mommy's hip. While that is great strength training for you moms, it puts a damper on baby's socializing if there are other babies around. The booster seat allows for you to put baby down on the ground, putting him right where the action is. Look at the picture below; it is probably the first "play date" RJ and his cousin had together. It was too cute.

What if there aren't any other babies around? The Mamas and Papas Baby Snug seat is good for your baby's development anyway. The inner seat (removable for when your baby is big enough to sit up on his/her own) gives baby the support he needs to sit without you holding or propping him! This is where the activity tray transforms from cool to outright amazing; the activity tray will keep your little one distracted, all-the-while stimulating his/her brain through color, texture, noise, fun! And while all of that is going on, baby's muscles are growing stronger from sitting in the upright position!

The Baby Snug also comes in different colors (I bought RJ teal at Babies"R"Us). The whole kit-and-caboodle will run you about $80!

Happy Shopping! 

Website of The Month: Baby First TV

For this month, my favorite website is Baby First TV. Baby first not only is its own TV channel, focused on the development of newborns to toddlers, but it has an amazing website to boot. You can watch videos with your little one, play games, learn more about their TV channel, ipad and ipod apps, you can order DVDS, toys, the works! 

Studies show that the brain of a baby can absorb so much more than the mind of an adolescent or adult. Why not take advantage of it? Baby First is made to help you do just that! Check out the link to the website that I have posted for you on the right hand side. 

Happy Learning!

SIT & STROLL BY LILLY GOLD

I'm sure you remember how I raved about the Orbit G2 stroller and I'm still in love with it. (I'm actually about to buy the 'Next Step' system now that my little one is not so little.) Anyways, I bought the Lilly Gold 5-in-1 stroller because it was recommended by my mother-in-law (she used it with all 5 of her children) for traveling purposes; this is a FAA-certified stroller which means that airlines will allow it onto their planes!

Let me tell you, this stroller is so versatile and I LOVE it! It has a wide seat and neck support pillow attachment so baby is comfortable even on long trips. The wheels tuck into the bottom of the seat and release with the simple pull of a lever. The steering handles slide into and out of the top of the stroller just as easy as the wheels do. The picture below was taken off the Lilly Gold website and shows how the stroller/car seat can be used.

Now that my household has two strollers, one stroller is in my husband's car and one is in my SUV. The Lilly Gold stroller is an excellent purchase (it will run you back about $350) if you plan on traveling with your little one or just enjoy the simplicity of all-in-one type products. 

Happy Strolling! 

5 MOMMY MUST-HAVES FOR SUMMER

Living in Texas, Summer, for me, is a far cry from comfortable. The humidity, the weather of 100+ degrees, the unacceptable way the sun beams down on my head all day, the mosquitos...you get the point.  

I have put together a short lists of tried&true products you should add to your baby bag this summer to make your baby's summer a little more comfortable. Bug repellent, breezy blankets, and a few other easy to store, inexpensive products. Happy shopping.

#1 BabyGanics Shoo Fly Bye Insect Repellent

This will run you back about $9.00. Can be found at Target & Babies'R'Us.

#2  Kids' Crocs Littles

Depending on the design, these adorable Crocs will set you back $20-35

#3 Aiden + Anais Swaddle Cloths

Check out the Aden + Anais website for the most variety; Get a 4-pack for $50

#4 Stroller/Car Seat Netting

The Babies'R'Us brand is only $6!

#5 California Baby After Sun Aloe Vera Cream

Target and Babies'R'Us sale this brand & this product runs about $13 ;Check the California Baby website for their other great products.

WEBSITE OF THE MONTH: ADEN + ANAIS

Alright ladies & gents, my fav' website for the month of June is the aden + anais product site. This brand is absolutely amazing. The products are made of a pure cotton muslin material.

I am absolutely obsessed with this brand (my fav' design as of now is the 'Make Believe' line). The muslin material gets softer as you wash it and even in this blistering, Texas heat, the swaddling cloths are still breathable and do not over heat my boy while I'm using it to cover him from the sun. 

They have great designs for both baby boys & girls (including an adorable Hello Kitty line that I'm not allowed to buy my son, says my husband! lol), the colors are vibrant and the feel can only be described as "yummy". They dont stop at swaddling cloths either! Aden + Anais offer crib sheets, burp cloths, blankets, and an organic line!

The website has great info on the benefits of swaddling and how to swaddle. They also ship quickly and I have never had an issue with using the site. Aden + Anais might deserve this month and next! :) 

Happy Browsing + Shopping!

-Ashly & RJ (covered in Aden+Anais in the pic below)

LANSINOH THERA-PEARL BREAST THERAPY

Tenderness and raw skin come with the breast feeding territory.These little therapy pearls are super handy.They give you the option of soothing your breasts before or after a feeding; and for those moms who are really going through it, you can choose to use them before and after. (I know I did!)

Just warm the pearls in the microwave and place on your boobs before a feeding. It is said that the increase in temperature causes your milk to "let down". This just means that your body releases your milk supply; your nipples should, at this point, begin to leak. What is great about using the Lansinoh Thera-Pearl Breast Therapy packs before hand is that, if your milk has already let down, your bundle of joy wont have to work so hard to feed and this means he/she wont suck so hard out of frustration. (mom:1, nipple soreness:0) 

If you'd like to use them after the feeding, simply put them in the freezer before hand. As we all know, anything frozen can act as an anti-inflamitory; it will also help with soreness. What's better about using these packs than just a bag of ice, or something like that, is that these flat, circular shaped packs fit nicely in your bra! This means that you don't have to take time out of your busy schedule to nurse your sore boobs! (mom:1, time:0)

I've found this product at Target, Walgreens, and CVS. They are super easy to find and inexpensive. I recommend investing in a couple pair.

Bottom Line: Great, versatile product & very helpful. I wish the package came with 4 instead of 2 so moms can always have one frozen and one ready for the microwave.

WEBSITE OF THE MONTH: BABYCENTER.COM

Alright moms & dads, as promised, here is the website of the month for April: BABYCENTER.COM.

This website is amazing. It walks expecting mothers through each week of pregnancy with videos, ideas on how to cope and relax, things to consider (like the type of birth you'd like, spouse's feelings, etc.), in depth information about what to expect as far as your mood and weight, how your baby is growing and developing, and they even have pictures of what your baby should look like during each specific week! 

BabyCenter was a huge help to me as a first time mom because, for one, I didn't know what to expect and, for two, it gave me something to look forward to during the weeks that I was simply waiting for my next doctor's appointment!

Once your baby is born, BabyCenter just keeps giving! You can opt into continuing to receive emails on how your baby should be developing each week after birth; they even continue providing you with all their goodies well into your child's toddler months and small child stages.

They also have an App! Everything sent right to your phone (I couldn't get enough of it.) You can follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc!

Check them out! The link can be found to the right of my blog under 'This Month's Favorite Website'.

A GUARDED NIPPLE IS A HAPPY NIPPLE

This is the first of a number of posts dedicated to breast feeding! 

I found out very early on in my breast feeding that I didn't have the ideal nipple size and shape. When this happens, it can be very hard for baby to latch and receive a feeding. This can cause for a very cranky baby. 

Luckily, there are these lovely little contraptions called nipple guards! They stick to your breast and allow for a longer "nipple" area to be available for baby to latch on to. The latching process is the battle, f.y.i. Once your baby is latched to your nipple, the suckling will pull your nipple further into the nipple guard and baby will have an easier time receiving your milk!

I used the Medela brand nipple guard and it worked wonderfully. I received my first guard from my lactation nurse while I was still admitted in the hospital after giving birth to my son. It was a little big so I went to Babies "R" Us a week later and found that Medela offers different sized nipple guards! ( And rightly so! I mean, breasts are not 'one size fits all'.) I found my size (measure the area of your nipple if you'd prefer not to estimate once you are in the store.) and have been completely happy since. 

These guards are super easy to clean and are reusable so the costs of investing in these things is low. And, trust me, they are worth the investment; not only does the guard assist baby in feeding but it lessens the pain associated with breast feeding by acting as a barrier between your naturally sensitive nipple and your over-zealous, hungry baby.

Give them a try. 

ALL ABOUT BREAST FEEDING: THE BEAUTIES AND THE BEASTS

Breast feeding is a beautiful thing. It gives you and your new baby intimate time which is extremely helpful for the bonding process and no formula in the world is as nutritious and helpful to your baby's immune system and the minimization of their food allergies. ( I'm not an expert but these are the things that I was told in the hospital by my lactation nurse.) These nurses recommend feeding your baby breast milk exclusively for the first 6-months and then supplemented for the next 6-months (or however long you'd like to be feeding your child from the breast.)

Now, however beautiful it is, breast feeding has an ugly, ugly side to it for most women (myself included!) The pain associated with your baby trying to learn how to eat on his/her own (remember, they lived 9-months not having to work for food at all and I'm sure they loved every minute of it!), the possibility that your nipples may not be large enough for your child to latch onto without assistance from products (thank God for nipple guards!), the chaffing, the bleeding, the large amount of time you'll spend trying to keep your milk production up with your baby's growing appetite (my son's appetite jumped from 3-ounces to 6-ounces in a matter of three days; yikes!), and, not to mention, the temptation of formula just because of its availability and ease of use, all make for an uphill battle with breast feeding. You should consider, though, the extreme nutritional value it has for your child and make a decision. 'Yes', it will be hard and 'Yes', it will be worth it.

The upcoming posts will feature some of the best products I have used in my journey through breast feeding. I will be giving some tips and, hopefully, some words of encouragement for you women thinking of breastfeeding and also for you moms who are thinking of giving up.

Here are just some pictures of some of the products I will be talking about in the upcoming weeks. Talk to you soon!

DIRTY DIAPERS CLEAN UP NICELY! (THANKS TO THE DIAPER PAIL)

Ok moms and dads, this product is awesome; bottom line. The Munchkin Diaper Pail is the easiest diaper disposal system I have come across ( & I have tied a few!) It comes out of the box ready to use and once the diaper bag is full, the plastic top on the bag snaps shut and is ready to throw away ( shown in the picture below.)

 Also, the Munchkin crew decided to team up with Arm&Hammer (what a combo!) which keeps the stink of dirty, dirty diapers at bay. I don't know about your child but my son's diapers smell like he released a deadly gas; once I stick the diaper in the Diaper Pail, the smell is long forgotten!

Now, I've never actually counted how many diapers fit in each bag (I mean, what mom has time do such a thing, right? During a diaper change, I'm more interested in dodging the pee my son decides to let loose once I open his diaper!)but the box of Diaper Pail refill bags says that it holds 50...I'd say that is about right; it takes me about 5-6 days to fill one bag up in my house.

I would usually end with a 'Pros and Cons' section but I actually have nothing negative to say about this product. I am completely satisfied with the durability, size, ease of use and execution...It's pretty amazing. 

I bought mine at Target but I have also seen it Walmart and CVS! If you are an expecting mom, buy this system from the start. If you already have your baby at home and are using another system (and you aren't completely satisfied ), I dare you to try this system out. I'm willing to bet you will fall in love with the Diaper Pail!!!

WEBSITE OF THE MONTH: LAND OF NOD

Every month I will pick a website that is a fabulous find for everything and anything BABY and post a link to the site on my blog*! 

This month I have chosen the Land of Nod website.It has amazing baby & child products including furniture, play-time products and ideas, bathing and feeding, and much more! Land of Nod only has 5 stores nation wide ( Illinois and Washington, how I envy you) but the website is amazing! I have ordered a lot of products and am always satisfied with the ease of shopping on the website and the quality of their products.I also registered with them for my baby shower and the customer service reps are extremely friendly and helpful. Check them out! 

*You can find the link to Land of Nod in the right hand column of Rock-A-Buy Babies blog under 'This Months Favorite Website'. 

DRY YOUR BABY BOTTLES ON THE LAWN

While I was pregnant, I was shopping at BuyBuyBaby in Dallas, TX and came across this adorable drying rack made by a company called Boon Inc. It was like the Heavens had opened up to shine light on this product as I was walking by (that's how amazed I was) because I had just recently had a chit-chat with my mother about not wanting an ugly, bulky drying rack sitting on my counter top!

The piece you see in the picture above is called 'Lawn' and the pictures of the pieces below are called 'Stem' and 'Twig'.

The Twig and Stem parts are meant to hold onto the nipples, pacifiers, and all the other small items as to leave room on the Lawn for the bottles! Pretty cool idea and it looks beautiful put together (even when its full of bottle parts.)

I purchased mine at BuyBuyBaby in Dallas and haven't seen it anywhere else but you can order online or check out the store locator on the Boon Inc. website here.

MUNCHKIN LOVE: THE SHAMPOO RINSER

This is really just a peace-of-mind product, moms and dads. But, let's face it, a little peace-of-mind with a little person in the household is a BIG thing!

This is the shampoo rinser from a brand called Munchkin (get use to that name because I love them and I'd bet, after using a couple of their products, you will too!) It is made out of a soft, flexible material with an easy-grip handle. No more anxiety about dropping that hard plastic cup you're dangling over your child's head while rinsing his/her body during bath time!

I bought my shampoo rinser from Target but you can find a retailer on the Munchkin website here!

As the Munchkin product family would say, 'It's the little things.'

FISHER PRICE HAS A HIT! THE ROCK & PLAY SLEEPER

People warned me about the issues I would come across in regards to sleep once I had RJ and everyone has a different opinion about how to get the best sleep for you and your baby once you bring your bundle of joy home with you. It can be a nerve-racking thing, right? If you let the baby sleep with you, you run the risk of causing unintentional harm to baby as you sleep. If you put the baby down to sleep in a crib or basinet, you may find that you don't sleep even if baby is catching some Z's because you can't hear the baby breathing from such a distance or any number of other concerns. Hard decisions must be made!

I will admit, I still let RJ sleep with me sometimes but when he isn't taking up every, possible inch of my bed, he sleeps in his Fisher Price Rock & Play Sleeper. It really is a great product, moms & dads. It is a good height (stands only about 2 inches lower than my mattress), has bowed legs so you can rock your baby when he/she becomes fussy, is super simple to put together (I put it together in less than 5-minutes without the instructions), and is a comfort for my baby to lay in. I think it may have something to do with the design; it's almost like laying baby in a hammock (a very sturdy hammock, made out of plastic and metal and runs no risk of flipping over if you lose your balance.)The point is that the sleeper surrounds your baby to make him/her feel at ease. It is also inclined for those babies who don't like the feeling of laying flat yet! 

Pros

• Easy to assemble & fold for easy travel. easy,easy,easy
• Removable cover for easy cleaning (there's that 'easy' word again!)
• Stands at good height next to a standard bed for close proximity between you and your sleeping baby
• Cover comes in different colors & cute designs (different stores will vary)
• Surrounds your baby, sits at an incline, and can rock back and forth for comfort

Cons

• Possibility of mold 

NOW, BEFORE YOU PANIC, I wouldn't recommend something that I knew was bad or dangerous for your baby but I do want you to know all the facts: Fisher-Price released a warning (a type of recall, if you will) in Jan.2013 telling parents that they needed to check for mold between the cover and base of the sleeper. The mold stems from not washing the cover. 

Bottom Line? Babies sweat in their sleep just like we do and if you feed your baby in the sleeper, chances are milk will also find its way into the cover. If you change your bed sheets every 7-10 days, why would you go weeks, months without washing what your baby sleeps in? Wash the cover, wipe down the base and mold will not be an issue.

You will love this sleeper and so will your baby! :)

^^look how comfy he looks! & he will sleep ALL night in this thing. I bet you're sold on this sleeper now, huh?^^

Little Noses: Fun & Function

While a baby with a stuffy nose is No Fun, I cant help but smile every time I pull out my Little Noses box (isn't the little baby on the saline bottle just adorable?!) Anyways, the Little Noses aspirator is by far the best one I've tried;I'd say 3-4 other aspirators got a chance and didn't make the cut.

I started with the big blue aspirator I was given at the hospital when RJ was born but, let's face it, unless your child is born with the nostril size of an 18 year old boy, it's just too dang big. I made my way through a few others until RJ came down with a little cold and I had to buy the saline spray (aspirator included.) The Little Noses aspirator is the perfect size for infants and is angled so that the process of sucking mucus out of a crying child's nose is as painless and comfortable as possible for both parent and baby. 

Where can you pick one up? I've seen them at both Target and CVS.

Bottom Line: Good things come in small packages

I LOVE YOU, AQUAPHOR BABY

This just in: Aquaphor Baby is the best thing since sliced bread. THE BEST. I put it all over my son. During a diaper change, I put it all over before I close the diaper, after his bath, I put it on his face. After RJ's circumcision, the healing process was slow and when he peed, it hurt him which made both RJ and I miserable. I was using some ointment that is no longer relevant in my life. I bought Aquaphor Healing Ointment and he healed up in literally a day. A DAY! No more puss or uncomfortable peeing.  

-Diaper Rash? RJ has never experienced one. (my niece is a year old, uses this product, and has never had a rash either.) 
-Heat Rash? Gone in 2 days MAX.

You can get this product almost anywhere baby products are sold: Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, etc.

If you aren't using this on your baby, start to! (I'm serious..before the next diaper change, get this product!)

You can thank me (and the makers of Aquaphor, of course) later. 

Bottom Line: Magic in a can. 

MUNCHKIN STANDARD WIPE WARMER ROCKS

I learned very early that RJ did NOT like to be cold. He would stage the grandest protest to all things that caused his skin to become cool or his body temperature to drop. 

^^No one wants to see this kid mad! ^^

Anyways, the Munchkin Standard Wipe Warmer rocks my socks. Since I started using it, my baby boy has not cried once during a diaper change. The warmer locks on both sides to keep the lid down on your wipes and the button on the front of the lid is actually a light that you can push to see how full or empty the container is so that you are prepared to refill the warmer when it needs it. The horror of being in the middle of a diaper change when you realize your warmer has no wipes in it, right?! Not with this warmer! 

I bought my warmer at Target but I have also seen it at BuyBuyBaby.

Pros

• Super easy to set up. (Take it out the box & plug it in!)
• Light helps you stay ahead of running out of wipes
• doesn't over heat wipes; wipes get a nice warm temp
• happy baby during diaper changes

Cons

• Depending on the wipes you use, warmer may dry out the wipes (I am currently using Huggies One&Done & Im having no problems)

THE ORBIT G2 STROLLER IN ALL ITS GLORY

While I was pregnant, I became a frequenter of baby blogs and a loyal reader of parenting magazines. After seeing the Orbit G2 stroller on nearly every 'Must Haves' list of 2012, I decided "Well, I MUST have it!" Let me tell you, this stroller is amazing! The idea that you can rotate the car/stroller seat any way you'd like to suit your situation is a luxury that I, now, could not do without.

I took RJ on a 3 hour drive without my husband (yikes!) and when RJ woke up and started crying, I thought I was in over my head. Luckily, with the Orbit G2 car seat, I was able to turn him around to face me every time I was stopped by a red light. The fact that he could see my face was enough to calm him down until he fell back asleep & I never had to get out of the drivers seat! This is just one of the many stories I have that give praise to this car seat. The stroller frame is a little wide on the back end (I have hit, many, a corner and table leg) but that is a small price to pay in exchange for all the perks, in my opinion.

You can buy this stroller from the actual company here and at pamperedtot.com here There are also plenty of store vendors that are listed on the Orbit Baby website. F.Y.I Pampered Tot is an AMAZING website. The customer service is awesome; their team replies to emails quickly, if you offer a phone number, they will call -- it's not some automated machine you will deal with. I highly recommend them if you're a parent that likes to shop online for your little munchkin. 

Pros

• G2 travel pack comes with stroller frame and car seat attachment
• rides smoothly
• rotating seat
• folds away and opens up easily
• adjustable head/neck cushion in seat
• LATCH system compatible
• color kits allow you to change the color of your toddler seat at will (for all you fashionista-moms out there!)
• compliment magnet :)

Cons

• Back wheels are wide in proportion to frame

INTRODUCING [drum roll, please] ROCK-A-BUY BABIES BLOG

Hey there! My name is Ashly. The handsome guy in the picture with me? That's my 3-month old son, RJ. He is the love of my life and the reason why my obsession has changed from shoes (I still buy myself a pair every now-and-then) to diapers, formula, baby blankets, lavender shampoo.. (you get the picture).

RJ is my first child and I have dove, head first, into the on-going process of finding the perfect baby products for my baby boy;my husband just nods and agrees with my purchases (as he should!) With all the options out there for feeding, bathing, clothing, monitoring, etc. I decided to start this blog, ROCK-A-BUY BABIES to let you in on my fab' baby buys, one busy mommy to another!