Reasons To Love The Newborn Stage + My Newborn Favorites

         Well, every time people ask me how old Josephine is, I find the number of weeks getting larger and larger each time. Time waits for no one, and my little girl is slowly blossoming from a very fresh newborn to a more alert baby! Going through the newborn stage a second time has been a completely different experience. Not only is it a different experience having two children to care for, but it has been such an enjoyable and relaxed time for us all. When Logan was first born it felt like we were constantly exhausted, never quite knew what to do, and barely staying above water. This time, I may still be low on sleep, but I am just trying to enjoy every moment of each stage. Josie will never be a newborn again, and I don't want to spend my time wishing she was sleeping more, or bigger, or walking - because I absolutely love that she is tiny and totally dependent on me in these first few weeks. Hindsight is 20/20, which has made it so much easier to know and relax about the fact that she will grow out of waking from a gassy tummy, and she will eventually sleep really well. I hope this encourages any mams in the trenches of parenting a newborn to stop and enjoy the mess, because it's gone too soon, and doesn't come back. If I had to pick my three favorite things about the newborn stage, they would be:

I. The Snuggles: 

Oh man, Josie is a snuggler, and I love it. At night when I hold her, sleeping on my shoulder after eating, I just can't believe her little body grew inside me. She is precious and sweet and so small. I love carrying her while grocery shopping as she sleeps in my sling, able to sneak kisses on her head that still smells like fresh newborn, or holding her while I make dinner because she would just rather be with mom than nap in bed. It is totally crazy she will be a full grown adult some day! 

II. Bath time:

I don't know why, but I have extra enjoyed bath time this time around. I used to get so excited about seeing Logan play in the bath tub and be able to use toys, but I love how Josie needs lots of help getting clean, and the way she smiles when warm water goes over her head. She cries sooo hard when we take her out of her tub, and needs a good snuggle wrapped in a towel to calm down. Babies are so dependent on us - what a privilege to do these simple tasks, like bath time, with love and care. 

III. Brother & Sister:

Seeing Logan with Josie absolutely melts my heart. He always wants her included, like making us hold her hand while we pray for dinner, or giving her a ton of kisses first thing in the morning. Even from the first time they met, we would tell she recognized his voice, and she is calm when he kisses her quite forcefully or runs around screaming because that's what boys do. I pray they grow up to be great little friends, and that Logan will always protect and love her well. 

Aside from being purposeful to have a mindset of gratitude and joy this time around, another thing that has made this stage "easier" or more fun is knowing better what things are actually practical and most helpful. I've put together a collection of my favorites below, but wanted share about some that were new to me this time around.

Puj Baby Soft Infant Tub

 One product that has made life soooo much easier is this Puj Baby bathtub! We don't have a bathtub in our house (so sad!), but this sits perfectly in our sink and allows for the same experience. It is lightweight, compact, and easy to clean. I can actually hang it with a command hook on the back of our bathroom door and you would never know it is there! I am not a fan of kitchen sink baths, because I think its gross to wash a baby where I rinse chicken guts down the drain - so this has been the perfect alternative! Below I've listed some of my other favorites too, in case you're interested! 

H&M Newborn Clothes

I didn't discover the amazingness that is the H&M kids line until Logan was about six months old. Since then I have bought so many of his clothes from there. They are cute, well priced, and well made! I bought Josephine some onesies from them before she was born (their organic cotton line is soo soft and breathable), but my favorite item from them so far has been their knee high socks for girls! I had the hardest time finding socks for her tiny feet, and didn't want to spend an arm and a leg. I got this pack of four from H&M for the price I could have paid for a identical looking pair somewhere else! They also just released their new kids line, and have some seriously adorable dresses and rompers for babies as well.

There are so many products I could talk about that I really enjoy, but you can find links to everything else I'm loving below.

         

        

     

XO, B