Mrs Gabby Gabrielle

Transitioning out of the Magic Merlin  One of my favorite baby items is the Magic Merlin Sleep Suit! We used it as long as we could but I knew it was getting close to the time we should transition Bella out of it. I was terrified! She slept SO well in it but it was time to size up and I felt that she needed to be able to have a little more movement while she slept. In order to still give her a little bit of the weighted feeling I dressed her in a footie PJ and then layered a thin sleep sack under a thick sleep sack. The thin sleep sack was also a little smaller than the thick one (I think it was a size Small and the thick one was a Medium) I did this so she would feel a little more snug when she moved her legs around. The first night was a bit tough. As expected- she woke up around 2am- CRYING. I knew that what I did in this moment would set the tone for the rest of the transition. So, I referenced back to my Taking Cara Babies packet and repeated the steps we had done i

Our Bedtime Routine After taking the Taking Cara Babies courses we were set up for success at bedtime but knew it was important to have a bedtime routine. I wanted to create a bedtime routine that was simple and that we could realistically commit to doing every night. Some details might seem small and unnecessary but I think they are all important steps. Here is what we do: 1st- Enter the nursery around 6:50pm 2nd- Feed Bella 6oz bottle while holding her in the rocking chair 3rd- Make sure Bella gets a really good burp 4th- Take Bella to the changing table in her room, change her diaper, add butt paste, put on her nighttime diaper with a pull-up over it (she always wakes up wet if we don't do this). 5th- Put her footie PJ's on with a thin sleep sack on top and then a fleece sleep sack over it. (She use to use the Magic Merlin so I think she likes a little more weight). 6th- Sit back in the rocking chair and my husband comes in to read a book. 7th- H

My Baby Registry In the months leading up to my delivery date I wanted to make sure I purchased/registered for everything and anything that would make the first few weeks with a newborn easier. Here is a full list of everything that I think is a necessity and will save you from last minute amazon orders or cvs runs. * Disclaimer-  None of the items below are sponsored. Each items I something I use and love, however, I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Create your registry here: Sleep Swaddles- I purchased sooo many swaddles before Bella was born because I wasn't sure which one would work best for us. These velcro swaddle blanket sacks made it so easy for us to keep her tucked in and comfortable for naps and bedtime.   As soon as she outgrew the swaddleMe sacks we started using these Halo sleep sac

What's in my Pumping Bag/ Pumping at Work Shop this photo When I was about to return to work, I knew I wanted to continue to pump. I had no idea what to prepare for or what I would need. I also knew I needed to make time for it and it was important for me to make sure I was as efficient about it as possible. My goal in compiling this info is to help anyone else who is going back to work make the process a little less intimidating. The best way for me to make sure I made the time for it was to block out my calendar every 3-4 hours. This would allow me to have time available and make sure I didn't get engorged. The pump I used was the Medela PIS and I loved it. I highly recommend applying for your free pump with insurance:  https://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/breastfeeding-insurance Here is what worked for me and some of my favorite products: * Disclaimer-  I am not a lactation consultant, these are simply tips that worked for me. Also, none of the items belo

Must Have Baby Apps & Instagram Profiles  I found these baby apps and instagram pages extremely helpful through pregnancy and once Bella was born. Some of them are more well known then other and some of them I stumbled upon while trying to find a solution for a problem.  Pregnancy What To Expect This was one of the first Apps I downloaded as soon as we found out we were expecting. Each week we got updates on the developmental stages the baby was going through while in my tummy. This was really helpful in allowing my husband and I to understand what was going on in my body. @Mommy.labornurse  Liesel is hilarious! She is labor and delivery nurse and is constantly sharing informative information for moms to be. Every Sunday she does Q & A sessions. I use to look forward to these each week. She answers questions from expecting moms and talks about topics that I would have never thought to ask. @takingcarababies I mention Cara in a few of my posts. Sh

Unnecessary Registry Items  I purchased a ton of items in preparation for the birth of Bella and some of the items I felt were unnecessary. Here is a list of the things that helped a little but in the end were not worth the money and why.  * Disclaimer-  I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Doc-A-Tot I kept hearing about how everyone LOVED the doc-a-tot, so, when I had some money left after making a return I bought one. It was easy for us to bring it with when traveling to someones house so she could have a place to nap but that didn't happen often and she quickly became too long for it. We used it for about a month and then had no use for it. It also takes up a lot of space, so storing it after we were done using it was difficult.  Fancy Diaper Pail For the first few months Bellas diapers were so sm