Must Have Items from Birth To 2-Years-Old

It’s hard to believe in just 2 months Madeline will be 2-years-old! It seems like just yesterday I gave birth to her. Each and every day is a new adventure, and I feel so grateful. She is the boss… and I’m okay with that! As a new mom, I was searching for must have items for when Madeline was born… and still am always on the hunt for things she might enjoy. So I thought it might be helpful to share Madeline and mommy’s must have items from birth to two years of age. So grab a cup of coffee, because this is going to be lengthy (but hopefully helpful) for all my momma friends!

Feeding

I breastfed Madeline until she was 6-months-old. I used and loved the Spectra Breast Pump because it was a closed system which made it stay clean and was super compact and small. We used the Dr. Brown’s bottles in both the small and larger sizes. We started off with the smaller size and as she got older transitioned to the larger bottles. This set was a nice starter set because it comes with both size bottles.

Around 6+ months we offered Madeline our table food as she was eyeing it! I was on the hunt for a pretty highchair and came across the ever so chic Mima Moon 2G Highchair. Sure I could have gone with a standard highchair, but I looked at it as a piece of furniture that she would be in multiple times a day and last a long time. Madeline still sits in it now, so I would say it was worth the purchase! As of recent, she also has been loving her booster seat so she can sit at the table with us to eat and it’s super convenient to bring over to family parties and gatherings.

She really wouldn’t eat solid food at all until she turned 1-year-old so do not be discouraged if your baby is pushing food away from you! I recall hearing stories of other moms feeding their 6-month-old the exact same dinner they were eating, and at first I thought maybe I was doing something wrong. I wasn’t. Each baby is different, and some just need/want a little more time than others. So, Madeline was pretty much eating all mashed food and these Sprout Organic pouches were a lifesaver! I appreciated not only the convenience, but also knowing that Madeline was getting the protein and nutrients she needed.

By her first birthday she was eating more solid food. I always have applesauce pouches in my bag for an on -the-go snack along with a trail mix that I change daily, which usually consist of pretzels, animal crackers and dried strawberries.

Sleeping

Madeline has A LOT of energy and is VERY active at all times, so sleeping did not come easy for her! In fact, Madeline did not nap at all until she was about a year-and-a-half!! She had a fear of missing out and just wanted to PLAY, PLAY, PLAY! Since she didn’t nap, we had/have her on a pretty strict bedtime routine (which I am happy to do another blog post about if you like).

Up until she was about 6-months we swaddled her using the Halo SleepSack Swaddle . I tried wrapping her in the pretty swaddle blankets but they didn’t comfort her in the way the Halo Sleepsack Swaddle did. What I found to be really helpful to soothe/calm her was watching/listening to Baby Einstein Seadreams Soother.

She is now wearing PJ’s and a Halo SleepSack (basically a pseudo blanket) and has to have all her ‘friends’ in her crib with her (meaning her favorite stuffed animals: Corduroy, Elmo, BigBird, and her ever so loving and helpful Wubbanub pacifiers)!