Monday Must-Haves

When we first brought Raleigh home, she was supposed to sleep in the bassinet of her Pack & Play.  That was the plan.  Reality: She wouldn't sleep more than an hour at a time in it, so she mostly slept on my chest in bed.  I wasn't getting much sleep, but it was easy to BF that way.  Bring in the Aden & Anais swaddle and the Rock 'n Play.

At first, she didn't like to be swaddled at all.  She would fight her way out of it every time.  But, whenever I used the Aden & Anais swaddle blanket that my sister gave us (Raleigh's first gift!), she wouldn't get out of it and she even liked it.  These blankets are large, breathable, and have a lot of give.  I also learned how to swaddle the right way: left arm, LEGS, right arm.  Before, I would do the arms and then twist and tuck the bottom part behind her.  Wow.  A good swaddle works wonders, especially for my active baby! You can find Aden & Anais blankets in packs of four at Target, but they aren't the best quality.  I have found that Raleigh prefers the one that my sister bought me (from a boutique in Charlotte) and the ones she just recently loaned me (also bought separately).  I'm guessing that the company makes them two different ways or something, so that they can have two different price points.  One more thing to add, I use two blankets for Raleigh!  The second blanket doesn't have to be an A&A one for her to sleep well, but it just ensures that she won't break out of the swaddle.

The Rock 'N Play is perfect.  It's almost bed level, so I just put it beside the bed; when she woke up, I didn't even have to get out of bed to pick her up to feed her.  Now that she is sleeping through the night, we usually let her fall asleep with us while we watch TV in the living room.  Then, Ray will carry her (still in the RNP) upstairs to her nursery.  She loves it!  It's very portable.  You don't have to take anything apart as it just folds up.  That way, when we go places, she's still sleeping in the same thing she has at home.  I know soon I will have to start putting her in the crib, so I hope that transition goes okay!

Raleigh Kate sleeping in her Rock 'n Play, swaddled in her Aden & Anais blanket.
My nephew giving her a kiss! 

Getting closer!

I'm trying to wait patiently for her arrival, but it's hard when Ray is definitely NOT being very patient (he's ready to meet her and well, let's be honest, be off work for a little while!).  Whenever I text him while he's at work, he texts back with "Labor yet?"  

I've also gotten dates from my mother-in-law and my parents about when I can have her and when I can't. I wish I could plan it around everyone, but this is Asheville, where everything must be natural and childbirth is no exception! Haha.  Baby girl will get here when she's ready and right now she seems pretty content despite my efforts to get her out (i.e. eating hot wings three nights in a row, eating pineapple, walking a lot...).  By the way, I know they all understand the nature of it all and are just telling me the dates in jest, kind of.  ;)  

Anyway, I took some pictures of the nursery and other baby things that we've set up in anticipation of her arrival. The plan right now is that she will sleep in our room for the first few weeks.  We've set up what has been our "big laundry room" as a downstairs changing room so I don't have to go up and down the stairs while I'm recovering (eek - hope it's not as bad as I'm thinking).

Pack n Play where she'll sleep in the napper for a little while 

Even the tub is ready!

Downstairs room - sister is giving us their changing table, which will go in here as well!

She's never getting another stuffed animal (yeah, right)
I bought the bassinet from a family friend, who lives across the street from my parents.
Sock monkeys, Papa bear w/baby bear, and FAO Schwarz bear from Ray's family.
Steiff elephant from Marcella in Germany!
Bunny rabbit/blanket from the Keiths.
Jesus Loves Me pillow from Daphne. 

This is the chair that Ray was rocked in when he was a baby.  His brother painted it and his mom did everything else.  I love that it's special and pretty! 

Nursery upstairs

We've received a few of these as gifts :)

Daphne made these beautiful lamps!

The best picture of all!