6 Week Update & Newborn Must Haves

 Time is flying by, as I knew it would, but part of me wants it to stand still. I'm loving watching our little girl grow, exploring knew things and seeing her personality come to life, but the whole "going back to work" thing is really making me sad. I have been trying to focus on the now, and not the future, but it's so hard when life at home with her seems so right.

Big girl!

Our plan for right now is for me to return at the end of July, but Hubs and I both agree that if it doesn't work out, we'll discuss me staying home.

Anyway, today I head to my OB for my 6 week check up. I'm afraid he's going to tell me I've been overdoing it, since I'm not the best at relaxing, but I'll be so excited if I'm released to start working out again!

I rejoined Weight Watchers a few weeks back and have about 8 pounds left to lose to get to my pre-pregnancy weight. I would like to lose more than that, since I had gained some weight the 9 months prior to getting pregnant, after our wedding.

Tummy time! I'm surprised she's not ticked in this picture! 

It's been hard to follow the Points Plus program at times, especially with breastfeeding, but I've been using my daily and weekly points as a guide to eat healthily, but obviously eat if I'm hungry and don't have any points left.

Enough about me, now! I wanted to throw together a list of some of the "Must Haves" that I have really found to be helpful while trying to get the hang of motherhood. Some are items we got off our baby registry, and some are just things that seem to make life a little easier!

4moms Mamaroo- When Charlotte pushes herself and gets overtired, this is the only thing (besides Hubs and I) that can soothe her to sleep. We spent a couple nights on the living room couch while she slept in this! The motions and sounds are perfect for her, and she loves taking naps in it. I also love how big it is, so she'll be able to use it for awhile, attention span permitting :)

B Agile Travel System- I love our travel stroller system. Charlotte tends to fall asleep in the car, so being able to click her car seat into the stroller is awesome. Who wants to wake a sleeping baby anyway?! The car seat itself is a little heavy, especially for post partum moms, but I think most are for safety reasons. The stroller is so nice to push around, especially in our neighborhood where it's hilly and sidewalks aren't exactly smooth (or existent...). It also shades her perfectly so I don't have to worry about freckles or sun spots. 

Here she is on a walk a few weeks back:

Medela Pump In Style Advanced- This has been a life savor and as allowed me to not only start building a supply of breast milk in the freezer but also to pump bottles for Hubs to feed Charlotte at bedtime. I really wanted her to associate the both of us with feeding time, and she loves when Daddy gives her a bottle! Oh, and the fact that our insurance paid for the pump in it's entirety also makes me love it more! 

Medela Quick Steam Bags- So much easier to use these steam bags to sanitize bottles and breast pump parts than to boil a pot of water! Each bag gets 20 uses, and there are 5 in a box. 

4moms Cleanwater Tub- I love the thermometer feature on this tub. I can tell you already that had I not purchased this, I would be using way too hot of water for bath time. It's really hard to determine what's too hot for their sensitive skin. I ended up purchasing a foam bath insert since Charlotte is so tiny and slips on the blue lining. 

Summer Infant Swaddle Me- Charlotte hates to be warm, so these wraps are the perfect light weight fabric, and they are easy to use in the middle of the night after feedings and diaper changes. We actually need to pick up a few more since they've been in frequent use now that the weather has heated up and the AC has kicked on!

So dramatic!

Pottery Barn Kids Organic Swaddle Blankets- These blankets are the perfect blanket to tuck Charlotte in with, without making her hot and fussy. They no longer sell the pattern of the blankets we have, but the light, thin organic fabric is perfect for swaddling and nap time (whenever that is!).

Our blankets are chevron (shown above) and a white and pink floral pattern. 

The only other thing that I would suggest for new moms is to cook and freeze meals for when baby comes! I've been blessed with a wonderful family who have brought us meals the last 6 weeks, but I also cooked and stocked up on food so that Hubs and I could eat relatively healthy after Charlotte arrived. It's been so nice to remove dishes from the freezer and reheat them for our dinners. It's nice to still have that one consistent meal together at the dining living room table.