Life-savers.

I've had a few e-mails asking me what baby products have made life easier so far, and I think I'm ready to take the time to really think about a good answer. First, because it was something I desperately wanted/needed to know when I was expecting and an answer I desperately searched for, and, second, because Adelyn has been so incredibly easy today that I've been left with nothing to do but watch her sleep with an occasional feeding thrown in. Seriously. Before this morning my days have been filled with mastering the delicate balance of meeting her needs, and although I could feel the stir-craziness bubbling up inside, it was masked by more important thoughts.

But today, I'm almost waiting for her to cry, so I have something to do. A task. She was awake for a couple of hours this afternoon. And that will always bring a bright spot in my day. The rest of it, though, has been spent watching her sleep. And then sleep some more. And then--wait--she's sucking on her fingers in her sleep, so she must be hungry. A task! And then she's instantly back to sleep. Even through diaper changes.

Anyway. Until I get the okay from my doctor that she can venture out into the big, germy world, I'm stuck sitting here. Watching her sleep. As bored as I'm becoming I can think of a million things that would be more tedious. At least, with Adelyn, I get to witness a gas-smile every now and then.

So, yeah, baby-items that have made life easier:

Baby K'tan: The second day we had Adelyn home, I realized that my poor, underworked arms weren't gonna be able to hold her all. the. time. And especially that first week or two I was completely wracked with guilt if her eyes opened for a brief second and there wasn't someone there for her to look at. So as to avoid creepily standing over her 24/7, I ordered a Moby wrap on Amazon, even paying extra for two-day shipping. And then I spent the next two days staring at it, trying to figure out how to put it on in under an hour. Two days after that, it was crumpled up under the bed. Then Jason's mom bought me the Baby K'tan. The two are incomparable. One might as well be the Sphinx, and the riddle it spits out would have been too much work for me even if I wasn't sleep deprived. The other--two steps and you're done.

Adelyn is sleeping inside of it right now (and, surprise! she didn't even wake up when placed inside). Proof:

The Boppy: I know it's a broken record among new parents these days, but I need my Boppy. My friend Crystal got it for me off my registry, and even though she thought it was a teeny, tiny neck support-thingy for the baby when she ordered it, it's proved invaluable the past few weeks. I meant to bring it to the hospital, and since I refused to admit I was in labor when I went there it got left at home. I had to awkwardly fold pillows that refused to stay properly folded under my newborn to practice breastfeeding. But the Boppy does more than that, it turns out. Jason's invented his own way of bottle-feeding Adelyn with the Boppy so that she stays upright, facing him (he creates a little hole for her to sit in between himself and the pillow). Whenever I'm sitting on the couch with Adelyn sprawled out on her tummy on my chest, the Boppy is invariably still on my lap, providing a perfect platform for me to surf the web or hold a sandwich.

Proof: (Ignore the fact that I look extremely sleep deprived. Guess what? I am!)

Fisher Price Little Lamb Swing: I first saw this swing at my friend Jaclyn's house right after her baby Ella was born. And I fell in love. With Ella and the swing. But I thought, deep down, it might be a little ridiculous to have a bouncer and a swing, because they're both kind of pricey and newborns can't be that picky, can they? And, most of all, because no one got it for us off our registry. Three days after we had her home, I couldn't get that image of Ella all cozied up in that swing out of my mind. This thing looks so cozy that not one person has entered my apartment without saying something about wanting one for adults. A quick trip to Amazon later and another liberal use of my dad's Amazon Prime membership and we had it the next day. Adelyn loves it. And it allows me to do crazy things like laundry, or showering, or feeding myself.

Proof:

The Miracle Blanket: I ordered one of these before I had any inkling of what life with a newborn is really like. I decided I needed one based purely off of reviews. And thank God I did. It took a few nights for me to realize that just because Adelyn's crying while I'm swaddling her up doesn't mean she's miserable or I'm a terrible mother for trying to get some sleep. Fast forward a week and it's become a staple in our night-time routine. I can't say for sure if the miracle blanket helps Adelyn sleep for four-hour stretches at night (sometimes, not always), but I'm not at liberty to take any risks at this point. She's staying in her baby straight jacket at night. I have a whole host of blankets I wrap her up in during the day time, and I bring the Miracle Blanket out around 10 PM. Nothing keeps her swaddled quite as tightly. I don't have a picture of proof because whenever we put her in the blanket, I get in bed as soon as possible. No time for cutesy pictures.

Mustela baby products: Ok, this isn't a must-need baby product. Try to resist how amazing they smell, though. When my family and I were in Paris about five years ago my mom came down with a bad cold, so we spent an afternoon traipsing through Parisian drugstores. It was then that I discovered Mustela, back when the word "baby" wasn't at all a part of my vocabulary, save the time I spent singing Britney Spears' songs. And my sister remembered my love of Mustela--she gifted me with an entire set of baby products at my shower. I don't bathe Adelyn every day, but I use my Mustela every day. I put the oh-so delicate lotion on her feet every morning (always using just a little too much so I have to spread it over my arms, too), and I wash her face with the no-rinse cleanser every night. Adelyn smelled like heaven from the get-go, but now I get the fringe benefit of smelling like a baby, too.

Cloth diapers: So many people told me to get these before she got here, even though cloth diapering is above and beyond too complicated of an undertaking for us right now. But nearly every parent I asked kept up with the "cloth diapers, cloth diapers" mantra, swearing I'd use them daily for everything but diapering. And what did I do? I bought thousands of outfits in sizes that she'll grow out of in a day and forgot to buy cloth diapers. Eventually I wised up and ordered some, and let me assure you that the cloth diaper-choir wasn't lying. I pretty much always have one draped over my shoulder or sitting across my lap. Spit up, sneezes, leaking bottles, leaking everything--for all of the above and more, you need 'em.

A crockpot: I discovered the wonders of the crockpot during the last month of my pregnancy. They allow me to pretend to be a good cook, one who spends hours on a meal. Except with a crockpot, you just sort of throw a bunch of stuff in, put the lid on, go about your day, and then at dinnertime you magically have a meal. And it magically tastes good. Who would have thought I could make pot roast? I think I've actually cooked two dinners since Adelyn was born. Both using the crockpot. And I don't plan on venturing too far from the "slow cooker" section on AllRecipes.com, at least anytime soon.