Things We Love: MAM and Dr. Brown's Bottles

One of the things I wasn't expecting when I had my twins was that they would have anything that was "different". I always pictured everything would be matchy-matchy, just in different colors. They are TWINS, right?!?! The logical thing is to have them in the same things, I thought. What a big ol' dummy I was! LOL Almost nothing of theirs is matchy-matchy - from clothes, to swings, to bouncers and jungle gyms. Every single one is different. And, predictably, so are the bottles they use. My kitchen counters have been overrun with bottles, rings, caps, and nipples.

And, of course, they are different. Complete chaos to my systematic mind.

Lauryn loves the MAM bottles, which are the same ones we used when Brayden was a baby. We chose these for Brayden because they are supposed to prevent colic - and Brady was a cranky baby. The nipples are wider and flatter - and the bottles are really wide. Shorter and wider. But as much as she prefers these bottles, it's not like feeding times with her are easy. She is the HARDEST baby to feed. She will only drink if she REALLY wants it, and skips way more feedings than Peytie.

Perhaps a little preview to their 4 month post: I recently weighed myself at home without the babies and then again with the babies (separately, of course), and discovered that Peytie for the first time has surpassed Lauryn in weight. BY A LOT!!! Maybe she should stop skipping those feedings. :) We'll see if it stays that way by the time they see the doc.

Lauryn is also super picky about HOW she is fed. Cradling her like a "normal" baby is NOT an option. She is the BOSS in our household...and I am her minion. (Try to hold your chuckles till the end.) To feed Lauryn, this is what you have to do:

Step 1: Put on her bib - QUICKLY! She will go from zero to complete meltdown in 0.2 seconds if you take too long.

Step 2: Stand up.

Step 3: Hold her facing ourward (preferably in front of the TV so she's distracted) and get that bottle in her mouth.

Step 4: Start WALKING. Yes, Lauryn prefers for you to walk while she eats. And I, as her faithful minion, always oblige.

Peyton is so much easier to feed. He did not like the MAM bottles at all, but I think that was because he was so small when he was born and his mouth was so tiny. Those wide nipples just weren't going to work for my little champ. I heard good things about Dr. Browns bottles and knew that a few friends were using them so I gave them a try. These bottles are supposed to reduce colic, spit-up, burping and gas. They are long, slim, and come with standard size nipples - and they are perfect for my little guy.

Peytie, unlike Lauryn is very easy to feed and I love how he looks at me while I cradle him to feed. It's great and he finishes fast but...

He eats every 3 hours.

And not 3 hours after he's done with his bottle, but three hours from the time that he starts. Even at night - which would explain the zombie-look I have been sporting for the last three months. Lauryn sleeps through the night most nights, but not my Peytie. Before I went back to work it was fine, but now that I'm back it's killing me!

So while I don't love how difficult Lauryn is to feed, or the fact that Peytie wakes up all night long - I DO love the bottles they both use. I actually like that they are different. My obsession with organization loves that I can separate and distinguish which bottles belong to each baby, so that suits me just fine.

Things We Love: Aden + Anais Washcloths

Have you ever felt an Aden + Anais product? Their stuff is the softest around. We have LOTS of their swaddle blankets because I felt safe using them because of their breathable material. What I didn't know, was that Aden + Anais also made lots of other products, including washcloths.

I came across their washcloths by complete accident - or complete word of mouth, anyway. A friend was visiting the twins shortly after they were born and made a comment, when looking at their swaddle blankets, on how much she loved their washcloths.

Huh? Aden + Anais made washcloths? That was the first I heard of them. But, not surprising considering how much I love their blankets, I knew I had to try them.

They are made of 100% soft cotton muslin washcloth and my babies love scrub-a-dub-dub-ing with them. They are gentle enough for delicate skin yet durable enough for everyday use, because they stay soft wash after wash (just like their other products). Plus, it has a convenient loop, making it easy to hang the washcloth to dry between uses.

Lauryn loves them so much!

For the record, I have checked out their website and am also officially in love with some crib sheets, changing pad covers, bibs, hooded towels, blankets, car seat canopies...man, I could do some damage on baby items!

I highly recommend these washcloths (and their swaddle blankets too!). Let me know if you've tried them.

Things We Love: Mustela

When Brayden was younger - even weeks after he was born - he had horrible skin. I remember having to take him to a pediatric dermatologist at just 3 weeks of age for severe eczema and cradle cap. FOUR prescriptions later, and months and months of treatment finally cleared it up, but we dealt with skin issues pretty much from day one. So for regular baths, we ended up using Aveeno products on him because that brand seemed to be the only one that didn't cause his skin issues to flare up. The only problem for me was that the Aveeno products were unscented. And I like me a pretty-smelling baby.

I was afraid that we would have the same issues with the twins so I bought a bunch of Aveeno products before they were even born. Unscented, pretty basic products. Bleh.

So imagine my surprise when week after week goes by and these babies have almost perfect skin! Pfft...forget the Aveeno - bring on the scented babies!!!

Normally, I feel like Johnson & Johnson scented products are synonymous with baby smells. Your ovaries can't help aching when smelling J&J baby lotion. It's a fact. But when I started a baby registry (at either Babies R Us or Buy Buy Baby - I can't remember which), I received some product samples to try. One of them being for Mustela Hydra Bebe Body Lotion.

Shocked!

That's basically how I felt when I smelled this stuff. Best. Scent. Ever.

I lather this stuff on the twins daily (and I even use it myself). It's not thick, but it did clear up the baby scalies my twins had during their first few weeks of life. And I'm telling you - there is no better baby scent. This stuff is magic. I liked loved it so much, that I ended up buying the whole newborn baby gift set.

I love every single product in the gift set too. On days where I don't bathe them, I wipe them down with the PhysiObébé cleaning fluid. I use the Hydro Bebe lotion daily. The Dermo-Cleansing gel is awesome at bathtime. And the foam shampoo for newborns is the best! I love, love, love this company. Don't believe me? You'll have to smell it for yourself!

Things We Love: Baby Breeza Formula Pro

It's been five years since I've taken care of a newborn and SO MUCH has changed since then (already!). Changes in baby products were expected from the time I had my first child in 1999, to when I had Brayden in 2010, but never did I think that some products would be so different from the time I had Brayden to the time I had the twins.

Case in point, the first product we're loving: the Baby Breeza Formula Pro.

No joke, this thing has changed my life, y'all!

I've been pumping breastmilk as much as I can, but already I can see that my supply is staring to decrease. My goal was always to have the twins drink breastmilk for 12 weeks, and I'm pretty sure we can make it to that mark...as long as I supplement with a couple of bottles of formula throughout the day (we are currently doing every other bottle).

We keep it in our room (where the babies are sleeping too) on my dresser.

I can't believe I raised two other kids without this thing! Whoever designed this thing is a genius! The Formula Pro makes a warm bottle, ready to feed the baby, in LESS THAN 15 SECONDS! Do you realize what a game changer that is?!?! No more waiting around to get the water at the right (warm) temp - the bottle will be ready and waiting in 15 measly seconds. Such a time-saver and baby-sanity saver. Parents are happy, babies are happy. Win-Win!!!

The company that manufactures the Formula Pro also sells a baby food maker and bottle sterilizer. I have a feeling that the baby food maker is a product that will make it's way to my house in the future.

So if you have a baby, and are using formula, I can't recommend this product enough! The price is a little high (around $150), but I promise you - it's worth every penny.