It's no secret that city living takes on an entirely different meaning when little bits are added to the equation. Since becoming a mother the question I am most frequently asked is, "What is it like living in a one bedroom loft with a baby? They have so much stuff..."
Yes. Yes they do!
After nine months of careful contemplation and ten more months of trial and error, D and I finally have a handle on living in a small space with someone who takes up all of your space! So before we move into something a little bigger, I thought I would pass along a little bit of what I have learned along the way...
My first piece of advice is to keep it simple. Don't over think it.
The second is to buy things when you need them. If you have friends or family members that would like to buy some of the larger items like a high chair, ask for an I.O.U. and cash in when you are ready.
When L'Pea was born we had exactly what we would need for the first three months. That was all the room we had. And as he has grown, we have added accordingly and moved the items that have reached their expiration date into storage. I am positive that living without the clutter has really made a difference in our sanity.
Below, are a few of my favorite basics that got Monsieur L'Pea through the 1-2-3's (months, that is)...
no1: Sausalito moses basket by Serena and Lily. It's small, it's portable...perfect for the first few months. I love the preppy, sturdy design of this basket and the extra large handles for toting around. It is also a little deeper and roomier than the average moses basket, and after baby outgrows it, it makes a great toy storage bin.
no2: Gerber diaper shirts. My mother insisted that I would need these and I was not convinced until I found out that Pea was born with the worst case of acid reflux. Within seconds of nursing his precious little outfits were destroyed each day. After two weeks of changing Pea's clothes every two or three hours, I decided maybe Mom was right...these shirts were an easy alternative to full outfits when we were just hanging around the house. They are inexpensive and come in multi packs, and they are super easy to take on and off...much easier than pulling something over a newborn's head and snapping a million buttons.
no3: aden+anais muslin swaddle blankets. I cannot impress upon you how much I love these things. I give them to everyone as gifts now because they are the greatest! Bigger than average swaddling blankets, they are the perfect year round weight and have a million uses after the swaddling phase is long gone. Love them!
no4: a bouncy seat. You will eventually have to put that little bundle of love down, and he will probably not be happy about it! Enter the bouncy seat...just turn on the rocker or the vibrating function and you are home free! Make sure it has something for the little guy to stare at and play with when he gets a little older. We had this one...although I would have probably bought the one pictured if I had know it existed as I love anything that combines a baby with bunnies...
no5: Skip Hop play mat. Oh, L'Pea loved his play mat! He would slap those little birdies around and have that whole mat making music! After he outgrew the mat, we removed the creatures and he continued to play with the toys for many more months.
looking for baby shower gift advice? check out this recent post from chevrons & eclairs...
xo...
ki
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