Long sleeved onsies The need for these stem from our orders from the NICU to keep the girls in clothes, swaddled, and in hats at all times. I'm not quite sure how long we were supposed to keep up with this, because we've gotten a little lax lately. Well, Margaret and Nora are really good at wiggling their little arms out of the swaddle, hence the need for long-sleeved onsies on a chilly autumn evening.
Sheet Savers These are great because changing the crib sheet is a major pain. It's way easier to swap out a couple of these bad boys.
Cloth wipes Oh. My. Goodness. Why was I so resistant to cloth wipes?? Lucas wanted cloth wipes all along... and I was like, "no.. that's silly". But then the home health nurse suggested them for the girls' sensitive tushies and we haven't looked back since.
Thermal Receiving Blankets I feel like no one emphasized how many blankets you need? But it's true: you need A TON of blankets. I think the girls have 10-12. You need thick ones for the car seats, two extras for the diaper bag, and plenty of back-ups in the closet (cause you know there'll be at least a couple dirties in the hamper... ) We love the flannels... they're super soft, but the best blanket by far for swaddling are the thermal (I call them "waffle") blankets. They are stretchy so you can get a nice tight swaddle. (Even tight-enough for the most talented escape artists).
Dimmer Switch The day my water broke (before we knew that was the day) Lucas installed a dimmer switch in the nursery. We didn't really have room anywhere for a lamp, so we thought this would be a great thing for the midnight feedings. It was one of the smartest things we did, I believe. It's great.
Medela Symphony Breast Pump I never gave 10 seconds thought to what breast pump I was going to use. Well, in my defense, I thought I had at least a couple more weeks to prepare. Regardless, I was a little stressed out during my hospital stay... debating over breast pumps. I was offered a few loaners (personal pumps, of course). But, the rule follower in me knows that you shouldn't share pumps, so I rented a hospital-grade "oldie but goodie", called the Medela Lactina. I used that at home, and was able to use the Symphony while visiting the girls in the hospital. But, shortly after they came home, I came to my senses and ponied up for the Symphony. It's almost twice as much per month to rent, but totally worth it. As my lactaction consultant aptly put it, "You're nursing twins... you need the best pump out there." And it is.
Moby Wrap Speaking of things that I never gave any thought to: The Moby Wrap. Wow. This has only been in my life less than two days, but I'm in love. Thank you, Melissa, for loaning yours to us. It's truly amazing. Babies love being close to your chest, and they love being swaddled, so when you combine the two you get two very content babies. There are so many "holds" for this thing, and it's shockingly easy to use and get situated. And for most of the holds, you can affix the wrap to your body AND insert your baby(ies) all by yourself without help from anyone else. And yes, there are two holds for twins :) Even daddies love the Moby wrap. Especially Margaret and Nora's daddy! Who ever thought they'd hear that Lucas was "wearing his baby?"
Medela Lanolin This is my favorite Lanolin variety. It goes on very smoothly, just as the packaging suggests. Chapped and cracked nipples are really not an option for me so I douse this on generously whether I need it or not. ...Not taking chances here.
Soothies I think everyone can agree that newborns can't get enough of their soothies. When Lucas and I first saw these in our children's mouths we were infuriated, but knew the damage had been done. However, we didn't know that a baby who stays in the NICU for any length of time just has no choice but to be given a pacifier. There's really no way around it. They train babies for that ever-important sucking reflex. And now, 5 weeks later, we are thrilled that our girls love their pacifiers, because they really are called that for a reason.
And one final thought: I never wanted to be a "baby blogger" and I am aware that this is what we've turned into. However, you have to understand that's just about the extent of our world right now. We're a little consumed. Hopefully in the near future there will be lots of non-baby posts about other fascinating stuff we do, but in the meantime, please bear with us! :)
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