As Noah is approaching 3 years old, I am trying to fill our days together with various activities. Especially as the weather gets cooler, finding things for us to do becomes limited. Toddlers have a lot of energy and I am trying to to keep up! He also is at the stage where he enjoys trying new things and learning about everything. “Mommy, what’s this?” is on repeat in our house! During the winter, I like him to be in a least one lesson a week and Lil’ Kickers is the perfect fit for a busy toddler. With 19 locations in just Illinois alone, there is a class and location perfect for all families.
As we are counting down the days until baby number 2 arrives and we picked up a few things we never had with our first born. Isn’t it crazy there are lots of new items that have come out in just a few short years? I couldn’t believe it. As much as we can, I think we are ready 🙂 So here is our list and now let the waiting game begin!
When we had our son, we looked everywhere for the perfect crib, rocker, and mattress. We wanted the perfect everything, I mean everything. I wanted our nursery to look like a Pinterest mom’s dream. But reality hit and it all comes with a price tag. Some cribs we were looking at were as high as $1,000 dollars. No thanks. That’s like a year supply of diapers! And don’t even get me started with a rocker….
Nursery furniture can come with a high price tag, but it is possible to find what you want without breaking the bank.
Crib
We first needed to find a crib that was within our price range, but most importantly met all the safety features. It was an added bonus if it we could find a convertible crib that would turn into a toddler bed.
With a lot of research, we found this Delta crib on Amazon. It has really good reviews and happens to be a 4-in-1 bed. WE LOVE IT! Honestly, I had never heard of the brand Delta, but I was impressed. I was also a little hesitant to order a crib online, but it took less than 30 minutes to put together and very sturdy AND he hasn’t climbed out of it, yet. It has a 3 position mattress height adjustments and fit’s a standard crib mattress. Within the next 6 months, we will convert it into a toddler bed. We will use this same crib when our daughter is born this winter. We are now avid Delta shoppers-and no I am not sponsored to say that 🙂
Crib Mattress
I remember putting zero thought into a crib mattress. Now looking back, I probably should have take a little more time picking one out. To my surprise, baby mattresses taking a beating over the years (I can spare you the details…) and now we found one that is better quality. This Sealy Ortho Rest has:
50 made coils are durability tested for lasting use; steel coils offer a firm foundation and excellent support
2 hypoallergenic layers offer cushioned comfort for infants and toddlers
Reinforced waterproof cover and binding resist liquids and stains
This is definitely an upgrade from what we originally had and will last us a long time. It’s affordable, reliable, and you can find it at Walmart.
Dresser
After we ordered the Delta crib and we were pleased with the quality of it, we went ahead and ordered the matching Delta dresser. Again, very impressed with Delta and the overall quality of it. Almost three years later, it’s sturdy and all drawers still work. Zero issues. Both kids will share the dresser and we hope to have it for years to come.
The attached changing kit does not come with it, but it is also Delta and you can nail it into the dresser, which we did. It prevents it from sliding around, especially as babies get squirmy during diaper changes. The strap is a nice feature in case you need to buckle them in if they are extra fussy.
Rocker
I am OBSESSED with our rocker. That might be the most adult thing I have ever said. Haha. When babies are first born, this is the most significant place you will spend with them. Just hours and hours of feedings, rocking, mom and dad eating and sleeping (hopefully for everyone). However, they are very, very expensive. Of course, I love the Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware rockers, but they are large and pricy. We also have a small space and wanted something that was both comfortable and on the smaller side. We again went with Delta and it’s perfect for us! Still going strong for us and it will be used quite a bit when our girl is born.
So that’s it! Those are the essentials. A lot of is definitely trial and error and finding what fits for your preferences. If you have any questions, let me know! I know that finding the perfect furniture can be super overwhelming. Plus combined with those pregnancy hormones, I know all about it!
As for the little stuff, you can see what noise machine (the one we use was actually ours for years before using it with Noah), monitor and other things we love here.
Now we wait and get ready for baby number 2!
As always, thanks for following along and you can sign up for weekly emails here and on Instagram.
Until next time,
Christine
The section on the crib mattress was in collaboration with Kolcraft, but all my opinions expressed are my own.
This post contains affiliate links, but all my opinions expressed are my own.
This is kind of a rare topic for me. I don’t typically write about blogging or my process, which I can if that’s interesting, I just don’t think anyone would really care to read about it! (but please message me if you think differently!)
When I first started the Instagram account in 2015, I mainly focused on food. At that point in my life, it was just Manny and I. We dined out all the time, trying new restaurants, traveled and enjoyed being married, but as our family grew, things changed. Continue reading →
So here I am, half way into my second pregnancy! I can’t believe how fast it’s going, much faster than with Noah. Maybe because running around after a toddler makes the time go by faster? Not sure, but I am excited to watch this belly grow. Last week was the 20 week anatomy ultrasound last week (yes, confirmed a girl!) and baby is growing nicely and everything looks good. We are happy and blessed it’s been a healthy pregnancy thus far. It’s all we could ask for.
Summer is here and I couldn’t be more excited to explore the city on my days off with Noah. I want to try to soak in as much time enjoying it before the dreaded, tiring, third trimester hits.
There are a few essentials we both use that you could probably find in my diaper bag on a daily basis. I feel like everybody has those few things we all use during the warmer months right? Some of these things you could find at Target, Amazon or even Walgreens. If you have any questions about any of them, send them my way. And I would love to hear some of your go-to-products for the summer!
I am going to admit it, Noah is in a terrible, terrible food stage right now. He is very picky and will eat the same thing every day if he could. On days I make something new for him, he just won’t eat it. He might even go for 4 plus hours without eating, he just isn’t interested. We have tried so many things like smoothies, fruit, applesauce and no luck. I spoke with our pediatrician and apparently it’s very normal for his age, but it’s driving me crazy!
Yesterday was my birthday (yes, I proudly turned 24, I mean 34…) and I got to thinking a lot about my 30’s. It’s one of the decades of my life that have learned the most, especially about myself. My 20’s was all about having fun, being carefree, trying new things, but my 30’s have so far been exciting (and a lot more tiring, but so worth it). Read more Health & Fitness
Mother’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. Even before being a mom, I always felt like it was the kick off to summer and another excuse to get the family together (with lots of wine and food of course). Now it’s extra fun and I love it even more as a mom. Not sure about anyone else, but I get asked every year, “what do you want for Mother’s Day?”. I’ve learned I need to give a few ‘hints’ ahead of time. So if you are stuck and need some ideas either for yourself or some hints for the hubby, here are some of my favorites this year. Read more on my favorites Motherhood & Family
Crib
Crib Mattress
Dresser
Rocker
Summer is here and I couldn’t be more excited to explore the city on my days off with Noah. I want to try to soak in as much time enjoying it before the dreaded, tiring, third trimester hits.
