Woombie Swaddler Review

Isn't this adorable? :)

I have a newborn at home and sleep is THE.MOST.IMPORTANT.THING.EVER right now!!  If mama doesn't sleep, then mama isn't happy and if mama isn't happy ... then nobody is happy!  I have searched high and low for the best swaddler for baby Long #2 (aka Jackson).  We always used The Miracle Blanket at night with Sophia, but I never used a swaddler during the day for naps.  (Please note: big mistake, big mistake!)  I knew with our second child, I wanted to be swaddling for all types of sleep, regardless of the time of day.  I had a friend highly recommend the Woombie, but I couldn't imagine it would be much better than my gold standard of the Miracle Blanket.  The Woombie is much easier to use than The Miracle Blanket.  You just put the baby in the peanut-shapped swaddler and zip it up.  It even has two zippers so you don't have to unzip the neck line if you want to do a diaper change ... just zip up from the bottom to take the legs out!  It is seriously SO easy to get the baby in and out ... probably THE EASIEST of all swaddlers I have ever seen and/or used!!  

Honestly, it is even good to use for Jackson if he is worked up and needs to relax.  I just put him in the Woombie and it has an amazing soothing effect.  The tears dry up and he becomes Mr. Chilled-Out!  He must feel like he is back in my warm and cozy womb!!!  

Here is a little excerpt from the website:   

The Woombie is the safest & most NATURAL way to Swaddle your baby, encouraging baby to softly stretch extremities as needed, just like in the womb. The Woombie comforts, softly confines arms & gently compresses baby's unique curves to hug baby... preventing Startling issues, face scratching, overheating and also preventing dangerous loose unraveled blankets from covering baby's face.

Comfortable:

• Soft, ECO cotton fabric gently hugs baby
• Baby feels secure, not confined, easing transition from WOMB to World!

Safe:

• Follows Pediatrician & S.I.D.S. guidelines
• Maintains airflow and will not overheat baby
• No loose blankets covering airways
• Prevents face scratching

Effective:

• Prevents unnecessary waking due to the Startle Reflex
• Soothes babies with colic
• Will not come undone
• Promotes natural motor development
• Easy to use, just zip it up

Here is a picture of my little guy in one of the Woombie's a friend recently let us borrow ...

It blends in nicely with the Moses Basket Bassinet, huh? 

The lovely ladies over at Woombie sent me a Cocoa Puff X-Long Newborn Woombie for my sweet Jackson!  It arrived the day we came home from the hospital!  Ahh ... the gift of sleep that fits in the palm of my hands and in my mailbox!  Ha!  Ha!  Ha!  The XL buys me extra length while keeping the same snugness.  (is that even a word? ha!)

Here is my little, big guy in his crib ... My cocoa puff Woombie has become my go-to nap time swaddler!   He sleeps so soundly with his arms up near his chest!!  He can't startle himself with his extremities because they are cozy and tight in his Woombie.

What a cute little peanut, huh? 

Please head over to the Woombie website and check it out.  You can buy the Original Woombie for only $26.99!  It is a small price to pay for hours more of sleep!  Believe me, it is tried and true ... I am a living testimony that you will get more sleep with a baby swaddled during the day for naps in this amazing swaddler!  

You can use the "Find a Store" locator to see the closest Woombie retailer near you!

They also have a cool product called the Woombie Donut!  I would SURE love to get my hands on one of these for next summer/fall and our tent camping adventures!!   Doesn't it look heavenly?   Sure wouldn't mind having the Woombie Toddler Donut for Sophia!  She would just think she was the cat's meow with this product!!  

Do you have a favorite swaddler?  If so, what is it and why do you like it so?

Disclaimer: I received this product free of charge. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not monetarily compensated for this review.

WINNER!!!

I know, I know ... I am WAY late picking the winner of the Numenko Game ... I apologize!  I have been a little *busy* lately with a newborn!!  Ha!!

Shannon 

"Like GLGG on FB"

Comment #30/62

Congrats!  Shannon has been emailed and has 48 hours to respond!

Welcome to the world big guy ...

I apologize for my lengthy vacation from blogging … but I have a great excuse … actually a 9lb 12 oz excuse …

Welcome to the world (FINALLY) Jackson Grant Long!  He arrived 5 days late, 9/8 11:56pm weighing 9 lbs 12 oz and 21 ¾ inches long!  We did not know the gender, so HIS arrival was a huge surprise to us!  Nate is through the roof with excitement!  He finally has a SON!!  It is so precious to see them bonding with each other already!  Nate is already planning their father/son camping trips out west!

Life has been extremely busy adjusting to life with a newborn and a 2& ¾ yr old toddler!  Sophia is an awesome big sister and loves her little brother to pieces.  Initially she was pretty disappointed Jackson wasn’t a girl, but she snapped out of that in a few days.  She loves to help with diaper changes, baths, and burping!  She always wants brother to be AWAKE – which doesn’t make mommy very happy! Ha!  It does come in handy when he is sleepy during feedings though!

I have been testing out the Woombie and will be doing a blog review on it in the near future!!  Stay tuned!

Here are a few pictures ….

Dad, Mom, and I during the beginning stages of labor!  It sure got hard after this picture!  I couldn't have done it without the awesome support from my husband and my parents, especially my VERY talented and calming mother!

One VERY proud papa!!

Big SISTER Sophia! It is pretty cool to sit in mommy's big bed with her!

A mother's love for her son is so tender and precious!  I never knew it could be so
different than that of a daughter ... so amazing!!

Daddy's work ....

Daddy's work ... isn't it great! :)

Welcome to the world buddy!  We love you so much!!  Mommy is VERY glad to not be pregnant again!! Whew!!!

Sophia's First Day of School

We are so blessed in many reasons, but one being the amazing preschool we found for Sophia!  This program is awesome and has been around forever!!  Her teacher has been teaching the 2 year old class for 22 years now!  She must love this age!  On back to school night we received a folder full of information for the whole school year.  We have a month by month planner of every activity they will be doing, song they will learn (with lyrics to practice at home), Bible story they will hear, developmental centers, crafts, play centers, etc!  It is SO impressive and the most organized I have ever seen!!   I can't wait to see how much she grows, develops, learns, and matures this year!  I am thrilled also about having one day per week to myself with the baby from 9-1pm!!

Here are a few pictures from this morning ....

Eating her power breakfast: oats, flax, and yogurt! So excited about school!

Cheese! :)

Love my new backpack!!

In front of her name star at school!

LABOR DAY

... YOU FAILED MISERABLY ... You didn't live up to your name for this major preggo mama!! :(  Boo on you!!!   Don't you realize child, it would have been an awesome birth story to say you were born on Labor Day??

Alas ... enough of the negative nancy-stuff though b/c we had an AWESOME Labor Day together as a family!!  For the past 4 years, we have participated in the North Salem Old Fashion Day Celebration.  They always have a 10K run that is our late summer challenge!  For obvious reasons, I couldn't run ... but Nate was able to! (Thanks to this child still baking!)  Our good friends the Beards came out to enjoy the day with us in North Salem.  Chad and Nate were able to run the 10K together!  My sister, Hannah, Chad's wife Libby and two girls, Sophia, and I hung around while the boys exercised.  My parents were able to make it out to do the 20 mile bike ride too!!

Here are a few pictures ...

Two studs ... pre-race ...

Hannah, Sophia, and Maeve -- snack time!

Getting ready for the gun shot start

Singing and dancing on the main stage while Daddy runs!

Learning how to give "2" Thumbs up!  Ha! 

Dead after the 6.2 mile run ... 

One last family shot before the baby comes!! 

The rest of the day was full of showers, naps, a cookout, and YUMMY food!  The only thing missing was contractions!!

Hope you all had a wonderful labor day celebration with friends and family!

Keep checking back for updates and posts about baby Long #2's arrival!

Dress-Up

This past week Sophia really has enjoyed playing dress-up with all the clothes we have been given!  For me, it has been awesome watching her develop her imagination.  She is finally understanding "pretend-play!"  

This week my good friend Apryl and her two girls, Olivia and Anna, came over for a much overdue play date!!  It was so great to catch up with Apryl!  We live 5 min from each other, but have barely seen each other this summer!!   It was so wonderful to watch our girls (Olivia 4 1/2 and Sophia 2 3/4) actually play together for the first time.  It has always been side-by-side play or you-have-what-I-want play!  This week they were having a tea party with their baby dolls, cooking in the kitchen for each other, and playing so nicely together!!  Ahhhh .... sweet girls!  (I know, just wait till they are teenagers!!)

Apryl's oldest Olivia preparing a meal for Sophia

Have a WONDERFUL Labor Day weekend!  I hope my Labor Day weekend consists of GIVING BIRTH!!!  Come on Baby Long #2 .... Booby juice is WAY better than amniotic fluid!!!

WINNERS!!!

RE-PAC Reusable Bags

AMANDA  #25

"Subscribe to Go Long! Go Green! emails"

 HIKE Card Game

Jacob #125

"Follow GLGG on Twitter"

 Rowboat Card Game

Amanda F #98

"Like Moosetache on FB"

The winners have been emailed and have 48 hours to respond!!  Congrats again!!

Faith like a child ...

Today Sophia and I ran into Hobby Lobby to get a few things.  I told her we would try to find a small craft to work on together this evening while we waited for Nate to get home from work.   We looked and looked, but couldn't find anything.  She said, "Mommy, you just need to ask the lady and she will say, 'Yes we have crafts for Sophia'!"   She just cracks me up ... so matter of fact!  We eventually found this super cute Faith cross for $0.88 on clearance!   She couldn't wait to get home to start coloring!  

She is so proud of her coloring skills! :)  I am too!

It was a great faith teaching moment because she was curious why the word FAITH was written on the cross.  I got the opportunity to share with her of the importance of our FAITH in Christ and our obedience to him.  Then she asked me if Jesus gave her this cross.  I told her that Jesus blessed us with the money to be able to purchase the craft!  She said, "Jesus likes when I do crafts mommy!"

Concentrating really hard ..

This kept her busy the whole time it took me to make dinner!

The finished product ... not too bad for a 2 1/2 year old!  She colored EVERYTHING herself!  I am so impressed by her coloring skills!  She really stays in the lines well for her age!!  

Oh to always have faith like a child ... such a good lesson for this mommy!

Oreo Cheesecake Cookies

So I love love love the taste of Oreo's dipped in a nice cold glass of milk ... the only problem ... they are full of "junk" ingredients!!  It has been a long time since I have had an Oreo!  When I saw this recipe, I immediately thought of the Newman's Own Organic Cookie product line .... Newman O's!  (For you GF foodies out there ... pick up a package of the MI-DEL GF Choc Sandwich cookies that I previously reviewed) If I don't go into labor by Friday, I am heading to the store to buy a package of Newman O's and making these amazing cookies!!   Bring it on ....

Oreo Cheesecake Cookies

Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker, adapted from Tasty Kitchen, originally from Multiply Delicious

Yield: About 1 dozen cookies (mine made about 1 1/2 dozen, as I used around 1 inch balls of dough)

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (probably will cut this back or use some applesauce with it)
3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (will use 1/3 less fat)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup mini chocolate chips (I didn't have minis so I left these out)
1 cup Oreo cookie crumbs (will be using Newman O's)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (this is important! I was out of parchment and my cookies got a little overcooked on the bottom, I think the Oreo crumbs cooked quickly on the hot baking sheet and caused this) and set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and well-combined.

3. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and mix until the ingredients are well-combined. Add the flour and mix on low until the flour is incorporated. Stir in the mini chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.

4. Place the Oreo cookie crumbs in a small bowl. Scoop the cookies into about 1½ to 2″ balls (the dough will be soft, don' t worry if it doesn't scoop into a well-formed ball, the crumbs will help hold it together)and then roll in the cookie crumbs. Place the cookie balls on the baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the tops are slightly puffed.

5. Cool on the pan for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Final Week Snuggles ...

Last night I was sitting on the couch reading Sophia some princess books, when she decided to put her arm around me.  I usually sit with my arm around her, so this was extra special to me!!  (Especially the fact she actually smiled pretty for the picture and we could capture this sweet memory!)

Sophia with her arm behind my back while I read her story books!

Nate, Sophia, and I have shared really special times together this past month while we are on Baby Long #2 watch.  I feel like I have checked everything off my "to-do" list with her and am just soaking up all the daily individual time together!  She is getting really excited about her baby "sister" although each time I tell her it could be a baby brother too -- we don't know.  She says, "no mommy, only baby sisters grow in there (pointing to my belly)." I can just see it now ... we end up having a boy and her first question is this ..."Where is my baby sister?"

We are so excited to meet you Baby Long #2!  We can't wait to see how you will enjoy this awesome family of ours!!!  You have the best daddy in the world and the best big sister any sibling could ever ask for!!

Come quickly .... please ... don't make me have to force you out ... I beg you ... please, please, please come on your own (ok, also when our Dr is on call too!)!!!