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.

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!!!

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!

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!)!!!

Explaining weekly OB apts to a 2 1/2 year old ....

Sophia is very well-behaved at the doctors office and is always a trooper in the midst of LONG wait times, but the poor girl just dreads the doptone (to listen to the heartbeat).  It must be something about the crackly, static noise that scares her.  I always try to tell Sophia our day's schedule in the morning so she knows how things will go.  We find this really helps with obedience because she knows what is coming next.  Her steel-trap mind doesn't forget what is promised either!  HA!

Here is the conversation from this morning ...

Me: Sophia, we are going to go to the gym and then to mommy's doctor to make sure the baby is doing OK!

Sophia: I don't want to go to listen to the baby mommy.  It's scary!

Me: I know sweetheart, but we have to go b/c that is what the doctor said.  We actually have to start going each week now until the baby comes out.

Sophia: Why mommy?

Me: Each time we go, she can tell us if the baby is ready to come out or not.


Sophia: Mommy, the doctor doesn't need to tell us that ... the baby is already in your tummy.  She doesn't need to do anything for you.


Me: Sweetheart, I know the baby is in my tummy, but it can't stay in there forever or mommy's tummy will get huge!  Remember how Miss Libby's baby Adele was in her tummy and then one day we went to go meet her at her house?


Sophia: I like Adele mommy!  I want a baby sister like Maeve does.


Me: So we need to go to the doctor and see when our baby is going to come out.


Sophia: The doctor don't need to help you, I will help you get the baby out.  I will say, "Come out baby and we can play with my Dora house.  The baby likes Dora, Diego, Boots, and Tico mama!  You can help too mommy but the doctor need not help me.  I do it myself.   I am going to be a good big sister!"


Me: Ok sweetheart, we will see about that.  Are you going to catch the baby when she/he comes out?


Sophia:  Yes mommy, I catch like I catch the ball.


Me: (Laugh out loud) ... Ok Sophia, let's get to the gym!

Just precious ... makes my heart melt!!

36 week belly comparison .... THOUGHTS?

Alright ... here ya go ... many have asked for it and I have not been faithful about taking belly shots every 4 weeks like I did with my first pregnancy! 

So, what do you think??  Any gender predictions now?

36 weeks with Sophia

36 weeks with Baby #2

 We are so excited to meet this little one but still enjoying my sleep at night!!

The Last 4 Weeks ...

I can't believe I am going to say this ...  especially in the heart of my morning all-day sickness, but WOW this pregnancy has gone so quickly!  I look back and remember the morning we found out that we were pregnant ... Dec 29th!  Have I really been pregnant that long?

People say with your first, you sit and worry all the time, anxiously mark off the days in your calender until you get to meet your little one, sitting in constant wonder what it will be like ... yep, been there done that!  However, with the second, it seems like I haven't had the time to sit and worry, I am anxious to meet this little guy/gal, but haven't been marking off each day, and I don't have to wonder what it will be like because I know from first hand experience it will be amazing!!  Thank heavens for a 2 1/2 year old to keep my mind preoccupied so I can (somewhat) enjoy this pregnancy!

I have deemed August the month of Nate and Sophia.  I want to make it my goal for the next 4 weeks to do extra special things for my incredible husband before we begin man-on-man defense!  I want these next 4 weeks to be filled with awesome memories for Sophia of special times with her mommy and daddy before her word gets rocked in a way she won't understand!  The beauty of making family memories is that it doesn't have to cost anything (or just a few bucks) ... it only costs your time, love, and attention!!  

Here are a few examples for my two sweets:


Nate
- Final Date night with the Hubby coming up this weekend (Childcare provided thanks to a great friend from our "kid swap" date night)
- Playing lots of the hubby's new games before the baby comes and giving him lots of time/attention to try them out!
- Cooking extra tasty meals (hopefully with some leftovers to stash in the freezer)
- Making sure housework, laundry, dishes, etc stay caught up on ...
- Giving of myself and time in the evenings for good chats and quality bonding time


Sophia
- Enjoy each morning snuggle in her bed after she wakes up when we talk about the day and what is planned
- Extra trips to the Danville pool after 4pm when it only costs $3 for 3 hours of swim!
- Extra trips to the library to pick out new picture books and spend lots of time reading them to her (sometimes over and over and over again) with a smile on my face!
- Helping her to "mother" her baby and change the baby's diaper while teaching her what it will be like with a new baby in the house!
- Finding some fun garage sales so we can look for the end-of-season "treasures!"
- Meet the teach night at Sophia's Mom's Day Out/Preschool
- Going out for ice cream (a very special treat b/c we NEVER do it or rarely let her eat sweets that aren't healthy and made by yours truly)
- Going to 2 of her friends birthday parties
- Final playdates with friends
- Hopefully a few more trips to the park if the weather EVER cools down ...

Don't worry .... I plan to do some fun things for myself in these final weeks ...

Myself
- Glee 3D MOVIE on opening night with the girls!
- Girls night out for dinner!  (This past Monday, but still gotta include it on the list)
- Use my Groupon for Cass and Company Spa/Salon for my mani and pedi with my favorites SEESTER Sarah
- Book Club x 2 with my awesome girls
- Diaper Shower hosted by some awesome ladies at church
- 2 more weekend game nights scheduled with friends
- Hopefully a trip to Edinburgh to see my BFF and her kiddos

My lists seems full and possibly overwhelming to many of you, but no worries ... since we aren't finding out the gender it didn't take any time to prepare for baby.  I washed the crib sheets and white onesies, 10 unisex gowns, the car seat and bouncy seat cover.  I will pack a bag eventually .... the real work will come if we come home with a baby BOY!! :)

What kinds of things did you do to prepare for baby #2, 3, 4, etc?  Any final tips for this mama on adjusting to life with two??

Baby Long #2!

Yesterday we had our much anticipated ultrasound to get a sneak peak at Baby #2, however this time, we avoided his/her southern most region if you know what I mean! HA!!  We are so excited to find out when he/she decides to arrive!!

Here are a few pictures ...

My favorite one .. jaw open, ready to eat ... that is my kind of baby!! Sorry honey, my milk isn't ready yet!

Good profile shot! Cute nose!

Waving or ready to suck his/her thumb!

2 Cute feet!

Awesome profile with 3 cord vessel shot!

Any guesses from the profile?  Ha!! :)

We got a great 5 min DVD of the US.  Sophia says, "Watch my baby sister movie again please mama?"  I say, it could be a baby brother to which she says, "No mama, it's a baby sister!"  I tell her ... that is what daddy thinks too!!

Guess we will all be left to "guesses" till September!