I am now 37 weeks pregnant! I'm so excited and nervous to welcome baby number 3 into this world in the middle of a pandemic and right around the crazy holiday season. I can't wait to meet this little boy and see what sort of personality he has. I've been preparing and planning this little boy’s nursery, researching everything baby-related the past several months, and I put together my Must Have Minimalist Registry!
BATH NEEDS
For my "bath-time needs," I prioritized things that will be safe for sensitive skin, easy to use and store, and make the nerve-racking time of bathing a newborn a little easier.
If you're a part of the sensitive skin community or you or your baby struggle with eczema, then you have probably heard of Tubby Todd. Tubby Todd was founded by Andrea Faulkner Williams, a mom whose family also struggled with eczema and sensitive skin. (Read our story here to find out why this story resonates with us so much). Tubby Todd is made from gentle, clean ingredients, and has moms singing its praises all over the internet. This set will get you through the first few months, and is a great way to try out a few essentials to see how you like them!
Our Sea Sponges are all-natural and harvested from the coastal waters of Florida. Two summers ago, Ying and I actually visited the Sponge Farmers in Tarpon Springs and ate the most delicious Greek food while we were there. Tarpon Springs is a town founded by Greek sponge farmers, and as you walk the streets, you see Greek soap stores, restaurants, sponge stores, and boutiques. These sponges are very sudsy and are better for the environment than the plastic poof alternative. Our Bamboo Brush Set is not only eco-friendly but is also beautiful. This set comes with a comb, hairbrush with bamboo bristles, and a brush with goat hair that is designed to help with cradle cap.
FEEDING NEEDS
I've breastfed for about 3 1/2 years between my children, and I plan on breastfeeding this little one, too. When hunting for a breast pump, it was important for me that the pump be portable and rechargeable for travel and date nights. I wanted a hospital-grade pump that is closed-system and that can also connect to my phone. I'm terrible at logging my nursing and pumping sessions on my own, but the app makes it much easier. Pumpables also has something amazing called the liquid kit, that includes soft silicone flanges you can use to massage your breast tissue and help you empty faster. I'm also obsessed with this amazing, recently-released UV Sterilizer Bag, that works in 5 short minutes and is also rechargeable and portable.
I remember feeling like I wasted so much milk when I was nursing my babies, from filling up breast pads with leaking milk. When I had Brazos, I started seeing people use these silicone pumps, but didn't think I needed one. Since then, almost every friend and mom I know has told me I need to get the Haakaa for this baby.
I already own several reusable breast pads from Brazos, so between the Haakaa and the reusable pads, my girls are covered.
I love minimalist and high-quality baby goods that will last me from baby to baby. We own this classic, white Ikea highchair, and when you pair it with the affordable accessories from Yeah Baby Goods, it's really elevated to a high-end look. We ordered this cushion, high chair mat, on-the-go feeding set, foot rest, and chair wraps.
I love how modern this cover makes the classic Boppy Nursing pillow look. I saw a few mamas tag this brand on their Instagram, and I am now obsessed with everything on their website. The Boppy was super helpful with my last two babies when it came to nursing or letting little one lounge next to me while I pumped. These nursing pillow covers are made of genuine African Mudcloth.
I don't love to use covers, but sometimes your clothes don't work great for nursing in public so this cover helps in those situations. Baby boy will be born in January, so on those icy days or snowy, flurry weather, this cover will come in handy when bringing baby in from the car! Milk Snob is also a fellow DFW-based baby brand, and we love shopping local!
I love this first food set. My little ones always flipped their plates on the floor and spilled their drinks. Ezpz has invented plates and cups that just suction to the surface your child is eating off of. They also come in gorgeous colors, and you know how much we love colors at Kyte BABY.
TRAVEL
If you've ever heard me talk about baby-wearing you've probably heard me mention my love for ring slings! I love how quickly you can get baby into one, and once you master the learning curve, you'll be able to do it with your eyes closed. My favorite color at the moment is Aspen.
I used a Solly with Brazos and I loved how soft it was. As you know, at Kyte, we're all about softness and comfort. The Solly is designed by a California mom, so it's perfect for Texas weather and comes in gorgeous, muted, minimalist colors. This is great for the first year, as baby grows out of this at 25 pounds.
When shopping for a good travel system, I had a list of musts. I didn't want foam on the handles, as my stroller with Brazos had foam and was drying to my skin and also didn't hold up well in our trunk. I wanted a big undercarriage for carrying my bag. I wanted to be able to push one-handed because, as we all know, we moms have our hands full. I also wanted an infant seat that my little one wouldn't grow out of easily. This car seat is good up to 30 pounds, meaning my little one should be good for at least the first year. I also love how affordable this is, compared to some of the other nicer travel systems out there. The Maxi Cosi system is known for being incredibly light and easy to fold up, which was another one of my stroller musts!
This diaper bag was at the top of my Baby Registry wishlist. It's made of quality materials, stands up firm and steady on its own, and has tons of pockets. I'm always working on-the-go, so I have to bring my laptop with me everywhere, and this bag easily fits my 13" Macbook. This is a working-mom MUST and I can't wait to pack it full of diapers and baby clothes.
SLEEP
Obviously a must, are our incredibly soft baby sleep bags. Brazos slept soundly and cozy in his sleep bags when he was little, and I can't wait to pass them down (and get a new color, or two) to baby number 3. I love how the Kyte BABY sleep bag keeps baby warm and cozy without getting him sweaty and overheated. The material is really soft and cool to the touch. 2.5 TOG is great for the winter months and 1.0 is perfect year-round.
Nook Sleep is dedicated to making eco-friendly and breathable mattresses that are better for the environment and for your baby. They also sell these adorable covers that protect your mattress from accidents and mess. For my first two children, I purchased a mattress from a big box store that was somewhat plasticky-feeling. I love how this mattress seems to be firm, yet extremely comfortable and soft to the touch. I can't wait to try it with baby number 3!
For a sound machine, I really wanted one that I could play other sounds and music on. The Duet is bluetooth-enabled, which makes this possible! It has 30 sound options (I wanted a range of sounds to choose from), and its signature sounds are soft, mellow, and amazing. I don't like when white noise machines have sounds with many pitch changes because the highs and lows keep me awake.. This one also works as a warm-glow night light (which is perfect for late-night diaper changes), and emits a powerful sound for its size!.
DIAPERING NEEDS
I have owned two diaper genies and they were constantly emitting odor. I finally bit the bullet and tried the Ubbi Pail and it was the best decision I ever made. It’s made of stainless steel, which is much better than a plastic pail. Plastic absorbs odors and it's very difficult to get the smell out. Also, if you've ever owned a diaper pail, you know how expensive refills can get. The Ubbi uses regular trash bags, which was a game changer for me. It means not having to stock up on expensive refills, and I can have the option of using reusable diaper pail bags when we cloth-diaper.
PLAY TIME
This was suggested by our followers multiple times on our Instagram stories as a MUST-HAVE. Not to mention, a lot of our Kyte KLUB mamas love this gym and subscription box. I can't wait for my little one to arrive and to see what he thinks of it himself! Lovevery is big on minimalist and intelligent play and toys that encourage imagination instead of overloading little one's senses. I love that way of thinking, and I will definitely be limiting how many flashing, noisy things this baby is exposed to.
I love the idea of baby boy crawling around in these little cuties. Since he’s due in January, I can't wait to see how cute his outfits look layered with some sweater-knit socks, warm hats, bodysuits, and rompers! Little Stocking Co. has the softest and most stylish nostalgic socks and stockings and I think these are an absolute wardrobe staple for little ones of all ages and genders.
A lot of you wanted to know what was on my Kyte BABY registry Must-Have list, so I filmed an IGTV to see what my wishlist was watch it here! Next week, we'll be posting a blog on everything you need to stock your baby’s closet the first few months. I will tell you that I love Oat, Sage, Pine, Spice, and Charcoal everything. I have my closet filled with bundlers, bodysuits, pants, hats, and mittens. Another must is footies and rompers. It's a good idea to do about 20% newborn size, 40% 0-3 months, 20% 3-6 months, 10% 6-12 months, and 10% 12-18 months. That way, you have some options if baby grows more quickly than anticipated. Newborn sizes don’t fit for too long, but I remember baby wearing 0-3 months and 3-6 months clothes for what felt like forever.
I'll continue to update this blog post as I prepare for little boy's arrival, and I can't wait to introduce him to all of you!
Best,