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Torin's Top 20 in the 1st Month!

July 28, 2015

So our third little guy turned 1 month on February 6th 2015, and we thought we'd mark the occasion by sharing Torin's Top 20 list of products that have literally saved us in these past few weeks of extended hospital stays and bringing home another newborn.

Lyra's hospital bag of sanity-saving essentials!

In no particular order, here are 20 fabulous products that have made our lives a whole lot easier in these first 4 weeks:

1. Westcoast Baby Bamboo Nesting Kit - This made in BC baby layette set is the perfect way to keep your little one warm and cozy while you get some soothing skin-to-skin time after the birth. The ultra-soft bamboo fibres are gentle on your baby's skin and breathable too so they help promote proper temperature regulation. We also love the easy diaper changes with the open-bottom design.

Westcoast Baby Nesting Kit

2. Baby Butz Cream - Perfect for treating even the worst of diaper rashes on your little bub, Baby Butz Cream is a natural and zinc-based cream that is backed by a Natural Health Number (NHN) and made in Canada too. From bug bites to eczema and burns, everyone in our household uses Baby Butz Cream on a regular basis.

Baby Butz Cream

3. Buzz b Nail Trimmer - It has always amazed us as parents, just how long our boys' nails have been at birth. The ZoLi Baby battery operated nail trimmer does the trick and trims your little one's nails safely and effectively, without the worry of knicking any delicate skin! This little piece of equipment came to the hospital with us for use right after Torin's birth. This product is so easy and safe to use that our older boys can help file Torin's nails too!

ZoLi Baby Buzz b Nail Trimmer

4. Cloud b Tranquil Turtle - This truly tranquil sleep aid helped soothe Torin and us tired parents to sleep in the noisy hospital setting, as well as after we got home. Its gentle back and forth wave projections, combined with a lullaby and wave sounds, are the perfect recipe for a peaceful night's rest. The Cloud b Tranquil Turtle is definitely one of my own personal faves!

Cloud b Tranquil Turtle Sleep Aid

5. aden + anais Dribble Burpy Bibs - These feel-good muslin bibs are just perfect for over-the-shoulder burping protection and are great at absorbing spit up and milk dribbles. They also work well to protect your baby's delicate skin from scratchy or dirty clothing during family and friend visits. We have four Dribble sets so far, and love all the cute aden+anais prints.

aden+anais Dribble Burpy Bibs

6. Peppa Bonding Doll - This unique lovey/security blanket is contructed from organic cotton and wool, and works to absorb the familiar scents of caregivers and the home to provide comfort for your baby after the birth at home or away. The organic cotton terry cloth ears will also work wonders as safe and natural teethers down the road! Torin's Tino Peppa has already done his fair share of work in the hospital NICU and in his BassiNest at home, and his big brothers took turns wearing him before Torin was born so that their smell would be familiar too.

Peppa Tino Organic Bonding Doll

7. 4moms mamaRoo Infant Swing - Our positive mamaRoo experiences with our second son back in 2012 were part of the reason we opened a baby store in the first place. With the ability to recline to a near-flat position for a newborn, plus 5 built-in motions designed to help soothe a baby just like parents do, the 4moms mamaRoo has repeatedly proven itself to be an essential piece of baby gear for our family!

4moms mamaRoo Plush Infant Swing

8. Nest Designs Bamboo Blankies - The Bamboo Blankies from Vancouver company Nest Designs are the perfect way to wrap up a newborn babe in luxurious softness! Natural bamboo fibres help to regulate temperature and are super-soft to the touch. Trendy prints and patterns also top off the awesomeness of these beautiful baby essentials! We brought these to the hospital in our favourite Fox & Hound prints.

Nest Designs Bamboo Blankies

9. Nook LilyPad Playmat - The LilyPad Playmat from Nook is the ideal surface for play or tummy time. The LilyPad's unique pebble design and breathable construction help promote optimal air flow, as well as providing a soft and supportive surface for Torin's delicate head and neck to rest on. Organic cotton and natural eucalyptus fibres work to create a natural softness and breathability that's also easy on the environment!

Nook LilyPad Playmats

10. Original Sprout Hair & Body Babywash - Made in the USA, this wonderful multipurpose baby wash is free from parabens, artificial fragrances, phthalates, sulphates, gluten, soy and propylene glycol. It also smells absolutely amazing and is gentle enough for daily use on all of our boys' skin.

Original Sprout Hair & Body Babywash

11. Lassig Green Label Neckline Bag - The Lassig Green Label Neckline baby bag is a functional and eco-friendly option for the sytyle-conscious parent. Made from recycled PET bottles, the Neckline works perfectly as a unisex bag, and comes equipped with stroller straps, a coordinating change pad, adjustable shoulder strap, insulated bottle holder, removeable zippered pouch and a water-repellant wet pocket. The Lassig Green Label Neckline Bag is roomy enough for me to fit all of my on-the-go gear for 3 kids and garners compliments whenever we're out.

Lassig Green Label Neckline Diaper Bags

12. HALO BassiNest Swivel Sleeper - The newly-released HALO BassiNest has allowed us to keep a close eye on Torin throughout daytime naps and nighttime sleeps. The mesh sides maximize air flow for safe sleeping, and we love the onboard vibration feature and white noise or lullabies. The height is also easily adjustable, allowing us to raise it level with our bed and create a pseudo co-sleeping situation without sacrificing safety. Having Torin so close at hand also helps make nightime feedings a breeze.

HALO BassiNest Swivel Sleeper

13. Boon GRASS Drying Rack - The Boon GRASS countertop drying rack is a functional and funky kitchen accessory that we've been using for years now. When you're done drying breast pump parts, soothers and bottles, we enjoyed using it to dry our wine glasses before starting this whole pregnancy and newborn stuff all over again!

Boon GRASS Drying Racks

14. ErgoPouch ErgoCocoon - The ErgoCocoon from Australian company ErgoPouch is made from organic cotton and helps recreate the womb experience after the birth by swaddling baby snuggly. The convertible design snaps open at the arms to allow you to sleep your little one with both arms out if you prefer, and helps keep your baby snoozing safely while allowing for self-soothing too. We used a ton of swaddling products over the years with our kids and this is BY FAR our favourite. Stand-out features also include various available warmth ratings and a double zipper for easy diaper changes at night.

ErgoPouch ErgoCocoon Swaddle Sack

15. AppleCheeks Cloth Diapers - Disposable diapers are EXPENSIVE! Purchasing natural disposable diapers, without harmful chemicals or processing, is even more expensive! We love using our made in Canada AppleCheeks Bamboo Little Bundles with Torin. I can rest easy knowing that using them is better for the environment and our pocket book in the long run, and far superior for his sensitive skin too. We also love that the size 1 diaper is such a great fit for even a small newborn, and can be used until Torin reaches 18 lbs! Luckily we're already covered for size 2's with our second son's AC stash, and if we need to cloth diaper for a longer period due to Torin's Down syndrome, we know that we can now purchase size 3 AppleCheeks Cloth Diapers to be used up to a whopping 65 lbs!

AppleCheeks Cloth Diapers

16. CuddlyWrap - The made in Canada CuddlyWrap by Peapod Creations is a stretchy wrap that holds your baby close in the inward-facing, front carry position. This wrap is particularly great for Torin as it can be worn skin to skin, is easy to nurse in, and offers an upright but cozy positioning with easily-adjustable head support. It is also made from organic cotton, so I feel good knowing that he's in a Canadian-made product that's also safe next to his delicate skin.

Organic Cotton CuddlyWrap

17. Comotomo Natural Feel Baby Bottle - The Natural Feel Bottle from Comotomo is ideal for breastfed or formula fed babies alike! It offers an easy-to-clean design (this is a HUGE plus!), a squishy silicone bottom that feels more like a breast, a naturally-shaped 3 inch nipple with an elongated teat to be more like mama, and dual anti-colic vents to help keep your bottle feed as air-free as possible.

Comotomo Natural Feel Silicone Bottles

18. Kiinde Kozii Breastmilk and Bottle Warmer - The Kiinde Kozii Bottle Warmer uses a low-temperature, nutrient-safe water bath to safely thaw and warm breastmilk or heat formula. Because it warms so gently by using a circulating water bath, the Kozii helps prevent hot spots that can result from steam-heating breastmilk and formula, and also makes sure your baby is getting the most nutritious feed possible. We are breastfeeding and bottle feeding Torin with pumped breastmilk, and the Kozii bottle warmer is literally a life saver at 4 AM when we're bleary-eyed and exhausted. As a huge bonus, it also works perfectly with the Comotomo bottles!

Kiinde Kozii Breastmilk and Bottle Warmer

19. GAIA Massage Oil - Being C-section babies, our boys have always needed a little extra stimulation to 'wake up' their nervous systems after delivery. We love using this natural and organic oil to give Torin a nice massage after a bath. It also smells amazing and the organic sweet almond oil and lavendar essential oil keeps his skin super-soft and supple.

GAIA Baby Massage Oil

20. Minimoc Mocassins - What can I say about these ultra-sweet, made in BC baby mocassins? They are a serious style essential in our house! With their kick-proof design, these mocassins are made to stay on little feet... and look ADORABLE doing it! Plus, they're a local product, so we couldn't be happier in supporting them.

Minimoc Moccasins