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I know baby showers for second children are not common, and with Lucy being our second baby, we planned to reuse a lot of baby products from when Jack was an infant. My in-laws were sweet enough to organize a drive-by baby shower in April for us and so I ended up putting together small registry on Target and Amazon. I hadn’t planned on sharing it with friends and family initially, I mainly wanted to get the 15% completion discount to pick up the few items we needed for her arrival (a new bassinet, new burp cloths, a new baby monitor, etc.).
Here are a few new items we are using and loving, as well as items we swear by for both kiddos. I still swear by this list I put together when Jack was a few months old and here is what we have been using the second time around with Lucy:
Owlet Monitor and Camera – This was a last minute splurge the week prior to Lucy’s early arrival at 38 weeks. We needed a new monitor for the nursery and with Jack’s asthma diagnosis back in December, we wanted to be as safe as possible with a new baby. We haven’t had any issues with false alarms and at the moment, Lucy sleeps next to us, but I still use it to monitor her so I’m not always getting all the way out of bed to check on her. The camera, which is viewed from the Owlet App, is set up in her nursery where she is currently taking her naps.
Simons Kids’ By the Bed Bassinet – I had a strong feeling that I was going to have a second c-section. The first bassinet we used for Jack sat too low next to our bed and was super hard during recovery to reach into that bassinet. This time around, I found this alternative to the Halo bassinet. For the price, it works just fine, and it has five different levels of height to choose from. Highly recommend this for any c-section mamas!
4 Mamas Rockaroo – We are borrowing this from my sister-in-law. We got rid of our rock-n-play and replaced it with this. Lucy does not mind it and I appreciate that it can rock her when I am handling Jack. Lucy does great with it and it is a safe spot to put her in when we are playing with Jack or in our dining room/kitchen area.
Loverly Playmat – I found one on Facebook Marketplace for $20. Admittedly, we haven’t used this a ton, it has a rather large footprint. However, now that Lucy is semi-mobile, I know we will start to use it for more floor/play time. We do not have a large living space to have this out 24/7 between Jack’s toys and the Nugget. I do love that it is super engaging with the mirrors and black and white cards. Now that she is rolling over, she can interact with it more.
Dock-A-Tot – Tried and true, my beloved Dock-A-Tot, we are using this a second time around (I have loaned it out to a few mamas after Jack was done using it). We use this thing ALL over our house. It goes to the basement, out on the patio, our living room in the bassinet, the home-office. Anywhere Lucy goes, it goes (and a parent for supervision, of course).
Coo Baby Bamboo Pajamas (and basically any onesie with reversible zippers) – My friend and sorority sister, Kaci, and her family designed these beautiful and practical pajamas that I swear by. Lucy recently outgrew her 0-3-month jammies, so I picked up her next size along with another pair of the toddler versions for Jack. They have grips on the feet, covers for the hands, and a two-way zip. We literally threw out any onesie that did not have a zipper when going through Jack’s old clothes because they are just not practical for newborn life.
Muslin Swaddles – I was bound and determined to have some beautiful muslin swaddles for Lucy. I bought a bunch from The Sugar House Collection and plan to purchase just a few more. They are super lightweight and soft. The perfect stroller blanket and to have around the house. I don’t think you can have enough!
Keekaroo Changing Pad – A changing pad that doesn’t need to be thrown in the wash with every blow out. It easily wipes down. We would normally keep it in the nursery, but it currently lives on my dresser in our bedroom since that is where we get the kiddos ready at night and in the morning. You can always lay down these reusable waterproof changing pad liners from Munchkin that can be easily thrown in the wash!
Anglecare Bath – I bought this for $5 on Facebook marketplace, seriously, don’t be afraid to buy some baby things second-hand if they are in great condition! We used this later with Jack and now will have it from the start with Lucy. I also use it to set her in when I’m getting ready but still need to have eyes on her in the bathroom!
Wyze Camera – I bought a 2 pack for $40 from Amazon. We needed more monitors, one for Jack’s room and one for our living room. It was easy to set up and user friendly. I can monitor both rooms from one app. It’s a godsend when I’m with one kiddo in one room and I need to check on the other.
Boppy Baby Carrier – A “wrap” baby carrier without the fuss. It is easy to put on and Lucy loves to be worn. I used this with Jack as an infant but have used it SO much more with Lucy. It is the only way we can get in a nap some evenings, if we are on a walk with Jack, or if I need to be multitasking, especially since I’m working from home.
Mesa Car Seat/Cruz Stroller – We are reusing the same stroller system we did with Jack. This time around, because Lucy was a summer baby, I am wishing we had the bassinet attachment, but we survived without it. Now having two kids, I wish we would have invested from the beginning in a double stroller system like the Vista, but we are managing. If Jack is in the stroller, I will wear Lucy in her carrier, especially if it’s just me taking them for a walk. Jack LOVES to run away right now, so containment is key (unless my husband is on a walk with us and can wrangle him)! But the Mesa car seat has the easiest install for the car base and it to snap it into the stroller.
Stroller Fan – A nice to have. With Lucy being a summer baby, maternity leave, and having Jack home with us all summer long, it was important to have a way to keep Lucy cool if we were playing outside.
