Pregnancy Archives - Twin Tested

Does the SNOO really work?

Does the SNOO really work? It’s something I wanted to know when I found out I was expecting baby #2. The first thing I started stressing about was sleep. My first child, Hazel was not a great sleeper when she was a baby and it was really challenging. So this time around I wanted to research new products and see if I could try something different.

That’s when I started hearing about the Happiest Baby SNOO Smart Sleeper from several friends who swore by it. The SNOO is a baby bassinet that is really so much more. Not only does it come with swaddles, it is super high tech. You download the app to your smartphone and control everything from it. After you secure your baby in the swaddle, you push the “on” button and the sound machine starts, along with the gentle rocking motion. SNOO automatically rocks your baby to sleep and uses soothing white noise to boost sleep.

What’s really fascinating is what happens next. The SNOO senses when your baby is fussy and increases the volume of the sound machine and the rocking motion. It truly is amazing to watch. It’s a bassinet that rocks your baby back to sleep!

For tired parents, it’s like hiring a night nurse. When it’s 3AM and your baby starts getting restless it’s so nice to look over at the SNOO as it gently rocks them back to sleep while you get to stay in bed.

Helps drowsy babies fall asleep

We put Taft in the SNOO when he is drowsy and he goes right to sleep. He is sleeping 4-6 hour stretches every night in the SNOO. I think that’s pretty amazing for an 8-week-old baby.

sleeping baby in the happiest baby SNOO Smart Sleeper

A couple of things to know:

5-second swaddle

SNOO’s easy “5-second-swaddle” is hip safe and never unravels. Protective swaddle wings keep your baby safely on their back.

My 3-year-old daughter can easily do it (supervised). It’s by far the easiest and most effective swaddle I’ve used. SNOO comes with an organic fitted sheet and 3 SNOO Sacks.

You can rent a SNOO

The best news is you can rent the SNOO! If your house is anything like mine, you don’t have one more square inch to devote to storing baby gear. We are renting our SNOO until Taft is 6 months old. That is the age you transition baby to a crib. I think other baby companies should take note because this is a genius idea!

The SNOO is aesthetically pleasing

It’s beautiful. It seems too good to be true- a bassinet that rocks your baby to sleep and it’s pretty too?! The designers really hit it out of the park on this one. I would have still loved it if it was giant and plastic and sparkly because it works! But the fact that it’s pretty? Bravo SNOO!

Created by a pediatrician

The SNOO was created by a very experienced pediatrician. Dr. Harvey Karp is one of America’s most-trusted pediatricians and child development experts. He is also the founder and CEO of Happiest Baby, a smart-tech and parenting solutions company. He is also the author of The Happiest Baby on the Block.

Keeping you in the loop

I will continue to share my experience using the SNOO. So look for those in the coming months. Right now all I can say is I’m so grateful someone created a bassinet that helps my baby sleep! I hope he continues to be a great sleeper.

If you’re in the market for baby products, you can read our recent post on our favorite baby stroller. Find it here.

How to survive on no sleep as a parent

I have one piece of parenting advice that I always share with friends and family. It’s to ignore all of the parenting advice you are given and do whatever works for you! Ha. Profound, I know. But, there is one thing I want to share that has truly saved my sanity in the almost two years since having Hazel. I need to preface it by saying I know I am extremely lucky to have this as an option. I also know this is not possible for everyone, but maybe it will help a tired mom out there somewhere.

Hazel is not a great sleeper and hasn’t been since the day she was born. We’ve done all of the sleep training methods and she gets into a good routine and then usually out of it really quick. Most nights for the first 18 months of her life, she would be up at least 2-3 times. I really think sleep deprivation is torture because it affects absolutely every aspect of your life negatively.

Sam and I are both the kind of people who function best when we get 8 hours of sleep. Doesn’t everyone though? The first few weeks of parenting threw us into a tired frenzy. This is all familiar to most parents, but we decided we both just couldn’t do it. So, we came up with a little arrangement. It’s called “Vacation Suite”. We have a guest bedroom in our basement and we decided to start using it. Every other night, we would switch off sleeping down there. It’s soundproof, which means even though the baby was waking up multiple times a night, you cannot hear it when you’re in the vacation suite. After the first night down there, I knew it was going to make a world of difference.

Waking up refreshed, I was able to get through the day and be a more patient, loving, level-headed person. So, if you need a one night vacation that will change your life, start using that guest bedroom or sleeping on the couch with noise-canceling headphones, or whatever it takes to get some rest! I’m so glad we have been using a room in our house that otherwise sat ignored 99% of the time.

We have not done this for 20 months straight. We did do it quite a bit in the first 6 months of Hazel’s life, but she would get into good stretches where she would sleep pretty well and Sam and I could sleep in the same bed 🙂 After that, we would just do it when she was having a rough week and not sleeping well. It was also really great if one of us had something important the next day, we could sleep in the vacation suite.

Right before Hazel was born, I decided to decorate the vacation suite and make it cozy and comfortable. I just added a side table, candle and art and pillows that I loved. Little did I know, I would be spending a lot of time in there! It’s nice to have a space that feels very calming and quiet when you’re a new parent.

I know there are people thinking, wait how did you do this while breastfeeding? Well, if it was within a 6-hour stretch that the baby woke up, Sam would feed her milk that I had previously pumped or formula. Then, he would bring her down to me in the morning for feeding before taking her back upstairs again. This worked really well for us until I stopped breastfeeding at 9 months. Then, feedings were simplified because it was just formula.

Sam is a very involved parent and we knew to go into this parenting thing that we both wanted to give 100%. It has made a world of difference. We both LOVE our sleep and do not take it for granted. I’m happy to report we are currently in a great stage where Hazel is sleeping from about 7:30PM-6:30AM, so we rarely use the vacation suite.

I would love to hear what has worked for you when it comes to surviving on little sleep as a parent!

Introducing Hazel Goldy Haslam

Our baby girl is finally here! She was born on August 27 at 4:53 AM. I went into the hospital on Saturday, August 26 (which was the day after my due date) because I was not feeling her move. I figured I would get sent home so Sam and I both went in gym clothes. Well after 90 minutes of monitoring, the doctors and nurses told me I was going to have the baby that day. All plans of being freshly showered and looking decent were happily thrown out the window. After being in labor for about 14 hours, she made her grand entrance. There are no words to describe the moment when Sam and I got to see her for the first time. It was so special. She weighed 8 lb. 4 oz. and has continued gaining weight since then and is nearly ten pounds! We never imagined we could love something so tiny so much. So far, the large majority of people think she looks like Sam and I have to agree. We stare at her all day long and can’t imagine life without her.

A few things that are helping us survive the 3rd trimester

The third trimester of pregnancy is no joke – shout out to all the mamas out there that go through it without complaining! With only a few weeks to go, we are both battling swollen feet, sleepless nights, and moments of pure exhaustion. However, in the midst of all this, we are loving seeing family and friends at baby showers, prepping our nurseries, and getting ready to meet these little humans! Here are a few things that are making us feel happy right now:

MAC Concealer: Pregnancy has been a bit of a curve ball when it comes to my complexion. Thankfully this concealer is a WINNER! It is not greasy and stays put all day long. The very best part is that it is now carried at Ulta which is nice and convenient since there is one just down the street from my house. You can find it here.
Homemade Ice Cream: Instead of a birthday cake I requested homemade chocolate marshmallow ice cream from my mom. She has an ice cream maker that is old school, at least 30 years old, and makes THE CREAMIEST ice cream! Here is the recipe she uses.
DryBar Flexible Hold Hairspray: Now that I am moving into mom territory I anticipate not having too much free time to do my hair in the beginning. This stuff keeps my curls looking good for multiple days in a row. Plus, it totally doubles as a perfume in my book because it smells really good. You can find it here.
An everything bag that fits all my stuff: Rosemary Card, of QNOOR, gifted me this gorgeous leather bag for the baby and I immediately fell in love. The leather is really supple and the gorgeous caramel neutral color works with everything. Quite possibly the prettiest diaper bag of all time!
Tassel Earrings: it’s only fun to shop for three things right now – sunglasses, earrings and makeup – because they are the only things that still fit! I got bright purple tassel earrings from JCrew and have been wearing them probably a little too often, but it’s because they make it look like I sort of tried when paired with any outfit. Here are some that are similar.

The countdown is on! Here’s to a few more weeks of waddling 🙂

Britt & Sam Maternity Photos

Sam and I were hesitant to get maternity photos taken just because it seemed kind of indulgent to take them before the baby is here, but now we are so glad we did. Although I feel the least glamorous I ever have, I’m sure I will look back and be happy to remember this time of life. In more exciting news, only one month until we get to meet this baby girl! Here are a few of my favorites from our session with Meg Turley.

Pregnancy Survival Guide {first half}

{photo via @edeneats my fave pregnant lady/food lover to follow on Instagram}

Both Brooke and I have learned a lot in the first half of our pregnancies. Surprisingly enough, they have been very different. I had pretty bad morning sickness for the first trimester, while Brooke felt good for the most part. We thought it would be fun to put together a list of things that helped us survive so far.

DEALING WITH MORNING SICKNESS:

Trader Joe’s Ginger EVERYTHING

They have ginger mints, ginger snaps, ginger thins, ginger ale, etc. All of them are helpful in calming queasy stomachs. Having never been a huge fan of drinking ginger ale before pregnancy, it was the one thing that tasted good and settled my stomach. I’ve had friends say La Croix has a similar effect!

Vitamin B6

I started taking these vitamins after my doctor recommended them for my nausea and throwing up. It really seemed to help and I could tell a difference when I missed a day.

Overall, both of us were very lucky when it came to feeling sick. We know there are women who have it SO much worse. We were also so grateful to both feel good towards the beginning of the 2nd trimester.

BEAUTY:

Skin

This has been one of the toughest parts of pregnancy. Both Brooke and I have noticed major changes in our skin – more oily and a lot more breakouts while pregnant. This is probably due to the fact that both of us had been taking either birth control pills or other medication to deal with acne. In pregnancy, you really can’t do much to help with skin issues. It also isn’t helpful when there is a camera getting close-ups of your face every day 🙂 This has made skincare an even bigger priority. We have had to find things that are very gentle, but still cleanse the skin. We have stuck to the brands that our dermatologist suggests – mostly Cetaphil products. I have also used Phytoceane cleansers that are super gentle and smell amazing. Good to remember this part won’t last forever!

Makeup

Thank heavens for makeup! We’ve said it before and we will say it again. When you are not feeling pretty, a little makeup can go a long way. The only big makeup change we’ve made is to use less oil based makeup and more powders. Our favorite new finishing powder is Too Faced Primed & Poreless – it just gives your face a nice matte (but not too matte) finish.

Lash Extensions

I think every pregnant woman should try these. When nothing else is working out, you can still have great lashes! Not only do they save time, but they make me feel good even if I have no makeup on. I’ve been getting mine done by Melissa at Salon Lydia for a long time. I can easily go 5-6 weeks in between fills, so it is a very worthwhile splurge in my life.

CLOTHING:

It’s normal to sit in front of your closet and cry after you break the zipper on your favorite skirt because it no longer fits, right? Well, I sure hope so! Ha. My changing body has been very humbling. I can no longer fit into most of my clothes that I love and it’s kind of sad. BUT! Then I remember that it’s because I’m growing a beautiful human being and my stomach is supposed to be getting bigger, so things are exactly as they should be. All of that being said, there are a few pieces of clothing that I would highly recommend.

H&M Maternity Pants Why fight the zipper anymore? I can’t find the ones I have online, but these are similar.

Why fight the zipper anymore? I can’t find the ones I have online, but these are similar. The plain black ones are game changers. So comfortable and they look like real pants, while they feel like you are wearing pajama leggings. I wear them a few times a week.

Pink Blush Dresses

This dress company is great at making dresses that flatter and fit a pregnant body. My personal favorite and most worn item is this super comfy Black Hi Low Midi Dress.

SLEEP

Get a humidifier! One of the odd side effects of pregnancy is feeling extra congested (at least for me). My mom recommended getting a humidifier and I don’t know why I didn’t buy one sooner. Having the humidifier on while I sleep has made a big difference in feeling like I can breathe easier.

Boppy Pregnancy Wedge $13 it’s the perfect size to sleep with in between your legs or underneath one side.

Body Pillow although it feels like there is a third person in bed, it’s worth it! So comfy.

EMOTIONS

Oh wow. They are up and down and up and down and I started crying when Sam asked me if I wanted a milkshake 🙂 I think one of the things that helped me the most is to actually stop researching and reading. I have found it just stresses me out and I end up feeling overwhelmed. I normally love to read, but when it comes to maternity and pregnancy books, I have decided to set them aside for the next little while. Right now I am trying to enjoy these moments as a family of two before everything changes.

Thank you for all of the kind words and advice. I would love to hear what helped you survive the second half of your pregnancy! Any tips and tricks?

It’s a…

We are so thrilled to announce we are both having girls! Brooke has thought all along she was having a girl, while Sam and I were pretty sure we were having a boy. Surprise! Both girls. Of course, this just means we can start shopping 🙂 The moment when you find out during the ultrasound is pretty special. There were a lot of happy tears shed. Eventually, the ultrasound tech asked if we needed tissues and double checked to make sure we were crying because we were happy, not sad. It was a rush of emotions and happiness I’ve never felt before. Everything seems to be much more real now. Truly the most important part of the appointment was knowing that our baby is healthy and we were so happy to hear that she is doing great.

Our parents keep saying they are thrilled to be having twin girls again. Our dad loved to buy us matching clothes when we were growing up, so we can only guess he will do the same with our little babes. We both had little gender reveal parties with our close friends and families after we found out. Brooke and Parker had everyone pop black balloons and pink confetti popped out, it was really cute! Sam really wanted to involve golf somehow (of course) so he found exploding golf balls on Ebay and luckily it worked. He wanted me to hit one as well, but I chose not to embarrass myself 🙂 I posted the video below, if you want to watch.

Brooke and I have been so overwhelmed with the kindness of others. Thank you so much for all of the sweet calls, texts, messages and gifts! We are so lucky to have such wonderful people in our lives. Everyone is making this whole pregnancy thing a lot more fun.

Neither of us have bought anything for baby yet, so we need your advice! What are your must-haves? Anything we should start buying right now? We are both making plans for our nurseries right now. Brooke is thrilled she will be able to go with the girly ideas she already had and I am going a little more neutral. All ideas and advice welcome! Thanks for coming on this fun journey with us!

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