Inara Studios

Last week I told you about the Iphone app that has made my life so much easier. This week: the amazing muslin swaddle blankets by Aden & Anais.

I first heard about these blankets last summer when some girlfriends got them for their babies. The light weight fabric with which they are made makes them IDEAL for swaddling a newborn baby especially in the heat of summer! The fabric is so soft and has a bit of give to it, so you can wrap your baby tightly without suffocating them. Cade and I learned very quickly that Eva slept the best when she was swaddled from the neck down. Now she never goes down for a nap without looking like a little burrito baby.

You can purchase solid white (my personal favorite) or any number of adorable prints. Seriously, these are essential to every newborn!

I could kiss Eva’s toes all day long.

How did we get so lucky?

Now that I am officially immersed in “baby world”, I have decided to add another category to this blog called My Favorite Baby Things. My goal is to showcase ONE product each week that I love and tell you why. Hopefully this is helpful, especially to new moms! And if you have something you think I should try, please let me know!! I found out about most of these baby things through my own friends and I am SO thankful for their advice!

First up The Total Baby Iphone App

I have used this app on my phone since day 1 with Eva! Actually, I used it when she was only a few hours old. This awesome app allows you to track feedings (bottles - how many ounces, or if you are breastfeeding - which side the baby just fed on and for how long), naps, diapers (poopy/wet), baths and other things. The screen shot below is the main menu where it also keeps timers going to show how long it’s been since each happened (icons left to right: diaper, eating, sleeping, bath).

I know there are those who would argue that keeping such a close watch on the clock when dealing with babies is stressful, but for me personally, having this app has given me loads of confidence. With just a click I can check to see how long it has been since Eva ate and conclude whether she is hungry or not, or see how long she’s been awake and know “oh, she’s just tired and is ready to go down for a nap”. The app also allows you to make notes with each entry you make. This has been helpful for me in determining certain foods that make Eva spit up a lot (spicy) or if she had an extra large poopy diaper. And if you have more than one baby (or child) you can have numerous accounts, one for each.

Don’t have an iPhone? It also works on the iPod Touch.

Seriously, you should check it out. I think it is one of the best things a new mom can have …and it only costs $4.99!

Our little Eva is now 7 weeks old! Time is flying by!

Last week when I was photographing her nursery, I also took some pictures of Eva IN her nursery. I love the size comparisons! Her baby blanket (which I also made):

Someone is getting some rolls. =)

Thankfully, Eva LOVES to sleep in her crib! All of her naps during the day take place in her nursery. I never get tired of watching her sleep, whether it’s right there in her room or from the video monitor that we have downstairs. I think sleeping babies are mesmerizing!

Way before we knew our baby was a girl, I started dreaming of how we could decorate a nursery. I am an introvert and I love making our home cozy since we are here a lot! (I am perfectly content to spend an entire weekend at home with Cade! That’s just who I am! =)

When we found out we were having a girl, I began my search for the perfect bedding. I never found something that I absolutely loved so I decided to look at fabrics instead and make my own bedding. This process took weeks. I literally looked through thousands (no joke!) of fabric swatches online. I finally narrowed it down to 3 different sets and then we picked this one from spoonflower. Based on those colors and the general patterns we began designing the rest of the nursery. I am delighted to show you our end result (which literally was completed this week)!

First the individual details…

Thanks, Michelle for this adorable pillow!! You nailed the colors of our nursery!!

And how they fit together…

Since I spent hours researching each of the pieces in our nursery (and a lot of times I got ideas from others) I thought I’d share our list:

• Crib - Babyletto (a gift from Cade’s parents)
• Rocking chair - from Pottery Barn but I got it on craigslist. The previous owners had always kept a cover over it so the cream fabric was practically new! We took the rocking feet off and stained them an espresso color to match the crib.
• Side table: from the flea market. I painted it.
• Dresser/changing table - also a craiglist purchase. This thing took weeks to sand, stain and refinish but we are super happy with the result.
• Expedit Bookcase - from Ikea
• Shag rug - Walmart. This thing is awesome and definitely the best “new” value for the cost.

If I ever need a new career I think I’ll become a nursery designer. I had SO much fun!! =)