Dear Sophie,

You're almost three months old now; sometimes it feels like exactly that short a time but often it feels as though you've always been here.

I'm sitting on the couch, pumping as you nap; stealing away some time with my laptop as you sway back and forth in the Rock N Play beside me. You always fall asleep when you're nursing and I still mostly hold you while you nap, staring at your face and running my fingers through your hair, which is the exact same color as your dad's beard. I’ve been trying to put you down more often so I can get a few things done but sometimes (most of the time) I just want to have you close.

At night when I'm in bed and you're still in the living room with Rob, I swipe through pictures of you on my phone and marvel at how much you've changed from the day you were born, the day we brought you home, the day before this one. You grow and learn and grab things and I swear to God the other day you laughed, although you haven't done it again since then.

You're finally sleeping for some longer stretches at night, which means your dad and I actually get to sleep next to each other again. For weeks we took turns holding you and passing each other in the hallway between our bedroom and the living room at 3AM, but this morning I woke up with you still sleeping in the bassinet beside me and your dad curled up against my back and I couldn't believe how lucky I am to have this life and to know this kind of love.

The other day I came across a quote and now I can't remember where I saw it or who said it, but it was something to the effect of this: I love you so much that sometimes I don't even think I can bear it, and then I realize that there are so many other people out there in the world going about their days, quietly harboring the same intense love for their children. It really is the most incredible thing.

I knew you'd change my life and my self, Sophie Ray. I just didn't realize how much or how fast.

I love you to the moon and back,

Megan (Mom)

I started writing this post with every intention of sharing it well before Sophie got here, but I'm glad I ended up waiting because at this point not only can I show you some of the stuff we got for our nursery, but I can share a few of my favorite baby products with you as well!

The other day on Instagram I asked people for blog post topic requests and the overwhelming response was for more motherhood posts--Sophie's birth story (which is forthcoming), my breastfeeding experience, how we got Ender ready for a tiny human, and lots of requests for "stuff" posts--things we use all the time and really love.

So without further ado, here's a look inside our nursery; followed by some of my current favorite baby products:

The Nursery:

This has become my favorite room in the house--I absolutely love it.

• I personally really hate buying new things if I already have something else that might work, so when I first started decorating the nursery I wanted to spend as little as possible--we put our bookcase in there (mostly for decoration) and bought some drawers inserts (these and these) to turn our smaller IKEA KALLAX into a dresser, which doubles as a side table next to the rocking chair.

• Our rocking chair (similar) is super comfy and the perfect neutral color. I absolutely love spending time sitting there.

• Before we were even expecting, Rob found a gorgeous used Stokke crib that someone at his office was selling for $600, along with a matching changing table and quite a few mattress covers, so we really lucked out on that because both of those pieces are pricey. I love the crib because you can open it up as your baby grows and even use it as a toddler bed (which will be nice because as of right now she has no interest in sleeping there).

• The room we're using as the nursery in our rental house is painted this fabulous shade of yellow, which is totally not my style but I decided to just go with it and color-code our bookshelf as usual and add this very bright rug to the mix. I absolutely love all the bold colors together and am so happy with how it pulled the whole room together.

• This diaper pail is fabulous--we have it in plain white but I love this pretty pattern.

• I thought the room was complete but once Sophie got here and I actually started nursing her I realized that my legs were too short to rock the chair, so we got one of these poufs and it's worked out perfectly.

My Current Favorite Baby/Mom Products:

• I mentioned one of the sleep bras I'd been wearing in another post and Nadine recommended these lacy ones. I bought 4 of them and love them so much--they're comfortable and pretty and make me feel a little less frumpy when my hair is crazy and I'm covered in spit up.

• This little suction-y breast pump is my new favorite thing when I'm out and about or doing something that doesn't allow me to be hooked up to my electric breast pump, like doing my hair, putting on makeup, or even cooking. I even like to keep it in my diaper bag and slap it on when I'm in the car--even if I only get 1-2 ounces, it feels like a win because it allows me to multitask.

• A couple years ago at Alt Summit, I met a hilarious woman named Nicki who told me about a pacifier she had invented that popped around the nipple when it fell out of a baby's mouth, keeping it from making contact with the floor. I obviously didn't have kids yet but I was so impressed with her and her idea that I followed her company on Instagram and eagerly awaited the product launch. She sent me a few the other day and they are just so cool.

• I thought Sophie would happily sleep in her crib right away but was super wrong, so we bought this bassinet that glides onto our bed (along with the newborn insert that keeps her extra comfy and snug). It's really nice to have her within arms reach so I can easily feed her without waking her up too much, and a few days ago she actually started sleeping longer stretches so Rob and I are finally sleeping again, too. I couldn't recommend this more.

• I have 2 of these Solly Baby Wraps and we love them. I'm a big fan of wearing Sophie and these wraps are easy to pack in my bag (I usually keep one in the car so I always have it).

• Nipple shields are kind of weird but I can't seem to breastfeed without them. (If anyone has any tips for ditching them, I'd love to hear.)

• These hot/cold pads are so nice--I never freeze them but regularly heat them up and put them on if I'm pumping or just feeling like "my boobs are tired," which is a thing I say a few times a week when it's late in the day and Sophie's been eating non-stop.

A couple more (not pictured above):

• We've had the most luck with this swaddle.

• I absolutely love this nursing pillow. I've gotten so spoiled by it that sometimes I wonder how weird it would be to bring it with me whenever I need to nurse her in public.

• We also have this infant lounger and a DockATot. I like putting her in this one when we're on the couch and this one when Rob and I are both awake but want to hang out in bed in the mornings.

That's all for now! If you have questions or other post requests, let me know! And if you have a product you love, tell me about it--I'm always on the lookout for things that are going to make our lives a little easier.

This post contains affiliate links.

We've been home from the hospital for almost 3 weeks now and we're slowly but surely falling into a daily routine--I wake up early with the baby and let Rob sleep in a bit since he stays up with her when I go to bed, I nurse her in the nursery and if possible we go back to sleep for a while in the bedroom before heading out to the living room for more nursing for her, a latte for me, and a few episodes of The Crown.

Ender sleeps in his crate and usually wants to come out at 8:00, so I let him out and he runs around the yard for a while, then comes in for breakfast and we all cuddle on the couch. Sophie usually falls asleep again and I know I could probably take a mid-morning nap or get some work done, but I always end up holding her instead. Once Rob is up we usually make some breakfast, watch more shows (we're currently loving Difficult People on Hulu), and eventually get outside for a walk with the pup and Sophie in the stroller.

The days are long but they fly by at the same time, and every Tuesday I can't believe our baby is another week older. As the hours become days and the days become weeks, I've discovered a handful of things I either didn't know I needed or didn't know I would depend on so much once we got home from the hospital--and here they are:

• This nursing bra is the comfiest and specially designed to wear while you sleep. I bought one but need at least 3 or 4 more.
• I bought this witch hazel to make padsicles for when I got home from the hospital, but it turned out to have alcohol in it so I decided against it. Now I'm using it as intended--as a toner on my face--and totally loving it. They do have an alcohol-free formula if you're looking for one.
• These 4-ounce baby bottles have been a life saver. Sophie is cluster feeding and my boobs are having a hard time keeping up, so I've been pumping and letting Rob feed her a bottle once or twice a day. It's made a huge difference. I always knew I wanted to pump so he could feed her, I just didn't know we'd be doing it so soon. Either way, I'm happy I had them ready to go.
• I got some of this stuff in a Birchbox and used it the other day after I washed my hair. It's so amazing and my hair feels incredible, which is saying a lot since I've just been wearing it up in a top knot most days. I don't usually buy full sizes of stuff I sample but I might be purchasing a bigger bottle soon.
• We thought it'd be fun to buy a nice espresso machine so we could make lattes while Rob is on paternity leave, but I had no idea how much joy this crazy thing would bring to my life. I really look forward to making my coffee every morning, which is important when you've only gotten 4 hours of sleep.
• Nipple cream. Enough said, right? I like that there's nothing weird in this one. I've also been using this luxurious hand cream at night because it smells amazing and my hands are super dry from washing them way more than usual.

If you have any to add, I'd love to hear them!

This post contains affiliate links.