our thoughts on the snuzpod

I feel like I could really write this entire review in just three words... We love it!

But that doesn't really do a very thorough job of it, and it definitely doesn't do the SnuzPod justice.

I originally planned to write up my thoughts on the Snuz quite a while back when Ashlyn was still very new (like in that top picture - just look how teeny she was!). I mentioned it in my post on how we helped our baby sleep and in my 10 best baby products vlog too, but I decided to hold off a bit on doing my full review. Newborns spend their lives in a cycle of sleep, feed, nappy change, sleep, feed, nappy change, sleep... they aren't the best test subjects. At least Ashlyn wasn't, she just slept whenever and wherever she wanted to. So she was hardly a good judge of what made a good crib. That being said even as a teeny baby, she definitely seemed to prefer snoozing in the SnuzPod to anywhere else, and always had her longest naps in there compared to sleeping in her carrycot, bouncy chair or in our arms.

For anyone who isn't familiar with the SnuzPod concept; it is a bedside crib that attaches onto the side of the parents' bed to keep baby close at night, but with a space all their own. It features a zip down side which allows you to move baby to and from your own bed with ease (definitely a great feature for those inevitable night feeds.) It is technically a 3 in 1 crib, because as well as being used as a bedside crib, it can be used as a stand alone crib or the top bassinet part can be taken off to use alone, for naps elsewhere in the house for example.

2

how we've helped our baby sleep

We are very lucky and have three children who all seem to value sleep as much as their parents. But our latest a little addition really is the most amazing sleeper. She self settles at nap times and often at bedtimes too, and ever since she was born has only woken us once at night. It's an absolute dream to have a newborn who loves sleep so much; because I definitely think that the grind of caring for three children would be a LOT harder if I was super tired. But the reality is that I'm getting as much sleep as I would normally, and that I actually feel better rested now than I did in the later stages of my pregnancy.

Now I think a large factor in our well rested state is luck. We have got extremely lucky with our littlest one, and she just happens to be pretty chilled out and a fan of sleep. She was a pretty chilled bump too, with definite awake and asleep routines, and it seems like she's carrying on with that in the outside world too. I think it's probably just her nature... although ask me again when we've passed the point of the four month sleep regression, because it could all still go wrong.

But that said, I do think that as third time parents we maybe know a thing or two now about what helped our previous children sleep well. And it would be fair to say that we've thrown anything and everything that worked on the older two at our third baby; so you could argue that we've given her - and us - the best chance possible at a good nights sleep.

5

sleepy time

There is nothing quite like the image of a sleepy or sleeping baby

all snuggled up in a babygrow

ready to go to bed.

The bedtime routine is my favourite time of day,

and not because the crazy is nearly over,

but because it's capped off by seeing my beautiful sleepy bubbas

ready to drift off to dreamland.

6

night night beautiful boy

Since I became a parent

I have lost track of the amount of times I've said

"its all flying by so fast"

or "slow down time"

or "where did my baby go?"

Children are learning all the time,

embracing every opportunity to grow and explore

and to 'get big' right before our eyes.

23

eighteen weeks new

You were starting to crash through milestones in a big hurry.

0

your twenty-second month

You were officially a big grown up boy.

10

at peace

I don't think there is anything on earth

as peaceful as watching a baby sleep.

I know that watching my little man
looking all cuddly and sleepy
is one of the best parts of being a mummy.

I make a point of going in to his room to watch him sleep for a little while each night

before I go to bed myself.

And seeing him looking so peaceful has a very peaceful affect on me.

The perfect innocent slumber of a baby really is a beautiful thing.

9

your fiftieth week

You continued your race towards you first birthday.

4

your thirty-seventh week

What a funny little guy you were becoming.

1

if i had just one day to myself...

I should probably start of by saying 

that since reading this week's BritMums Blogging Prompts 

I have been fantasising about my ideal day down to the smallest details.

The result being that I spent a whole day of my weekend

thinking about how perfect a day good be,

if only......

4

your twentieth week

You started to wake up in the night.

2

your sixteenth week

As much as we had got into the swing of being your Mummy and Daddy . . .

0

your eleventh week

You were a very lucky boy.

You had lots of lovely toys.

0

your tenth week

We celebrated our first full week of you sleeping every night 

by going away for our first weekend trip.

0

your seventh week

After weeks of wondering whether any of Mummy's genes got through to you at all,
we found one. . .

0

your second week

We loved getting to know everything about you.

And you seemed to be learning so fast.

0