One year down - what have we learned?

One year ago today, we were having our socially-distant, FB Live baby shower, which ended up being TWO DAYS before the twins actually came.  I thought today would be fitting to share our 'best of' list, the specific things we've used and liked, and tips that we found helpful and hope they could help new singleton or twin parents

Favorite diaper - kirkland (followed by huggies) [although now that they're crawling, I may need to try pampers cruisers]

Favorite booster pads - dimples

Favorite wipe - berkley jensen, BJs (these don't all pull out at once like the other ones do), texture wise, we like pampers pure

Favorite diaper cream - butt paste regular or desitin for heavy duty rash, a&d for regular rash, remedy olivamine calazime paste or regular old vaseline for every other diaper change (butt paste extra strength separates easily and then is just oily)

Favorite clothing brand - carters (incl just one you, child of mine, simple joys), baby cat and jack [my babies would live in plain old onesies if I was in charge of clothes...]

Favorite baby wash - cetaphil baby wash

Favorite baby lotion - dove baby face and body lotion

Favorite formula - kirkland signature pro-care

Favorite store bought food - gerber apple/peach/squash, gerber apricot mixed fruit, plain applesauce

Favorite homemade food - squash, applesauce

Favorite soft bibs - greensprout (amazon)

Favorite silicone bibs - oxo roll ups, sketchy ChenYuTe brand 3-pack

Favorite receiving blankets - swaddle designs or amazing baby - ultimate swaddle

Favorite burp cloths - gerber 3-ply cloth diapers

Favorite baby towels - cloud island

Favorite fabric baby wrap - moby

Favorite pacifiers - dr brown's advantage, mam night/clear, philips avent ultra air [the girls used soothies in the NICU but had difficulties holding them in their mouths when they weren't swaddled at home]

Favorite pump - hospital grade ameda, medela in style advanced

Tips

• plan for the best, prepare for the worst.  assume that there will always be a blow out poopie diaper and put a towel/receiving blanket down.  this is especially useful for surfaces that you can't wash (like the 'changing table' that came with our pack n play), or that you don't want to wash as frequently (like on top of the changing pad cover)
• leave a pair of headphones in your nursery - that plus netflix/ocean sounds on spotify are perfect for when you're feeding one baby in the middle of the night and her sister is screaming in her crib.
• stash burp cloths everywhere, and when you pick them all up to wash, remember to throw some back down - family room couch, the office, your bedroom, kitchen, living room, pack n play, diaper bag...
• always have somewhere to put your baby down.  if you're holding one and the other suddenly needs your immediate attention, make sure you can put the first one down safely.  we have a twin boppy in the girls' room (and of course their cribs), their high chairs in the dining room, the pack n play, rockers, and a swing in the living room, regular boppy in the family room, and (before they got too big) a bassinet and a swing in the office.  when in doubt, you can just put them on the floor (given it's safe), and you probably want to put them on a blanket.
• there will be poo.  it will be everywhere.  try not to freak out, it's not the end of the world.  the first few times it happens, it'll feel that way, but there's nothing you can do about it, and you can clean it up and it'll be fine.  put down a receiving blanket/towel, make sure you have wipes/new diap/clean clothes nearby, clean your baby up, put them somewhere safe, then clean up wherever they were if it's a mess, hopefully it was something washable.  Our rockers, the swing, and the mamaroo were all detachable and machine washable - pop it in the sink/shower, wash off the poo (yes with your hands, and yes there could be particles in your sink or shower, but you can rinse it down, it'll be ok) in cold water - think like you're trying to get blood out - and either rub some soap in there, or just spritz with shout spray and rub it in.
• if your baby is a throw up-er like ours were, i recommend tying a receiving blanket around your neck like a backwards cape, just in case they spew while you're holding them
• even newborns will pull your hair - you're daily hairdo is now a bun
• hand sanitizer near your diaper changing area is handy
• sometimes the only time your baby stops crying is when you're holding them - forget the laundry, forget restocking your diapers, whatever it is (unless it's food, get yoself a snack), just hold that baby.  if it's two babies, get in a cozy chair - you have two arms!  or wear them!  it won't last forever
• you're not going to ruin your baby if you soothe them with a pacifier.  you're not going to ruin them if you let them cry for 10 mins (to cry it out, because you've had enough, because you need to shower...), you're not going to ruin your baby if you constantly hold them.  you're not going to ruin your baby if you let them hang out or nap on their belly
• if eyes aren't open, it still counts as sleeping
• you're in survival mode - you need to eat those frozen waffles as dinner?  cheese stick for lunch?  do what you need to to get through, cut out the things that are making you crazy (for me, it was pumping)
• have a plan incase your power goes out - battery-operated swings were clutch for us, and a car adapter for my pump
• use hanging cubes/shelves for things you'll use frequently - burp cloths, towels/washcloths, sheets, bibs, etc - makes them easy to grab in a hurry
• use 2 washcloths in the bath - one to wash with, one to keep little bodies warm.  also, baby bathtub on the kitchen table is much better than breaking your back leaning into the bath when they're that small
• someone offers to help?  ask them to make you dinner
• we weren't EBF so maybe that makes a difference, but we still fed our twins every 2-3 hours every night, and they were never in bassinets.  you could use them or you could not, they were fine in their cribs right off the bat.
• Hand your baby a toy during diaper changes to help avoid wandering hands.  Before they're grabby, I've read that flipping the bottom of the onesie up and over their arms holds them down
• Put the new diaper under the old one, use the old diaper to wipe down (esp if there's poo).  Make sure you pull the ruffle part around the legs out
• Soothe a crying baby by holding them belly side down, butt in one hand and chin/neck/chest in the other, and rock them
• keep a journal.  I know, easier said than done.  But even if you write down one thing before you go to sleep, it will help you remember these days the further away you get from them.  One thing you're grateful for, one funny thing the baby did, one annoying thing your spouse did.  I am very much a 'documenting' kind of person (clearly), and I think this was helpful in writing down when babies hit milestones - first tooth, crawled, rolled, etc.