bishop&holland

|with henry at 2 weeks old|

|and william at two weeks|

When I first found out I was going to be a grandmother I was beyond thrilled. Being so blessed to live near Stia and Caleb, I anticipated William and Henry spending a lot of time at my home. At least I was hopeful that they would!  Stia and I also do a lot of blog work together while the boys are napping, so she typically brings them over and we play before she puts the boys down for a nap. In order to make it as easy as possible for them to be here, I try to be sure that I have all the things that Stia and the boys need while they are at my house, without her having to haul a ton of stuff – bringing two babies is enough! With William turning two this weekend, I thought it was about time to share things that every Gigi needs at her house!

Ten Things that every Gigi needs at her house

• Bassinet/Crib/Pack ‘n Play: Since I knew the boys would be at my house a lot, I splurged on this bassinet that also converts into a crib. I’m also glad that I bought a Pack ‘N Play because with two boys around, we need all the safe places to sleep! If your grandkids aren’t in the same town, a pack ‘n play is a great alternative! This one converts from a bassinet to crib and you can also buy a changing table, which is what I did.
• Play mat: This is a great thing to have at any Gigi’s house. Both boys love spending time on the ground – rolling around and for tummy time of course! This play mat is so soft and is machine washable. Henry loves spending time on his play mat for tummy time- much more so than William did!
• Highchair/Booster seat: This is a must have. My dear friends gifted me with this highchair when William was born and they sure knew what they were doing! Now William has moved to a booster seat and he loves sitting at the counter for lunch, or at the table when we all have dinner together. Soon enough we will be bringing the high chair back out for Henry! Another alternative to a traditional high chair is this clip on one. It’s not bulky, you can move it from the bar to the table, etc. and store it in a closet when your grandkids aren’t visiting! Also, if you want a traditional high chair without breaking the bank, Ikea makes a great one!
• Bouncer seat: While this isn’t the prettiest item, William loved it and now Henry does as well. It has a calming vibration, which Henry loved when he was a newborn and now he is obsessed with talking to the animals on the toy bar. I tend to keep it in a closet until the boys come over – it’s kind of an eye sore 😉
• Diapers and water wipes: I try to keep a full supply so Stia doesn’t have to haul bulky diapers and heavy wipes. I usually order them on Amazon.
• Bath Time: While not essential, I love to keep a hooded towel and washcloth, shampoo/body wash, lotion and bath toys. They don’t take many baths over here except during the summer. William can’t stay out of the pool, so a bath is necessary after! We got these letters and numbers that stick to the side of the tub and William loves them!
• Clothing: I like to keep at least one extra set of pajamas and an extra outfit for each boy, so that if there is an “accident” we aren’t up a creek with nothing to wear!
• Toys: I didn’t want to go overboard on toys, so we keep it to a few favorites that William always goes to when he is here. I also designated a William cabinet in my kitchen where he is free to play with anything that’s in there. When Henry gets a little bigger he’ll have his own cabinet too.
• Books: William likes to read books when he needs to settle down and before nap time. I keep just a couple out at a time to keep his delay tactics to a minimum 😉
• Eating: utensils, bowl and plate, sippy cups