The Bachelor’s Erica Rose Shares Her Top Newborn Baby Needs

The Bachelor Is Best For Making Fraans (at least it was for me) 🙂

As many of you know, before I found the love of my life on Married At First Sight, I was on The Bachelor. I was pretty much a mute during the whole experience. (My self esteem was nil to none and I was so intimidated by all the other beauties there. Coming from the trailer park, I didn’t think I belonged there.) However, the bachelor, Ben Flajnick kept giving me roses so I thought “maybe there’s a chance at this fairytale.” Needless to say, I had one of the MOST EMBARRASSING exits of all on The Bachelor. This is not something I am proud of…but looking back now, it is kinda funny to watch. 😛

The best thing I got out of being on The Bachelor and Bachelor Pad is one of my best friends, Erica Rose (among other great friends). You guys probably remember her as the pretty blonde who wears a tiara. She was on Prince Lorenzo’s season. Anyway, we come from two completely different worlds. (She grew up in a BEAUTIFUL home in the south with two amazing, supportive parents who have given her everything she needs and then some.) We are completely opposite in a lot of ways, but regardless — we are just like soul sisters.

I LOVE so many things about Erica. First of all, she has a heart of gold, but she’s not one of those overly nice people who are kinda boring to be around. This girl is SO FUNNY! She is eager to do well by others and make a difference in this world. Probably my favorite thing is that she is just as honest and forward about her opinion as I am. I really appreciate that. I’ve never liked it when someone just tells me what I want to hear then gossips about how they really feel behind my back.

 CONGRATS, ERICA

Erica got pregnant last year during the end of the holiday season. I remember when she told me. She had SO much joy and excitement in her voice. She hadn’t been trying long; literally like a month, tops. I was THRILLED for her. And, being that Doug and I were just beginning to try to get pregnant I took this as a good sign — maybe we’d get pregnant after only a few tries, too.

It took Doug and I a bit longer to get pregnant. After five months of trying (which feels like an eternity!) we finally found out the AMAZING NEWS! We were pregnant, too!!!

Erica and I would chat on the phone all the time. We were so excited to be pregnant together. I would complain about morning sickness and nausea ALL THE TIME and she would complain about her belly getting SO much bigger and it being SO uncomfortable. (In hindsight, I wish I didn’t complain about a darn thing and I feel the need to let Johnathan know how much I love him! I will always love that sweet boy to the moon and back!)

Welcome, Holland

Sweet little Holland Gentry was born in September. I had been out to LA to promote my book, Wifey 101, just two weeks shy of Holland’s arrival. Almost every time I am in LA I stay with Erica. While I was there this last time I helped Erica get Holland’s nursery all set up, wash all the baby clothes and organize them, prepare her crib, etc. A newborn baby was coming home soon and I wanted to help make it PERFECT for her. It was probably more fun for me than it was for Erica. I just LOVE all things babies. I think I was kind of also thinking a bit about what would have been had I not lost Johnathan. I was supposed to be pregnant, too.

As I was sorting through all of Erica’s things for the baby I was like “I doubt you’re going to need this. Do you think that gadget is really necessary. What the heck is this thing for?” (Erica was getting gift after gift after gift being sent to her – lucky!) 😉 I’ve grown up with babies around me my whole life, never have I ever seen all these extra thing-a-majigs that babies “need” now-a-days. 😛

Newborn Baby Needs

One day, Doug and I will be having our rainbow baby. (Just throwing that out into the universe.) 😉 We aren’t floating in cash for all these extra’s that are probably nice to have, but aren’t a absolute necessity. (The only thing we’re floating in is my in-laws house! We will be moving in with them in less than a week!) Since Holland is *gasp* already almost a month old I asked Erica what she’s really needed since having Holland. Can having a newborn baby be possible when all the pennies you’ve saved have been used to pay bills? Here’s what she says:

So here are my essentials that you need for the baby:

1. Britax car seat that comes with matching stroller. There are other good brands but I like this one because it is chic, safe, and user friendly. It is key to get the stroller that goes with the car seat because it just makes your life easier. The carseat goes with the baby so you don’t have to wake her up when leaving the car.

2. Boppy Breast Pillow because it makes breastfeeding so much easier. I really do not know how I would do it without this breast pillow actually.
The Grey Boppy lounger is where Holland likes to hang out after feeding. It’s nice because she can hang out in it next to me in any room that I go to.

3. A good breast pump: I’m renting the symphony Medella pump from the hospital because it is extra good. A lot of my friends and relatives do that too. The pumps that you purchase (I also have one) for a few hundred dollars are no comparison. I don’t love pumping, but it is necessary to help increase your supply, shape your nipple and be able to hand bottles to a sleepy baby or have your partner do a feeding for you.

4. Mama Roo. It really soothes the baby and puts her to sleep. She can also sleep in it while she is an infant. It is safe and comfortable for her.

5. My stylish Jujube diaper bag fully loaded. I take this with me any time I leave the house. I make sure to load it up with plenty of diapers and baby wipes, diaper rash cream, pacifiers, burping bibs, blanket, and a few bottles of pumped milk since it is hard to breast feed on the go. I also learned that I need to bring an extra outfit or onesie because there usually a spit up that ruins the outfit she is wearing.

P.S. I obvi have tons of other stuff but I found these things to be the main necessities that I couldn’t get by without. Every baby is different but this is what works for me and mine. 🙂

Newborn Babies Aren’t That Expensive

I don’t know if I am crazy thinking this, but it doesn’t seem like newborn babies are that expensive. I mean, if you breastfeed and buy the big items then the only extra costs daily would be diapers and wipes. Right? I know a lot of you ladies who follow me have children. I would love to hear your thoughts and advice! Oh, and if you wanna hear more about sweet baby Holland head to  Erica’s amazing new blog! It has the best name, too: Babies and Boobies! 🙂

What does it take to be a good wife? God knows I had some trouble figuring that out. My past threatened my future, but I learned how to stop that from happening. If you’re struggling in the dating world — or if you’re engaged, a newlywed, a long time married veteran, you will feel a lot better about your relationship after reading about mine in my new book, Wifey 101: Everything I Got Wrong After Meeting  Mr. Right!

It’s on sale for less than $10 bucks on Amazon, B&N, and everywhere books are sold.  Grab your copy NOW! *Online only. (If you’d like to read chapter one for FREE just click here.) 

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