I 3rd the Unique thrift store, theres one in Rockville and one in Silver Spring, The one in Silver Spring has a value village right next to it.

I just bought 2 almost new halo sleep sacks yesterday, a nordstrom cardigan, 3 pairs of gap pants and a gap sweater all for $15.....Its becoming addictive.
They have such nice stuff, You have to have the time to really look through it all. My DD is 4 mos and I also look in the boys section, I lover her in orange and they always seem to put the orange clothes with the boys stuff.

Anonymous wrote:Unique thrift store

+1
I've found SO MUCH good stuff there. Just try to go during off times or it can be crowded. Also, sign up for a neighborhood/mom list serve. I've gotten lots of good stuff from fellow moms who are on to the next size and ready to pass things along. Freecycle also works for this.

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Thanks for the suggestions. Even though thesis my second I seem to be experiencing some amnesia (it has been 5.5 years!)
Do you swaddle baby when you take then outside as well? I have a k'tan carrier I was going to use the first couple months. My last child I barely left the house plus it was the heat of summer. This child will have to come with Me to drop older dd off at school since DH only has a week off. The walk is about twenty minutes. I want to make sure he or she will be dressed ok for the cold weather when wearing her in the k'tan. Suggestions are welcome. Thanks again.

I would do a onesie, sleep n' play, and a hat. A bunting if it is really cold. Being in the K'Tan will provide some warmth as well. If in doubt, check the back of the neck that's a pretty accurate indication of how warm/cool they are.

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Thanks for the suggestions. Even though thesis my second I seem to be experiencing some amnesia (it has been 5.5 years!)
Do you swaddle baby when you take then outside as well? I have a k'tan carrier I was going to use the first couple months. My last child I barely left the house plus it was the heat of summer. This child will have to come with Me to drop older dd off at school since DH only has a week off. The walk is about twenty minutes. I want to make sure he or she will be dressed ok for the cold weather when wearing her in the k'tan. Suggestions are welcome. Thanks again.

DD was born in January, and she spent the first three months of her life in the warm microfleece footed PJs from Carters. Like this (thought I prefered the zip-up style instead of the snaps): http://www.carters.com/carters/Microfleece-Snap-Up-Sleep-Play/V_115-959,default,pd.html?cgid=carters-baby-neutral-one-pieces

Most days she also wore a short-sleeved side-snap Carters t-shirt underneath for an extra layer. (Easier to get on and change than a onesie, in my opinion, and the short sleeves are MUCH easier to get on than the long-sleeves.) Like this: http://www.carters.com/carters/Short-Sleeve-Side-Snap-5-Pack-Tees/V_111-830,default,pd.html?cgid=carters-baby-neutral-bodysuits

She was 7 lbs, 6 oz and wore Carters NB size for the first month or so. Then she moved to the 3 month size until about 4 months. (In retrospect, I wish I had bought more NB to have on hand because she spit up a lot!)

When we went out, she was in her carseat, either snapped in to the base in the car or in the snap-n-go stroller. I never put an extra layer of clothes on her -- just added a warm, soft blanket on top, plus an inexpensive cotten hat. (Thinking back, I think she often wore the hats inside, too.)

I got most things at the Carters store in Seven Corners, including a bunch of green/yellow/brown ones. They run great sales and always have additional coupons you can find on-line. Or you can buy everything on-line at carters.com and then return what you don't want to the store at your convenience (their return policy is wonderful.)

As for swaddling, YES, she was swadded quite a bit the first two months. Almost always when she napped/slept, and even some of the time when she was awake. It really, really soothed her. I often rocked her or cuddled her on my lap in her swaddle when she got fussy, and I nursed her that way, too. She usually just wore a hat and a side-snap t-shirt underneath, sometimes lighter footie pajamas (least expensive source -- Gerber multipacks from Buy Buy Baby with a $5 off $15 coupon!)