So, I am behind on approximately 100 emails, 7 loads of laundry, 5 collaborations, and a whole lot more. Life with a one year old and a newborn has been beyond amazing and beyond crazy. The biggest thing that has helped us, and that will be our theme for a few months I think, has been SLEEP. It’s something we don’t get much of and when we do get it, it’s like the best thing ever.
I have talked a bit about it on our Instagram (@thebrennerbunch), but the greatest thing that has been helping our littles and us get the sleep we need has been our DockATots. We have used our DockATot for each of the sweet babies that have come into our home and it has helped each of them learn to sleep in their new environment.
Before, I continue on with my review of our DockATot’s I just want to say something. Recently, I feel like when I flip through Facebook, or Instagram I am just looking a one GIANT advertisement. Everyone is getting sponsorships, doing giveaways, telling you how and why you should spend your money. Honestly, it’s exhausting. JJ and I work diligently to make sure that the products we purchase are ones that actually help our littles and us. You won’t ever see a review on this blog or on my Instagram that is simply because someone sent us something. I get emails every day from different companies. I am way to busy to become another #ad on Instagram. If I feel that something helped me as a new mama, as a wife, as a woman, with my littles, in my marriage, then I will be more than happy to share it. So, please don’t feel like you are reading yet another review for something else you need to buy. These are the words of a tired mama who gets it. So, that being said, let me tell you how our love for the DockATot started…
It started with my husband saying, “How much is it? Yeah, I love you but, no babe.” Haha, am I the only one who has conversations like this with my husband? We have Amazon Prime and for our foster baby shower we got an Amazon gift card. That is the only reason we were able to afford our first DockATot (They are worth SAVING for!). When our first foster daughter CC came to stay with us she was going through withdrawals and slept all the time. I took our DockATot with me all over the house and she was safe and slept. She and I had a routine, it was Solly Wrap time, time in her 4Moms Bounceroo, and then time in the DockATot and then we would repeat that several times a day.
The first night we had sweet CC was my first night as a mama. I stayed up that whole night watching her because I was so afraid something might happen to her if I fell asleep. I remember calling my friend and crying because I was so tired by the third day. She asked me, “Is she swaddled? Is she sleeping on her back? Is she safe? At some point you have to trust your mama instincts and know that she is going to sleep. But, you can’t be the best mama you can be if you don’t get the sleep you need!” Our DockATot helped me as a new mama to know that CC was safe. It’s one of the reasons I learned to sleep again after becoming a mom, and that’s huge!
My favorite thing about DockATot’s is their mission: to create a safe harbor “to serve as a secure place for parents to place their little ones”. Did you know that is how the founder Lisa designed the DockATot because she and her family live by a dock on the sea side? I just love this analogy because we feel that we do something similar. We offer a “safe harbor” to children in need. The DockATot was also created to mimic a mother’s womb, which is so helpful for little ones who have been separated from their biological mamas at such a young age.
Frequent questions we get about our DockATot:
Q: Is your DockATot worth it?
A: Yes! It is one of the best baby purchases we have made and it’s worth it.
Q: How did you know A was big enough for the Grand instead of the Deluxe, what is the difference?
A: So, we used the Deluxe for A until she got too big for it. We un-clipped the bottom so her legs would have more room. When Sunshine came we needed the Deluxe for him so we moved the Grand into A’s crib.
Q: How do you wash it and how often?
A: Honestly, we wash ours about once a week. We wash the cover, not the inserts, on delicate, and then I air dry them on our drying rack. A’s sweats a lot in her sleep so I sometimes cover her DockATot with a muslin blanket before she goes to sleep.
Q: Do you put your DockaTot in your bassinet?
A: Yes, we do. It fits in the one we have perfectly, with breathable room.
My husband loves the DockATot’s so much he wishes they made an adult version 😉
We did an interview a few months ago with DockATot (like I said, I am so behind) on our foster care journey and our love for DockATot. Go check out our more of our story over at the their blog here.
So, if you were considering getting a DockATot for your little(s) then I hope this post was helpful. They also just came out with adorable toy arches and toy sets making them a must have.
Thank you to DockATot for making such a wonderful product and for supporting our sweet foster littles.
