Aiven + Aden + Anais

Yesterday,  I met Raegan Moya-Jones, the Co-Founder and CEO of Aden + Anais, at an event held at Albee Baby on the Upper Westside. I am a huge fan of Aden + Anais products and I felt like I was meeting a celebrity.  She was so sweet and approachable, and best of all, she taught me a new way to swaddle!

When Aiven was just a wee one, he would free his arms out of any and every swaddle. We spent a ridiculous amount of money trying to find a swaddle our mini-Houdini could not escape. Our guess was that his arms were up by his ears in the womb, and he just wouldn't rest until he had wiggled into his favorite position. The problem was that he also had a strong Moro reflex, so he kept waking himself up! We thought that if we could just find a strong enough swaddle to keep those little arms down, he would sleep through the night. Ha! How naive...

This new swaddle technique Reagan showed me secures a baby's arms upwards by the ears, but with a limited range of motion. It seems like a brilliant solution, and I can hardly wait to try it. I'll have to wait until baby #2 though since Aiven has already outgrown swaddling.

Neverthless, Aiven adores his Aiden + Anais blankets. I have the Swaddle blankets and the Dream blankets on my favorite baby items list. I don't think he'll outgrow them until he's past the toddler stage, and to tell you the truth, I would buy some for myself if they came in a larger size and with some more grownup patterns.

When Aiven was born, he loved to roll around in his blanket and burrito himself. He would often end up with his head completely covered and we would freak out. In came Aden + Anais. The big draw was the BREATHABLE muslin fabric. These blankets changed our lives by giving us peace of mind that he would not suffocate himself in his sleep. We became instant fans and addicts. I recommend them to every new mother I meet and often buy them as shower gifts.

For the record, our current Aiden + Anais inventory includes:

• 4 Swaddle blankets. More uses than duct tape -- stroller cover, blanket, towel, pillow, toga, toy, and more!
• 2 Dream blankets. He sleeps with one and the other I keep in the living room for nursing. As soon as he sees it, he smiles or squeals in delight.
• Wash cloth & Towel set
• Security blanket
• And coming soon -- snap bibs to complete our collection!