All Things Christopher

I was a brand-new mom Googling everything at 3 a.m., wishing someone would just tell me what I actually needed. This is that list: the newborn sleep, health and gear basics I'd buy again, plus the bulk diapers and wipes worth stocking up on before baby arrives (Christopher was a winter baby, so there are cold-weather picks too).

Open-ended toys that build fine-motor skills, spatial reasoning and pretend play: the magnetic tiles, DUPLO, craft and therapy-favorite toys I recommend to every toddler mom. Looking back on Christopher's baby and toddler days (and years of speech therapy) changed how I think about toys, so I look for ones kids come back to again and again.

Visual schedules changed our mornings after Christopher's autism diagnosis. Here's everything I use to make, laminate and hang picture-card routines at home, plus the timers, fidgets and feelings tools in our calm-down corner. I'm an autism mom who homeschools, so these get used every single day. Ask me anything!

A calm, predictable bedtime matters so much in our house. These are the weighted, sensory-friendly and sound-machine favorites I recommend for winding down, from weighted blankets and lap pads to a crash pad and therapy swing for heavy-work time before bed.