Now that I'm a professional mom, you know...having been one for a whole 5.25 months... I thought I'd impart my own recommendations for must-haves as a new parent. I read a few lists like this when I started the "eeek, I'm having a baby but now what?" stage...My friend Lara's being the most useful one. I didn't get EVERYTHING on her list, but it gave me a good starting point. (Definitely check hers out as she has way more patience than I do and took time to make hers look pretty, and she's funny.)
I should note, I'm a avid researcher...as in, I read user reviews (though rarely leave them myself). And I basically don't buy anything that gets less than 3.5 stars, but in most cases, it has to be 4.5 to be considered worthy of my perfect son. haha
I also relied heavily on this book...which I highly recommend. It saved us lots of money because they do even more research than I do (like...actually test products and talk to users and get histories of companies) and then rank items based on quality v. value. Just make sure you get the most up-to-date version as things change with companies going in and out of business, recalls, etc.
(and a tip for registering...I would register for as much as you can at Target because a few friends and I were talking....apparently Target is the go-to for most baby stuff....as in...the most things left on the registry were at Babies R Us, etc. Unfortunately. Because Babies R Us and Buy Buy Baby have MORE selection, but Target is just darn more convenient and accessible for people. So if you register for something on Amazon or another store, if Target has it, I'd register there as well and then just monitor the lists as you receive things.)
OMG: After publishing this, I realize that the links didn't transfer to the images. I thought I'd made it so you can click on the image and it'd take you to the Amazon page. I'm SO SO SO sorry, it didn't. Let me know if there is anything specifically you need to know what it is if you can't find it through a search of keywords and the matching the pic on Amazon, etc. GRRRR! I had so much trouble with blogger when I was saving this post, I wonder if that had something to do with it. Again, my apologies.
BATHING
Bathtub (don't get the first one pictured...it's not recommended)
This is the bathtub we registered for....and we are not fans (despite it's VERY high ratings on Amazon AND Target.com). It was very uncomfy for Weston when he was itty-bitty. And I think I squished his baby balls a few times on the awkward green, hard, demoralizing ridge. We ended up buying a mesh-insert platform that we put him on to make it a little bit softer. But then he got too big for it two weeks later. So we ended up trading the whale of a waste of money for the one my mom has at her house (an old one of Cailin's). It isn't the 2nd one listed, either, but it fits better for him now at the 5-month mark.
We also have this that we plan on using in a couple of months once he can sit up on his own. A friend of mine used it and loved it.It's a great way to transition babies to real tubs.
We are only 1/3 of the way through bottles of these (and we give Weston a bath every other night). And it smells so good that I literally would eat my own child, if I were a heartless cannibal.
Hooded bath towel
Who doesn't love a baby in a hooded bath towel??? I LOVE seeing Weston all fresh, clean and naked save for a shark, Nemo or frog towel wrapped around him. I would recommend having 3 hooded towels. We reuse them 3 times each (unless he pees on them) before we wash. A note: Do not wash anything soft with velcro items. Because especially these cheap towels, they fray as it is and velcro makes it worse. The CIRCO brand at Target makes cute ones, but regrettably, they aren't the softest towels out there. I found really soft ones at BRU but I just couldn't spend the $10-$20 extra. So ones like these do just fine and he'll prob be able to use them for quite awhile.
Washcloths (I know, seems obvious...but we got several and most are too rough for their delicate skin.) These are super soft. I actually got the value pack from Babies R Us....My only complaint is they are hard to fold. Maybe these aren't the exact ones either, because ours have rounded corners. I recommend having at least 10 baby washcloths. We use one for each bath, not really to wash his body as I find it easier to just use my hand, but I use the cloth for his face as I don't use soap directly on it. And then now that he's eating baby food, we find it necessary to have a wet wash cloth within our reach to clean him up immediately after he's done.
I'm sorry, but I'm getting old. Kneeling on a tile floor hurts my knees. So this helps a lot. Is it overkill? Probably. My elbows hurt too, so I wish it were also padded where it hits the tub edge. But it does the job for my knees. If you can find one that is just a pad for the knees, that would work just as well though the storage is nice and we can just flip up the pad to velcro it to the top when we're done with it.
Thermometer
We haven't used this yet other than to test it....and I think once we run bath water for him, this will be great to use. The other one we have (some dumb duck thing) doesn't even work.
We have a few bath toys we've not yet used....but that's pretty much the stuff that we NEED. We just use a regular large cup to pour water over him rather than buying one of those special cups.
FEEDING
This is the category that caused me the most consternation when registering. There are so many bottles, so many nipples, so many pacifiers, so many accessories for breastfeeding that I seriously felt like I was in fun house with that crazy psycho music playing when I looked at the wall of implements to prevent baby hunger. I have tried to simplify it...and everyone says that what works for one baby doesn't work for another. I would like to note that anything we tried worked for Weston in terms of him not having a problem taking it. But there are things WE liked and didn't like about stuff, so that is what these are based on.Bottles
Even if you're breastfeeding, most likely at some point, you're going to need bottles. We bought a few of Medela, Dr. Brown's, Nuk and Tomme Tippe.
- Medela bottles were okay, but oddly enough, even though that brand is the most connected with breastfeeding, the nipples are not very real-boob like. These bottles fit the breast pumps though, so that is a plus. We had the small 5 oz bottles and used them until he ate more than 5 oz.
- Dr. Brown's were not our fave at all. The silly anti-gas mechanism is not anti-pain in the ass and just one look at it could have told us that, but I went with what I read in reviews etc. Dumb me. And our pediatrician said she doesn't like the nipples on those because they are too soft and allow the babies to chow down with their jaws...something you do NOT want to teach them if you're also putting YOUR nipples in their mouths.
- Tomme Tippe is our fave.
The default nipples have a good slow flow going and I think the nipples are most like that of breast feeding. They are a bit harder to clean with a bottle brush, and they are chunky....but they're our faves. I like the NUK ones for taking with us cuz they are thinner in the diaper bag and they also hold the most fluid comfortably. Which leads me to mini rant for all bottle-making companies:
Why oh why do not ALL bottle companies print the oz/ml on the side of the bottle in DARK INK?! It is a PAIN IN THE BUTT to see where you're filling to when you're sleep deprived or in dim light (Dr. Brown's was the worst with this.) .Also, why do the bottles SAY they hold 9 oz, but to get to that amount, you have to really work at it to get the formula AND the water in there. Add an extra half inch or inch of plastic at the top of the bottle and voila! We'd be able to fill it to the top line AND fit the powder formula in.Or just label them for 8 oz.
Breastfeeding accessories:
In my short 6-week stint with BFing, I learned quickly what I did and didn't need. Here are the things I can remember...and there are way more ... but I would recommend asking someone who did it longer than that:
[I didn't link to the below...you'll just have to google it. Except for the Snappies..those I linked to cuz a mere google search comes up dry.]
- Johnson breastpads (I tried 5 types and these are the only ones that are shaped like the boob that I have--you know...rounded.... and do the job.)
- nursing bras (I tried several brands and only liked the expensive ones, go figure. This had more to do with my back prob, I think. But I loved the Pea in the Pod ones that are optionally padded, no wire.)
- pump: I borrowed the Medella Pump In Style. It did it's job and pumped.
- Medella or Lasinoh lanolin for chapped nips
- breastmilk storage bags
- bags for steam cleaning all the goods
- Snappies (breastmilk containers with snap-on attached lids. They attach to breast pumps...and fit the medela nipples) --we still use these for putting formula in to take with us on the road
- Some sort of cover for breastfeeding in public (because despite what some will say about breastfeeding being "natural" and ok to do indiscreetly in public and around other people (I consider anywhere outside of your own home as being 'in public"...unless you're alone somewhere...), the majority of people see boobs as more than merely a feeding mechanism. Forks don't usually make people feel uncomfortable for a reason.) [Oh...And save your comments on how "wrong" this is because I will just remove the comment and it will only further my own views that BFing should not be thrown in anyone's face. Although I'm fine with seeing boobs, I don't think my husband or anyone's for that matter, should be forced to look away from something in their line of view...because you know staring would be creepy. haha My blog is not a forum for discourse. It is a forum for me to share MY thoughts and record my feelings and things I go through.]
I think we have 20 burp cloths (all diff types, so not going to link to anything...) and I don't think that is too much. The first few months, we used one pretty much at our side all day long. They can also double as something you put under the baby's bum for impromptu changing...the large ones can be small blankets....and later they can be used to wash off their hands and mouths after eating.
Boppy
Duh. Though I think its design flaw is that it should be wedged on one side so the baby can be held at an angle if you want...... I was always finding myself needing to plug a small pillow under the side where his head would lie. Not sure if the My Breast Friend would work better, but it looks more cumbersome. Teh Boppy was also used to prop him up when he was super young and immobile.
Spoons
We have another set of spoons too, but if the spoon has too deep of a bed for the food, babies aren't so good at digging it out and when you put the spoon in their mouth, it comes back out with food still in it because they just clear off the top. But with these spoons, they are pretty flat...like mini spatulas. And the other plus is you can more easily clear off their mouths with it and make another spoonful of food to give them!
Bibs
We have lot of bibs. You'll get lots too. Some will be homemade (which are sentimental faves for sure!) but I would recommend also getting a set of waterproof ones, especially for when the baby goes through his/her drooling stage. These are lovely. And we have some fun picking out ones that match his outfit or match the food he's eating. haha
High Chair
We use the high chair that my sister loaned us. And it definitely gets the job done. It fits in a chair that is already at our table. There are plusses and minuses to that. Sometimes, we need that chair. So we debate getting a high chair that stands alone. We still might. But if you need the extra room, this does the trick really well.
We also have the Fast Chair that we might take with us to restaurants or to travel once he is sitting up unsupported.
HYGIENE/CHANGING TABLE ACCESSORIES
This will just be a list as well. But I wish I'd have found a list like this when I was prepping for Weston. I had a friend run down what is on her son's changing table...so I went with that to start with:- Nasal aspirator (the bulbs don't work for us, so we use the Nosefrida Snotsucker)
- Soft brush (for after baths. I always brushed Weston's hair, no matter how little of it he had. It helps prevent cradle cap.)
- Nail clippers (I don't have a recommendation for these as clearly the ones I chose were not blood-proof.)
- we have these cheap scissor-clipper things that have a light on them when you open the blades. We LOVE it. We use it for any sort of cutting we need to do in his room (they aren't sharp tipped AT ALL...though when you open them, the inside of the blades are sharp like scissors... so we'll store them safely once he's on the move)
- Desitin or Butt Paste
- Petroleum Jelly
- Monistat (babies can get yeast infections!!)
- Alcohol (for boys...you will need it for the circumscision)
- Hand sanitizer
- Baby wipes (duh)...we never used a wipe warmer and never wished we could other than maybe the first 2 weeks because he hated being changed.
- Baby Q-tips
- Baby lotion (as noted above in the BATH section)
- Teething drops
- Infant dye-free Tylenol (we only used once the pedatrician said it was okay...at 2 months)
- plastic syringes (seriously, if your kid gets sick and needs tylenol, prescription meds, pedialyte etc...these are needed to measure it out...and sometimes you misplace them so we have a handful)
ON THE GO
Stroller
We chose the City Mini Baby Jogger because of its rave reviews...and the fact that at BRU, Neil and I played around with all the strollers there and this was the only one that was SO easy to fold together and unfold with one hand...it was pretty light, and it moved easily and fluidly. We also got the: car seat adapter (which we are still using at this point), parent-tray attachment (that is not the name of it..oops), cell phone holder, and the snack tray for later. It gets pricey after you add all that, but again, it's great quality. And not the most expensive out there by FAR.
There are a few diff options out there for this. The con of the Mommy Hook is it isn't exactly easy to get it unhooked and stuff off of it, one handed, if you need to. BUT...it's more secure than the ones that don't have the full clasp. So whatev. Just get something to hang your purse/purchases on.
This was one of the top 2 contenders for car seats. The other is the Graco. This is lighter though, I believe, and I liked the color options better...as well as the fact that several friends use and recommend. My only complaints: the canopy sucks as it's not big enough to do the job well. Also, once you remove the infant insert, there is a weird stitching coil thing that hits the babies in the back of their head. It is thick and chunky and kinda hard. I always want to put something soft behind his head to prevent a weird cord-like indentation. But he doesn't seem to mind. So maybe it's really not that big of a deal. Of course, I can't attest to its hold up in a crash myself (thank god...I'd prefer not to ever know how it does), but it gets the job done. It just keeps getting heavier though. I hate carrying it. I wish you could register for a car-seat carrier, as in...a cute guy with muscles who waits in your car and walks around with you. What? That's what husbands are for? Well, yes...but I don't leave the house only when he's with me!!!
car seat covers
For winter: We had Weston in the dead of winter. Granted, it was the mildest winter in memory, but this was great since you're not supposed to put babies in car seats with winter coats on. This protects them from the cold (and germs) without adding an additional layer between the safety of the car seat straps and their bodies.
We used this on the stroller too because his eyes were very sensitive to the sun. Basically, if the sun is directly shining on him, he just closes his eyes and turns as far away as possible. This enables you to attractively block the sun out. Lots of color options available.
toys for car seat
I dunno if these are worthwhile.
It seems it attaches to something other than the handle. And they bend so you can get the baby out while it's on. (I love how the car seat is white. Who in their RIGHT mind would get a white car seat? I know, it's just for marketing purposes to make the arch stand out, but it's comical to me.)
Baby-view mirror
This only works if you have a headrest in the back seat above where you put the baby car seat. Once you get it in place (it wasn't that hard to do once we figured out we had to lift the headrest first), it's been great. But, get the simplified version. We have never used the lights or music. Actually...we never even put batteries in the remote to do that. You just need a mirror. And if it's so dark you can't see anything and the baby is crying really hard, my suggestion is you should just pull over and check on him./her. ;)
Infant carrier
I got the Moby....and hated it. Too stiff and unyielding and too difficult to use alone. Especially if you're in pain and tired, which you will be after labor. Then you just feel like crying for being a Moby failure. I also got the Pikkolo carrier, seen below.
Diaper bag
You're kinda on your own for this. I bought one early on that I used only once cuz it's too mom-ish (even though it's not really that bad compared to 80 percent of the ones out there). We did get this one though..the Diaper Dude. Neil will carry it without cringing.
We use it the most because it's guy-friendly.
I also got one of these because it fits in large purses and is easy to take in and out of the above bag and put into whatever big purse I use if I want without having to repack everything or forget what was in my purse that I now need in the other diaper bag, etc.
ROOM ACCESSORIES
Baby monitor (don't get the one we got shown below, but maybe get something else...ha)
--many allegedly disrupt WiFI
--only digital ones are "predator" safe and those are super pricey
--their is no clear top contender because for some reason, all leave something else to be desired. That said, the one my friends got was this one:
They like it a lot. And now that we are in the stage where Weston flips himself to his tummy and can't get back on his back, we kinda wish we had this so we could check to see if we need to flip him without going into his room. BUT, once they get old enough and move around, you might find you have to do what my friends do....they have to put the camera across the room so their 1-year old doesn't try to get to it. And then you can't see too many details when it's so far away. We hardly use the monitors we got because I can hear him cry even if ear plugs are in. I'm super mom. ;) We only use them when we go out of town...and always seem to have issues with interference. The receiver will just beep annoyingly (constant) if something is in between the signals and we can't move the walls or doors, duh, so the beeping continues. ;) So would I recommend these monitors? Not really. Too much headache in finding a spot where they have a clear signal path.
mobile
I really wanted a mobile for his room that didn't clash with our color scheme. I originally was going to go the pure decorative route, but then decided to get something that would be functional in entertaining/teaching him too. I loved the not-to-theme-y look of this mobile. And after he sits up and can reach the hangy things, we can take off the umbrella and the base turns into a projector that can ... project.... a light show onto the wall. (right now, the lightshow projects on the underside of the umbrella.) Weston likes to watch these critters go around and around. And it's fun to teach him what the animals say. It goes something like this:
"WEston! This is the lion. Lions go....ROAR!!! This is the bear. Bears go....ROAR! This is the alligator. Alligators go....ROAR! And this is the whale. Whales go...uh.....look! the lion is back!"
Ok, so don't buy this mobile for merely teaching your kid animal sounds.
diaper genie
Nothing major to say about this either way. It was either this or the Dekkor one. Neil just eeny-meenied this (cuz they have the same number of good reviews, pretty much). It's been just fine. Fills up pretty fast, but it does it's duty. We put an airfreshener thing at the bottom (not in the bag) and so far, no major complaints if you change the bag it when it's full. It is what it is. Ok, not really...cuz you then might thing you could rub on it and get three wishes. You can rub all you want, but to get the baby to sleep through the night, I don't think a non-existent genie will help much. ;)
changing pad/liner
For the changing table (which is just a dresser), we do have a changing pad on it, with a changing cover (custom-made to match the decor--a choice that I'm glad I made). But because we have a custom cover, I don't want to constantly be washing it. So we put liners on it. I do not recommend these ones, or anything that seems too similar because they are hard to stay flat after washing them (which you will have to do lots cuz you can't control pee or p**p). I don't think we should have to iron such trivial items as this.
We have some I love, but I can't find them online anywhere...they were hand-me downs. you could honestly probably just use a thicker towel or blanket.
diaper caddy
We have this one for downstairs (we just stock it with diapers, a portable changing pad (which now gets rarely used as I'm pretty ballsy with changing him on the carpet), wipes, ointment and antibacterial hand stuff)
humidifier
We didnt' think we'd need one, but as it turned out, when babies get colds and you can't medicate them, you do anything in your power to help them out. So we got this humidifier because it was cute and wouldn't scream "HI, I'M A MACHINE TO HELP MOISTURIZE A BABY'S NASAL PASSAGEWAY!" Works just dandy for us. and there are lots of animals to choose from. :)
night light
Weston has always slept in his room, not ours. So we definitely found ourselves needing a nightlight while in there (for diaper changes, to see if he was breathing, etc...) We just bought some monkey one that plugged in and turns on when needed. But I wish we'd have instead gotten something like this as it can be portable and it's cuter.
clock
Just get one that you can see in the dark. Because when you need to see how long you've been feeding/rocking them...or when the last time was that you have changed the baby's diaper...then you need a clock. Because sometimes, you might forget to bring your cell phone with you.
rocking chair
We were told early on to invest some money in a good rocking chair. We spent a decent chunk on one of these. (It won't let me paste the pic of it.) We were able to pick our own wood finish (white) and our own cushion color (dark grey). It is SOOO comfy. My only complaint is that the arm cushions move if you use the arm to stand up...which can be dangerous. And we have to keep pushing the seat cushion backwards as it slides forward. (Not EVERY time, but over time...) If you want a glider/rocker, i definitely recommend checking these out. But I admit, i do kinda wish we'd have gone with a recliner instead...that would have been more helpful early on. (Even though it's not advisable to fall asleep while rocking a baby.)
TOYS/BABY SITTERS
There are countless items in which to deposit your bundle of
Bouncer
We chose this one for ratings...but I'm going to be honest...you don't need this if your baby is remotely chill. I think we've only turned on the vibrations maybe 12 times. Never turn on the sounds. My mom calls it the "vibrator" though. How appropriate. haha but yes, we do use it daily to put him in (still today at 5 months) while we cook, or eat...etc. My complaint is this version hardly fits him with the strap...so maybe we're not supposed to put him in there after 4 months??? Dunno. One thing I highly suggest....if you end up with one of these super-bland colored things, rid yourself of the dull birds and hang up the vibrant toys like this instead. Lara suggested that and totally worked!!! (Babies are attracted to high contrast at first, and then later, vibrant colors. They can't differential pastels until about now in their vision development.)
Swing
We didn't register for one nor buy one because quite frankly, I didn't want to spend that money/gift for YET ANOTHER thing to put him in that we didnt' have room for. Well, we made room for it when Lara offered hers to us to "store" until they need it again. And I admit...it was a life-saver early on when he was a fuss-bucket those first two months. We've used it less and less as time goes. So I do recommend having a swing of some sort. This one takes up A LOT of room, but you can plug it in versus put batteries in it. I guess that might be rare. Again, replace the lame-o toys above with something worth staring at. (in a baby's eyes...ha)
Activity Gym
This is a must (though honestly, there are lots of great ones...). If not for their entertainment, then for yours. I loved watching Weston get so excited at this gym. We picked this one because in the first days/weeks, babies can only see black, white and red. High contrast... And not sure why more baby toys etc aren't based on that FACT. But this one got it right. And it has an option on the light/sound bear where if Weston bumps the gym at all, they go off. So it's a way of teaching him cause and effect. the Mirror is lame though. It's like a piece of foil or something. So you'll still need to get a mirror.
Mirror
BAbies are narcissists. So you'll want to get them a mirror to look in. We have two. This first one is not that great because it only lasts for as long as the baby can't move on his own. But now that Weston has intentional grasping...and can roll...he knocks this over. You CAN buckle it onto something with the straps though. We just haven't found something that makes sense to strap it to other than maybe the crib? The second one we have, I can't find online. But it basically wobbles. Haven't used it much yet... not sure we will. (both were hand-me downs, so I don't feel too badly if they don't get used.)
bumbo
Duh. You know what this is, right? If not, should you really be considering having a baby??? JUST KIDDINg. But seriously...just google it. You want this.
jumper
Starting at 3.5 months, as soon as Weston could hold his head really steady, we put him in this jumper. His feet hardly could touch the floor unless we bounced him to start...but it's been so amazing to see him grow into it. He LOVES LOVES LOVES it. He will bounch in there for 30 minutes at a time, and probably would go longer if we let him. Last night, he fell asleep mid-bounce. Not even lying. I wish we'd had it on video. I'm sure other jumpers are just as great... but if you need help deciding....this one is fab. I don't even mind the music...though the elephant sound can be a tad annoying... its' worth it. ;)
hang toys
Just get lots of them. Put them on the stroller. The bouncer. the swing, hand them to the baby when your changing his/her diaper. We use some sort of toy like this several times a day. Here are a few of the ones we have. There really aren't any wrong answers here. The monkey was his first one ever...so kinda is my fave for that reason. His name is Miguel. ;)
And a few others... Just pick some fun ones out.
You will want some rattles. But keep in mind, they have absolutely no coordination, even if they can grip them. So the key is to find something soft for the first few months. Even now, at 5.5 months, Weston will hit himself sooo hard in the face with hard toys. He doesn't seem to phased for long, but still....
We've had the ball on the left since 1.5 months, but it was a dangerous weapon until just a few weeks ago when he's gotten a lot better with shaking things without hurting himself. The one on the right we just got in May from a friend, and it's easy for him to grab. We have a set of keys that are too heavy for him to even lift, let alone swing around. So if you get one of those, go light!!
you'll need teethers as soon as you get annoyed they keep putting their hands in their mouths. these are the ones we got...and like. Again, some teethers are too heavy for the young ones.
We also have something similar to this...and love... cuz all limbs have an option to put in his mouth. haha
Other than the rattle ball, this is the toy that makes Weston's eyes light up. He loves playing with it. And reading the back cover. hahaha It makes lots of crinkly noises. Definitely recommend something like this.
We don't have many other toys. Once he can sit up, we're going shopping. That opens up a lot of possibilities. :)
SLEEPING/SOOTHING
cribAfter reading BABY BARGAINS (which is linked to at the top of this), we decided to save oodles of money and get the Graco Lauren crib. Are there prettier cribs? Sure. But this is perfectly fine and in our budget. Score. We got ours through Walmart (they deliver for a cheap price!!!) for only $189.Graco has a lot of crib/finishes so definitely check them out. Neil put it together himself, so I swear, it can't be that hard. ;)
RockNPlay
This came highly recommend by Lara. Only we got the cute version (not pictured). ;) this is where Weston slept for the first 2.5 months...in his room though. We liked it because it hugged him a bit more than a flat crib mattress would. And then when he got a cold, we had to put him back in it... at 3 months...until 4 months. We still put him in it if he's having a particularly restless night or has lots of congestion. Now he's getting a bit too big... we also like that it's portable. So we take this when we travel v. a big pack N play.
Pack n play
We have this on the ground floor so we have something for him to nap in if we need to lie him down ... or he can play it in. We haven't traveled with it yet because when he was small enough, we use the Rock N Play instead. I'm sure we'll use this more now for traveling (though my parents have one, so that's a plus so we don't have to bring ours.) We do not use the bassinet or the changing table to it. We had it, but couldn't figure out how to put them on so we gave up. haha
Wubbanubbs
I bet the smart person who invented these is RICH. I highly recommend skipping all other brands of pacifiers and just forcing these in your kiddo's mouth. (only half kidding.) These are cute...and cute...and cute. And they helped Weston's hand coordination. And did I mention they are cute?
Also, when it's time to rid him of these suckers (haha), I think we'll try to just clip off the nipple and he'll still have something that gives him comfort. he might also suck on other parts. but I don't think that is as gratifying. I hope. We have four of them. And he loves all 4. (again, we like to keep it fresh so if we lose one, it's not the end of the world.)
sound machines
We have a few options, which I do recommend. My theory is to not get a kid used to just ONE thing because it'll be harder to wean him off if that is the only thing in the world that will soothe him. So we kept it fresh. ;)
We have this giraffe (but we have the travel version, which I don't recommend only because the back opening on the giraffe where the actual sound part goes into was too small to fit in and we ended up busting the stitches and the strap, that makes it "travel" friendly broke off right away. No biggie in the end because my mom can sew. ha But we still don't have the strap on it because how hard is it to just carry it with you. You don't need to strap it onto a stroller. We have iphone aps if you REALLY need something that portable. (They have other animals like this too, but we thought the giraffe was cuter than the lamb.)
This one is good to actually draw attention to as the stomach lights up. I think this is the modern day Glow Worm. I think Glow Worms were a bit more cuddle-icious, but we used this lots to give him a point of focus AND play soothing music. (That is not Weston in the photo below. Duh.)
But if you want something that will grow with the kid...that will project stars onto the ceiling and walls...then there are lots of things out there for that. I'm sorry, because I know a lot of friends have this, but I think these are ugly:
But not these...and they do the same thing....AND these ones have sound to them if you want:
sleep sack swaddler
Screw the lessons on how to swaddle. Just get velcro swaddlers. Since we had a baby in the winter, we got a couple of fleece ones. But also get some that are lighter-weight. We only swaddled him until 3 months (or was it closer to 4?) Then we just got a zip-up blanket one (no wrap around wings) until he started rolling over...now we just keep him in pajamas that have legs and long sleeves. Sometimes feet.
Swaddling blankets that are cuddly soft
Fave blankets, hands down, are these:
There are two types...muslin and bamboo. Oddly, the bamboo ones get worse ratings. But I'm telling you... GET THE BAMBOO ones. they are so incredibly soft. And later can be used as a fashion scarf!! haha (you heard it here first, folks!!) They are pricey, but so worth it. The muslin ones are fine to have too, but these are the ones that will become your faves, if not the baby's. ;)
CLOTHING
Trumpette socks (there are similar socks out there that work well too...but these are what I recommend cuz I have two sets.) They are pricey...but they are DARLINg and they STAY ON!!! There are so many diff types...so go peek. They make GREAT gifts.)Seriously. I don't think I've ever had to put one back on in the middle of the day. Now, if only the washing machine didn't somehow keep one every now and again. haha
A few clothing tips:
- Weston, at 8 lbs 11 oz, didn't fit in ALL newborn stuff. He fit in the larger newborn sized ones. But the itty bitty ones that literally make you drop your jaw...he didnt' fit. So I recommend having maybe 3 of those outfits on hand...but to maybe wait to buy more till you know how he/she fits in clothes.
- Don't go overboard with sizes beyond the first 3 months because you might not end up using much... seasons AND sizes have to match up for you to get use out of them. I wish I'd have chilled out a bit on this. hahaha If you do get clothes beyond those first 3 months, do your best to shelve your desire to nest until you know it's absolutely safe to remove the tags. :)
- Skip buying any shirts with zippers (like cute hoodies, etc) till they are older...like 3-6 months. Because the zippers just get in the way in the car seat and jab them in their chin... or double chin
- Pants are annoying to put on babies before the age of 3 months because you are changing their diapers so often. After that, they aren't amazing, but they get less dumb. But of course when you go out and about, you'll want to probably make their cuteness gag-worthy, so baby jeans are a good way to get the guttural gasps and oohs from ladies of all ages who spy your cutie. OR... stick to leggings. ...also something I didn't know existed until friends suggested them. I have lots. they are so adorable with a onesie...even for boys.
- One-pieces are your friends. Zippers are easiest to do in the dark, but some of the cutest things come with buttons. So make the call on that one.
- Definitely have at least 7-8 sleeper pajamas so you don't have to do laundry every few days, JUST so the baby can sleep. ;)
Two items we never ended up using that others swore by:
The Snuza Baby Movement Monitor: I really thought I'd use it. Hence buying it. (Retails for $120ish) But I don't know why, I just wasn't worried about him breathing despite the fact that he was in the other room. I forgot we had this. SOOO if you or anyone you knows wants to buy it from me, let me know. I'll prob Craigslist it for $100. But I'll sell it for $85 to YOU. ;)
ITZBEEN Monitor: I ended up with two of these. Tried to return the one I didn't open to the place where we registered, but turns out, it wasn't purchased there so we have two. One in box and one not. Anyone want the new one for $10? :) If not, I'll just be taking to a baby consignment place. I think we SHOULD have used this...but I ended up doing a pen and paper thing, and then later, downloaded a Similac ap on the iPhone. I never did anything with the long-term data, hence maybe this monitor being the way to go just to track how long since the last something or other when you're sleep deprived.
------
So that's it for now. We have a few other things we'll be putting to use here soon such as a shopping cart/high chair cover; safety gates; and eventually a toilet trainer. And more toys that are a step up in complexity once he can sit up. As for books, I have a small list going of ones WE love (cuz at this point, it's not hard to please him with something like that), and I'll post about that later as our list continues to grow. Thanks for stopping by!! I hope you have fun registering. ;)
