I am going to be an AUNT! I am so excited. This also means that my son, Rylan, is going to have a little cousin. As I have been talking with my sister-in-law about baby items I have been thinking about the baby items that really were great to have. When I was pregnant and was registering I was clueless on what I needed. I was overwhelmed with the variety of choices for everything. There was an entire isle of baby bottles and I was clueless which one to choose. That's when I turned to my friends that already had kids to get their suggestions. After having a baby I have created my own list of recommendations and what baby items worked best for our family.
FEEDING:
- Ice cube trays: This may seem weird, but we used them all the time. They are great for making your own baby food purees and freezing the puree in the trays. Once frozen, take the cubes out of the trays and put them in a Ziploc to store in the freezer. Defrost the food as you need it.
- Plastic bibs: Cloth bibs are great for babies before they are eating solids. But once they start eating with a spoon and making big messes and eating foods that stain, plastic bibs are the only way to go. Just wipe and wash the bib after each feeding. It will be dry by the next time your baby eats. Otherwise, with cloth bibs you have dirty bibs that pile up to be washed and end up being stained. Plastic bibs are so much more convenient. There are a lot of variety of plastic bibs. My recommendation would be to pick one that looks sturdy and will cover enough of your baby. Some have a cloth backing, try to avoid those ones.
- Spoons: Who would have thought that all spoons are not equal. We have had 4 different types of spoons and there is a big difference between each type. The munchkin soft tip infant spoons are our favorites.
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Munchkin soft tip infant spoons
- Space Saver High chair: High chairs take up so much room. I would recommend getting a space saver or booster chair that is fastened to a normal kitchen table chair. It fits nicer at the table. Also, once your child outgrows their high chair they can join the family at the kitchen table by using the seat part but not the tray.
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- Rocking chair/ Glider: Our friends let us borrow their glider until their baby was born. We had it for 6 months until we had to give it back. We still hadn't found a glider that we loved so I spent about 2 weeks nursing my baby sitting on the floor in the middle of the night. That is when I learned how important having a rocking chair or glider is. I would recommend getting one that will hide stains. Babies (at least mine) spit up and when they get older often get dirty little fingers.
SLEEPING:
- Rock 'n Play Sleeper: My aunt and cousins gave me this sleeper and we loved it for many reasons. It folds up to make it easy to take it wherever you need it to go, keeps your baby nice and snuggled, easy to clean, and is at an angle to help with reflex. Most bassinets are bulky and once your baby has grown out of it in a few months you have to find a place to store it. This sleeper can be stored easily as it folds. I kept this on the side of our bed when Rylan was a newborn and would rock it with my hand to put Rylan to sleep if he woke up in the middle of the night. The newer sleepers actually come with a calming vibration too. There are a lot of colors and varieties of the rock 'n play sleeper.
- Swaddle Blankets: Before having a baby I heard about how amazing these blankets were. I never used them, but wish I would have tried them out. From what my friends tell me, they do an amazing job at keeping your baby swaddled up all night. They are also lightweight and nice and big. They cost more than your average blanket, but worth the price. I already had so many blankets that I didn't think I needed these. Looking back, I wish I would have.
- Gloworm: We received this gift from my grandfather. He gives a gloworm to every great grandchild. My first thought when I got it was it is kind of weird to give a doll to a boy. Little did I know how much we would love this little gloworm. It lights up and plays lullabys. When my son was a newborn I would push the gloworm for my son and he fell asleep to it many times. Now that my son is 18 months he is able to push the button himself. The other night I listened to him sing along with the lullabys for 15 minutes. It was music to my ears. This is a great toy/sleep aid.
PLAYING:
- Baby swing: There are so many varieties out there. I would recommend getting one. We didn't have one and wished we would have.
- Books: I taught 2nd grade before I became a mom and am a huge advocate of reading to children from day 1. It is so important that you have a variety of books to read to your little ones. Here are a few of our favorites.
We have read Moo, Baa, La La La! so many times that one of my sons first words was moo. He also would laugh every time I got to the last page. This book always put a smile on our faces.
I read this book to my son every night. It's part of our routine and I want to make sure that my son always knows how much we love him.
- Toys: There are so many toys to choose from. Most of our favorites are made by Fisher Price and Baby Einstein. A few of our favorites are Fisher Prices Take along tunes, laugh and learn puppy, shape shorter, and stacking rings.
TRAVEL:
- Stroller: My stroller has so many miles on it. We average about 3 miles on our stroller when they days are nice. I would recommend a stroller that will be a comfortable ride for your little one. We got a jogging stroller that also was a travel system (which means that our car seat fit into the stroller). There are hundreds of strollers to pick from. My recommendation is to pick one that fits your needs. If you plan on spending a lot of time using your stroller, get a quality one. My son loves his stroller so much that whenever he walks past it he has to climb in it and is upset if we don't go for a walk.
- Baby wrap or carrier: There are times when strollers are inconvenient or unpractical and you will want a baby carrier. As a newborn, it is safer to go shopping with your baby in front of you than in a carseat on top of the cart. If you go to sporting events or places with large crowds a baby carrier is necessary. Also, when you have other children it is nice to be able to carry your infant in front of you so that you have your hands free to help your other children or get other things done. I have the Moby Wrap and like it. However, it takes a while to put on. I have heard very positive things about the Bjornbaby and Ergo baby carrier.
- Diaper bag: Get a diaper bag that you love. I went cheap on my diaper bag and got one for $2 at a garage sale. I thought it would be perfect because it was a forest green color and my husband would be comfortable carrying around. I regretted that choice after our first time out. It was impractical and I didn't like carrying it around because it was far from cute. There was only one main pouch to hold things and I had the hardest time finding things that I needed. I sold that diaper bag at a garage sale and no longer have one. I highly recommend getting a cute diaper bag. Even if you are having a boy, it's okay to get a girly diaper bag. It's your bag it can be girly. Make sure it is durable and has lots of pockets so you can find everything you need.
- Back Seat Mirror: I don't know what we would do without this mirror. We absolutely love it. When you are driving you are unable to see your rear facing baby. This mirror attaches to the back seat headrest so you can see your baby. It is very comforting to be able to see your baby at all times and if you hear any concerning noises you can check on them. If you have a car, a back seat mirror is a must.
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What are your favorite baby items?
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I have/use a lot of these things and totally agree! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree on the diaper bag - don't skimp. Get something you LOVE and can easily carry around, because you'll be doing that....a LOT.
ReplyDeleteI have plastic bibs myself. They are great because it cuts the cleaning time in half and it's durable too.
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