At work it is a running joke not to drink the water....if you do...you be the next belly walking around! The pregnancies seem to come in large groups for some odd reason among the nurses, doctors, and respiratory therapists. I have wanted to do a post for a long time about the baby products that I swear by. The moment you become pregnant and have a baby, you become this mass consumer and find yourself at the closest target, babies-r-us, and babyGap every third day of the week. I tried to research as much as I could about the most universal stroller, wipeable highchair, etc, but found my best advice came from friends who have kids and have been there...purchased that. So here are some of my favorite things...
This was present from my mom and to be honest a splurge. This is the bassinet from Potterybarn Kids. You only use it for a short time, but there is nothing sweter than putting your little guy down in this bassinet. We actually used this to travel for the first few months. It is actually a moses basket that comes out of the stand. Easy to take downstairs or on your next weekend trip out of town. The base also has wheels, so easy to move around the house.
This is the halo sleep blanket that Ethan still sleeps in. I had the hardest time loosing the swaddle with him. So when we finally transitioned from the swaddle, this blanket makes you feel better about using a blanket safely. Also, he is warm on cold nights. He won't sleep without it. They have now started making them in large sizes for toddlers. Around $15 and well worth the money.
This is the Angeldear Lovie. This was my very first purchase when I found out I was pregnant. They come in all types of characters....lions, lambs, tigers, puppies, giraffes. I remember putting Ethan in his crib to be rolled back into newborn nursery and putting this in there with him. It then started traveling as a perfect size blanket for the car seat and stroller. As he grew older and lost the swaddle, it gave him something to do with his newly free hands at nap and bedtime. Now, Lovie has become Ethan's security blanket he looks for in his crib and carries when we are out and about. It is super cute to see him cuddled with it sleeping. Around $15
This is the Homedics Sound Spa. The sound machine helps drown out any noise to wake the lightest sleeper. The sounds are rain, ocean, heartbeat, white noise, forest, and summer night. We use this with every nap and bedtime. Easy to travel with because it takes batteries. It is around $30 and works far better than those expensive (but adorable) womb bears.
Video monitor by Summer. This particular one has a color screen and and base that can zoom in and out and move to find your baby who seems to navigate in crib. This is helpful when there is silence, but you can take a peak without opening the door. Is he awake or playing quietly? This is an expensive purchase, around $130, but it is something I have used everyday, multiple times a day.
Itzbeen??? This little timer is called Itzbeen and if you are a nursing mother who can't remember her name at 2 am, this is for you. I caught myself attaching this to my jeans in those first few weeks like some 40 something year old man with a cell phone. Ethan's marathon nursing session, mini-naps, Prevacid taking....it timed it all! Did I nurse him last at 1:30 or 12:30??? I could never remember! You just hit the timer for nursing when you start and it counts up. It makes it so easy to keep track of how long he goes between feedings, how long did he nap today, what time I lasted dosed him with Tylenol? It even has a switch to help you remember what side you last nursed on. It is around $24 and comes various colors.
To be honest, David picked out these bottles . I wanted to try the Dr. Brown's bottles that come with mulitples pieces to put together. He like the simple bottle, ring, nipple and your ready to feed the screaming baby kind! The lactation specialist actually recommended this one too for the wide nipple and slowflow nipple. We have loved this bottle and are days away from moving to a sippy cup all time...speaking of....
Sippycups! We have loved the Nuby sippycups. First of all, they are some of the cheapest ones on the market. Secondly, they are great at not leaking compared to the Born Free sippy cups. I mean, what is the purpose of a sippy cup if it leaks everywhere??? Anyhow, we love them and their fun colors. Around $9 for a set of 3.
Highchairs! I almost returned this chair for a more expensive one, but oh so glad I didn't! First of all, the Graco highchair folds up almost flat for storage. It is really comfy for the kiddos. They come in several different prints and colors. The tray is super easy to slide on and off. You would never guess how much you use this thing...or I didn't! It is easy to wipe down the seat of all those raspberries and peas that get smashed everywhere. Love it! It sells for around $110. Worth every penny.
Strollers. This one of the most expensive purchases parents make. This is one of the things I was super excited about when I was pregnant. I knew I'd love strolling around with baby, so I wanted a stroller that was great in a park or a BabyGap. I didn't want 3 strollers sitting in the garage either. We picked the Quinny Buzz. It is expensive, don't get me wrong, it is around $400, but is wonderful. First, the Maxi-Cosi infant carrier snaps into the frame of the stroller facing you. As baby grows, the super soft seat can go back into the frame facing you and can recline as baby sleeps. As he gets older and wants to look around, it switches forward facing. The stroller comes with a rain cover, bug net, basket for underneath, and sunshade. The handle expands for those taller daddies. It folds down easily and will open by itself when you unlock it
