10 Baby Must Haves - according to me...

I love lists. I write lists. (on paper... my hubby has got me using a list app, just a bit, for sharing things that we need in case someone happens to make a grocery run... but paper is my favorite! There's something about just writing something down! But I digress...) When we were preparing for Joy, I looked up lists of things we needed to have. I've been wanting to write a list of things that worked for us, so here goes. This isn't a list of obvious stuff (diapers, clothes, etc...) just a list of stuff that people don't often think of that were wonderful to have.

1. Rock and Play Sleeper. 
 Forget the fancy pretty bassinet... this thing is awesome! I love that she slept slightly elevated and so close to me. It's very lightweight and folds up easily - travels so well. She slept in it until... oh, about last month... (I had started putting her in her "big" bed (pack and play in our room) but she got sick and congested and I wanted her elevated again to keep her from coughing so bad.) Her's is probably one of the original versions, they've gotten a lot fancier, but it did the job!

2. Baby Nail Scissors!
  Seriously, cutting baby nails scares me! But my mom always used nail scissors for my sister and they just make sense to me. I'm a lot less worried about cutting tiny fingers with these. They are very sharp, but I don't think I've as much as scratched her with them. They work great! (They are pictured above - in my title pic.) :)

3. Bath Seat

First Bath

  I was given a couple of baby tubs (hand me downs from friends) but I never used either one of them. I used this for Joy's first bath and haven't looked back. She has always loved her bathtime!

4. Carriers
This really should be #1 on my list!! I can't express how much we love our carrier. I had a borrowed Moby for when she was tiny, and used it a bit. It was so nice and soft and great for cuddling a tiny baby close. (and also had fold for keeping things handy... such as the burp cloth below!) ;)

First Sunday at church with Joy and my little friend

Then one evening I got ready to leave the house for a bit and leave her with Mark. He wanted to "wear" her, but I knew explaining that super loooong piece of fabric and how to tie it could be a bit much. So I pulled out my Beco. A few buckles are a lot more straight forward than looping and tying fabric. (And the ours comes with an infant insert - she probably could have been in in even younger.)

First time carried by Daddy

And I still use the Beco often. It's great for out shopping - I just pop her in and off we go. I think she likes seeing new things from the safety of mom. :) AND Mark uses it if he takes her out... just a couple of strap adjustments, and it's ready for daddy! It's as easy or easier than wrestling with a stroller and she will sometimes nod off to sleep - though not as frequently as she used too. Mine is a Beco Butterfly II. Unfortunately, they don't make this particular model anymore, but many other soft buckle carriers work just as well. Just do your research, articles such as this one are helpful in understanding why a good carrier is so important. (for mommy and her back as well as a developing baby!)

Shopping with Mommy!

Of all baby items, this is probably the one I researched the most. I researched many different carriers and realized how important the right carrier is. (I have had some back trouble, in fact have a bit of scoliosis and sway back. I had to be careful to choose the right one.) The cheapy version at your local stores might be tempting, but if you never use it, it's a waste of money. And trust me, if it hurts to wear, you won't end up using it. Even with this carrier, I can only go so long (quite a while, though.. especially when compared to trying to carry her without a carrier). But I can't imagine a carrier without the proper support. A lot of her weight gets distributed around my hips - not my back and shoulders. And when I can do a back carry, it's awesome!! I've only done it once, but we both loved it. (I hadn't tried in a while. I'm not quite as experienced at getting her on my back and the first time scared her... this was last week and it went very well, as you can see!)

First time on mommy's back!

5. Muslin Swaddling blankets
I swaddled her a lot. (Not any more... she loves to sleep stretched out in her "big" bed!) :) I haven't swaddled her for quite some time, but I do love these muslin blankets! I have a couple of different brands, and my favorites are a bit larger than the others (44 inches square). They are awesome for swaddling and you can find all kinds of swaddling tutorials online. The light muslin is a bit stretching and the fabric breaths great! I still love to have them on hand - great for grabbing to run into the house in a rain storm!  ;)

Baby Burrito!

6. Small swing

 I registered for a big fancy swing - the kind that plugs into the wall... Thankfully we were able to borrow one and not spend money on it because she hated it. I know, some kids might like them, but it was toooo smooth for her. She liked our little Fisher Price travel swing that was fast and a bit more jerky, I guess because she could feel the movement more. She still loves it, and is barely in it. It is now at my parents where she naps there. I'm sure we don't have too much longer and she won't fit in it at all. We love her little swing and I've been thrilled with how well it has worked. I even bought it used - though it still looks brand new.

7. Wubbanub
Ok, I have to admit, I think my love of these pacis is probably mostly the cuteness factor.... They are so much fun! She hasn't been a huge paci baby, but she doesn't suck finger either, so mommy is happy. (It's my opinion that a paci is a lot easier to get rid of later than fingers, but thankfully I don't have to worry about either.) She still enjoys them, though... they make great teethers! ;) (And you can also see this one in the first picture.) :)

8. Car Seat Cover

Home coming!! (Car seat cover folded down... if it was up- you couldn't see baby!) 

 A friend gave us one of these. I loved it!!! Having a new little one, especially in the winter, it really came in handy. I felt like it kept her warm and cozy going to and from the car. It also kept "lookers" at bay - you know, those well meaning people who just want to squeeze and love on your new little one, but you, being the new mother and it being flu season are paranoid that your little one is going to get some horrible disease! It worked out rather well. ;)

9.  Backseat Mirror
With a rear facing seat, it is almost impossible to see that precious little face from the front of the vehicle! We love our little mirror! (Joy also likes looking at herself, and often smiles when I put her in the car - even though she isn't a huge fan of car rides. It was great in the infant seat, but even better now that she is in a big convertible (still rear facing) seat. She outgrew that little seat pretty quickly!  

10. Cloth Diapers.

I just love a baby in cloth!!

Yes, I still love them!!!! You can read my cloth diaper post here. I have updated it with new info as I have learned more. I have tried a few different cloth diaper brands, but Mark and I agree the ones that work the best are our original BumGenius Freetime diapers. They hold more, and contain more... The way the diaper is designed, they also dry quickly! (The diaper above is by Thirsties. I love the diaper itself - sooo very soft. It just doesn't hold quite as much as our favorites.)  She tends to be a heavy overnight wetter, and I have just added an extra liner in for those long nights. (Although, we haven't had many of those recently... growth spurt?? Hoping for long nights to return very soon!!!)

Another HUGE plus: We have rarely had a diaper rash in her cloth! I do sometimes use "paper diapers" as I call them. (occasionally mommy doesn't quite stay on top of the laundry...). She doesn't usually have a problem, but there is one brand I tried (given to us) that literally blistered my poor girl! I won't be using them anymore!! So thankful for comfy, soft, money saving cloth! ;)


So what worked for you? Did I miss anything you couldn't have lived without? :) Or maybe you even tried something here and it didn't work for you. Not everything works for every family!
(None of these companies even know I exist. None of the above are advertisements...)