My Favorite Baby Items

My dear Cutes Patoots has a lot of things. Many of them are great, but there are a few items that I am really happy to have. I'd keep checking this list as I will add to it until she is 6 months when I will make a new list for older babies. I provided links to the products that should open in a separate tab to make it easy for you.

• Fisher Price Cradle Swing Not every baby likes to swing. Mine LOVES it. I do recommend spending the extra money for the full size cradle swing instead of the more compact floor swing. Babies seem to like to be up and feel like they are part of things. We picked the Discover and Grow theme because of it's bright and high contrast colors. Babies love bright colors and for a while they have a hard time seeing the pastels. I also really like that the seat adjusts into a recline position AND a sitting position. Cutes Patoots is not quite ready for the high chair yet, or maybe I'm not, so the tray is nice when doing a feeding. Clearly you don't have to go with my model or even brand but I do STRONGLY suggest you get one that runs on batteries AND plugs into the wall, otherwise you may as well just buy stock in Duracell. The only down side is if you have a larger baby because the weight limit is 25lbs you will have to find a "replacement". We are currently in the market for something to replace the swing. We think we found one. I'll let you know how that goes.
• Fisher Price Whale of a Tub I can not tell you how much I love this tub. The bumper keeps baby from sliding, it's easy to clean, and cute to boot. They now also make a penguin tub along the same lines. The bumper is removable and to avoid mold and mildew remove it after each bath to dry after washing the tub out. I haven't found a down side yet. Even the price is nice. I am not a proponent of the sling tubs. I've heard to many stories that started with "I took my hand off to get the soap..." The baby is usually just startled, but mom or dad is horrified. Apparently as a baby I turned mine into a water slide regularly much to the horror of my mom and grandma. So my grammy thought this was brilliant and made sure I had this one. I also did my research. At the time I was looking this tub reviewed better than any other by actual users.
• Thermal Aid Bear I got this guy at Costco and have not regretted it. When Cutes gets her vaccines and runs that low grade fever this helps make her a bit more comfortable. When our A/C was broken for almost 2 weeks in June in Hawaii this bear helped me feel better about her having to sleep and live in 85 degrees. She likes to cuddle him and gets excited when ever she sees him. He is made of a nice terry cloth and is washable, always a plus in any baby item. He can be used as a hot or cold pack. We have the green one, though Thermal Aid makes them in a variety of colors and even other animals.
• Summer Infant Swaddlers and Halo Sleep Sacks I sucked at swaddling. Even as a newbie Cutes could escape a mommy swaddle in a heartbeat. The SwaddleMe wraps are the only reason I could swaddle her. My husband was an expert at the blanket swaddle, but if you have any doubts about your swaddle-fu get a few of these. Remember the rule of 3:one in the wash, one one the baby, one clean. And then have a swaddling sized blanket on hand as back up. Trust me baby poop happens and at 3 am that can be an issue when baby has peed on the one they were wearing, are wearing your back up, and the one from the night before is in the wash because you weren't quite quick enough the morning before. These are nice because baby will not docilely hold still for you to wrap them up at 3 am either, and no matter how tired you are I assure you the velcro will make sense. The Halo sacks are nice for when they are done being swaddled but aren't ready for a blanket. Just make sure with all of these that you have the right size for your child. When the SwaddleMe gets to small baby will be able to push with those tiny tootsies and break free. Summer Infant also makes wearable blankets, like the Halo ones, but theirs have a double zipper. Super nice for diaper changes.
• Tummy Time Mat We have two: the one on the link provided and a more simplistic one from Bright Starts . I liked having 2 because it gave her a change up and if one needed washed she could still have a tummy time mat. We started Cutes Patoots with tummy time and the play mat by week two or three. Pretty much as soon as I could get in the floor and "play" with her. Mostly they just lay there looking around as a newborn, but they quickly start trying to interact and you can use
  
  that clutching reflex to put toys in their hands. Just touch the toy to their palm and they will clench down and the light weight toy will move and make sound. We used a simple set of plastic keys or a Bright Starts rattle. I also liked the Lamaze wrist and foot rattles at play time. Small toys are great and most play mats will come with a few. Tummy time is important for babies to help them develop those core muscles they will need for rolling over, sitting up, crawling, etc. It also helps them to develop neck and back muscles for head control. The problem is not all babies enjoy it. So be sure to hang out with your little darling on the floor while they play. Your first few sessions may not go well, but keep at it. In the early days these sessions probably won't last longer than 10-15 minutes before baby is done. I always liked to start with her on her back for a few and then turn her over propping her with a provided tummy time pillow for a few more minutes. You can always use a blanket, but I loved my mats for color, and the Neptune Gym has the bars to hang toys in babies view. That is great for developing hand eye coordination once they start to swat at things.
•  Medela Pump in Style There are cheaper pumps out there but this one is worth every penny, especially if you are going to be pumping a lot. As I've said before I exclusively pump and my breast pump is a champ.  5 months in and it still works as good as the day I got it. A double pump is nice because it cuts your pumping time in half, if you are still in the pregnancy phase you may not realize how important that is. Let me put it this way; to build and maintain your supply you will be pumping every 3-4 hours 20-30 minutes on each side, that is 3-4 hours a day with a double pump. With a single pump you double that time, and believe me when I say 6-8 of pumping will destroy what "free" time you have. ( PLEASE do not let the time discourage you from pumping or breast feeding if you are able to. It really is what's best for baby.) Plus if you work it's much easier to ask for a half hour at a time then an hour. Other nice things about this pump is it is fairly easy to clean, though there is one spot that is a bit difficult and I do recommend having an extra set of shields, valves, and membranes. That way one set can be in the dishwasher. I tend to pump with one set a day, hand washing the pieces in between sessions. the fact it's in a tote is nice too because you can keep all of your pump stuff together and moving it from room to room is easier. I don't care for the Medela milk storage so I use Lansinoh Breast Milk storage bags and because we use the Playtex Drop-in Nursers I also like the Playtex Breast Milk Storage System. I have tried several brands of milk storage bag and found Lansinoh to be the easiest with fewer leaks and spills, plus the labels are easy to write on and read. The bottles we love because once you push the air out baby takes in very little air meaning less gas and trust me you want less gas. Another perk to the Drop-Ins is there are less parts to sterilize and the parts are easier to clean. Breast milk has a lot of fat which can leave a residue that can be hard to get out of a traditional bottle if you don't clean it out immediately, like say at 3 am when baby finishes a bottle and you fall asleep in your glider until 6 when they get up again and want fed.
• Bottle Huggers/Pets These are not necessary by any means, but we LOVE them. She also has this one. Why are these so great?
  
  This is why. They let baby hold on to their bottle and if you (against APA advisement...we all do it at some point) bottle prop it holds the bottle in place. Plus they are just so darn cute! We get compliments on these everywhere we go and they always ask where we got them. Her duck and turtle came from a place that no longer sells them, but you can get them and others on Amazon. Just search bottle pet or bottle hugger. Bonus they are machine washable.
• .   An Exersaucer This is not something you have to have immediately. Baby won't really use it until they have built stronger core muscles and have good head control. There are cheaper versions and more expensive ones. I wanted one with a lot of color because Cutes Patoots loves bright colors as I have said before. If you want something that will grow with them Evenflo has a great one that can be used as a play mat, exersaucer, and toddling play center. We got ours from some friends and Cutes Patoots took right to it, loving the new perspective on her world. It's also nice for me because she can play while I do homework or housework in the same room. Look for something with lots of busy, easy to use toys. Don't be afraid to buy second hand or except a freebie from friends here. This is one of those things that second hand is fine. Just make sure to wash it down because baby will put everything in their mouth.
• Travel System We got the Baby Trend jogging system for Cutes. I went with a jogging stroller because I planned to get back into walking and jogging once Cutes arrived and didn't see the point in having multiple strollers for a newborn. She was 3 weeks old when we did a 5k together. Our time was awful, but better than we expected. A travel system is nice though because the carseat carrier will click right into your stroller, no need to wake baby going from the car to stroller or stroller to car. I am also a big proponent of the infant carrier carseat because you don't have to wake your little darling to get them out of the car, and trust me waking baby is not something you will do lightly. They need their sleep.An over tired baby is not fun to deal with. I really like the stroller that comes with the Baby Trend system. It is easy to drive, even one handed. It collapses and expands with ease. All in all it is just very easy to use. The only down side is because it is a jogging stroller it does take up a lot of space, but its maneuverability even in tighter spaces is a bonus. Once she is sitting up on her own easily we will probably get her an umbrella stroller for most trips out of the house, reserving her Cadillac for jogging and places like the beach, where we will go off roading.
• Boppy These are great because you can use them to breast feed or bottle feed. They help insure proper positioning. You can also use them for tummy time, to help an infant sit up, and you will undoubtedly find other uses for this pillow as well. I also recommend getting the waterproof cover and a spare cover just in case.
• Baby Carrier A baby carrier is great, whether it is an afternoon at a zoo or you just need to vacuum. Baby wearing is also a great way to bond with baby. I recommend getting one that adjusts easily and will work for you and your partner. It makes it easier if both people can wear baby. Though admittedly you might not want to give baby up no matter how tired your back gets. Sure you can hold baby in your arms but I promise they will get tired long before your back does. Make sure whatever carrier you get is comfortable with weight in it. A carrier changes when there is a 17lbs baby in it, trust me.
• Changing Table with a contoured changing pad We were told by several people we know that we wouldn't use a changing table because changing the baby sideways is awkward. So we decided not to buy one. After all why waste $100 when there were other things we needed? Well a neighbor put one out on the curb for bulk trash pickup but ti was still in good condition. It just needed some paint and a new changing pad. I can not tell you how glad I am we grabbed that off the curb.If I had to go back and do it all over again and didn't have the free one I would buy one. I use it everyday. To eliminate the awkwardness of changing the baby from the side we positioned it so we could change Cutes from the bottom and not have to do it from a side angle. I also recommend spending the extra money for a contoured changing pad because it helps keep the baby in place.Changing pad covers are nice to have too because as I have mentioned before sometimes babies pee mid-change. I wish I had seen this cover by Halo sooner. I'd have bought it in a heartbeat. Babies do NOT stop waving their arms just so you can change them. By the time I saw it I had diaper changing down to an art. Cutes Patoots is 5 months as I type this and I still love my changing table. The one we have has shelves that with the addition of canvas bins makes a great place to store all of those diaper changing essentials, hair bows, tiny shoes, etc. There are also dressers with changing tables built in. One of those would be great too because it is dual purpose. If you can accomplish 2 or more things with one piece of equipment do so. Babies are small, their things are not
• Diaper Genie Okay this is another one of those things several people told me i wouldn't really use, and we didn't buy one. I entered a photo contest for Playtex and won my Diaper Genie. When it arrived I thought "hey we'll give it a try" the result I love it. It keeps the the number of times I have to empty the kitchen garbage out, keeps the diaper out of the kitchen, and in general is just great. I wish we had 2; one for her nursery upstairs and the one we have downstairs. It keeps the smells contained and if you just spray a bit of Lysol in it when you are emptying it and the inside doesn't get smelly either.
• Circo Crib Sheet As of right now Target's brand of crib sheet is sold in a cloth pouch that matches the sheet. Those pouches are great for storing small toys, packing outfits in the diaper bag, all sorts of great things. The packaging is eco friendly because you can use the pouch over and over, even wash it. The sheets are also a nice material that washes easily and doesn't fade.
• Eddie Bauer Broadmoor Diaper Backpack This diaper bag is nicely made and durable. We like it because it holds a lot of stuff and my husband doesn't mind carrying it because it is very gender neutral. It won't clash with whatever you are wearing either, possibly the last thing on your mind after baby comes but still nice. It has a nice side cooler pouch to store bottles in, a "wet" bag, and a changing pad. The changing pad is a little flimsy but it's purpose really is just to keep baby's bum off of questionable surfaces and to protect your car upholstery. I also like Huggies Disposable Changing Pads and even though we have the one that came with the diaper bag I always keep a couple of these in there as well. The diaper bag has lot of pockets for storing smaller things and clips that will strap to your stroller. I also appreciated that it wasn't overly expensive. So many of the diaper bags geared towards men are over priced. I do have a second diaper bag that is fairly basic but it is hot pink and zebra. Awesome bag but Papasaurusrex doesn't want to carry that one. I always have both bags packed. Mostly though we use this one. If you don't care for this design I do recommend a bag that has lots of pockets, a large storage pouch, a changing pad, and a wet bag. (Wet bags are good for those cute little clothes that get pee or poop on them or even keeping all those dirty diapers together. Nothing like finding a month old dirty diaper in the bottom of your bag.)
• Summer Infant Super Seat This seat is so much fun. Cutes Patoots loves to sit up and play with all the toys. Once baby is doing finger foods there is a little space on the tray where you can put Cheerios or whatever. There is a strap underneath to secure it to a chair as a booster seat. All in all worth every penny. The toys are fun and it grows with the child. When using it to support baby while they learn to sit keep it on the floor and never leave baby unattended in the chair. I've never had any problem with tipping but better safe than sorry.
• Lamaze Freddie the Firefly WORTH EVERY PENNY! This is Cutes favorite toy. See her glee at biting his face. You too can bring that joy.
  

  

  Hey look it's Freddie and the Super seat.

  We take it with us everywhere. Freddie can divert almost anything even a wet diaper fit while I find the bathroom. He is brightly colored with lots of textures. there is a squeaker, a teether, a mirror. Her grandma calls him her busy bee because there are so many aspects of Freddie for her to get busy with. Cutes Patoots favorite thing though is to crinkle his wings. All in all this is just a great developmental toy. Your little darling may prefer another of Lamaze's cast of characters though. What I did was show her several different ones letting her touch them. I picked the one she reacted to with the most delight. When I took Freddie from her in the store the first time, she reached up for him. Something she didn't do for any of the others. I promptly gave him back to her and they have been friends ever since. (Side note: If you don't attach him to the stroller/carrier make sure to keep checking that he is still there when you go out. Do not lose him. Yes you can buy a new one, but you'd be amazed at how attached you become to the original. I thought I lost her O-Ball once and nearly cried.)
• Balls. Big balls, smaller balls, soft ones, and hard ones. Babies love balls. Some of my favorites are the O-Ball Soccer ball fun to chew on and help develop that pesky hand to hand passing trick. It's also good for rolling once baby can sit on their own. The Infantino Activity Ball also good for those hand to hand skills. It has a "rain maker" and is just lots of fun. It's another one of those toys she reached for. Finally the Sassy Loopy Ball is  great too. Brightly colored and soft, great for chewing on or so she tells me.