At the risk of sounding like an Oprah wannabe, here ya go! (Sorry, I don't have extras to give away to my studio audience)
Fisher-Price Space Saver High Chair
I love this chair! At first I didn't want to get a high chair since I knew it would be a while before she was eating solids, but this chair is just great because it gives us a place to put her down in the kitchen, and it has 2 reclining modes, so you can start using it way before babies are able to sit up on their own! We haven't attached the tray yet, but I'm sure that feature will be great as well when it comes time for 'real' food. My favorite part: it sits on a regular kitchen chair rather than taking up a whole lot of space we don't have, and it will grow into a booster seat when she gets bigger. Plus it's cute. :)
2. Swing
Isn't it sweet how she loves watching the little mobile? I like this swing, but if I were going to do it again, I'd probably get a much smaller portable swing. This thing is a beast! But the things that I like about it are that it plays music and nature sounds, and you can turn it so she's either swinging side to side, or front to back. It uses a timer and turns off automatically after a while to save battery life, which is nice. Also, it comes with a tray that I don't have attached in this video. If you're curious, this is the
Bright Starts Cradle and Sway Swing.
3. Rocker/Glider
I don't have a picture to show you of mine, but this is an absolute MUST for middle of the night feedings. I have the
Bergamo glider in the dark oak/oatmeal combo, which is a solidly decent one for the money. You won't rave about its comfort like you would a $400 glider, but it's comfortable enough and half the price, and comes with the ottoman. And it puts her to sleep, which as Corey says, is the main point. Yes, he uses it too. :)
4. Pajamas
These are by far my favorite item of clothing! They're not just for nighttime. In fact, in my opinion, the only time the baby needs to wear something other than pajamas is when she's getting dressed up to look especially pretty for some occasion, so you really can't ever have enough pajamas. And especially the ones with snaps, not a zipper, because with snaps, you can leave the top half closed during diaper changes (see above). Which brings us to . . .
5. Cloth diapers!
I love using cloth, mostly because it saves a TON of money, and I like not filling landfills as fast. Plus, the diapers are just so darn cute. At first when Corey and I talked about using cloth, I was pretty hesitant because I thought it seemed gross, but it's really no worse than any diapers you have to change that get poopy. I do have to do a couple of extra loads of laundry a week, but that's FAR from the most time consuming thing about having a new baby. Other great things about cloth: since we've switched, we've had far fewer blowouts (less time pre-treating poop stains on those cute pajamas), and also much less diaper rash. One warning though: they do add a lot of bulk, so baby doesn't fit into those tiny newborn pants for long!
Also let me add that we're far from cloth nazis. I am more than happy to use a disposable on occasion. If we're out and she soils the diaper cover, that's pretty much the only way to go. Also useful for day trips to grandmas, or also just when all the cloth diapers are in the wash. When we use disposables, I swear by Pampers. They have an extra meshy layer that absorbs pee and liquid poo to keep it off that sensitive bottom, and makes for a much easier (less smeary) clean up.
I'm not entirely sure what lap pads are intended for, but I always have one on the changing table before diaper changes. That way if A pees during a diaper change or if poop leaks out, I just have to toss the pad into the laundry, not the whole changing pad cover. It makes the covers last 10 times longer!
This soft quilted mat is waterproof and catches nighttime spit up and drool. I hear you can also have one on the bottom end if you're worried about diapers leaking. Much easier to change this than the sheets, trust me! I have them in 3 colors: sage, brown, and ecru. Love 'em!
And while we're looking at this adorable photo, let me point out her cute
She loves staring at this cute seahorse, and it's a great way to soothe her to sleep. I hear they're also great for taking on overnight trips, because it's a comforting reminder of home when you're in a strange place. And when baby gets bigger, she can squeeze it to start the music herself. It plays about 8 minutes of soothing music with water sounds. Of course I'm sure any stuffed animal sound machine would do basically the same thing.
At first we got the mobile that went with AB's bedding, because it matched. Then we tried using it. You wind it up and the turtles spin for . . . about 30 seconds. Not much entertainment for $45. Not to mention that from the baby's point of view, she just sees turtle bottoms (circles with little nubs sticking out) going around and around. Then I wised up and said, if we're going to spend nearly $50 on a mobile, we should get something that's worth the money. This mobile plays music or nature sounds (or a heartbeat, which I don't even think I've listened to) for 20 minutes while the cute animals smile down at the baby, and it has a light projection that plays. When the baby gets too big for the mobile (you're not supposed to use them after the baby can reach up and grab them), you can take off the mobile part and still use it as a sound machine and light projection (will project the pictures on the ceiling). Now that seems like a much smarter use of money to me. Unfortunately I figured this out after the return policy date ended.
This was the first time I realized AB was actually big enough to play and enjoy things. Not only do these things keep them entertained for a while, they're also great developmentally. And easy to fold up and store when not in use.
And for some things I don't have, but wouldn't mind having . . .
