Favorite Baby Things

I get a lot of emails and questions {especially from first time moms} about things that I used with Carter that I just couldn't live without. So I figured I'd do a post about them =) No worries, I have another post planned for things that I plan to get for Brynn and also how I'm keeping track of the things that we need. Oh, and a nursery post, of course!

But, first things first.

Below are a few of my favorite things. The name of the item is a link to where you can find it.

1. JJ Cole Diaper Caddy: So simple. So inexpensive. Yet, this little guy is something that we have used everyday since Carter came home from the hospital. You can keep your diapers and wipes in it, of course, but it has a drawer as well where we keep the Triple Paste, his comb, thermometer, and some other things. It's just nice that it's always together and it's easy to carry from room to room. It also has a changing pad that wipes clean very easily. Love this thing.

2. Chicco Courtina Travel System: I loved this travel system. We decided to go with the Discovery pattern so that it was gender neutral and could be used again. The car seat has one of the best safety ratings, which was obviously important to us. Another big thing that we were looking for, was a stroller that was easy to close up and wasn't overly bulky. Although we don't use the stroller much now, it's been great when we do need it.

3. Maclaren Triumph: I can't say enough good things about this stroller. It's made to last forever, it's easy to maneuver around, it's stylish, it's super light and folds easily, it reclines. It's just... wonderful.

4. Jumperoo: Every mom should have one if they ever want to... ya know, shower. I don't know one baby that hasn't LOVED this thing.

5. Cradle-n-Swing: We originally got a little travel swing for Carter, but ended up not being able to use it at ALL because of his acid reflux. I guess the forward-to-backward motion of the swing, really caused problems with his acid reflux and he would refuse to sit in it. We then went out and bought this Fisher Price Cradle Swing and Carter LOVED it. It swings from side-to-side {as well as front-to-back} and also can allow the baby to sit-up or lay down. Well, with Carter's reflux, the sit-up and swing from side-to-side was heaven to him. He loved it and took many a naps in that swing =)

6. SpaSilk Onsies: these were the BEST onsies that I've come across. They were true to size, so so soft, and never shrank after being washed. Carter had a million of them and we've already started buying them for Brynn.

7. EuroBath: Best. Bathtub. Ever. We had 3 different bathtubs before we came across this one. It is so great. There is a side for infants to lay down and there is a side for babies that are able to sit up. We still use this tub for Carter and I'm so so glad that we have it!

8. Pinehurst Collection: I love Carter's furniture. Love. I can't recommend this set enough and I will be posting pictures shortly of his nursery and exactly how it's organized, etc.

9. Dr. Brown's BPA Free Bottles: With Carter's acid reflux, finding a bottle that was perfect for him was hard. But once we tried Dr. Brown's we'll never use anything else. Yes, they have a lot of parts to clean.. but we just stick everything in a big bowl in the sink and wash them out that way. It was super easy and the bottles alone were worth it! We made sure to have about 12 bottles for him {so you're not constantly cleaning them}

10. Bottle Bag: This bag was great. It comes with ice packs and holds 4 bottles at a time. We still use it now for sippy cups and snacks for Carter on the go. It's great!

11. Bumble Bag: I love this diaper bag! It's big enough for everything that I need, but not TOO big. I had it in the "Buttercup Bliss" pattern which it doesn't look like that's available anymore in this style, but no matter what pattern you like... it's a great bag.

12. Booster Seat: Because this seat reclines and can be taken anywhere, this is one of my favorite baby items ever. We have used it since Carter was about 2 months old and LOVE it. We got this chair in addition to a high chair, and I love having both.

13. Video Monitor: You can check on your baby or watch him/her sleep without leaving your bed. Need I say more? The Summer Infant monitor has been great and we will use it again for Brynn.

14.Angelcare Monitor: I honestly would not have slept a wink without this monitor. We never had any false alarms and it just gave us that piece of mind that we needed. It was/is WONDERFUL.

15. Boppy: The 'jack of all trades." This was used for so many things... to angle Carter up while he was learning to hold his bottle, to place around him when he was learning to sit-up, to help us hold him as an infant while he was eating. Every mom should have one. Oh, and you can change out the covers for fun =)

16. Britax Roundabout: This is one of the highest rated convertible car seats on the market. It's great for smaller cars and is easy to transfer from car to car, if needed. We plan to buy another one for Brynn.

And possibly my favorite baby thing evaaaaaa:
17. Lullaby Sound Machine: a.k.a.- the baby crack machine. This thing is one of the greatest inventions ever. Not only does it play soothing sounds {Carter sleeps with it on the "rain" setting every night} but it also projects images on the wall or ceiling. There are 3 discs that come with it, and you can point the projection anywhere. It's called the "baby crack" machine for a reason. Best $20 I've ever spent.

That's it for now. I'm sure I'll go home and see something that we use 5,274 times a day and say "ohhhh, why didn't I include that in my post!?!" So I may be adding stuff... I do have a mama brain, after all.