After almost six weeks with our little bundle of joy, we have come to realize that there are a few items that have really made our lives so much easier. I thought I'd write a blog post about those particular things just for future reference or to help out any current/potential baby shoppers who might like some suggestions. So here are a few of my favorite things:
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Why We Love It: This is the cousin of the well-known Boppy feeding support pillow, and in my opinion it needs a new PR person because it's not getting the recognition it deserves. It is the perfect little pillow to lay Brock on because it has a recessed center that his little body fits right down into which keeps him secure and safe from rolling off. This was where he took most of his daytime naps for the first few weeks. We could put the pillow next to us on the couch and have him with us without having to hold him the entire time. It has a wipeable surface that doesn't absorb liquid, which is nice for our little spit-up monster. And last, but not least, we love the Boppy Lounger because Brock really seems to find it comfortable.
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Why We Love It: I personally am a big fan of equipment that will last us through several years, and this transitional bathtub is one such item. I love it right now because it has a mesh sling for newborns and young infants who can't hold their heads up yet. When the baby is in the sling it rests just on top of the water so his body stays warm in the water but his head doesn't go under. And the sling is removable so I can use the tub until he's able to move to the big bath. Also it comes with three little toys, one that is attached to the tub that I imagine he'll enjoy chewing on when he finally becomes aware of his mouth. Brock gives the tub two thumbs up.
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Why We Love It: This item has probably given these two new, anxious parents the most peace of mind. It's a regular baby monitor but it's also so much more. There is a sensor pad that goes underneath the crib mattress and detects whether there is movement, such as the baby's breathing. If there is no movement for 20 seconds, a warning beep sounds, then the alarm will beep and vibrate loudly so if the baby stopped breathing for some reason we would be alerted immediately. With all the warnings about SIDS, it can be somewhat nerve-wracking to leave a baby in his crib by himself, but this monitor takes away the need to check on him every 5 minutes to make sure he's still breathing. It can also be used just as a sound monitor only, and it displays the room temperature on both of the mobile handsets it comes with. It's a little pricey, but the peace of mind it has given us (not to mention the peaceful sleep it enables us to have between nighttime feedings) has made it worth the money.
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Why We Love It: I did my research on swings, and this is the payoff. There are so many features I love about this thing, and it is great for those times when no other location in the house seems to do the trick of soothing a crying baby. First of all, the fact that it plugs in is a huge plus and saves us a ton of money on batteries. It is so soft and plush and has a little rattle that the baby can play with. The cradle can be set to swing from side to side or back and forth and there are 6 different speeds. There are 8 different tunes that are easy to listen to, unlike some swings/mobiles that have really obnoxious songs that drown out everything else in the room. And the mobile is really cute too, with a mirror underneath that the baby can look at. Brock likes relaxing in his Snug-a-Bunny throne.
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5. Swaddle Wraps
Why We Love It: Let's just say these past six weeks would have been unliveable without the swaddle. You don't get much sleep with a newborn, but you get even less if you don't know how to swaddle because their arms are just uncontrollable and seem to be magnetically attracted to the sleeping baby's face, inevitably waking him up. Now, technically, you don't need special swaddle wraps because you can swaddle with a regular blanket, but if you happen to be swaddle-challenged like us and just never can get the blanket to work right, or if you have a Houdini baby like Brock who can somehow bust out of the best swaddle job, then these are highly recommended. We have two different brands, the Woombie swaddle (a little expensive but really easy) and the Summer Infant Swaddle Wrap (velcro wraps that aren't escape-proof but work really well). Brock is sleeping peacefully thanks to his swaddle.
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Why We Love It: Again with the transitional items, this little vibrating rocker chair can be altered so that as your baby becomes a toddler he doesn't outgrow his chair. I opted for this item instead of the typical bouncy seat, and I love it. The legs are the perfect height from the ground so that all I have to do is put my foot underneath the edge and raise my big toe up and down to keep the chair gently rocking. As lazy as that makes me sound, it is really great when I have things to do with my hands and can't bend over to bounce a seat for hours on end. It's very portable and great for times like when I need to take a shower but want to have Brock where I can keep an eye on him. It also has a little mobile that attaches for visual stimulation.
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Why We Love It: Technically, this was just a scrapbooking tote that wasn't being used at the time, but since we didn't have an actual "diaper caddy" like they sell at Babies-R-Us, this functioned nicely as one. This item falls under the lazy parent category again, but seriously when you're running on 2-3 hours of consecutive sleep at a time, these shortcuts are greatly appreciated. When Brock was sleeping in the bassinet in our room, this was great for those nighttime feedings. Our child poops approximately every 2.5 hours (no exaggeration) so after we were already in bed for the evening, we could expect to have to get up to change him at least 3 times a night. The diaper caddy at the foot of our bed made it so much more convenient for Blaine to change the baby at night after I would feed him. Now that we've moved Brock to his crib in his own room, the diaper caddy is kept downstairs in our living room for those times we just don't feel like walking up the stairs to the changing table.
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Why We Love It: Okay, as difficult as it might be to get excited about or sing the praises of a garbage can, this one really is a superior diaper pail. It's one of Blaine's favorite baby items, which is good because he's the one in charge of taking the full bags out to the trash. But I really do think it is superior to the Diaper Genie (no offense to the Diaper Genie supporters out there) just because of the hands-free step pedal you use to lift the lid, and there's no complicated twisting or pushing down of dirty diapers. A little trap door under the lid keeps the smell out perfectly, and it's so easy to change the bags. Yaay for garbage cans!
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Why We Love It: Sound machines may seem like a silly expenditure, but I'm pretty sure this little device helps our teeny, tiny one soothe himself to sleep. I love this one in particular because it has so many different sounds, it has a timer option or endless play, and it has a little projector that displays on the ceiling. The white noise options include a heartbeat, rain, and the ocean, but it also has three different lullabies you can play too. Brock likes the heartbeat and the ocean sounds. I fell asleep to the ocean sound coming through the monitor yesterday afternoon so if he ever outgrows it, I may find another use for it in my room.
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Why We Love It: Well, honestly, we haven't used this yet but I do think it's the best seat out there because I've had experience with others. We chose this instead of a high chair to save space and for portability. There are only three or four products like this that can be used from infancy to toddler years, and this one beats the others because it's easier to put together, easier to clean, easier to adjust, and allows the chair to still fit underneath the table when not in use. If you're in the market for one of these seats, this one is the way to go in my opinion.
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So those are our top ten favorite things. Burp cloths and bibs should probably go in there somewhere too since they make an appearance in every picture of Brock, the king of spit-up, but those things are kind of a given. All these things are really luxury items and aren't necessary for adequate childcare, but they really have made things easier for us, and I'll definitely be giving some of them as future gifts at baby showers!
