Wednesday, August 11, 2010

My favorite things - Baby edition

I have already done "My favorite things" posts for summer and winter, so I thought it would be appropriate if I did a baby version. Of course, Isaac is only 4 1/2 months old, so there will surely be lots of things to love in the coming months. But having passed the newborn stage and having starting to get things "figured out," here's some stuff I love. These are things I would advocate to any new mom friends, for sure.

1. Gerber Flannel Burp Cloths - These are by far the most absorbent, best burp cloths we have used. And Isaac is such a spitter, they are an absolute necessity. They also wash really well, and come in boy, girl, and neutral colors.
2. Evenflo Exersaucer - We bought ours used off of Craigslist, which worked out great. When Isaac was about 10 weeks old, he started to get really bored being on his back all the time, and he didn't tolerate tummy time. So even though the Exersaucer is only recommended for babies 4 months and older, we let him use it because he was so strong and had great head control. It was amazing. For the first time, he allowed us to put him down. It was a huge relief for us.
3. Water-filled teething ring - Since Isaac teethed so early (had 2 teeth by 3 1/2 months) it was hard for him to hold onto and control teething toys, because he was still working on hand-to-mouth coordination. So for us, we had to find a small, easy-to-grab teething ring. We used the butterly-shaped one above quite a bit.
4. Baby Einstein Take-Along Tunes - Isaac is obsessed with digital lights. For example, he can see the printer power button from the chair I feed him in. I can't let him see it, though, until he's done eating, because he gets so distracted by it! Sometimes when he sees lights he just SMILES like "This is what I have been waiting all day for!" It's hilarious. This toy not only plays music and lights up, but it plays classical music instead of some obnoxious kiddy song, so it's tolerable for adults too. It's also small enough that he can chew on it to his heart's content. This is my "Go-To" toy that I keep in the diaper bag for when Isaac is fussy in public and I really need to calm
him down fast.

5. Nuby Flip N Sip Cup - Isaac is still working on learning to drink from the sippy cup. But this is the one that was recommended by other moms I know, and I really like it so far. It can close, which is great for the diaper bag. It also has a straw, so baby doesn't have to figure out the mechanics of how to tip the cup upside down to get a drink. I also love the rubber grips on the two handles; they make it very easy to hold.
6. Safety 1st Recline and Grow Feeding Seat - We have a very small house. To add a high chair to our dining room really was not an option. Instead we bought this booster/space saver high chair. It hooks onto a seat, and I adore it. It's easy to clean (the tray can go in the dishwasher) and Isaac likes to sit in it while we eat dinner, even if he's not eating.
7. Graco Snugride 32 Car Seat - I never would have bought a car seat this expensive, except that in order for it to be compatible with the BOB stroller (see #8), we needed to get a specific car seat. The upside to this one is that most infant car seats only go up to 22 lbs. Isaac is about 17 already, and his 8-month old friend is passing the 22 lb marker. The Snugride 32 goes up to 32 lbs. Which means, that I can keep him rear-facing (much safer) and in this seat until he reaches 32 lbs. Here's to not buying a new car seat until Isaac is a year and a half!
8. BOB Revolution Stroller - This was a gift from my mom (thanks, mom!). We had heard that this was the best stroller on the market and worth the extra dough. It's true. This stroller handles like a dream, is easy to pack up, and is comfy for baby. We used the car seat attachment until Isaac was almost 4 months (I believe manufacturer recommendation is 6 months), when he was strong and stable enough to stay supported in just the straps - which are great, by the way. The downside to this stroller is that I had to buy attachments (I got the car seat adapter [$60] and the handlebar console [$30]) but both were worth the money. One mom stopped me on the street the other day and said "Good for you, getting the good gear with your first baby. We
bought the cheap stuff with our first and had to replace it all for babies #2 and 3!"
9. Bumgenius One Size Pocket Diapers - I have loved cloth diapering Isaac. Disposable diapers seem like a waste to me. A waste of money, a waste of landfill space, etc. That being said, I can understand how someone who hates laundry would hate the idea of cloth diapering. Luckily, laundry is my favorite chore. The one-size BG's fit from 7-35 lbs, so they are supposed to fit for the whole time your babies are in diapers, all the way up to potty training. We'll see about that! The elastic and velcro also make these easy as pie for dads and babysitters/nursery/daycare workers etc. I have a stash of 28 diapers, some of which I bought new, some second-hand from EBay or the BG site, and some are called "Haute Pockets," which are a lower-quality (read: cheaper) brand. My goal is to use these for a 2nd baby, so while they were an investment at
first, in the long run they will save gobs of money. *HA! As I sit here typing this, Isaac is in the bouncer next to me pooping into a BG - grunting and all. I'm confident, though, because we have WAY fewer blowouts in the cloth diapers than in the disposables. :)
10. Carter's Sleep Sacks - I like that these are long sleeved so when it's warm out, I can just put Isaac down to bed in this and a diaper. Also, Carter's has been my very favorite brand of baby clothes. Very cute and durable.

The bottom line is that babies are expensive. There's no getting around that. But the market is full of wonderful things that make being a mom smoother and easier. Every baby is different, and like my friend Jessi said, babies don't need too much stuff!

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