Things we love and can't live without for birth to 4 months!
Aden and Anais swaddle blankets: These are by far the best and most versatile blanket out there. We used them a bit for swaddling but more so as an all-purpose blanket. Its light enough for the summer, but big enough to fold several times when more warmth is needed. I seriously do not leave the house without one of these blankets either in my bag or over Nolan! And I suggest you spend the extra money and get the real ones (not the cheaper ones from Target or Babies R Us) because they are a bit bigger and nicer quality fabric.
Boppy Pillow: This was essential at the beginning for breastfeeding!! Now, we use it a lot to prop Nolan up in a seated position or for some tummy time. He likes to sit on it on my bed and help me fold laundry :)
Fisher Price Jungle Play Mat: We set this up for Nolan when he was 2 weeks old and he has probably spent some time in it every single day since then. Its great for tummy time since there are so many things to look at, as well as for back time. He loves the lights and now that he's reaching for toys more, he's really playing with it rather than just staring at everything.
Summer Infant SwaddleMe: These are the ultimate baby burrito swaddlers! Nolan was a little Hudini with the standard swaddle blankets but for a while these were inescapable for him. Because of that darn Moro reflex where babies startle themselves in their sleep, these things were like magic for a while.
Good Burp Cloths: Don't even bother with those small little strips of fabric they call burp cloths. Go with the Gerber Cloth Diapers. And get a ton of them! Between the laundry, diaper bag, and every room in the house, you will use a lot of them.
Ergo Carrier: I seriously can not say enough about our Ergo carrier! It is the most comfortable carrier, Nolan loves it, and my back doesn't hurt at all from wearing it. Both Bryan and I have worn Nolan for several hours at a time while hiking, shopping, or just around the house and we both love it. We got the Sport version since it was supposed to be cooler. I was a little hesitant at first since the baby has to face you, unlike in the Baby Bjorn where they can face in or out, but that turned out not to be an issue at all. Nolan almost always falls asleep in the Ergo and its a general rule for carriers not to let the baby sleep while facing out. The last thing you want to do is have to risk waking your child up because they fell asleep front facing! And I've heard from other mommas that the Bjorn KILLS your back and shoulders when the baby gets above 14ish pounds. Save your money and get the Ergo!!!
Motorola Video Monitor: This is one of the I-told-you-so items in our household. I wanted a video monitor and Bryan thought it would be overkill. Guess who was right?? He fully admitted early on that the video monitor was the way to go. Now when we hear little cries, we can look at the monitor to see if Nolan really needs us or if he's just moving around to get comfortable rather than trying to silently peek into his room and risk waking him up even more. These seem to range a lot in price but we've been really happy with this one and actually really like the temperature sensor to make sure his room isn't too hot or cold. No problems with interference or static and we can sit outside without losing signal.
Sophie the Giraffe: I wasn't sure about Sophie. I've heard her refered to as an overpriced dog chew toy but other mom's love her. We got her as a gift and in the past month, Nolan really loves her! Before then, he didn't show any interest in her or other toys. Something about the shape of her legs, ears, and face are perfect for his little hands and mouth. And let's face it, she pretty darn cute!
BOB Revolution Stroller: I love this thing!!! This is currently the only stroller we have and I've never felt like we needed anything else (we'll get a small umbrella stroller when Nolan's bigger). Yes, its a bit big, but its super easy to fold and unfold. It manuvers like a dream when running (we have the infant car seat adaptor and yes I run with it...totally safe in my opinion even though the makers tell you not to) and its great when walking around town or through the mall. If you are a serious runner, definitely get this stroller!
Moby Wrap: I wasn't sold on the Moby Wrap at the beginning, mostly because it was summer time and that thing is darn hot! But now that its cooler, I'm liking it more. Also, I think I like it more now that Nolan is getting bigger (which is the opposite of what I originally would have thought). I like using it for different holds, like facing out, and our newest favorite is the hip carry. Overall, I would suggest getting some sort of wrap as they are fairly cheap compared to other carriers and there's nothing like having your baby snuggled up next to you!
A good camera: This is one of the most important things I think you can invest in. I got Bryan a Cannon DSLR for his 30th birthday and we both agree its one of the best gifts ever. We just have a base model but he has many different lenses for it that really improve the quality of the pictures. I've posted many pictures on here and on facebook that just wouldn't be as good with just a point and shoot camera. (I should give Bryan credit here for being a good photographer too!)
Other thoughts: I would suggest both a swing and a bouncy seat as they are helpful but Nolan neither loves or hates his. He spends 20 minutes in the morning in his bouncy seat while I make coffee and my breakfast and he's been napping in his swing lately (interestingly, not while its swinging!). The one thing I will suggest is to spend the extra money on a swing that plugs in so you don't have to worry about batteries. We have this one. And for the bouncy seat, get one that vibrates and does not have an automatic shut off. We have been known to run across the room when we hear Nolan stirring from a nap when the vibration shuts off!
As for things we aren't as thrilled with, we really don't have anything like that. We didn't go too crazy with unnecessary baby things. For example, we skipped the Diaper Genie in leu of a regular trash can with a lid. The Diaper Genie refills are expensive and its not that hard to put a new garbage bag in our can every day. We didn't bother with a Bumbo as I think they are a waste of money and I've read they aren't the best for developmental reasons (they don't allow the baby to exercise the muscles used to sit up on their own). I just use the Boppy pillow if I want to prop Nolan up in a seated position. The one thing we did buy that I haven't used yet are The Ultimate Crib Sheet. The book Baby Bargins recommends them but I haven't used them and it seemed harder to put this on and off the mattress than just switching the actual crib sheet. We did buy a foam mattress so its lighter to pick up when changing the sheets compared to coils.
So there you have it! I'll probably think of other "must-haves" and I'll update here if I do. Other new mom's (or experience moms for that matter), please feel free to post some of your favorites or no-so-favorite baby items too!
Isn't it amazing how much stuff one tiny human needs??
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