The Top 10 Baby Necessities

I am surely no expert on babies or baby gear, but I thought I would share my top ten favorite baby items that have helped us survive these first couple months.

1. Aden and Anais swaddle blankets- I use these for everything.  They were perfect for swaddling him when he was so little.  The fabric is very light and stretchy to make them easy to swaddle.  He pretty much lived wrapped up in these the first couple of weeks.  I also use them for burp clothes and stroller blankets.  I  love them!

Look how tiny he was!

2. Fisher Price Snug-a-Bunny Swing- This is a life saver!  He loves his swing, and I love the swing as it allows me to actually get some things done around the house.  It is his favorite nap spot.  This particular swing has a mirror on the mobile, and he loves to just stare at himself.  This is a must have baby item for sure!

 3. Baby Bjorn- Brady loves riding around in the Baby Bjorn.  It is really easy to use and relatively comfortable.  It is another life saver when I am trying to do stuff around the house and he wants to be held.

4. Kissy Kissy brand footies- These may not be a necessity, but they are definitely one of my favorite things. They are made of 100% pima cotton, and super soft!  I love snuggling with my baby boy when he has these one (ok and ALL of the time).  They are a splurge, but so worth it :).

Just lounging on his play mat in his Kissy Kissy footie.

5. Video Monitor-  It is so nice to be in the other room and be able to not only hear your baby, but see them too.  It helps ease any new mommy's nerves when you can just glance at a screen and see that baby is safe and sound in their crib.  Plus, you don't risk waking baby up by going in their room.  We have the Summer's Infant digital touch screen monitor.  It is awesome.  It has a zoom feature, it can pan the room, it has night vision, and a speaker on the camera so you can talk to baby from the other room.  This is another item worth splurging on.

6. Medela Freestyle Breast Pump- Obviously this is only necessary if you are planning to breastfeed, but it is wonderful.  It is easy to use and pretty fast which to me is important, because I HATE pumping.  But, it is crucial if you want to have any kind of freedom as a nursing mom.  Plus, you can store up milk for when you plan on going back to work.  This way baby can have strictly breast milk for longer.  While this is an expensive item as well, think of how much money you are saving on formula!

 7. Boppy Pillow- This is another item that is especially useful if you are nursing, but it also serves other purposes such as propping baby up to take pictures :).  It makes it much more comfortable to hold baby.

 8. Miracle Blanket- While I liked using the Aden and Anais swaddle blankets when he was little, this thing is perfect for a bigger baby.  Our little Houdini started to escape those blankets at night and would wake up flailing his arms.  It does not have any loud velcro like some of the other easy swaddle blankets, and it really keeps his arms wrapped up tight so they don't wake him in the middle of the night.  I swaddle him in this every night now, and it really is a miracle.

9. Wubbanub- I just love this paci.  Not only is it beyond adorable, it is useful too.  You can position the little animal attached to help keep the paci in baby's mouth. When baby gets bigger, it makes it easier for them to find and grab in the crib when they wake up.  Adorable and practical, a definite favorite.

10. Bouncer- Last but not least, a bouncy seat.  This little seat is great.  It has a removable toy bar with toys and music.  Plus, it has a vibrating option to help soothe baby.  It is really light and easy to move from room to room.  I just put him in this when I'm eating lunch, drying my hair, whatever so I can keep an eye on him.

One other item not on my list, but worth mentioning is the Baby Connect app I have on my cell phone.  I use it all the time!  It times his nursing, charts his poops, you can list when he got vaccines, his blood type, how much I pumped, how many ounces he drank from a bottle, how long he slept- pretty much anything you would need.

Get all the items on this list and you're sure to get a big one of these...

...and it will melt your heart!