Taking a look back at our first year (over a year) as parents Geoff and I discussed the top 10 most useful items that we couldn't (and still can't) live without. This is purely our opinion, based on our experiences. :) They are in no particular order...as there is a very wide range of items.
1. Aquaphor: Our poor scale-y, eczema covered baby was SAVED by this stuff. He had a rash covering almost his entire body at one point and we couldn't figure out what was going on. We soon discovered that it was eczema and aquaphor came to the rescue and cleared it up within days. We still use it twice a day as Brayden has some super sensitive skin...but seriously, any skin issues with the littles, try this stuff. (It's incredibly greasy, makes a mess...but a little grease wasn't going to hold me back from making Brayden more comfortable!)
2. Baby Trend Car Seat/Stroller Combo: From the moment we found out we were pregnant I knew I wanted a 'jogging' stroller because I wanted to continue to walk Bella every day. I had heard rants and raves about the BOB strollers, but that just wasn't in the budget for us. So we found Baby Trend...and I love it! No complaints about the car seat either...of course it's heavy just like every other car seat on the planet (Brayden of course has now been upgraded). We use the stroller daily, it has great storage underneath, the swivel wheel in the front is a must have and the tires are great. Two downfalls...it does fold up, but is still large and the shade is slightly worthless. It's not very large, so Brayden doesn't get much coverage on a bright sunny day.
3. Boon Grass Drying Rack: This was an item that was making 'must have' lists all over and I told Geoff, I don't see the need. Boy, was a wrong! Very quickly I realized that bottles and breast pump parts will fill your drying rack with no room for your daily dishes. So, I bit the bullet and bought this bad boy and I still use it for Brayden's sippie cups. We also bought the little flower attachment which was great for tiny parts and nipples. It's awesome, GO GET ONE!
4. Medela Breast Pump: If your nursing, this is a must. Hands down (and hands free! haha!). Could not have lived without this and the battery pack came in handy many times. After I was done 'nursing' Brayden I started to exclusively pump, so this let me continue to give Brayden breast milk long after I was done nursing. Bag is cute too...so it's not so obvious that it's a pump. MUST HAVE!
5. Crane Elephant Humidifier: We had heard the importance of having a humidifier with a baby and honestly I chose this one because it was an elephant and Brayden's room is safari. Haha! But it's been great. Shortly after Brayden went to daycare he came home sick, so this was so helpful with that stuffy nose. Also, during our bout with croup, we couldn't have done it without the humidifier. (Geoff and I have also used it our room a couple times when we've got a little head cold going on)
6. Eddie Bauer Rear Seat Mirror: Such a huge help while driving. It helps reduce the number of times you have to do the 'turn and reach' while driving. It's was also super great because just as I could see Brayden, he could see me. We went through a little period where Brayden didn't like being in the car at night because he couldn't see me, so I'd have to turn on the light in the car so he could then see me. lol! I'm sure any brand of this concept is great, this is just the one we got!
7. Fisher Price Jumperoo: Brayden LOVED this thing. He would bounce the whole house down. It's on a spring system so they can get some good air. lol! It's also adjustable so Brayden was able to use it for quite a while. Very helpful to keep them entertained when you've got to get some stuff done!
8. Graco Pack n' Play with Newborn Napper: From the moment we brought Brayden home to today...this thing has been used and it's awesome! This was right by the bed when we brought Brayden home from the hospital and the newborn napper portion of it was great! Also having the little changing station right there, brilliant! Brayden outgrew the newborn napper so we just took it off and he slept in the pack n' play. Now, it's just a play yard full of blocks, balls and books! :)
9. Summer Infant Baby Monitor: So there is A LOT of controversy around video baby monitors right now and let me reassure you that the one we purchased is not connected to wi-fi (as we didn't see the need for it) so we don't have to worry about anyone 'hacking' into our system. *fingers crossed* With that being said, we LOVE this thing. I still make several trips every night to check on my baby, so please don't think this does all the work, but it's so reassuring to just turn it on and see your baby. It's also great when they start fussing you can see if they really need you or if they're just getting squirmy. A little pricey, but worth the investment in our opinion.
10. Wubbanub: Brayden wasn't a huge pacy baby...but when he did have his pacy this was awesome. So not only does it help stabilize the pacy, but it was so much easier for Brayden to find it and put it back in his mouth then searching for a little pacy. And of course, we had the giraffe to match the safari theme...and Mommy is obsessed with giraffes!
11. Bottle Warmer: Originally we didn't think we needed a bottle warmer. I was nursing so what would we need one for?? Well we quickly learned that there are definitely times that you'll need to warm a bottle and warming it under hot water at 2am feels like a freakin' eternity. We didn't spend a lot of money, but this one seems to do the trick. I still use it to warm Brayden's milk now as well!!
