As you are reading this I’m probably running around like crazy getting things ready for Charlie’s 1st Birthday Party on Saturday. Where does the time go? I feel like I was just in the hospital cuddling with my newborn, and now I’m chasing him around the house trying to stop him from destroying everything in his path! Although this year has been a whirlwind, it has also been filled to the brim with love and joy.
As I was reflecting on this past year I started thinking about some of the baby products that we loved. I always enjoyed reading these sort of posts when I was pregnant or a new momma, so I thought I would share my top five favorite baby items with you!
Ergo Baby Carrier
This was by far my favorite and most used baby item with Charlie. I wore him in this almost every single day. When I would go to Target or the grocery store with both kids it was much easier to wear Charlie and have my hands free to push the cart, help Drake, etc. I also preferred to wear Charlie in the Ergo instead of pushing him the stroller when we went on walks. I loved how I still was able to snuggle with him while I went about my day-to-day activities. I seriously don’t know how I would have survived my first year without this item!
Aden & Anais Swaddle Blankets
I cannot say enough good things about these blankets. I loved how soft and big they are. They work great as a swaddle blanket as they are lightweight and stretchy. They come in all sorts of cute designs and colors and are my new go-to baby shower gift!
Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play Sleeper
We used this instead of a bassinet. Charlie slept in the Rock’ n Play (RNP) in our room for the first couple months. Charlie was a big spitter, so the incline of the RNP helped keep him more comfortable. I really liked how it would fold up flat so it was super easy to throw in the car when we took a trip to Grandma’s house.
Baby Jogger City Micro Stroller
We bought this stroller when Drake was about six months old and have used it with him or Charlie ever since. This stroller is a great alternative to an umbrella stroller. Although it is a little pricey ($200), the use we have gotten out of it has made it well worth the splurge. The stroller is very lightweight and folds up totally flat so it hardly takes up any room in your trunk.
Pottery Barn Kids Chamois Fitted Sheet
With both Drake and Charlie we decided to forgo the bedding sets and just go with a simple fitted sheet. When I found these sheets at Pottery Barn Kids, I knew I had to have them. Both of my boys loved to rub their faces against the velvety fabric. The other thing I love about these sheets is how well they have held up. I have two sets and they have been in constant rotation for the last four years without any sign of wear. I wish they made these in queen size for my bed!
A white noise machine:) Since my boys were horrible sleepers we started using sounds machines to help us not feel like we had to tip-toe everywhere. And my moby wrap. My boys took many a naps in them. I have started selling some of my baby stuff but I can’t sell my moby wrap! Too many memories!
@JodiZeaPeterson My sister bought Charlie the Fisher Price Snugamonkey for Christmas and I cna’t say enough good things about it. It plays music for 20 mins (and the music isn’t even the super annoying robot sounding music) so more than enough time to get him to sleep. I’ve had lots of other friends who swear by white noise machines.
I also LOVE the Aden & Anais swaddle blankets! We swaddled our son in them from Day 1, and they are just awesome– so light-weight and versatile. Our little guy is 3 years old and his blankie is the original Aden & Anias blanket we purchased before he was born! 🙂
@Rachel Wissink They are so awesome! Have you ever tried their spit rags or bibs? I heard those are great too.
All these products are great. We used the Fisher Price Sleeper a little bit, and now my friend is borrowing it. I received this email in January that some sleepers can contain mold. Thought you might find this helpful: http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Recalls/2013/Fisher-Price-Recalls-to-Inspect-Rock-N-Play-Infant-Sleepers-Due-to-Risk-of-Exposure-to-Mold/ Thanks for the suggestions!
@AngelaThayer Thanks for the link Angela! I did hear about that. I wish we would not even have to worry about recalls but it seems like you hear about one all too often.
I used the Kiddopotamus Swaddle Me blankets and loved them! My other favorite “baby” product? Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar Soap–the ONLY thing I ever found that would remove baby poop stains from clothing! Those are the two things that stand out right now. My “babies” are nearing 4, so my baby-related advice is starting to fade…. :-/
@Angela Squires Oh! Your soap comment reminded me that we also are big Burt’s Bees fans in our house. Love them! It’s funny how fast you can get out of the baby stage isn’t? It was only 2 1/2 years between my 2 but it felt like an eternity!
Those were our favorite blankets too! We have the same stroller and I love it! Great list! Here’s some of our other favorite baby things: http://www.hickstionary.com/2011/12/bs-favorite-things.htmlAnd for when he got a little older: http://www.hickstionary.com/2013/02/our-sippy-cup-that-doesnt-runneth-over.html
@heididh33 We have one of those same sippy cups for Charlie. When did your son start getting the hang of it? Charlie is struggling big time with the straw on it. I LOVE it for the same reason you do-no spills but I wish C could figure it out. I was reading your blog post and I’ve heard GREAT things about these toilet seats. They have an attachment that just flips down to convert it to a toddler potty seat…so smart! Of cours I did not hear about them until I was done potty training my oldest.
http://www.efaucets.com/detail.asp?Product_ID=1583SLOW-000&ca=gpsl&CAWELAID=1193482458&cagpspn=pla&gclid=CJbpk5rJ67UCFZE-Mgod-HMAOQ
@Katie Cox The seat is a great idea! One of those products I wish I would have thought of! :)He’s been drinking out of a straw since about 7 months but only because we were at Olive Garden and he decided he wanted to try my water. It was a long wait that day so the straw experiment kept him entertained for a LONG time. Long enough for him to figure it out that day. The only problem was since he never really used bottles, he had a hard time using regular sippy cups and could only use the straw ones for a long time.