1. The bouncer I felt was a must, especially during those crazy beginning newborn days. When I was on maternity leave, I felt that the only way for me to not go crazy being in the house 24/7 was to separate our levels for the times of day. During the night I would spend the time upstairs and during the day we would spend it on the main floor. The bouncer helped Luke sleep and since he was on the bili-blanket for so long, this helped keep the blanket in place so that he could receive the light therapy that he needed. We registered and received the Fisher Price Snugapuppy Bouncer. I liked the bouncer but I felt that for something that costs $55 dollars, I thought it should do more. I later learned that there are actual bouncers that auto-bounce for you.....that would have been nice to know before hand. I also felt that with having a two-story house that have a bouncer for each level was helpful so that we wouldn't have to lug this thing up and down the stairs everyday.
2. Burp cloths are a must when you feed a baby, especially when you have one that spits up a lot. We were lucky in that Luke isn't a big spitter upper, but these are the best in collecting the milk that overflows from him eating. These work sooooo much better than the fancy ones you will see. I highly suggest these specific Gerber cloth diapers.
3. Bottles.....oh my gosh there are sooooooo many different kinds and they cost all different prices. Knowing that Luke doesn't have an issue with gas, I decided to go with the plain old Evenflo bottles and they work great! If they were to get lost at daycare I wouldn't care because they didn't cost me and arm or a leg. We also use the Gerber bottles and have some Dr. Browns bottles. They all work the same if you ask me except Dr. Browns have way more pieces.
4. I knew Luke would be a pacifier kind of guy because I like to chew on things (pen caps, gum, etc.) We were using the hospital pacifiers but he could never keep those in his mouth. I then tried the Nuk pacifier and those worked perfect. We've stuck with these and will continue to do so until we take them away.
5. I never how many people would be curious to see a baby in a car seat until I had a baby of my own....this thing is a lifesaver and no one will bother you while you are out with your baby if the cover is down. It's also great to help shield the sunlight away and the wind. I do not regret getting one of these at all.
6. I never knew that Luke would want to play on a play mat so early in life until one day (I think he was 6 weeks old). I put him on his mat and he LOVED it! He was kicking away and enjoying the lights and sounds. He still loves playing on his play mat.
7. Carter's sleepers! We LOVE Carter's sleepers and I highly recommend their clothing. We are lucky enough to have a Carter's outlet nearby so we can partake in some good deals too. We have most all Carter's clothing (onesies, pants, socks, sleepers, etc).
8. The diaper bag was a big deal for me. I wanted something fun but nothing too girly because I knew Andy wouldn't want to carry around a girly diaper bag. I went with the Thirty One ziptop organizing tote. They don't carry the pattern I have anymore, but I have the black with tiny white polka dots. I even got it embroidered with "Luke" on it in a bright blue thread.
9. THIS is something that I thought I wouldn't love as much as I do. I LOVE that I can see Luke whenever I want without having to go in his room. Every night before I go to sleep I turn the monitor on to look at him and then turn the screen off and fall asleep. My one complaint, the lights on the top....I have black electrical tape covering the first two lights (the charging light and the first sound light). Trying to fall asleep with 2 colored lights in your face is not fun. The electrical tape helped "turn" the lights off. :)
10. Most people will tell you that a diaper pail is useless, blah blah blah, but I do love ours. It's expensive ($79.99) but worth it. I never smell the dirty diapers unless I open the cover. I also love that you can use regular trash bags in it. We throw the bag out once a week (Thursdays since trash comes Friday) and put a fresh bag in. I highly suggest this diaper pail if you are in the marker for one.
11. The Ergo is awesome! I snagged mine on clearance from Target for like $30, 2 years ago and it was an awesome investment. I've used it several times and Luke seems to enjoy himself in it. It helps save my arms in carrying him when he wants out of his car seat when we are out and about. We used it when he was a newborn and I've used it when he was 3 months and he seemed really snug and secure. I did not purchase the newborn insert because I also have the Moby and thought I'd use it more when he was first born. I tried using just a receiving blanket folded up under him like it was suggested, but I didn't think he was held in there very well.
12. The Moby is also awesome! I am so thankful for Youtube where I've learned how to use this carrier more times than I can think. My favorite for him to use it was as a newborn because it made him so snug and secure. I've also used it recently when he was 3 months old and it's still functional but I don't feel like I can get it as tight and secure as the Ergo is. It's probably me and not the wrap. I would say though that both are excellent choices. I picked mine up used for $15 and think it was totally worth it.
13. This Chicco Liteaway Plus stroller is the BEST!!!! I am sooooo glad that I found this stroller. It can hold the infant car seat in it and then when Luke is old enough we flip the seat up and he can use it for years on end. It's light weight, easy to fold up, takes not much room in the car trunk and is easy to push around. I HIGHLY suggest this stroller if you get the car seat. It's worth the $179 price tag because it's the only stroller you'll ever need (unless you have a second kid).
14. The Chicco KeyFit 30 car seat has been nothing but great to us also. We picked ours up 2 years ago on clearance for $90 and it's been great. Easy to install in the car, easy to put baby in and easy to adjust straps. The car adapter makes putting the car a breeze. I am so happy with Chicco products and highly suggest this car seat also.
