Bringing Up B: Favorites for baby: Birth

When I started this little blog here a few weeks ago, I had in my head that I would give a recap of my favorite baby products when B-man turned one. But I can’t help myself. There are some things that I can’t imagine not having had. Before B-man was born, I Googled like crazy, spent wayyyy too much time reviewing baby products and was still completely overwhelmed when we registered. From birth through now, these are the things that we have been using and can’t imagine not having had them. I’m not an expert and every family is different, but hopefully some of you mama’s to be out there will find this helpful!

Johnson's Baby Bedtime Lotion - This stuff is a miracle worker. B-man gets this every night after his bath and before he gets his bedtime bottle. The few nights he hasn't had it before he went to sleep, I swear he woke up more than normal. Miracle.
Carter's Onesie's - Carter's onesies are my favorite. The Gerber ones shrink too easily, there are others that are too thin or too thick. Carter's are my favorite. And we love shopping at JCP for B-man. SO much more affordable than some other places and for how fast they grow, I'm convinced this is the best value.
Luv's Diapers - I'll admit it...Pampers were my favorite for a while. Being a new mom, I loved the wetness indicator. We didn't waste many diapers because if the line wasn't yellow, we let B-man be. But once you get the hang of it...it's expensive to keep up with the Pampers. I like Huggies, too because they're cute. But I found the Luvs and Huggies to be about the same quality, but Luvs are significantly cheaper. Target diapers are also great, but I've found them to typically be more expensive than Luvs unless they're on sale.
Crane Cool Mist Drop Shape Humidifier - Blue - We lived in the desert from when Brady was about 5 weeks until he was about 5 months. It was SO dry and B's skin got very dry and his throat got really scratchy after the first few days. Enter this humidifier. It directs the mist towards him without soaking him. This was a must have every night.
Johnson's Lavendar Shampoo - We didn't start using this until a couple of month's ago when B actually grew enough hair. But is smells wonderful and is just like the bedtime lotion...it's become a part of our nighttime routine.
Graco DuoDiner 3-in-1 High Chair - Bermuda - We didn't start using this until we moved back to New England, when B was about 6 months old, but it's quickly become one of his favorite places. Later on, it also converts to a space saving booster...we're not there yet, but I love something I can use for a long time! This chair isn't great just for feeding time (which it's obviously amazing for!) but if the fam is hanging out on the deck, bug fits right in when he's hanging in this high chair...which is definitely a weekly occurrence...
Animal Krackers Jumparoo - Something else we didn't use until came back home. B-man LOVES this thing. It keeps him amused for a longgg time. There are two settings - talking and singing. And there's just so much going on. So much to grab, pull, swat at and yell about. I was trying to find a video of him jumping in this thing but I can't find one right now. This is my favorite for when I have to get some dishes done or E and I are both getting ready for work and need a few minutes to get things done. Enter the Jumparoo :)
Philips Avent Bottles - Our attempt at breastfeeding is a completely different post for another day. B-man has been 100% bottle fed since about week 1.5 of life...and he's done very well with it! We used Philips bottles, starting with the 4 oz bottles and moving on to the 11 oz bottles. They're great and we've never had a reason to look for any other kind of bottle. (When B was a newborn, we used the nipples we got from the hospital, tiny newborn nipples with Medela bottles, then switching to the Medela nipples...this was probably for the firs 4-5 weeks).
Disney Baby The Lion King Premiere Convert Me Swing-2-Seat - This was brilliant when bug was little (he's outgrown it now, but the first few months this was great). One of B-man's birth announcement pictures was even in this. It would sway him to sleep, or he would just stare at the leaves dangling down over him. Perfect when Mommy needed to stretch out on the couch for a few or empty the dishwasher!
Jeep Liberty Limited All Terrain 3 Wheel Stroller - Galaxy - So this stroller was actually recalled, or the wheels were. The wheels are rubber. The recall let you know that if something sharp got into the wheels, the wheels could pop. But, i still love this stroller. It's heavy duty...fits Graco car seats, fits all my bags and there were even a few times that I've had to run out to grab a few small things, I just bring the stroller and fill the front compartment with things that I need to buy...no cart necessary! It IS a little heavy and I read reviews that if you're short or petite it can be tough to handle...but for us, it's perfect!
Graco Pack N Play - This is all that B knows as his bed. We used the bassinet when he was newborn (we never really used the diaper changing station) but this is all B has ever known. Since we moved across the country (temporarily) and are still searching for a our home, I'm not sure what we would have done without the Pack N Play...and the elephant design is just too cute. The storage hamper is great too!
Lollypop Muslin Swaddle Blankets - These fall into the category of AMAZING. I didn't start using them until B was 2 months old (I actually got mine cheaper at Marshall's) BUT once I started a nighttime routine, I started swaddling B...and within about a week he started sleeping 10-12 hours a night. This would be my absolute number one recommendation for any new mommas! The patterns below were the actual blankets that we got, too! They've become more of a security blanky to bug at this point.
Diaper Genie Elite Advanced Diaper Disposal System - I thought this would speak for itself but I have heard some say that they hated using the Diaper Genie. It was perfect for us and actually does compact the diapers nicely. Just make sure you empty it before it gets too full. Otherwise you'll end up elbow deep in dirty diapers and trying to extricate stuck diapers and plastic...not fun.