Now I know why it took me so long to do this, there must have been a part of my brain that said “This post is going to take forever.” And it did. I hope it’s helpful for those who are buying baby shower gifts and those who are expecting new little ones of their own. I have a nice and easy day today so if you ask questions about things in the comment section I’ll do my best to stop by and answer them.
Loved!
I wrote about it here.
I wrote about my love for The Miracle Blanket here.
I wrote about our jogging stroller yesterday.
Skip Hop Duo Pewter Diaper Bag
I’ve been using this bag for over a year now, and because of the silver color it still look pretty good with no washings. I absolutely adore it because of the two pockets on the sides which are perfect for toting around bottles and water.
Did you know I wrote a post on baby-wearing that included a video of me showing you how I wrap the Moby?
Monthly stickers from Picky Sticky
Stickers you can peel off and slap on a onesie when you want to take month-by-month photos. One of those little “extra” things that I plan on buying for baby #2 as well.
I yearn for the Tripp Trapp, but our budget called for the Ikea chair instead. Very industrial looking but it works just fine and because it’s all plastic cleaning is a breeze.
Cloth diapers (used as burp cloths)
Buy a whole lot of these, you’ll be using them to mop up spills, wipe your shirt after spit-up encounters, and so much more.
We have several bibs, a few which my grandma made for him that I love, but these waterproof ones are what I turn to when I’m feeding him something messy and I’m going to let him attempt to feed himself as well. They have long sleeves and they prevent him from making a mess all over himself.
He’s over a year and we are still using these over his disposable diapers! I wrote about the covers here.
So far I’ve tried Desitin, Butt Paste, and Burt’s Baby Bee. The Burt’s stuff is the thickest and works best.
This has saved our office from destruction and mayhem! We love these gates.
Definitely one of my baby “splurges”. I’m actually still putting him in newborn socks at the 1 year mark, because I like that they fit nice and low on his feet. These are my favorites because I can buy sets of white/cream together, and because they experience a lot less pilling on the bottom than the super cheap ones do.
Pediped Grip n Go Olive shoes
Another splurge, but in part necessary because he has very fat feet (both wide and tall). These are machine washable and SO CUTE. Boys shoes are so bulky and gross normally, but I want him to wear these forever.
Definitely a must once you move into the big boy tub.
He’s been sleeping in here for 8 months now, and we don’t plan on stopping anytime soon (well, at least until he outgrows it). Who says you need a fancy crib? I bought this one specifically because the “travel size” allows it to fit through the doorways, so he can sleep in the bathroom, and when I need to fold laundry and don’t want him messing up my piles of clothes I can wheel it into the living room and trap him while I fold.
My Brest Friend Breastfeeding Pillow
I only used it for a short amount of time, but it was amazing for the time that I did. It’s supposed to hold the baby a lot higher than the Boppy.
Boiron Homeopathic Medicine Camilia Teething Relief
I’m as skeptical as you are about these, but they seemed to work like nothing else.
Exergen Temporal Scanner Infared Thermometer
This is That Husband’s favorite baby item. He doesn’t like having a sick baby, but what he DOES like is whipping this thing out and testing T1′s forehead.
The First Years Close and Secure Sleeper
We used this a few times as a bed when he was very young, but now it’s actually his changing table! It sits on top of a free file cabinet we found in the hallway of our apartment building. I like multi-use baby things.
T1 slept in this nightly and for most of his naps from a few weeks old to about 5 months. We bought this model specifically (not the same one I linked to) because you can plug it into the wall, so we could run it all night logn if we wanted without changing the batteries.
Prince Lionheart bebePOD
Like a Bumbo, but better, because it was this nice little tray that attached to the front. I fed him in this chair for several months until we bought the chair from Ikea.
We love these chairs so much we took them on vacation with us. No really! We took this on the plane with us (carried it on and used it in the airplane bassinet) and used it at TH’s parent’s house in Poland. So portable and oh-so-cheap.
An inexpensive universally beloved toy. I remember playing with these when I was a kid!
That Husband was in charge of bottle research (I was so dejected over my inability to breastfeed that I didn’t have the heart). These are supposed to have a fancy system that help baby be less gassy. I have no idea if it works but we really liked them overall.
Bouncer
We actually borrowed this from a friend, which I highly recommend because as with most baby things it isn’t used for very long. I would definitely put this on my “must have” baby items list though.
Nuk Learner Cup (sippy cup)
I was going to put this on the “did not like” list, but I think he just needed some time. He’s been using it and enjoying it a lot more lately.
Probably the most disgusting thing you’ll ever do (I gagged and dry-heaved the first time), but those stupid little bulbs can’t touch this thing when it comes to relieving a stuffy nose.
Not So Much
Too messy for my taste, I felt like I wasn’t really using it right.
Walker/Exersaucer/Jumparoo
We bought one like this. He gets bored with it and I think one like this would have been better (especially since we have all carpet).
Baby Planet Endagered Species Snow Leopard Stroller
I liked it until I started using the jogging stroller. Then I realized that it’s hard to push, too low, and overall just not that great. I wish we had purchased a jogging stroller from the start and then kept an umbrella stroller on hand for trips to Ikea and such.
Most People Use It… Not Us
Pacifiers
I never wanted him to use one, and thankfully he didn’t seem to need one either.
Fancy diaper pails
We used a $10 pail with a flip-top lid from Target. Works just fine and no special bags necessary.
Baby monitor
Maybe if we had a bigger living space, but when you live in less than 1000 square feet, all on the same floor, you can hear the baby crying from every room. Believe me, there are many times when you wished you couldn’t hear him!
Activity gym
I’m talking about these. He seemed happy enough laying on the floor without something dangling from above!
Doorway Jumper
We tried putting him in one (of these) over Christmas break. I’d recommend trying one out with your baby before you baby because if they hate it… money down the drain.
Bottle heater/wipe warmer
We didn’t want him developing a preference for such things,
Stroller for the infant car seat
You know the kind that the infant car seat snaps directly into? We don’t have one and it was fine. I can only imagine needing it if you are ins ome sort of situation where you will frequently go from driving in the car to walking long distances, and you want the baby to be able to transition from car to stroller without waking up.
Pureed baby food/rice cereal
I never bought a single can/box of the stuff, I just kind of fed him what we had around (in the beginning it was lots of mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables). BTW, if you’re feeding your baby white rice cereal… stop.
Breast pump
I did use one for a few weeks, it was borrowed from a friend, and my difficulty with breastfeeding is the reason I would recommend you rent one in the beginning. If breastfeeding doesn’t work out and you end up not using it you’ll be both depressed that you can’t feed your child and that you wasted so much money on a piece of equipment that you can’t use!
Blankets
Ok, we used lots of blankets, but don’t ever buy any for yourself! People will overwhelm you with them as gifts and you’ll never be able to use all of them.
May 5th, 2011 on 8:51 am
Thank you so much for the shoe recommendation! O has fat feet too and putting anything on his feet is a challenge. This will be great for when he’s walking.
I also love the Nosefrida and Camilia. It’s gotten us through a lot of ouchy teething nights.
Did you puree fruit for him? Mine seems to come out too stringy and it makes me frustrated. He’s not ready for most fruit in chunk-form so I still want it mushy….
Reply
Jenna Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 9:05 am
I didn’t really puree anything, but I did do a lot of roasting. He really liked roasted apples, and I’d just cook them down until they were very mushy and he was able to grab them and shove them in his face on his own.
Reply
Marissa C Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 9:55 am
Curious-how often did you use the Beaba Babycook and did you like it? I have an immersion blender and I’m wondering if that is enough on its own.
Reply
Gogo Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 12:52 pm
Totally enough.
Reply
Jenna Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 2:56 pm
I’ve really only used it a handful of times, and I’ve actually used it more for TH and me than I ever did for T1! It’s actually the perfect size for steaming individual sized portions of vegetables.
I think an immersion blender is perfectly fine, the only nice thing about the Babycook is that you can do everything in the same container and then dump it all the dishwasher.
Reply
May 5th, 2011 on 8:55 am
Do the decals for the bath easily come up or are they stuck for life once you put them on?
Reply
Jenna Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 9:05 am
It’s hard, but you can pull them up. I’d consider them absolutely essential though, unless you are going to lay a towel down every time they take a bath. Babies love to stand up in the bath.
Reply
Marissa C Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 9:53 am
Ugh…I had to scrape those awful things off our tub floor when we moved into our rental. Granted, the tub is 70 years and I think they had been there for years, but beware. I had to use all sorts of toxic crap to get them up. Beware!
Reply
Marissa C Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 9:54 am
70 years old*
Reply
May 5th, 2011 on 9:01 am
I love that when we have kids I can go back to your ressources. Thank you for the input.
I’d agree with the crib. I don’t really see the point of the big bulky cribs especially given how expensive they are.
If you dont mind me asking how much was it? The link on amazon doesn’t say.
How long did you use the moby for?
Reply
Jenna Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 9:06 am
I that that travel crip was $90. And I’m still using the Moby! Used it two days ago actually
. I need to learn how to tie him onto my back with it.
Reply
May 5th, 2011 on 9:28 am
I have you to thank for purchasing a Moby with my last baby nearly 9 months ago. I love it and recommend it to everyone. My baby practically lived in it for his first four months of life and we still use it when we’re out and about. I honestly can’t say enough good things about it. My husband calls it baby’s “off switch” because whenever baby’s fussy we can but him in it and he’s instantly calm and happy. I wish I could have known about it with my first two children. I can’t thank you enough for the recommendation!
Reply
May 5th, 2011 on 9:54 am
Love this list…question about the Puj tub, though-can you use it in a full size bathtub? Our bathroom sink is small and shallow and I don’t like the idea of putting a baby in the kitchen sink-just bugs me.
Reply
Gogo Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 12:56 pm
You can’t put it in a big tub. Doing so would also eliminate some of the key awesome parts about the puj - baby is at your level, you don’t have to lean way over to reach her while you soap and rinse all her parts, easier to get her in and out. I would be really surprised if the puj didn’t work in your bathroom sink. I think the pictures make it look like you need more room than you do.
Reply
Jenna Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 2:55 pm
No, you definitely can’t use it in a full size tub. I agree with PP, I can’t imagine a sink so small that you couldn’t use it at all though! It’s really versatile.
I wouldn’t want to use the kitchen sink either, you’d have to sterilize it afterward every time.
Reply
Hailey Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 8:49 pm
I want to buy a puj tub for an expectant friend who lives in the teeniest, tiniest one room apartment, but she has a really small bathroom sink, and the tap sits rather low too. Does a low tap get in the way? I notice in your photo that the tap is almost touching T1… does that cause any puj tubbing difficulties?
Reply
Jenna Reply:
May 6th, 2011 at 9:46 am
As he got bigger he would press his leg up against it, and sometimes scrape it a little bit, but that won’t happen if you are right there watching them. Other than that there are no issues.
Reply
May 5th, 2011 on 10:46 am
my all time favorite must have baby buy is a bouncer! I would move that thing everywhere with me. especially loved it for when it was time to shower. I would just plop them in the bouncer and carry them into the bathroom with me. then i wasn’t worrying if they were still sleeping, screaming, choking, you get the idea!!! plus i had a super colicky baby and the vibration on it was a life saver. i would even take it to the park or relief society meetings or wherever i had to go with my screaming baby that we would be sitting for long time periods!!!
Reply
May 5th, 2011 on 10:57 am
I always enjoy reading your baby posts. I really appreciate that you are down to earth about parenting and don’t like a lot of STUFF around. I hope to accomplish the same thing when we have kids.
Reply
Sarah for Real Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 11:00 am
Which reminded me to ask…
How did you tell well-meaning family and friends that you don’t want lots of baby “stuff” as gifts? I have family members who already buy my dog loads of crap from Walmart (that breaks immediately and ends up in the trash) and I cannot fathom how bad it will be when we have children.
Reply
Mary B Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 1:04 pm
I’m in the same boat! My in-laws are obsessed with Walmart, discount stores, overstock stores..and the are always giving up cheap cheap ‘stuff’. Stuff we don’t need, or want, not to mention the fact that our apartment is quite small. This is the first grandchild-how do I tell them we want quality products, and even then on an as-needed basis?
Reply
Gogo Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 1:26 pm
I would say exactly that. Explain that you want to keep things minimal in your lives and want quality over quantity. Ask if they would help you to do this by not buying very much for you in terms of gifts. Say that you appreciate their generosity, thought, and excitement. Mention that you do have a list of things that you have decided you’ll need based on research and recommendations if they want to get you something really helpful. Say that, generally, you’d rather buy things as need arises (i.e. infants don’t need toys).
Then you just have to let go and hope for the best. On the plus side Walmart, Costco, and probably other similar stores will let you return just about anything. Use the credit to get things you definitely need like diapers or food or books or something.
Reply
Jenna Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 3:05 pm
I think your only option is to be blunt (expressing your preferences for small amounts of certain types of items like toys) and then accept things graciously if they choose not to take their advice. And don’t feel bad if you throw things out as soon as you get them. If you tell them you don’t plan on keeping X and they give it to you anyway, it’s their own money! You shouldn’t have to have a house full of junk because of someone else (I keep reminding myself of this actually).
Reply
Jenna Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 3:00 pm
I’m just really blunt. I beg my parents all the time to stop buying him toys, telling them flat out that he loves everyday household items far more than the toys they buy him. That’s my personality though, and my family knows that about me.
I have emailed and texted them over and over reminding them that what we really need are car seats, high chairs, and small amounts of clothing/shoes as he gets older. What is the hold that cheap crap has over grandparents? For mine it is definitely an effort to make up for the time they aren’t spending with him because they can’t be with him. I keep telling them that what he would appreciate most is taking all of the money that they WOULD spend on baby toys he will never use, putting it in a savings account, and then giving it to him when he is old enough to understand how awesome money is.
Reply
Jenna Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 2:57 pm
Haha, this comment made me laugh because as I was scrolling down I feel overwhelmed by how much stuff we purchased! Even though we try to keep it low key, there is still a lot of stuff that I consider to be essential.
Reply
Sarah for Real Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 3:41 pm
Haha, I think what you’ve got here is far less than a typical household though. People think I’m joking when I say I want to keep my (future) babies in a dresser drawer. I’m only half joking
Reply
May 5th, 2011 on 11:00 am
Thanks for all the helpful tips. I figure you’re not the kind of person to jump on a baby bandwagon and buy something just because it is the latest ‘must-have’ item so I take your suggestions to heart. I appreciate the honesty and advice more than you know.
Reply
May 5th, 2011 on 11:17 am
Another tip for breastpumps, you can always rent a hospital grade one if you need to in the beginning (what we did). It was great, because that was the only time I needed it, and it was the best so I knew I was getting the most possible milk I could.
Love love love the moby. Can’t imagine life without it.
Loved the miracle blanket, but want to try the woombie with the next kiddo.
Those shoes are the cutest boy shoes I’ve ever seen.
Also hated those mesh feeder things. Dumb.
Kid I nanny’d LIVED in a doorway jumper for the first year. He absolutely loved it, more than anything in the world. But they also had a huge entry way so he could bounce and swing all around and not hit anything.
I cringe when people feed that white rice mush stuff to their babies. People that don’t even eat white rice, they just don’t think about it because that’s what “everyone does”. I swear doctors must have stock in it, why do they all recommend it? It doesn’t make sense! Avocado was Claire’s first food (um, unless you count paper), and it’s now one of her favorites. Pear was also a great fruit because they get so soft, then I just cut it into small chunks.
Love our baby monitor, but we live in a tri-level house. My friend’s mom told her she needed one so she could hear the baby breathe, lol!
One of my essentials is a white noise machine. Great for baby, but a must have for napping parents!
Reply
Jenna Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 3:02 pm
Oh yes. white noise is so essential! We don’t have an easy to duplicate setup though, so I didn’t post about it, though I probably should have mentioned it. We’re using an old pair of speakers I bought for my ipod several years ago, and a small MPe player that can be plugged into the wall. So neither runs on batteries and they run all night long, and all through his naps.
Reply
May 5th, 2011 on 12:07 pm
Thank you for this! We’re working on getting pregnant with baby #1, and I’m a little intimidated by all of the stuff we need. We also live in a 2 bedroom house and have my stepson there 50% of the time. We plan on baby sleeping in a pack ‘n play in our room (or whatever room we can) when stepson is there and dragging pack ‘n play in there when he’s not. I think my mom will die at this suggestion, but we’re planning on moving in a year or so anyways. We’re adamant about no pacifiers too.
I really appreciate your parenting style and love your blogs about T1.
Reply
May 5th, 2011 on 12:28 pm
LOVE your diaper bag- I HAVE THE SAME ONE!
- I’m just hoping it will be big enough for two kids. But I think I’m going to get Bean a little book bag and make her carry her own stuff (few diapers, some wipes, toys, snacks).
We used food purees and they were super expensive but with the next one, we’ll be making the food or having our son eat what we do.
You didn’t post your baby legs ( think that’s what they are called?)- Why not?
Reply
Jenna Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 3:03 pm
I forgot about them! He doesn’t wear them as much now, but I’m looking forward to using them again for baby #2.
Reply
May 5th, 2011 on 12:35 pm
Wonderful post. I’m not ready for babies myself just yet but I have an adorable 5-month-old nephew and I’m totally going to get my sister some of those bibs for him!
Reply
May 5th, 2011 on 12:57 pm
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this! I’m about two months away from my due date so I’m finalizing my registry and I added several of your items.
One of my friend recommended that I make my own Moby wrap, which I’m going to try. It’s just a long piece of knit fabric, and it doesn’t even require sewing. I’d rather do that than spend $40!
Reply
Gogo Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 1:18 pm
I’m not trying to talk you out of making your own, but the Moby is way worth the $40. It’s the perfect width and length and the fabric only stretches one way which helps to keep the baby nice and secure.
Just think about those things when you fabric shop.
Reply
Brie Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 2:48 pm
I made my own (several of them) and loved it! When I had a newborn, I made super stretchy ones, and then made less stretchy ones as she got older. Then I sold the extras on craigslist!
Reply
Jenna Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 3:04 pm
I agree with Gogo, I used a knockoff Moby from Etsy, as well as the Moby, and the knockoff was horrible in comparison. Something about the stretch of the fabric just wasn’t the same.
Reply
May 5th, 2011 on 1:06 pm
Love your blog! We think a lot alike - esp. on baby stuff! We also didn’t buy a wipes warmer or diaper genie. It’s amazing what you really don’t need and can live without.
My Babe is 13 m/o, so just a little bit older than T1. It simply kills my back to “wear” him in the Baby Bjorn (found at a consignment shop for $10!), so maybe I need to try the Moby. He’s walking really well, but not like I could take him to the mall all day!
Reply
Brie Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 2:52 pm
At this age, you should get the Ergo or boba. 14 months is about when I stopped using the moby and used the ergo exclusively. Your back will thank you!
Reply
Jenna Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 3:06 pm
I also have the Bjorn, and notice I didn’t mention it? I bought mine used from a friend for $25 and I’m glad I didn’t pay any more for it. It has served its purpose, but it hurts very bad now. I’d like to switch to the Ergo but haven’t purchased it yet.
Reply
MrsW Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 8:07 pm
I’d recommend checking out the Boba rather than Ergo — your wearing window is significantly extended (you can wear small children in it) and it is better for more body types than the Ergo. Also I have heard that Ergo has been fairly nasty to their competitors (trying to put patents on really standard babywearing/backpacking components, etc) so I don’t much like them as a company.
Reply
May 5th, 2011 on 1:10 pm
Thanks so much Jenna for taking the time to do this! I’m pregnant with my first and so this was so helpful. I also have been wanting to ask you something for months… I read with great interest your first post on cloth diapering T1, and your follow-ups… You totally inspired me to go for it! Before I buy though, as I am in a similar situation as you, (live in an apartment building, shared laundry, etc,) I wanted to see how you felt about the transition to disposables. (I’m prepared to pre-rinse / spray the diapers before we use communal laundry, as I don’t want fellow tenants to get upset, but still not sure if this is the best solution.)
Are you happy you switched to disposables? Or do you miss cloth diapers? Would you go back to cloth diapers? I’d really love to hear your thoughts, as no one talks about this side of it… it’s always the other way around.
Thanks!
Reply
Jenna Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 3:25 pm
I’d encourage you to really, really sit down and think about the logistics of doing cloth in a shared laundry situation. When you have cloth you really need to be washing diapers every other day, maybe you can stretch it to every 3 days, but any longer than that it will smell absolutely disgusting. I just don’t see how I would have the time to trudge down all the flights of stairs more than once a week (I’m super strict and ONLY do laundry once a week).
It might not be so bad if it’s just you, but you have a baby to worry about as well. When you do the laundry you have to make three trips to the laundry room, one to drop it off, one to move it, one to bring it back up (then you have to fold it and put it away). What are you doing with the baby every time? Are you wearing him/ Are you going to be able to wear him while bending over/reaching up to get things out of the dryer? Are you going to try to make all of those trips during his/her nap time?
I am happy I switched to disposables because I would be absolutely miserable managing cloth in our current situation. We live 30 flights up, and between the elevator rides it feels like laundry takes forever each Tuesday when I set aside time to do it.
When we move back to Texas though, I can definitely see us switching back again. I think my husband will be resistant, he isn’t quite as committed to “saving the environment” in this area as I am, but I do most of the childcare related work so it shouldn’t be a problem. We’ll be happy to save the money, and I’m hoping we can test out the theory that cloth diapered babies potty train faster!
Reply
Jane Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 4:36 pm
my grandma says cloth diapered children potty train faster because because moms are more motivated to do so (ie your sick of washing out the diapers that bigger kids produce
)
Reply
Jane Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 5:03 pm
typed the wrong email (didn’t want some person to get email weird responses):)
Reply
MrsW Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 8:05 pm
Ok, I must be strange… I wash my cloth diapers once a week. They do start to stink SOME, but the poopy ones are in a metal/plastic pail (think a little Simply Human-style pail) in our bathroom, so they’re really not bad.
Reply
Jenna Reply:
May 6th, 2011 at 9:48 am
Doesn’t the ammonia just BURN your eyes? Our entire apartment would stink with the smell.
Reply
MrsW Reply:
May 6th, 2011 at 1:42 pm
Yeah, when the pail opens it’s pretty rank… but I wet down the diapers pretty thoroughly (it’s next to our toilet which I got my husband to fit a sprayer to - BEST CLOTH DIAPER PURCHASE EVER) and so they are not as stinky as they used to be.
Reply
Katie Reply:
May 6th, 2011 at 11:27 am
Thanks for your thoughts everyone. I appreciate it.
Reply
May 5th, 2011 on 1:12 pm
Great list! I have worked as a nanny full-time and part-time for 6 years or so (including infants - one right now!) and a lot of the stuff I would suggest is on your list.
Most umbrella strollers are too low and have crummy wheels and bearings that make them hard to push. Even the Maclarens, which are higher end, can feel stiff compared to jogging strollers. But everyone who uses a stoller does need a small to mid-ish sized stoller in place of or in addition to a jogger. You just can’t use the joggers all the time because they don’t fold well. And if you live in the city, for the love of all, please get a smaller stroller so the whole subway car doesn’t have to rearrange itself when you get on.
I have never used any of the fancy blankets. Just regular, good-sized ones. Moby actually makes awesome blankets for swaddling. I just wrap around and around (looks like they’ve been rolled in a carpet) twist the bottom a couple times and then bring up the bottom corners and tie them around the baby. Snug and stuck.
I’ve used the Stokke chairs. They are fantastic and grow with kids because you can change the seat height and everything. I’ve had a tall seven year old still using hers, no buckle of course. They are expensive though.
Anyway, I love talking about baby and kid stuff. Mostly because people have too much overall and hardly any of the best pieces.
Reply
Andalasia Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 3:31 pm
Unless you live somewhere where there’a a lot of snow & then you need the jogging stroller even when you take public transport. The big wheels really get you through snow & slush. Maybe that inconveniences other people, but it is way more convenient for me!
Reply
Gogo Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 5:45 pm
I live in Boston and we get tons of snow. You definitely need a stoller with good wheels, especially if the sidewalks are bad, but I just think it’s inconsiderate to have a full-size jogger if you’re getting on and off public transit and going in and out of stores a lot. Depends on what you’re doing whether using the jogger makes sense.
Reply
Jenna Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 3:39 pm
I want the Stokke SO SO bad. Maybe when we have a more substantial income once again we can squeeze it in, but we don’t have the cash for it right now. That’s student life!
Reply
May 5th, 2011 on 1:53 pm
Thank you so much for posting this!! I am 19 weeks pregnant and I am just now starting to look for things we need or might want. This was very helpful - thank you!!
Reply
May 5th, 2011 on 3:08 pm
Love this! I’m due in August and one of my favorite questions to ask new or new-ish parents is “What things are on your ‘must have’ list?” Everyone has differing opinions of course, but a lot of the same thing show up time and time again and the same holds true for the things on your list. Love it!
Reply
May 5th, 2011 on 6:34 pm
Thank you so much for posting this! I am due in August and have been gathering all the advice and recommendations I can. I really appreciate the help!
Reply
May 5th, 2011 on 8:14 pm
-Want want want sleeved bibs — I can’t find them in stores and I always talk myself out of buying online.
-And another way in which I am weird (see also cloth diaper washing interval, above)… I really didn’t use my burp cloths all that much, it seemed. When she was little, maybe — that time is such a blur now but it doesn’t seem like I used them all that much!
-I also didn’t really use the swing much — we had about a two week period where it was her One and Only Comfort in the Universe and then it was either “meh” or torture. Thankfully it was a gift so I didn’t spend the $100+ on those two weeks myself.
-The mesh feeder is difficult too.. now I use it as teething relief, with either frozen strawberries or frozen ice-cubes of smoothie in it… of course she makes a huge mess with it and I have to follow her around to make sure she doesn’t leave it on my bed or something.
Reply
Jenna Reply:
May 6th, 2011 at 9:46 am
Our swing was a gift from my parents as well! We ended up having him sleep in it for like 4 months, so it feels like it would have been worth it even if we had purchased it.
Reply
May 5th, 2011 on 9:40 pm
I LOVE this post! Thank you so much for taking the time to write it up. My husband and I are TTC and I love hearing what baby items parents love, and what is just a waste.
Reply
May 6th, 2011 on 1:44 am
Great list- just an FYI, the Bumbo also has a tray you can buy and it is a little cheaper than the bebePod if you are trying to save money but I love the fruit trays that the bebePods have!
Reply
Jenna Reply:
May 6th, 2011 at 9:45 am
I *thought* I priced it out and figured that with the tray the bebePod actually costs less, but I was at the store using my phone to do my research so it might not have been accurate!
Reply
May 6th, 2011 on 10:12 am
Camilia is awesome! The few times C had a melt down from teething we would give some to her and within 15 minutes.
Bouncy seat is a must for showers those first few months.
ATTENTION ALL MOMS TO BE: You don’t have to buy a thing at full price. Almost everything we have was bought for us or found on Craigslist or lent from friends. It is all used for such a little amount of time that borrowing items from friends for a couple of months saves you big time.
Reply
May 6th, 2011 on 11:10 am
I don’t even have a baby, yet I am always drawn to these types of posts on baby gear! Committing it to memory for the future, I guess!
When we have a baby, I really REALLY don’t want to have a bunch of crap. Our place is too small & I like my house to look a certain way! We shall see…
Reply
May 6th, 2011 on 10:47 pm
THANK YOU for this post! Being pregnant, it is so overwhelming looking at baby stuff. You never know what you really need, and what is a waste. It is so helpful to hear from moms and get the inside scoop
Reply