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Saturday, September 8, 2012

A few of my favorite things (newborn edition)

I added many things to our registry based on "favorite things" posts from bloggers. I trust blogger recommendations more than random Amazon users, and with the exception of one or two things, I love everything that we are currently using. I still enjoy reading these kind of posts, so I figured I would do one too.

Here are some of my favorite things thus far...

Feeding:

MAM bottles and pacifiers
One of my friends gave us a MAM bottle and pacifier that she received at a L&D nursing conference. The nipple is contoured so that baby has to latch on as s/he would when breastfeeding. Caroline liked the sample bottle so much we ordered an entire set. I also really like the pacifiers because the nipple is small. The other brands recommended for 0+ were way too big for her.

Tommee Tippee milk bibs
These bibs are super soft and sit right under the neck, which is great for spit up and milk dribbles.

Osocozy cloth diapers
We use these as burp clothes. I like that they are big and absorbant. 

Medela Pump-in-style Advanced
A must have if you are breastfeeding. I use mine every day to pump a bottle for Alson to give Caroline. I also used it an additional time each day in the first month to help build my supply and a frozen stash. I will also use it when I go back to work. 

Medela Harmony Pump
I use this hand pump if I just need to pump off a little bit of milk to relieve engorgement. It is generally easier and quicker in the middle of the night, if Caroline sleeps a little longer than usual.

Oxo Tot drying rack
We have a couple dishwasher baskets, but I have yet to use them. We wash pump and bottle parts at least once a day, so doing it by hand and using a drying rack has just been easier. 

Entertainment:

My Little Snug-a-bunny bouncer and swing
Every single blog post I read recommended these two things. Caroline really likes both. 

Strollers:

Bumbleride indie stroller
I love this stroller. It lays flat and can be used with newborns, without the car seat adapter, which I really liked. It is lighter than the BOB and isn't too heavy for me to get in and out of my trunk. The suspension and ride are so smooth and Caroline has taken many naps during our strolls.

Chicco Keyfit Caddy
This stroller is so necessary for quick trips to the store when I don't want to take Caroline out of her car seat.

Diapering:

Jillian's Drawers diaper service
If you live in Upstate New York, this is an amazing service. We get prefold diapers delivered to us every week, and they pick up the dirty ones too! It is a great way to cloth diaper before your little one fits in one size AIO or pocket cloth diapers. Plus, you don't have to do laundry.

Thirstie's covers
We use these covers with the prefolds and have been very happy. We have only had a handful of leaks, which is usually our fault for leaving it on for too long. The double gusset does a great job of containing otherwise.

Grovia Magic Stick
This diaper ointment can be used with cloth diapers. We use the magic stick at every diaper change, and have yet to have a full blown diaper rash.

Simplehuman trash can
We use this as a diaper pail to hold our cloth diapers (with a Planet Wise Diaper Pail Liner). It keeps the stink out and has a foot pedal for easy opening.

Arm and Hammer fresheners
These also help to keep the nursery smelling nice!

Earth's Best diapers and wipes
We put Caroline in a disposable diaper at night because she sleeps for long stretches and we don't want her to sit in a wet prefold (which does not wick away moisture). We chose these diapers because they are chlorine free. We have only had a couple blow outs and have had no issues with leaking. We use these wipes all the time, which are also chlorine free.

Clothing and Blankets:

Disney Baby onesies
These onesies are SO soft and have held up to multiple washings very well. They also have the "grow with me snaps", which should help them fit longer.

aden + anais muslin blankets
These blankets are the best, especially for a summer baby. They are lightweight and super soft. We use them as a blanket and as a swaddle wrap during the day. 

Bathing:

California Baby Shampoo and Body Wash
This stuff smells so good and really gets Caroline clean. We also have had no issues with cradle cap. 

Fisher Price whale tub
I like that Caroline sits in the water and is at a good angle in this tub. It is kind of no frills, which is nice since she is only in the tub for a few minutes each night.

Swaddle Designs hooded towels
These towels are very soft and very nice quality. I also like that the designs are not super "baby", since Caroline's bath is on our main level and hang where everyone can see them.

Circo wash clothes 
These wash clothes are nice and thin, which make it easy to get into all the nooks and crannies. We have some Swaddle Designs wash clothes that are much thicker, and they just aren't useful yet. 

Babywearing:

ERGObaby carrier
I did a lot of baby carrier research and decided to go with the ERGO. It is very easy on both of our backs and shoulders, and Caroline often falls asleep while in it.

Moby
I also have a Moby, which I use a lot with the hug hold. Caroline did not like the newborn hold at all. It is definitely a pain to tie the Moby at first, but I got the hang of it pretty quickly. I first registered for a K'tan, but sent it back because I couldn't get a good fit. I like that the Moby is adjustable.


I think that is everything that I am loving right now! Let me know if you have any questions about these things. I tried to be brief, but would be happy to share more info if you'd like it.

3 comments:

  1. Oh, some of those things were my favorites too. We finally took down the bouncer and swing and now our living room looks sort of empty. :( But, I loved that swing!

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  2. Great post! A few of these I already had on the registry and a few were super easy to add since you linked them to Amazon! ;)

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  3. This is GREAT! We have most of what we need, but I still have a list of "to buy's" and I might add some of these on there!!

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