So I had someone ask recently about the best baby things out there, as well as what to skip. I wanted to write this down while I still remember...
1.Video Monitor. This has saved me so many trips upstairs in the middle of the night! I love that when I hear something out of one of the kids I can just look on the monitor to see what is going on. There are many times when they just cried out, coughed, etc and do not need me to come. Without the monitor I would hear that noise and not know if they need me or not, so I would probably go just to be safe. And open the door, letting in light, and possible disturb them not to mention me being completely awake since I went upstairs only to find they are just fine. There have also been other times when I look right away and see something is wrong and get there fast. I maybe would have waited a few minutes to see if they would settle down without the video, so the reverse is good too! It was a big expense, but for me it has been completely worth the money!
2. Snap and Go stroller. Of course we got the double one but either way I love this thing. It's light weight and inexpensive, and when you stop carrying the baby in the carrier, you can just move to another lightweight stroller like we did with our double Combi.
3. Aquaphore. Great for diaper rashes and all skin ailments, just buy the big tub because it is worth it.
4. Simple Diaper Pail. I skipped the elaborate ones that take special bags and just got a simple pail that I can get any old bag for (I get scented bags). It worked great when they were little. Let's face it little babies do not have smelly BM's. When the kids got older, it could not contain the smell, but I hear from friends that their fancy ones didn't either. I just moved the pail to the garage and throw the diapers away out there.
5. Good Nursing Bra. If you plan to nurse, spend money on a great bra (or 2). I bought a less expensive one and hated it so much I never wore it (unless I had not done wash and just had to). I got 2 great bras from the nursing store at the hospital. At the store they will fit you and everything! Very worth the money, especially since I nursed my kids for 15 months!
6. Dishwasher Baskets. Washing bottles by hand is a pain! With these baskets you can just put all the small parts in there and stick them in the dishwasher and let it do all the work!
7. Space Saver High Chair. With 2 kids you have to save all the space you can. These just strap into chairs and you are good to go.
8. Loveys. My kids were each given a lovey at a baby shower. I started giving it to them at about 5-6 months old (for sleep) and they soon started wanting it to sleep with. I went out and bought them each 2 extra. I knew one could get lost or messed up or just need washing and I wanted back-ups. My kids are so cute with their loveys and it's good for them to have a comforting object to help them sleep!
9. Sleep. So you can't buy this but you can get the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth, M.D. I basically followed the Baby wise principles for a feeding schedule but found that I needed more in-depth information to get 2 very different children sleeping well. This book has so much helpful information, I recommend it to everyone!
10. Books, toys, and other activities. So babies need things to do, to play with, to learn. However, it seems that babies are very different, some will love the swing and others not so much. You just never know until yours is here. Board books are great, not quite indestructible but they aren't destroyed easily! Toys that help your baby to have tummy time are good too. Riley hated tummy time, so anything that distracted her from realizing she was actually on her tummy was good (she loved a mirror).
I could probaby come up with a few more but that's some of my favorites!
