My Top 10 Baby Items

Before I had my baby I was often asked what I wanted or still needed for her. Being a first time mom made it hard for me to answer that question. Now that I've been able to actually use the things we have, here is my list of Must-Haves in no particular order:

Diaper Garbage. I always change the babe in her room which is upstairs. It makes it nice to have a designated place to throw away diapers rather than have to always go out to the garage to throw them away. I can guarantee without it, there would always be a pile of diapers to take out to the garbage! For some people it may not be necessary because they have "diaper stations" around the house and change their baby anywhere. When my baby was newborn I occasionally changed her in the family room, but most always, and now only always, I change her in her room so all the diapers get put in the diaper garbage.

Bumbo. When it comes to waste or want, this is definitely a want for me. It's perfect to sit her in to do her hair!!! Plus it's nice to have her sit at the dinner table with us (even though it says not to use on elevated surfaces). Now that we're doing solids it's nice to use in place of a booster seat. I like having her right on the dining table instead of in a high chair or booster seat strapped to a dining chair because any mess she makes lands on the table and I don't have to sweep or vacuum the rug under the table after every meal. It's also nice because it doesn't take up space like a highchair does and whenever we travel or go to restaurants we bring it along!

Boppi. I've heard a lot of people say this is a waste, but I love it! I used it for nursing when my baby was teeny tiny and I also used it to sit her in. It was perfect for when she was a newborn, and I think it worked great once she started sitting up to keep her from falling over, or at least give her a pillow to fall onto. My only qualm is that it doesn't work well to use for nursing when sitting in a chair with arms (like a glider rocker) and it wraps all the way around my waist making it uncomfortable to lean back in a chair. Other than that I love it and it's definitely gotten it's money's worth...Free! (But had I of spent the money it would have been worth it!)

Plus it's fun to hide under a blanket or sheet and use for a photo shoot when she's too small to sit up on her own!

Rocking Chair/Bouncer.  This was the only picture I could find and I'm too lazy to pull out the camera to get a better shot of it! This bouncer is kind of big, but it converts into a rocking chair and she can still use it as a toddler. It has a kick stand to keep it from rocking and puts it in a reclined position so we started using it from day one and she's now 8 months old and we still use it. It's nice because it's one we can use for a while before she outgrows it. If I didn't have this rocking chair I still would have used a bouncer. It's just nice to have her up off the floor from time to time.

Bottle Warmer. To most this isn't necessary to have, but I've used it a lot and it's been a life saver. Breast milk out of the fridge or freezer takes FOREVER to warm. We would turn the water on as hot as it would go and 20 minutes later we would have a warm bottle if we were lucky. The bottle warmer takes 90 seconds. Music to my ears!

Baby Monitor. I didn't use this very much for the first 3 months of her life, but I use it all the time now.

Baby Sling. I use this far more than her stroller. It's so much easier than having to drag out the stroller and it leaves me hands free to do other things. Plus with walking the dog the leash isn't constantly getting tangled up in the stroller.

Nursing Cover. I can't even tell you how many times and random places this thing has been used. It has definitely been a life saver. Learning how to use it was really frustrating. It seems like it would be pretty basic, but it took a lot of practice. I started using it at home to get better at it so I wouldn't feel so frustrated trying to figure it out in a public place. It's also a lot easier to use than trying to stay covered with a blanket.

Changing Pad. Before I got one of these for the diaper bag I set her on top of the nursing cover so she wasn't directly on the counter at the church. (I would have changed her directly on the counter, but I felt bad having her bare skin on the cold counter so I wanted something under her). She then peed all over the nursing cover and I hadn't even fed her yet! That's when I knew it was time to invest in a changing pad.

SwaddleMe Blanket. I love this one! She sleeps so much better when she's tightly swaddled and she wiggles enough that she can't escape this one like she can a regular blanket.

Honorable Mentions:

Elmer's Glue. When she was born she was 3lbs 10oz which meant she had a tiny head! Headband bows wouldn't stay on because they were too big so instead I glued little bows on her head. If you feel weird putting glue in your baby's hair, the NICU uses K*Y Jelly...! Both wash right out with water, but the glue dries fast and holds better because it's not oil based.

Floor Mat Thing. This one can easily be on the top ten, but I made the list before we started using it. I should have pulled it out sooner, but I forgot about it. It's a must-have now, because it's perfect for keeping my puppy from trampling over the babe when he's playing fetch. I lived without the play mat for 4 months and we got along just fine with using a blanket on the floor and toys around her, but now that it's out I don't think we'll go back! Plus she would kick her legs and swings her arms so much that she started noticing the toys so I think it helped with her development. We stopped using it after she became more mobile and would roll off of it all the time.

A 2nd Car Seat Base. (not pictured) It is SO much easier to have a base in both cars. The base is a pain to get in and out and I was/am the paranoid mom that wants my child to be as safe as possible.

Video Camera and Camera. Okay, these aren't baby items, but they were must-haves before the baby came. My dad ALWAYS video taped events in our lives when we were little. We have every Christmas and most birthdays and random moments when he felt the need to drag out the camera. Back then it was a bigger deal because it was a beast to get out and actually held a full sized VHS tape. Yikes! I didn't actually start taping Shasta until she was 2 months old because she didn't do anything and it makes me sad that I didn't start sooner because it's crazy to see how tiny she was even at 2 months. It's sad how quickly I can forget.

Items I never felt the need to buy:

Baby Swing. I tried my sister's while I was at her house and my baby loved it, but it's not something I felt the need to go out and buy. I'm sure it would be nice to have, but I have enough other places to lay her down that it's not a NEED to have it. I also feared I would constantly put her in it and not set her on the floor enough for her to learn to roll and practice tummy time.

Baby bath. I didn't want a collection of items that only get used for a short time and then have to be stored. We have a deep kitchen sink that fits her perfectly and it's nice to stand while I bathe her rather than be bent over a tub. Plus I only bathed her every two to three days when she was a newborn so it wasn't a necessity to me.

 What baby items are must-haves for you?
From the list above, what items do you agree or disagree with?
For soon-to-be moms, are there any items you have questions about?