We know I covered everything we registered for way back when Caroline Cate was still snuggled up in my belly, but now I am back to report on everything we use, everything we don’t, and I’m even asking for some guidance on some items I know we’ll be investing in soon! First up, the things we love:
1. Primo Eurobath: CC loves bathtime, let me tell you. Put that naked booty in this tub and she grins from ear to ear. Throw in the Munchkin bath cup and you’ve got a happy camper indeed! This bath is perfect because it fits in a normal size tub, is interchangeable for little ones and then you turn them around when they grow to toddler-size so it’s a great purchase we’ll be using for awhile. Not to mention it is white and doesn’t scream BABY.
2. Aveeno Products: we use them ALL, let me tell you. From the all over body wash to the moisturizing cream to the sunscreen, we are avid Aveeno lovers and their products not only smell good, but their great for CC’s sensitive skin.
3. Sleep Sheep/Graco Sweet Slumber Machine: we have them both and they are lifesavers! The Sleep Sheep is great because we can take it anywhere and the Graco version stays in Caroline’s nursery. I can’t lie, I love all the calming sounds, too!
4. Bright Starts Playtime Mat: You know I didn’t want one of these in my house, right? Just the mere thought of something so bright just made me nauseous, however, this has been our go-to “baby occupier” for quite some time. Turn that puppy on and CC stays “in the zone” for at least 20-30 minutes. Flip her over and it’s perfect for tummy time exercise, too!
5. Little Tummys Gas Drops: these need no introduction…they have become a staple in our home and these are an absolute MUST to prevent little bit from being fussy and/or gassy all the time. Can’t leave home without them, therefore I have one bottle in my diaper bag, one bottle in the nursery, one bottle in our downstairs changing station, and one in my back pocket ;).
6. Monitors: Angelcare Heart Monitor (401 series)/Summer Infant Babytouch Video Monitor: I live with the king of safety squad, but I absolutely jumped on this bandwagon, as I want to be able to see CC sleeping/crying/wiggling whenever she is out of my sight. The Summer version has been great because it’s portable and we can transport it all over the house. The Angelcare monitor is a new hit at our house since Caroline is just now sleeping in her nursery. This gadget makes sure she is breathing properly and I cannot lie, I think this is a MUST for everyone!
7.Fisher Price Snuggabunny Bouncy Seat AND Swing: Remember when I told you we would never be one of those baby households to have one of those awful swings? Well, I was wrong, and I admit it. Shortly after CC was born, Jeff came home saying we had to have one to get her to nap during the day/occupy her time, and ever since, she has been a much happier baby. It’s amazing…nevermind how huge it is and how much room it takes up, it is a God send and an absolute must. On the contrary, we’ve had the bouncy seat since day one and she loves it still. Now, I’ll park her in front of the television so she can watch her baby dvds and this is one of the only ways I can keep her still.
And now to some other little odds and ends that haven’t been of particular interest or had any success at our home…
1. Wipe Warmer: I thought it was a must, yet how do you warm wipes on the go? We have never even plugged it in, much less used it. I think you could totally skip out on this one…if they never know what warm wipes feel like, how can they be missing out?
2. Sleeping Gowns: Caroline loves to move her legs like crazy and trying to keep them harnessed in any type of gown has been a definite lose for us…she gets MAD let me tell you! My vote goes to Carter’s Sleep and Plays-they are a nighttime must and they keep that baby warm and toasty so she can get some good shut eye.
3. Boppy: I have yet to use it much at all…maybe I will use it as a recliner for CC when she is able to hold her head up completely, but I used the My Breast Friend pillow when I was nursing her. Anybody know any other uses for this thing?
So, now that I gave my tips on the goods, anybody have any recommendations for highchairs? We are looking into purchasing one in the next month or two and I’m open for your favorites or ones to avoid, especially if any of you have the Stokke Tripp Trapp.
I’m also on the lookout for a stationary activity jumper…there are so many to choose from so I am wondering if you know of one that stands out to keep your little one entertained?
Thanks friends!
Great list! Would love to know what you did not end up using and would suggest not spending your $$ on. Thanks!
-Katie
Athomewhenimwithyou.blogspot.com
When CC is learning to sit up on her own, you can wrap the bobby around her so that when she falls over, she will have a soft landing spot.
Every kid is different, but my recommendation is to NOT spend a bunch on a high chair. They get disgusting. I may have to throw ours away. We bought a super cheap Ikea high chair, and it has been awesome for us! $26. My parents bought some super expensive Chicco one, and it's great, but bells and whistles are pointless when all they do is eat on it and get it gross. He's 17 months now, and we moved him to a booster seat at the table, so that the three of us can have dinner together. The booster seat was like $20. It works awesome and he loves it. There's my two cents! đ
Great list! I can't wait until I get to use that stuff!! đ
Thank you so much for posting this! Definitely added items to my registry!
I have a 3yr old and a 3mth old . While still itty bitty we use the boppy for tummy time (to help the baby figure out the pushing up with armpart but stay close bc they wiggle a lot) and then prior to the new baby's arrival we used the boppy as a travel pillow works great in the car ( for mommy and kiddo) my older son would even use it as a pillow to nap
I agree with the earlier response about a fancy high chair. I've done it both ways and I will never have a fancy one again. I had the Stokke and didn't love it. My baby just never looked comfortable. We eventually settled on a seat that straps to our chairs and reclines if need be for little ones. I can also take it everywhere! I'm pregnant with baby #3 and we will be investing in a new one!
We love the Snuggabunny seat and swing too. Owen didn't love the swing much at first but now he'll nap in it sometimes. The chair has been SO worth it as I can move him around from room to room with me.
We have TWO activity bouncers. The first one we bought (Baby Einstein Musical Motion 2-in-1 Stationary Jumper & Entertainer) was fine, but it wasn't as bouncy as we had hoped and our boy looooves to jump!
We took Owen to a friend's house and he tried their son's (Fisher-Price Rainforest Jumperoo Activity Chair) and absolutely loved it. He was bouncing away for 45minutes happy as a clam and slept 6 straight hours that night. We bought it 2 day air the next morning.
I have used the Boppy from day one for nursing but another use I found is for when my baby started sitting up on her own and was not very stable, the Boppy is perfect to set on the floor around her and she can topple onto it! đ
Love these essentials! SO funny about the playtime mat, I always say "I don't want those types of things in my house," too…but I have a feeling they may end up there! đ
I am 31 weeks today — can't believe it! Just posted a maternity shot on my blog! Hope you're having a great week!
xoxo,
Brooke
One thing I wouldn't recommend at all is the Stokke Tripp Trapp, which is pleasing to the eye it isn't economical. We have a 12 month old and this was our first high chair purchase. A few days later we packed it up and shipped it right back to Amazon. Our son never looked comfortable in it and we didn't feel entirely comfortable leaving him in it. We got the Graco Contempo Highchair and love it. It's very comfy and he's fallen asleep in it several times. It's also very easy to wipe down because they do get nasty and it folds up pretty snug. I might suggest one of the high chairs that go in a regular kitchen chair as well so you don't have a big bulky hair chair in the kitchen! As far as an activity center, we love the Evenflo ExerSaucer Triple Fun. Lots of bright colors and sounds. However, it is not pleasing to the eye, its big, bulky, and plastic. But our son LOVES his!
totally agree on all of these necessities!!! and I hardly use the bobby either. Whatever pillow is closest has worked for me! I have heard great things about the Ikea high chair, cheap and easy to clean.
I loved the boppy for bf, bottle feeding, laying olivia down for naps/sleep when we were out of town (before we got the pack and play) and now she will lay in it when taking a bottle. We got it as a gift at our shower.
We were SO against the swing and other "baby" looking things that took up a ton of room but baby stuff won! haha we have the same swing but the lamb version. Olivia still uses it but we need to phase it out since she is big now!
We have the fisher price easy clean high chair. It screams baby but is SO easy to clean and is just a simple highchair. Not super expensive. I have heard great things about the ikea high chair too but we don't have one close to us.
Also, LOVE having a pack and play. We keep ours in the living room so if we are cooking dinner or need to leave the room we can put Olivia in there and she is safe and we don't have to worry about leaving her alone for a little while. Sometimes she naps in there too đ I was SO against it but my MIL got us one and we LOVE it! đ
Are you using a bumbo yet? We got one for Olivia and loved it. I have heard warnings but we never had any problems. We got ours at target, it is a couple $$ cheaper then other places (believe it or not! haha) and they have more fun colors like mint and different shades of pink and purple, even orange! đ We never left her alone in it, maybe other parents did and that is where the problems started? Olivia never got super chunky so her legs always fit but I have seen reviews that other babies grew out of it quickly because of the leg holes.
I hope this helps! đ
Thanks for sharing! This is so helpful with a little one of my own on the way!
We just put Collins (she's a month older than Caroline) in her exercauser and she LOVES it. It is the baby einstein one. I bought a wooden high chair, I just love the traditional ones and I wanted one that I could pass down…I am painting it black so that it looks like a piece of furniture. My SIL had the same one and she said it was just as easy to clean. Our den has clearly been taken over by baby gear…the other day we had it all lined up because we are moving; the bouncy seat, exercasuer, swing, and fisher price rocker…so excessive but a MUST!!
I'm with you on the summer baby monitor ammmmazing! Also have that sound machine too which we love! Ill have to look into the little lamb one! We haven't put together our highchair yet so keep up posted on one you find and love!
I wouldn't waste a ton of money on a high chair either because they are nasty. We have a space saver one that attaches to a regular chair and I love it. Yes it occupies a regular chair but I can bring it with us, wash the cover and life is good. As for the stationary play thing we have an Evenflo one that she like for a few months. I wish I would have gotten one that made noise and lit up, they are great to have to make dinner, eat breakfast…You are more than welcome to borrow our door jumperoo that Avery loved, she would still get in it if I would let her and try our our exersaucer, just let me know!!
This is a great list! I'm sure it will come in handy when the Mr. & I get pregnant…someday. đ
We have the Boon Flair highchair and LOVE it! It was a bit on the pricey side, but all it's pros outweigh that in my eyes.
It's seriously the easiest thing to clean EVER. You can lietrally wipe the whole thing down. There is no disgusting fabric for food to hide in and the tray is small enough to fit in the dishwasher. It's on wheels, so I can move it around the kitchen very easily. It's very modern looking. Not sure the style in your home, but it's much easier on the eyes than some the ones I've seen. Also, it moves up and down like a barber chair, so not that my son is older I can lower it to our table height, remove the tray, and push it right up to the table. No booster seat needed.
New reader đ I am a nanny for a 2.5 year old and my sister has a 3 month old so I love reading baby product reviews.
People either love the Stokke Tripp Trapp or hate it. The last family I worked for switched from fisher price high chairs to Tripp Trapps. They bought 2 chairs and loved them. They used them for the younger child starting at about 8 months (with the baby add on) and still use them now (kids are 5 and 3).
My sister bought one because her husband refused to get a plastic more babyish one. I love that they can be used from baby to adult (yes, I've sat in them). I can see how it might not be as comfortable for a small baby though
My niece absolutely loved her activity mat. She would stare totally dazed or slap all those little hanging things for the longest time!
We have the same activity mat and she is obsessed with the cat- we take it everywhere đ
I am very new to the blog world (literally just days) but saw your blog and just love it! I am a new mommy as well. Actually, my Tessa just turned one but I still feel like a new mommy-learning every day.
We invested in a fancy Chicco high chair. As much as I like it (and it's very easy to clean) I wouldn't go that route if I had to do it again. I would invest in a chair that can go on your dining chairs or one that attaches to the table. They would take up less space, you can travel with them, and it puts your little one even closer to you.
I refused to purchased the "baby propaganda" but ended up getting the baby Einstein activity jumper as a gift. Tessa had fun on it while she was younger and used it to climb on as she aged. I think you could go either way, every kid is different.
My "do with outs" include the wipe warmer and boppy pillow. My "must haves" are our BOB stroller, Avent pacifiers, footless pjs, and most recently Stride Rite rubber soled shoes!
Oh my word…The Angelcare Monitor. Loved it until it started beeping at night all the time! Last night it beeped three different times in 15 minutes. I had to turn it off. I don't know what's going on but she's fine every time I check on her. I don't know what to do!
One thing I wish I would've gotten instead of a regular high chair is a space saver high chair that attaches to a kitchen chair. I hate all the baby gear that takes over your house & the high chair took up a lot of space! I know nothing of the Stokke chair, BUT, I actually saw one on the Nashville Craigslist last week. May be worth a shot to check out!
That was probably mine, lol. Hated that thing. Ha đ
I have a friend who is wondering if she should register for a bottle warmer. Do you use yours?
We never used ours so we returned it! We used breast milk at first and just put hot water in a glass and would put the bottle in it and then when we switched to formula we just prepared it as needed.
The boppy is my breastfeeding lifesaver! I use it more than anything. I bet when C starts sitting up you could put it around her to help support her in case she falls back.
Hmmm I wonder if warm wipes are better for little boys? I use them and love them. Maybe if we have a girl I won't…interesting!
We have the Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo and my daughter LOVES it! She started using it around 4 months or so and is still using at 8 months. The Evenflo Triple Fun exersaucer is also a big hit in our house. I don't know what I'd do without them! We have the Stokke Tripp Trapp and really like it. It's easy to clean and like others mentioned will be used for years (also good re-sale value). Not the most comfortable thing but she seems to like it! Hope that helps!
What a great list. My list would be so similar. Love our Snuggabunny Swing and bouncer as well as our Sleep Sheep. And I have to agree with the not so important items too, didn't use our wipe warmer either, not a huge fan of sleep gowns, and the Boppy is ho-hum in my book. Thanks for sharing!
I had the Tripp trapp (trust me, I had it ALL, lol) but we never used it bc we loooooooooved the tata Mia highchair (great base, wheels, reclines for different feeding stages) and honestly k kept wanting to climb on the stokke and it became dangerous so I sold it on craigslist. đ xoxo shel
Ps- the tata Mia is $$ but worth every penny- 3 of my friends bought it after me and loooove it too! I did see 1 at mt Juliet Essex for $100 a few months ago if you keep your eye out!!
Quick tip- if your baby is born in the dead of winter (like k in Feb when it was snowing in ATL where we lived at the time) the wipes get a LOT colder naturally so we loved that wipes warmer- but if not freezing out or in the house (we lived in an old bungalow so it could be drafty) than I think not needed đ xoxo