Baby Gear I Love

My daughter is 11 weeks old and so she is almost through the "first stage" of infancy.  I don't know if 12 weeks is really an "official" stage, but I probably consider it a milestone because I have to go back to work next week.  So, a new lifestyle will begin for us next week!

Anyway, I was thinking about the baby products we've used thus far and which ones that I would purchase again knowing what I know now!  (I'm sure we all have stuff that we wouldn't buy again because it turned out to be a waste!)  In my opinion these products do their jobs better than most, are innovative, or just plain cool.  This list does not include any of the babywearing or cloth diaper products, I'll save those for another post
Here is my list (click on each one to go to the product's website):

1.  Kiddopotamus SwaddleMe
I'm all for "Swaddlers for Idiots" as I like to call them (aka the ones with velcro).  They are just much quicker and easier for us and they never come apart like swaddling with a blanket.  The reason that I like the Kiddopatumus better than other velcro brands we've tried is that they seem to fit smaller babies much better. It seems to have the velcro in the right place and will stay tight, where the other one would come loose and she'd "escape".

We have two of this kind, one in fleece and one in knit.   I'm really glad that we were given the fleece because it has kept her warm during our artic blast winter.  On warmer nights, I prefer the knit version because she's a little heater and I don't want to make her sweat all night.  

We've only been using them for 3 months, but they are holding up well.  The velcro has laundry tabs to prevent them from sticking to all your clothes in the wash.  I learned the hard way to make sure you flip those little guys over!  

They also have access slit in the back that allows you to push a swing or car seat harness through and swaddle.  I haven't actually done this, because until recently, I thought it was a misguided attempt to allow one to check for dirty diapers!  But, now that I know what's it's for...it makes a lot more sense!  If you want to see how to do it, visit the website.  I personally am a little confused by the directions, but I'll let you know how my attempt to do it goes.
  

2.  Breathable Baby Breathable Bumper
The question of the moment when choosing baby bedding is...should I use bumper pads?? To me, the risk of SIDS was too great to put them in our little one's crib.  Bumper pads were originally designed to keep babies from slipping in between the slats of cribs.  However, new safety standards have decreased the width between slats and it's very unlikely that a baby's head will get stuck between.  But, I wanted to prevent her limbs getting stuck.  I chose to get the Breathable Bumper, which is actually mesh and allows airflow.  It will also collapse if she tried to use it as a escape mechanism.  To install, you just wrap the velcro around the slat and tuck it below the mattress, pretty simple.

3.  Boppy Pillow
I'm actually not adament that you need this breastfeeding pillow, but if you want something that makes life a little easier, get some type of breastfeeding pillow.  I find that it's much easier to get her in a good position to breastfeed with this pillow than with a regular pillows.  I've tried the My Brest Friend pillow at the pediatrician's office.  If I had to do it over again, I might try this one out at the store and decide which to purchase.  You can fasten it to your body, which I imagine is very useful.  I saw an episode of 18 Kids and Counting and that pillow is Michelle Duggar's choice.  She seems to have a fair amount of experience...
An added bonus: you can use them to pose your baby for numerous posed photographs. they love it.

4.  Fisher Price Take Along Swing 
I like this swing because it's portable and doesn't take up as much space as a normal swing.  We have a split level house and I can move it between floors easily while I am trying to get things done.  It's been perfect for mealtime, because we move her into the dining room with us while we eat, but I don't have to have a swing permanently in the dining room (it doesn't really fit with my decor).  I'm trying to purchase items from responsible companies these days and one thing that I do like about Fisher Price is their partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society.  They donated $250,000 to this organization in 2009.  I can't vouch for thier manufacturing processes or anything, but at least this is something.

5.  Rockabye Baby Lullabyes
So, these are on the list because they are just awesome.  These wonderful people have made lullabyes from our favorite rock songs--I know--freaking amazing.  I bought MP3's of whole albums and single songs from Amazon while I was pregnant and I love them.  Who doesn't want their baby falling asleep to Hell's Bells??  I like to think I'm teaching Adelaide to rock out early.