Baby Essentials

I have been thinking about this list a lot lately; not just for others to consult, but for my own use if/when we decide to have another. Like I have written before, I like lists, and I like revising lists. All my Mom-friends- let me know what you think!

I am sure that there are some people out there like me; completely overwhelmed by the amount of baby stuff that is advertised/recommended/sold to unsuspecting expecting women. What, exactly, is a necessity, and what will I end up storing in the back of the closet for the entirety of her infanthood? Well, granted, Corinne is only closing in on six months, but I am finding out (in some instances, the hard way) what I actually need and what I should have left for Angelina, J.Lo, Gwen and their celebrity broods.
*Before I start another list, I have to thank all my fab teacher colleagues and mommy friends who helped guide me in the right direction when it came to all this stuff. :)

Things I actually use(d):
GEAR

• Baby Bjorn (great when we're out and about and saved me during our flight to New York!)
• Our Space Saver high chair. (It sits on top of a regular kitchen chair and is super easy to use!)
• Bouncy seat (an absolute lifesaver! although I have heard that babies generally prefer either a swing or a bouncy seat; usually not both)
• Chicco Travel system (car seat & stroller)
• Britax Roundabout (Convertible Carseat. Good for 5-40 lbs. check BabyCheapSkate for best prices)
• Jogging stroller
• Car mirror for baby
• Baby monitor (ours has rechargeable batteries and can be plugged into the wall)
• Digital bath thermometer
• Diaper bag (one with lots of pockets- I love my Fleurville)
• Cetaphil (for hair/body wash)
  
• waterproof lap-sized pads (for crib, changing table, etc. I use these a ton!)
• good camera (I take an insane amount of pictures)
• Aquarium crib soother (as she has gotten older, she is able to use it and put herself to sleep!)
• Flip cloth diapers (my personal favs) 
• Bum Genius AIOs for night time

CLOTHING

• Carter's Onesies (In hindsight, I wish I would have registered for one "set" for each age; newborn, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, & 12 months. they're great for layering in the winter!)
• sleepers with zippers (Thanks to the Fulkersons! these were lifesavers! I suggest 2 for each size-season appropriate. The fleece ones are great for winter!)
• A few bottoms (shorts, pants) for each size
• A zip sweatshirt (1 for each size)
• Robeez shoes for crawlers/ OR during fall/winter.  Soft and so Cute!
  

FEEDING

• Nursing cover (I love my hooter hider. I bring it everywhere-it doubles as a blanket on the go)
• Evenflo Glass bottles (4&8 oz. sizes; BPA free and super cheap!)
• Medela pump in-style
• Infant feeding spoons
• Sippy cups (BPA free! Try SafeMama for a list of BPA free products)- I started with the ones with handles around a year, and at 16 months we switched to no handles
• The Baby bjorn bib (The ONLY bib you'll need!).  Sure, it's $10, but it's the only one we've used since Corinne was 9 months...at 2, it's still in pristine condition and washes/dries so easily.  The best!)
• Food Grinder (Great for eating on the go!)
• Ice cube trays (to freeze food in batches)
• Divided & open plastic plates (Munchin are good- much better seeing these land on the floor than our good ones!)

Toys

• 0-3 Months: Some car seat toys, a few board books (black and white ones were Rinne's favorite!), cheap tummy time mat (I think we used a blanket most of the time)  
• 3-6 Months: Plastic Stacking cups for in/out of bath, toy keys, books
• 9-12 Months: Music table, blocks,
• 1-2: bead puzzle, chunky wooden puzzle, doll, stroller, Kitchen

Things I could live without:

• infant bathtub (more annoying than helpful)
• Boppy (again, more annoying than really helpful. I just cradle Corinne to feed her)
• Diaper Champ (although better than the Genie because you don't need the annoying cartridges, I have already gone through 2 of these pieces of junk. I should have just went with a trash can)
• Bumbo (I am torn on this one, because it is so neat, but Corinne always tries to arch her back and get out of it. It didn't really work for a feeding chair either)
• Swing. (I could never get her to use it and like it. Oh well)
• Johnson's baby wash (made her skin really dry and irritated)
• crib mobile (there was a brief 2 weeks when I wished I had one; glad I didn't spend the $)
• bassinet (we borrowed one for the 3 weeks Corinne was in our room)

Things I never considered and never needed:

• Bottle warmer
• Wipes warmer
• video monitor
• sleep positioner