Baby/ Behind The Butter

Our Favorite Baby Items

elr_baby_collage

Lillebaby Carrier: I’ve tried a few carriers now on Grayson. I love babywearing! When he was really, really little I absolutely loved both the Solly Wrap and a woven wrap that I had. I would put him on and he would instantly go to sleep while I ran errands or did chores around the house. However, he got big fast and those soft wraps really started to really hurt my back. Lillebaby was kind enough to send me one of their organic cotton baby carriers and I really love it! It’s so soft and easy to put on and works from newborn up. I’ve used it a lot over the past few weeks — to church, errands, wine tasting…and it’s been perfect. Our best friends also gave us an Ergo 360 as a baby gift but he still seems a little too small for that {we don’t have an infant insert} but we plan to use it a lot when he gets a bit bigger! I’ve heard great things about it.

Samsung Wireless Pan/Tilt Video Monitor: We were gifted this monitor and really like it. I love being able to see Grayson as opposed to just hear him. We finally got him moved to his crib in the nursery and this thing has been vital! My only {small} gripe is that the screen doesn’t stay charged for very long…we usually just keep it plugged in by our bed though so it’s fine.

Fisher Price Rock n’ Play: Grayson slept in this for two months and it was perfect. We had originally gotten a BabyBjorn bassinet for him to sleep him but discovered quickly that as a newborn, he hated sleeping flat on his back. This little sleeper was cheap and wonderful! Hands down, my favorite baby “essential”

Chicco Keyfit 30: Again, the car seat you pick is a personal choice but I’m really happy with our decision to go with Chicco. It’s light and easy to install. I recommend the caddy that goes with it {below}.

Chicco Keyfit 30 Caddy: I’m so happy we decided to get this handy little stroller. Our car seat clicks right into it and it’s super light to carry around. I use it all the time for running errands and we’re traveling with it to the east coast soon. I highly {!!} recommend getting this if you’re going with the Chicco car seat. It’s 100% worth it just to keep in your trunk.

Skip Hop Activity Gym: This was a gift and we love it. It’s great for tummy time and the dangling woodland creatures are too cute. My only complaint is that it’s a little annoying to put up and take down, so we just keep it up and on the rug ready for playtime.

Boppy Pillow: I don’t know where I’d be without this thing! I’m even taking it on our big trip in a few weeks because nursing without it is really hard and hurts my back. I used a “Breast Friend” for the first few days after the hospital, but the Boppy is far superior in my opinion.

Avent bottles: Which bottle you choose, whether you’re breastfeeding or formula feeding, is a personal choice but we really loved this one. Simple and classic with no “nipple confusion”.

Bebe au Lait Nursing Cover: The nursing cover that finally got me over my breastfeeding in public phobia! I love this and use it daily. It’s great because you can look down to see the baby to make sure the latch is correct, yet no one else can see anything. There’s tons of nursing covers out there but I really do love this one and highly recommend it.

4moms Mamaroo: 4moms generously gifted this swing to us and it’s been perfect. If they wouldn’t have gifted it to us I absolutely would have splurged and bought it because I have so many friends that swear by it! And for good reason. This thing rocks…no pun intended. I love the option to play different sounds {our favorite is white noise} or to plug an ipod up. We use this every day. It’s a great place to put Grayson while I make coffee and breakfast, and he loves just chilling out in it on “car seat mode”. Sometimes he takes an evening cat nap in it while we eat dinner, too.

BabyBjorn Babysitter Balance: This was one of those impulse purchases rooted in desperation during a super fussy day. I read all the Amazon reviews and this bouncy chair sounded great so I got it. It’s been GREAT. I didn’t love it immediately but once he hit seven weeks it was perfect. It’s very, very light so I can move it around the house with one arm while I hold Grayson in the other. I put in the bathroom when I shower, in the kitchen when I cook and in his room while I fold clothes. It’s seriously a life savor and now that I have it I don’t know what I would do without it. It’s a bit pricey but completely worth it in my opinion. We got the little wood toy for it and while I scoffed at paying $45 for a simple little toy, that’s also been great!! At about eight weeks, he tarted to bat at the toy with his hands and spin it around. It keeps him interested long enough for me to catch a shower and it’s so cute to watch him learn to play!

 

 

 this post contains some amazon affiliate links. all opinions are always my own!

 

 

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  • Tom @ Raise Your Garden
    July 21, 2014 at 3:30 am

    Nice list. We had the key fit 30 for our little one’s as well. It’s so nice to just snap it out of the stroller and snap it in the car. I know our parents didn’t have the luxury of all these new items but they are really nice and make things easier. Our monitor was not nearly as high tech and it would have been nice to actually see what Esther and Emma were up to on the other side!

  • Shannon D'J
    July 21, 2014 at 4:18 am

    We’re seven weeks away from baby girl arriving, so we’re trying to decide what to buy that’s left on our registry. Thanks so much for the recommendations, Jenna! Although every baby is different, it’s helpful to see which products you and Grayson like best!

  • Brittany (Healthy Slice of Life)
    July 21, 2014 at 4:19 am

    K doesn’t seem to be too wild about any babywearing yet, but I hope that changes soon! Right now she prefers the Bjorn if anything- the girl likes to look around!

  • Julie @ Coastal Runner Girl
    July 21, 2014 at 4:26 am

    Thanks for sharing!! I’m due in less than 2 weeks so it’s really nice seeing what babies like! And thankfully I already have 5 items on your list 🙂

  • Jessica
    July 21, 2014 at 5:31 am

    I have a friend who just had a baby and they swear by the 4Moms swing!

  • Jaclyn @ BumpSweat
    July 21, 2014 at 6:43 am

    I love the activity gym. My sister gave us her’s, but since we’re doing little girl’s nursery in owls, I’m all about items with owls on them. So adorable!

  • Maria
    July 21, 2014 at 7:15 am

    I love my boppy and the rock-n-play is A’s favorite second to our swing! Our little baby loves her some motion! I also have to say I love swaddle designs blankets. So soft and big, perfect for wrapping her up or using as a cover to bf on the go.

  • erin @hooleywithaz
    July 21, 2014 at 8:15 am

    i have both a bouncer seat and the rock n play, and i’m hoping to find a use for both, so i love seeing your comparisons up there. we have the chicco keyfit 30 too, so i am sooo happy to hear you like it! buying some of this stuff before the baby is even here can seem so daunting!

  • Dana
    July 21, 2014 at 9:09 am

    Looooove that monitor!! And thanks for sharing that stroller….may look into it! the main chicco key fit stroller that came with car seat is nice, (travel system) but bulky at times.

  • Jaime
    July 21, 2014 at 9:25 am

    I had to chuckle when you mentioned putting up and taking down the activity mat was a pain…..I dont think I have ever heard of anyone even thinking of doing that..lol. This isn’t meant to be mean, or anything, its just such a new mom thing to say. I remember ours and I loved it because I could throw all her light toys on the mat and lift the mat out of the way for easy nighttime cleanup! Also, I highly recommend buying at least one pack of those plastic rings that you connect into long chains. I would connect a few rings and then hang the toys at the bottom so they were easier for my daughter to access when she was still either only on her back or tummy (the chain allowed the toys to hang closer to the ground) As she got older I hung the chains between the links on the gym itself (think like party banners) which allowed me to hang way more toys along the chains to keep her interest.

    • Dana
      July 22, 2014 at 4:38 am

      “such a new mom thing to say” Way to state the obvious. She is a new mom. And it was her observation. I’m not sure why people always have to find the need to somehow dig at someone…even at the most trivial of things. And again, thanks for stating the obvious. It was refreshing.

      • Annie
        July 28, 2014 at 12:50 pm

        Ughhh – AMEN! I LOATHE the “new mom” comments with my full heart. Sometimes we do things because we’re type A and do them with our third, fourth or fifth children!

      • Jaime
        July 30, 2014 at 1:55 pm

        I said “that is such a new mom thing to say” to clarify that I wasn’t implying she was dumb or meant it as an insult which I made even more clear by prefacing my entire statement with “This isn’t meant to be mean or anything”. Tone is often lost in written text and it doesn’t help that I am not the best when it comes to writing. It was not meant to be an insult: where else in my comment am I implying that?? Why is that a dig?? Oh, and I AM a new mom which is why I laughed to myself because I still do “new mom” stuff all the damn time.

  • Amber
    July 21, 2014 at 6:39 pm

    I would loveeeeee to read about your crib transition! My son was born about a week after yours and so I love your updates! My guy is addicted to the RnP and sleeps sooooogood in it. He does nap in the crib luckily. We plan to transition him soon 🙁

  • Kristen
    July 21, 2014 at 10:10 pm

    Great list… But FYI… while the Rock n Play is great, pediatricians do not recommend having your baby sleep in it at night. One of the biggest things with SIDS is back to sleep, and sleeping in this position is really not recommended or safe since they are at an incline. I agree it is a great item and babies definitely love it! But they really shouldn’t be sleeping in it at night.

  • Marie-Sophie
    July 22, 2014 at 9:05 am

    Thanks for writing a favourite baby items post, Jenna! I am 26weeks pregnant and it’s always helpful to hear opinions about items! The skiphop gym and babybjörn balance sitter are already on our wish list! I’m already excited to see what our little lady will like 🙂

  • melissa
    July 22, 2014 at 3:48 pm

    Hi Jenna, I love these recommendations. We just welcomed our son, Henry on July 2 and have quite a number of your items posted here. Our favorites are definitely: the 4moms, boppy, chicco, and playmat. Although Henry is just starting now to use the playmat. I was wondering also how you made the image above. Did you use collage maker of some sort or your own photoshop savvy skills?

  • Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love.
    July 22, 2014 at 9:48 pm

    We just started our registry so this is perfect timing! We already have a few of these on our list!

  • Gina
    July 25, 2014 at 11:58 am

    Thanks for posting! I’m due in a few weeks and we have a couple of these items…good to know they’re working well for you. Hopefully my baby will like them as much as Grayson does!

  • Annie
    July 28, 2014 at 12:53 pm

    I LOVE your list…other than the carseat, I have all of these – and they were my favorites with my current/first and will definitely be so with my second – and GOD willing third and fourth 🙂 don’t worry about using the Rock n’ Play – I don’t know many people that don’t use one!!