My list of baby must-haves

I made a list of my "must have" baby items because I was asked to list them on another forum. I have absolutely no vested interest in these companies other than hopefully sharing this and making your life with a baby easier or your baby shower gift-giving easier.

• Itzbeen Timer - Probably our #1 best gift. I know I've already sung its praises, but here iI go again. Helped especially during the first few weeks to tell us when she last ate, got a diaper change, and slept. It also helped tell me when I last took my pain meds so I knew when it was okay to take them again. You can even set a timer on each button if, for example, you want to wake your baby up every 3 hours to eat. Yeah, we're past that. She's sleeping 5-7 hours every night and there's no way I'm waking that baby now!


• KidzMed (I think that's the name) Thermofocus No-Touch THermometer - TOTALLY worth the money. We use it to test the temperature of her bath water, her bottle, and to check for a fever. We use it ALL of the time. Before we bought it, Amelia HATED her bath but then we realized it was because it was too cold for her. Now it's the perfect temp every time and she LOVES bathtime.


• FP My Little Lamb Cradle 'n' Swing - She's in it right now. It puts her to sleep and I'm struggling with whether or not I should keep it going once she's out.


• Boppy - Great for nursing but she also likes hanging out in it next to me on the couch and (shh - don't tell anyone) sleeping in it on the couch or next to me on the bed in the morning when she won't go back to sleep at 5am


• Kiddopotamus SwaddleMe, although we liked the newborn Halo Sleepsack swaddler (pictured) that the hospital gave us better until she outgrew it. We're Halo people from now on! We swaddle her every night before bed.


• Playtex VentAire Advanced bottles - They have a wide, slow flow nipple and sometimes I pump and give her a bottle but there's been no confusion between the two so far...which leads me to my next favorite thing...


• Lansinoh Breast Milk Storage Bags - They are easy to open and, when filled, they stand on their own so you don't have to worry about them spilling over in your fridge. They have a space to write the date and any other notes. The seal is strong and I've never had a problem at all with them leaking...Love them!


• Moses basket - we didn't buy one but my sister let us borrow hers and I LOVE it. We have a King sized bed so we just put the basket in the middle of us in the bed and that makes her easy access for either of us.


• Wedge sleep positioner - I think it gives her the feeling of being in a tighter space, almost like being held. And we can turn her more on her side a little bit when we lay her down. It's similar to what's pictured but it's not even that advanced. It's just a piece of felt with two triangles velcroed to it. A friend let us borrow it and I really like it!


• The First Years Sure Comfort Deluxe Tub - We love it. It fits in the sink and has an infant sling for her to sit in as well as little compartments for baby wash, washcloths, etc. She loves her bath.


• Socks from Babies R Us - I can't think of the name at the moment and they're not online, but they start with an "M" and you can get them in pink or white (maybe blue...I don't know b/c I don't have a boy). They ALWAYS stay on! Until Amelia grows into some of the other socks we have, these will be mostly what she wears. I LOVE them. I wish I could find a picture but no luck! Look for them - they ROCK!

• Safety 1st Easy Saver Diaper Pail - Uses regular trash bags, doesn't stink, and is a cinch to use. Nice neutral color.


• FP Rainforest Play Gym - We haven't used it a ton yet but when we put her under it she loves it and will coo at the animals and smile and stare. The mat is very soft but durable and the colors are bright and the lights really keep her attention.


• Playtex Ortho-Pro Pacifier - Amelia loves them and they stay in. They even come with a little snap-on lid that you can fill with water and stick in the microwave to sanitize it. It also serves as a paci protector.


• Eddie Bauer Travel Mirror - It's big, round & gray and attaches to the back seat so you can see your baby. The mirror is nice & big. $20 is a little steep for a mirror but we've found it worth it so far. It has velcro on pretty much every square inch of the back so that you can adjust it however you want for the perfect viewing of your baby.


• Yoga Ball - ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY! We already had one, but it's a lifesaver with a little one. Sometimes that's the only thing that soothes her!


• Prince Lionheart Wipes Warmer - I know it sounds silly to get a wipes warmer for your baby. It's a diaper change, after all, and the wiping only lasts a couple of seconds. We didn't think we'd care about a wipes warmer...until we got one and used it. Millie has been known to sleep through her diaper changes and I'm almost positive it's because she's already a spoiled child and gets diaper changes with warm wipes on her little tush. Seriously, though, it's a nice little item to have especially when your child blows out her pants a few times a week. Instead of screaming while I (or D) wipe her down, she lays there, calmly, looking quite proud of herself.


• Chicco Cortina Travel System - I feel like this should go without saying, but I love it so much that I'm going to say it anyway. I l-o-v-e this travel system. Everything clicks into place so easily and Amelia falls asleep in her car seat almost all of the time. We got this as a gift from a very dear friend, but it's well worth the investment if you're in the market for a travel system!


That's all I can think of for right now. Of course we're thankful for everything we have; it's just that some things have really come in handy and I felt the need to share them with you.

Just have to record this...last Wednesday was R-O-U-G-H. Amelia started her fussiness around 7pm. She wouldn't nurse but I thought she was acting hungry. My parents and grandparents met us at Bible class then afterwards we went to dinner where Amelia was grumpy the entire meal. When we left, we were hoping that being in the car would put her to sleep since it usually does 99% of the time. Nope...she screamed so hard that I had D pull over so I could take her out of her seat. She was sweating and shaking because she was crying so hard. Talk about breaking my heart into pieces. D was able to get her to sleep by bouncing her in the parking lot of a gas station. She woke up again when we got home so I kept trying to nurse her while, intermitently, family members would try to rock her, bounce her, and shush her to sleep. I can't even remember when she fell asleep - 12:30am maybe? It might have been later. That night she slept for 7 hours. She has been consistently sleeping around 5 hours then going back down for another 3-4 and I would gladly take that over the fussy, unhappy baby I had on my hands last Wednesday. Poor baby.

I'm still recovering from Millie's birth. Yes, it's been almost 7 weeks. Tomorrow is my 6 week postpartum follow-up so I'm hoping to walk out of there a new woman. I had some complications that have made recovery very difficult but hopefully after seeing my doctor tomorrow that will all be in the past!

I'm going to make up a monthly menu so if you have any easy dishes that include ground beef, chicken, or pork and you're willing to share your recipe, let me know!

P.S. Sorry that my posts have been all about baby stuff. If I had something else to write about, I would, but right now she is my full-time job and I don't get out much :)