Everyone talks about how mommas-to-be experience an urge to ‘nest’ right before their baby comes – and part of this nesting phenomenon is buying baby gear.  I know that I really worried about buying all the right gadgets and gizmos – as well as the right necessities, too.  Being stocked up and supplied makes you feel a lot better about the major changes that are about to occur.

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But I’m happy to say that over the last seven weeks, I’ve learned something very… well, very freeing: Newborns really don’t need that much stuff.  Sure, there are products that make your life a lot easier, but generally speaking, all babies really need is a parent’s loving embrace, something to eat, a clean bottom, and a place to rest and sleep.

 

A few people have asked me to blog about what newborn baby gear we are actually using and what stuff we bought or were gifted and didn’t use at all.  So, here’s a few of Henry’s (and my) favorite things.

 

TO LOUNGE IN:  I highly recommend the Boppy Newborn Lounger.  Henry sits in this throughout the day when I need to put him down so I can cook, brush my teeth, shoot an email, etc.  Babies aren’t supposed to sleep in it unsupervised, but Henry often naps in his lounger when we’re all watching TV at night.  We also took the lounger with us on our recent road trip to Tennessee so he had somewhere to sit at Grandma’s house.

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Henry also likes lounging in his bouncy seat, which I bought for $5 at a consignment.  Truly the best $5 I spent preparing for his birth!

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Someone else likes it, too…. I can’t keep her out of it!  Thanks goodness it’s washable.

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FOR EATING:  Instead of using a fancy breastfeeding pillow, we just use a regular pillow with an old pillowcase.   And after much internal debate ($$!), I bought the Medela Pump in Style Advanced, which seemed tremendously expensive at first; however, I tried a cheap hand pump and that convinced me that a pricey electric pump was the only way to go.

 

My mom gave me a Stork Craft glider.  I know some people buy gliders and end up never using them but DANG – we use this glider for every at-home feeding.  I even moved it out of the nursery room and into the living room. There are many expensive gliders on the market, but this one is affordable and just perfect.  I love how it has pockets on the side to stash a watch, burp cloths, etc.

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FOR SLEEPING:  Henry sleeps in his bassinet in our room, which is on loan from our friends.  I love having him right beside me at night.  He is beginning to take naps in his big boy crib, though!

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He also really likes his Swaddle Me swaddles, which have Velcro on them so they stay extra snug.

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FOR DIAPERING:  I decided a long time ago that cloth diapering simply wasn’t going to work for us, and I’m really glad that we’re using disposables.  Truly, we tear through diapers.  Maybe cloth diapers will work well down the road, but for right now, I’m lovin’ Pampers Swaddlers.  I compare prices at several stores, clip coupons, and check out Amazon.com for the best deal (and then buy a months’ worth!).  I intended to only use organic diapers, but they are expensive and Henry’s skin isn’t bothered by conventional disposables.

 

Our diaper bag is great – I love how it stands up when you set it down on the ground.  I also like the side pockets for bottles, and the pad keeps the strap from hurting my shoulder when I carry it.

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Last, but not least, I highly recommend all new parents put together a diaper box and keep it in the area of the house that they spend the most time.  Only 10% of Henry’s diapers are changed in his nursery, where his changing pad is located.  Everything else gets changed on a towel in the living room.  The diaper box has diapers, wipes, hand sanitizer, change of clothes, and toys, so everything is within easy reach.  Tip:  Put a trash bag under the towel so surprise pees don’t soak the carpet.

 

FOR TRAVELING:  We have the City Mini stroller and the KeyFit 30 car seat, and we like both.  The stroller glides easily and folds with one hand (awesome), and the car seat drops into the base without a fuss. My only compliant is that the car seat gets really warm, and Henry’s back gets sweaty.  Not sure if this is normal for car seats or if this is a unique problem for the KeyFit.

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FOR BATHING:  We just bought the First Steps Newborn to Toddler bath, and I LOVE IT.  It has a hammock attachment for newborns to rest in while being bathed.  It was only $18 at Target and fits over our kitchen sink perfectly.

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Other odds and ends that we use frequently:

 

  • My favorite cream for soothing sore nipples in the Motherlove cream, which happens to be organic.
  • Lots and lots of onesies.  Henry was so small when he was born that he actually fit into newborn clothes, but now he’s in 0 – 3 month size.  Most of his onesies were purchased for a buck from thrift stores – we saved SO much money this way. 

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  • We use the aden + anais swaddles as blankets and breastfeeding covers.  They are light and gauzy.
  • The Ambience app on the iPhone – we use it to play white noise to help Henry sleep at night.  And me, too.  Smile 
  • Obsessed with our monitor.  We don’t use it too much yet, but I can already tell that it’s amazing.
  • Henry loves the WubbaNub pacifier.

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Baby gift which we purchased or were gifted to us and we do not use very much:

 

  • Henry was given a pricey swing, and he generally did NOT enjoy it at first.  He’s just now getting into it, but he’ll only swing for 10 minutes or so before crying.
  • A nursing cover.  Instead, I try to be discreet when nursing in public and will just turn my back away from people.  I will throw a swaddle blanket over me if necessary.
  • A baby gym mat, which I bought on consignment for $7.  Although I can’t complain because it was so cheap, the dogs sit under the gym more often than Henry.  Again – thank goodness it’s washable. 

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  • The Breast Friend nursing pillow.  I keep this upstairs in the nursing but end up using a regular pillow more often.
  • Boba wrap and carrier (actually, both of these were blog samples).  I found the wrap to be very confusing to put on, and the carrier is outrageously hot and creates a sweaty baby.  Henry also does not like being put in the carrier or wrap at all and starts to cry almost immediately. 

 

So – those are all the things that Henry uses and loves!  I bet a lot of this is child-specific; I’m sure some babies love their swings or wraps, for example. And I’m sure his stash of stuff will grow the bigger he gets!

 

On that note, I’ll close with my favorite photo of brand-new Henry.  He was only a day old at this point!

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What gear did your baby love and hate during the newborn stage?  What stuff did you get second-hand or on loan from friends?

{ 66 comments }

 

  • Courtney @ Translating Nutrition July 31, 2012, 8:45 am

    Oh my goodness, that picture with the sunglasses is to die for! So stinkin cute!

  • Vicky (Little Baby, Big City) July 31, 2012, 8:54 am

    We also love the Aden and Anais swaddles… Both cotton and bamboo. We use the for everything…. Breastfeeding cover, drool wiping, as a blanket for laying in the grass….

    Kicky Pants onsies and coveralls. Wooden cooking spoons for playing and biting. The Baby-weaning book and breastfeeding companion (for me). The Boppy with awesome covers from Etsy. The KidCo Go-Pod instead of those ugly plastic Exersausers, plus it’s travel friendly. Nature Baby diapers. The Ergo! The Bugaboo stroller (originally used with the Cybex car seat). And the Britax Marathon 70 car seat. Board books!

    • Vicky (Little Baby, Big City) July 31, 2012, 8:57 am

      Oh… And Milo hated the Moby Wrap but has learned the love the Ergo…. He started loving it around month 3.

  • Helen July 31, 2012, 8:59 am

    I love my Boba Wrap and can’t wait to use it again for baby #2. Which carrier did Boba send you? I am asking for a 3G for baby #2 because I have borrowed it from a friend and love it. Maybe Henry will like it as he gets older? Always worth a shot, especially once it isn’t so hot out.

  • Morgan July 31, 2012, 9:07 am

    My daughter goes through phases. Sometimes she loves her swing and other times she hates it. Sometimes she prefers the Moby wrap and sometimes she prefers the Ergo. My advice is just don’t get rid of anything thinking that Henry doesn’t like it since he may grow into liking it. The baby play mat is a perfect example. It became a savior at around 3 months for us!

  • Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat July 31, 2012, 9:11 am

    Oh my goodness, all such cute photos! The husband looks uber fashionable carrying the diaper bag! As a kid I hated bathtime, with the exception of when my gran gave me baths in the sink which I’m told I absolutely loved. I wonder if they make adult-sized loungers like Henry’s… he looks comfy!

  • Carolina John July 31, 2012, 9:27 am

    Good stuff! We used the same little rocker seat and a glider with the gliding footstool is still one of my favorite chairs in the house. Ah yea.

  • Helen July 31, 2012, 9:31 am

    I’ve been waiting for you to post this, interesting read!

  • Amanda K. July 31, 2012, 9:31 am

    you’ll probably use the mat and the swing when henry gets older — between 3 to 6 months or older.
    i had two expensive nursing pillows and also preferred a normal pillow/pillow case.
    and i agree about carriers — i was so excited to use a moby and ergo, but my son hates both. oh well.

    we have the same carseat and my son gets sweaty. i’m not sure if it’s the seat or the weather 😉

    also, do you have a running stroller? are you planning to run with henry?

    • CaitlinHTP July 31, 2012, 9:48 am

      No jogging stroller for us – I don’t think I’ll jog with him regularly enough to want one.

  • Nanette July 31, 2012, 9:48 am

    I have that same bouncy seat and my dogs also loved it. My kid loved his baby gym mat. After he was about two months old he no longer wanted to sit in the bouncy seat unless he was sleeping so the baby gym became his place to chill when awake. I think they like it better when they can focus on and grab the toys. He especially enjoyed laying on it with the dogs. 🙂

  • Lauren July 31, 2012, 9:57 am

    Umm…Kristien looks super badass-swag carrying that diaper bag. Just wanted to point that out.

  • Reenie July 31, 2012, 9:59 am

    Cute photos of Henry….especially the one with sunglasses….too cute!! Love how Maggie sits in his lil chair. ha!!!

  • Anne July 31, 2012, 10:06 am

    Maybe I’m just reading way too much into this, but I think it’s awesome that the doggies sleep on Henry’s stuff! It means they are totally accepting of him–which, I’m sure is of no great discovery to you 🙂

  • Katie July 31, 2012, 10:14 am

    Hang on to the play mat/baby gym thing! He will LOVE it soon! My 5 month old spends a lot of time on hers and you can see them change by grabbing things and then sucking on them, and then rolling over on it!

  • Katie July 31, 2012, 10:15 am

    Oh, and our Chihuahuas’ are all over my little one’s stuff. They are obsessed with getting Sophie the giraffe, too bad it squeaks like their toys:)

  • Lissa July 31, 2012, 10:16 am

    Great post, and he is suuuuch a cutie! Looks like he is getting his daddy’s ginger locks! 🙂 (says a ginger herself!). Maya used her playmat for the first year, so definitely don’t discount it yet. Once he can swat at things and bat them, this becomes a lifesaver (or did for us) — she’d lay for hours playing (not at once, but you know what I mean) — and ours had music. She began pulling to a stand and then crawling at 10 months and that’s when she kind of of was over the playmat–but we got sooo much use out of it! The Bumbo chair was also a great investment (We got it as a gift). She still sits in it (at 19 mths!). We used it for early feedings (with the tray) and now she sits and reads or plays with toys in it.

  • Lissa July 31, 2012, 10:19 am

    And we had that same Wubbanub–got rid of it when she turned one (surprisingly easily) but she carried him EVERYWHERE … best.gift.ever.!

  • Alex @ Raw Recovery July 31, 2012, 10:29 am

    I can’t believe how grown up he is! It seems like I just read your post about your water breaking yesterday! He looks happy and healthy 🙂

  • Katie @ Peace Love & Oats July 31, 2012, 10:33 am

    Haha I realized about 3/4 the way through this post that I have zero intent of having children anytime soon and yet I was reading this post very thoroughly! It’s still so interesting!

    • Maria July 31, 2012, 11:50 am

      Me too 🙂

  • KnSPeace July 31, 2012, 10:34 am

    I laughed out loud at Maggie laying in that thing! My dog would totally do that!

  • Hallie@ChasingHallie July 31, 2012, 10:45 am

    We went into the baby stuff with a minimilist approach, not getting much. But then we had a colicky baby and started to buy everything we thought might help, not much did. I found we didn’t use MOST of the stuff we had or were gifted. Keeping it all for the next one though, babies are so different, hopefully #2 will like it all!

    I will say the playmat will come into use as he gets older. Molly LOVED it when she was about 2-3 months old and now that she is 9 months old she still likes to stand up and pull on the toys and things.

  • Courtney July 31, 2012, 10:57 am

    The 1-year-old I nanny for LOVES his Wubbanub! It looks much more well-worn than yours does, but I’m sure Henry will keep loving it 🙂

  • Katie of Cabbage Ranch July 31, 2012, 11:02 am

    I agree that babies don’t really need much gear. We didn’t buy a ton of stuff, though through gifts we did end up with a ridiculously huge baby blanket surplus. One thing we have used and LOVED is our diaper genie, which was a shower gift. The refills are worth every penny and I’m so glad my friend bought us such a useful present! Overall, though, our likes and “don’t use” lists have really changed with each stage. Some stuff I originally didn’t like or didn’t use became our favorites later.

  • Deanna July 31, 2012, 11:04 am

    Hi My daughter is now 10months old we have tried many different diapers and swaddlers pampers won hands down they fit my daughter the best. She loved her swing and her baby gym. Now she just loves to crawl pull up and get anything that she should not have. I would not trade her for the world. she is our little angel.

  • Meagan July 31, 2012, 11:46 am

    So I knew that having a baby is expensive, but holy cow! I clicked on some of those links over to Amazon…I guess I never realized how expensive those necessities are! Car seats, strollers, breast pumps, etc. I’m a twin, so I can’t imagine how my parents did all of that x2!

  • Morgan @ moments of mmm July 31, 2012, 11:47 am

    I can’t get over the picture of Henry in the glasses! Too flipping cute 🙂

    Not planning on having children in the near future but really enjoyed this post! Thanks 🙂

  • Erika July 31, 2012, 12:10 pm

    The things you use now will change. I didn’t use our baby play mat at first but after awhile I started using it and he loved it and we ended up using it a lot. I thought he was too young for it at first but you can’t start using it too soon.

    Consignment stores and garage sales are great! I have bought very few items brand new (unless gifted).

    That breastfriend pillow thing looks so weird and uncomfortable to me.

  • julia July 31, 2012, 12:19 pm

    Love your list. Hang on to things henry dislikes if you’re having more (or loan them out till then). So many things my first hated like carriers, wraps, and nursing cover my second has to have around. The wrap saves my life with my youngest. Also, the sweaty car seat thing is normal. If it’s unbearably hot I put one of those lunchbox gel packs under the exterior padding of the car seat. I hate when my kids overheat!

  • Annette@FitnessPerks July 31, 2012, 12:41 pm

    I’ll have to send this link to my sister–she’s due in Dec!! 🙂

  • Sarah July 31, 2012, 12:42 pm

    We’ve used our aden & anais swaddles to the point that the corners are worn out! They are so great for so many uses!

    When we do have our next one, I’m getting the boppy newborn pillow. We have the regular one, and I used it for nursing, but it would be great to have the other pillow to have a spot to put the baby down.

    I would definitely try the swing again as Henry gets a little older – Christopher didn’t like his at the very beginning – we had an older style handed down. So we bought the newer style (that goes side to side and back and forth) at a consignment store and it was one of our best buys! It was great to have a spot to put him down for a few minutes and once he got used to it, he slept in it all the time!

    The playmat will also be something to try again in a few weeks or a month – they love to look at stuff that’s hanging down and then try to bat at it. Again, a great thing to have and one that we’re saving for the next baby.

  • Morgan July 31, 2012, 12:48 pm

    My daughter always hated the swing, I was so relieved we had borrowed one and not bought it. I was pretty obsessed with my nursing pillow though, I used it for every at home feeding until she was 9 months old and walking! My daughter loved the maya wrap ring sling and the beco baby carries so those are must haves in my world. I am a stay at home mom so I used a hand pump, but I only left her a total of 5 times while she was nursing, so I obviously never needed much milk on hand. I loved reading these lists when pregnant, then once my daughter was born I realized how baby specific they really were:)

  • Abby July 31, 2012, 12:59 pm

    Such a fun post Caitlin! We loved the baby Bjorn for a carrier, now we also have an ergo for # 2. The baby gym mat was a hit with our daughter and the two babies I watch. We use cloth diapers, best bottoms, awesome for our family! They also were created right here locally in Madison, WI. Other things we have loved is the Chariot stroller/jogger/ bike trailer, our mini food proccessor to make baby food, and a nice hand me down glider rocking chair with foot stool. I have the same pump you do and glad I spent the money too. Our health insurance gave us a discount which was nice.

    Did not use the monitor once! The swings, we tried two, never worked for our daughter, didn’t have good swaddling blankets, but round two we have both you mentioned.

    My husband and I were just talking this morning while our daughter was playing with the pots and pans and mixing spoons that why do people buy all the plastic toys when they love using what mom and dad use!

  • Kristin July 31, 2012, 1:03 pm

    My daughter started to like the swing and the gym mat when she was a little older and could start to entertain herself by swattting at and grabbbing the toys. Now at 4 months she’s obsessed with grabbing anything dangling and it’s great.

    I loved the newborn lounger,! So sad when izzy started to kick and rollout of it! :(. I just wish our was gender neutral in case we have a boy next, our is pink flowered haha

  • Debbie July 31, 2012, 1:05 pm

    My top 2 were the same…the boppy pillow and the bouncy seat got the most use! Lifesavers…when my son would not sleep, I would put him in that bouncy and move us to the livingroom so we wouldn’t wake the whole house!

  • Marci July 31, 2012, 1:16 pm

    There is still time for him to learn to love the things he doesn’t seem to like yet, like the play mat and swing. Those are two of our favorites that he didn’t like in the very beginning. The swing was a savior for naps from 3 weeks-3.5 months. And he didn’t like the playmat right away. Crib mobile is also a godsend. Beware of swaddles, we are in a sleep deprived state trying to break the swaddle. Long story, on blog. It’s great until it’s not. We love our carseat and stroller (same as you). He gets very sweaty in the carseat too.

  • Maria July 31, 2012, 1:35 pm

    Maggie is hands down my favorite blog dog. She needs her own blog – how about “Maggie’s Deep Thoughts”?

    Henry just keeps getting more and more adorable. How is that possible?

    • CaitlinHTP July 31, 2012, 1:41 pm

      Hahah the blog would be blank!

  • Ellie@Fit for the Soul July 31, 2012, 1:43 pm

    Puhahhahaa he loooks so adorable with the sunglasses! Poor thing will get you back when he’s older! 😉 just kidding. And what a great post Caitlin! I know my nephew DEFINITELY loved his swaddle and baby rocker. Oh! And the baby wipe warmer. Ahh…Henry looks so comfy he makes me wanna take a nap.

  • Bobbie July 31, 2012, 1:54 pm

    I enjoyed this post..it brought back good memories of when my little ones were that little. My favs were the baby papasan (just like yours but paid way more than $5 hehe), the baby bjorn carrier and the papasan swing. You are right though..definitely baby specific b/c my older two girls didn’t like the swing at all but my youngest loved it. Took almost every nap for the 1st 4 months of her life in it! Not a great habit to break to have to break down the line but she would not nap anywhere else!

  • Erin @ The Grass Skirt July 31, 2012, 2:01 pm

    This is all very good to know. I’m glad the boppy pillow that I got for you is coming in handy. 🙂

  • Moni Meals July 31, 2012, 2:30 pm

    Oh my goodness Caitlin, he is sooooo cute and amazing. You all are the dream team!!

  • Ashley July 31, 2012, 2:44 pm

    I didn’t like my baby carrier until my daughter was 5 or 6 months, and I could never figure out my wrap. My daughter also started loving the playmat around 4 months, so maybe Henry will get into it. Who knows?

  • Jennifer July 31, 2012, 3:29 pm

    My two children were not alike in their “likes” at all. The only thing they both loved was to sleep in their carseats. They both had acid reflux and loved being propped up to sleep. However, my daughter LOVED her swing and would nap no where else. My son HATED the swing and we did not use it at all with him as he was content in his playpen bassinet . Both loved their exersaucer but my daughter tolerated it for longer. My son wanted to be moving and not restricted. 🙂

  • Carrie July 31, 2012, 3:29 pm

    A lot of the clothing and baby gear I got for Bug’s first year of life was given to me by his Grandpa! His paternal Grandpa had a thing for auctions, especially liquidation auctions. So he bid on and won three huge, surprise boxes for 10 bucks. When he took a quick peek he found that they were full of brand new baby stuff! Onesies, outfits, bottles, pumps, monitors and many useless baby items**
    There was so much stuff and many of it duplicates (do I really need three baby monitors?) that I was able to get what I needed and the rest we took to a local women’s shelter. It was a big win win for everybody.

    **The useless items were several inflatable helmets you put on toddler heads to cushion the bumps. It was so stupid looking and a hazard because the plastic was flimsy we tossed them. Its way easier to pad corners in the house and just keep an eye on your kidlet.

  • Ellen @ Wannabe Health Nut July 31, 2012, 5:17 pm

    Love that pic! I’m so impressed with your smart spending, too!

  • Susan July 31, 2012, 6:43 pm

    Maggie on the bouncie seat….A-DORABLE

  • Raquel July 31, 2012, 8:46 pm

    Great post and I love that you get some things at the consignment shop, I have tooo and it saves lots of $. My top 2 would definitely be the same, the Boppy and bouncy seat. My son used the swing and gym mat as he got older, so just wait Henry might too. We have the same tub too!

  • Erica July 31, 2012, 8:53 pm

    My kiddo (just over 18 wks old) loves the playmat, started really liking it around 8-9 weeks. It’s great when husband and i are getting ready for work in the morning or if we just need a safe place to put him down when we’re doing things. He has a favorite hanging toy (a red rocket ship), that he smiles and coos at. There is also a toy that he we say he doesn’t like because he makes growling noises and gives it the stink eye. It’s a frog with a crown, so the “frog prince” is his arch enemy.

  • Maura @ My Healthy 'Ohana July 31, 2012, 9:10 pm

    We have so many of the same favorites! I just put mother love cream on my list 🙂 We also have the city mini, and now that we are on number two, we ordered the glider board that attaches to the back so our older daughter can stand and ride while the baby sits in the stroller. The baby gym will become a favorite once Henry gets a bit older!

  • Amy July 31, 2012, 10:18 pm

    great post!! im 35 weeks pregnant so definitely want to be sure we have what we need..thanks!

  • Brittnie (A Joy Renewed) August 1, 2012, 6:50 am

    We LOVE our city mini stroller! I love how it can maneuver in and out of small spaces and only requires one hand to turn sharp corners! Great post. We love a lot of the items you mentioned. I also agree that our diapering/breastfeeding basket in the living room has been SO convenient and makes life so much easier. I keep diapers, wipes, extra burp clothes, swaddle blankets, toys and even books I am reading in the basket for quick access.

  • Robyn August 1, 2012, 8:08 am

    Hey Caitlin,

    We have the Britax B-Safe car seat and stroller (which we love) but it totally makes a sweaty baby. I think it’s just those things are so damn padded, which is good of course, that they end up getting pretty hot in there. I just check our little guy’s tummy every now and again to make sure he’s not too hot.

    Love this post. I think this is totally baby specific ’cause my babe hates, hates, hates the Swaddle Me wraps but he loves his play gym. We do tummy time in it, which he thankfully enjoys. Love all these pictures, such a cutie!

  • Alyssa August 1, 2012, 8:56 am

    Thank you for this post, as a hopefully soon-to-be-mother I will save this page for future reference!

  • Olivia August 1, 2012, 9:06 am

    You may be suprised at what Henry loves next week so keep testing out those not-so-keen-on items! The floor gym for example became a favorite for my son once he learned to hold his head up and roll over, but he hated tummy time for ages.

  • Amanda August 1, 2012, 9:42 am

    Thanks so much for writing these. While we’re in the TTC/IF phase, I looooove reading baby blogs and hearing what moms love and what they could do with out. I also appreciate how you’ve been honest about which things you really splurged on and which things weren’t big purchases. 🙂

  • Amy August 1, 2012, 1:12 pm

    The play mat will come in handy! I’m taking my daughter’s to work with me so that she can roll around on it! She also loves her wubbanub — we have two of them and they are so abused.

    Here is my list of favorite items!
    http://fattiemcbutterpant.blogspot.com/2012/06/necessities-for-baby.html

  • Julia H. @ Going Gulia August 1, 2012, 3:07 pm

    Oh my gosh, Henry looks like a porcelain doll in that bath photo. And the hubby looks like he’s modeling that diaper bag! Should be submitted to the company for promotional purposes or something 🙂

  • Julie August 2, 2012, 3:04 pm

    LOL at the dogs in Henry’s bouncy seat & baby gym! My daughter’s bouncy seat was an absolute life-saver! It’s my go-to baby shower gift now. 🙂 I got a cheap baby swing (manual wind – they probably don’t even make them anymore! This was 12 yrs ago.) & was so sure that my daughter was gonna LOVE to swing that I exchanged it for a top-of-the-line one. Well, you guessed it – she HATED it! I don’t think she sat in that thing more than 10 min. total… cumulative!

  • Kim @ HealthyNest August 8, 2012, 11:30 pm

    My son also hated the swing and activity mat at first, but now he LOVES both of them (he’s 4 months old). In fact, he used to nap for 3 hours straight in the swing–we had to break him of the habit! Give it another month or two, you might be surprised. 🙂

  • Joy August 27, 2012, 12:50 pm

    Your post was very helpful to an expectant mom! Would you mind telling me what type of bassinet you borrowed? It looks really ideal, and I am looking for one that isn’t covered in ribbons and bows. Thanks!

    • CaitlinHTP August 27, 2012, 12:59 pm

      It was on loan from a friend so I’m not sure of the brand – there are no markings!

  • Vernice January 12, 2015, 1:40 pm

    Very helpful, thank you! And adorable baby and dog 🙂

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