Baby Favorites. The First Six Months.

Nursing


1. Target's Gilligan O'Malley Nursing Bra  My fave! I wore this day and night. It was super comfortable for me to sleep in seeing that I've NEVER really needed a bra until my milk came in!
2. Lansinoh Lanolin - A must for the hospital! I used this during pregnancy and then as soon as I started nursing. It goes a LONG way. I bought way too much and didn't put a dent in any of it. I never had any dryness, cracking or chafing.
3. Lansinoh disposable breast pads - I wore these in my bra until I quit nursing. They're great! I even slept with them in so that I wouldn't leak all over my shirt.
4. Medela tender care hydrogel pads - I only used these a few times. When my boobs were killing me, these provided some relief.
5. Medela Freestyle Breast pump - A MUST! The price tag will scare you, but it quickly earns it's keep. When my milk came in, I was too engorged for Parker to nurse without first expressing some breast milk for relief/ to make my boob less like a hard rock. I pumped just a few minutes on each side and stored that milk. At some point, I gave up nursing and went straight to pumping {this isn't for everyone}. At six months, Parker still drinks breast milk!
7. Dr. Brown's bottles - I like these. Parker may have taken to anything, but this is one of the only bottles I ever introduced. They're designed to reduce gas and since he has a touch of reflux, I can't imagine how much worse it would be if his bottle were filled with air.
8. Medela quick clean steam bags - An easy way to sanitize ANYTHING in minutes. I use this for pacis and pump parts every so often. It's so easy and effective!
9. Gerber birdseye cloth diaper, 5 pack - Mine are from Target and they're the softest! Make sure to get the 5 pack/ rolled package. It does make a difference. We use these for wiping boobies, baby's mouth/face and burping. It's versatile and can be bleached. Way more practical than any of the cute ones. I go through 3-5 of these a day.


Gear

1. Chicco Pack N Play - We couldn't have lived without this. I was really weird about a bassinet or anything else being set up in my room. I thought I wouldn't like the way it looked. We set up the PNP as a just in case before Parker was born. Good thing! The PNP became the go-to for changing diapers, setting the baby down while I pottied, showered, pumped...and eventually it became Parker's bed for a period of several months. Now, it's what we use for him to sleep in when we travel. I LOVED the infant part of this PNP - super easy. I NEVER used the bassinet attachment. It scared me to pieces.
2. Chicco Travel System {base, car seat, stroller} - I went to BRU and picked up/ played with the car seats and drove around the strollers. Chicco was my favorite. I honestly didn't do much reading about safety. It looked and felt safe to me and I liked it. It definitely doesn't have a "cheapo" look or feel  like some of the others do.
3. Chicco High Chair - Now that Parker can eat solids, we use this twice a day.
4. Summer Infant Video Monitor - I use it for every nap and at night time. I love that I can zoom in, remotely move the monitor if he's moved in his sleep and see him breathing! Whew. It's what helps this Mama sleep a little soundly.
5. Bumbo - Great for development of learning to sit upright. Even once they can sit up, it is awesome for sitting in/confining them while you get something quick done.
6. Target's Summer Infant Deluxe Baby Bather - Looooove this! It's easy to store at home if you need it put up and it travels quite simply. We've used it numerous hotels.
7. A chair for the nursery - Mine is from Baby's First Furniture. It swivels, rocks and reclines. Pricey, but comfortable. I slept in it when Parker was really little and I fell asleep in there in the middle of the night. Now, it's used for every feeding and for reading, rocking and singing. :)

8. The Bob - This isn't a necessity. If you can afford it or want to register for it with the hopes to get it - go for it! It is so much easier to steer than my Chicco stroller. We go for walks in this every afternoon. As it gets cooler, we will be jogging more often. I have the car seat attachment that I used until he was about 4 months old.
9. Target's Phillips Portable DVD Player - We bought this for our long car trips to and from "home". However, it is also helpful for running errands. When Park is screaming his head off, I can usually turn this on and it grabs his attention and quiets him down.

Toys

1. Infantino Activity Set - This is great for the ball. As a baby, Parker would kick it and really learned some coordination in his feet. Now that he's bigger, he can actually pick it up. He loves that it makes noise.
2. Edushape Sunny Activity Wrap - Upon first glance, this thing isn't super cute, but it grows on you. Parker has had it on his car seat since our first days of riding in the car and to this day he still LOVES it.
3. Bright Starts Snuggle and Teethie - The best thing ever in the carseat/stroller. It crinkles and Parker loves that. As a little baby, he absolutely adored that its different textures and sound.
4. O-Ball - I saw this on my friend Annmarie's blog. She's mentioned several times how much her Burke loves his o-ball so I thought I'd get one for Parker. {They're at Target}. It has quickly become a favorite. He's been able to get his tiny fingers in the holes and hold onto it for a long time. This ball goes everywhere we go. I use links to clip it onto the car seat/stroller when we're on the go.
5. Infantion Vibrating Teether - Eh. It's okay. Parker can now hold it on his own. I see it helping more in the near future. He does light up when he figures out that chewing hard makes it vibrate.
6. Lamaze Moose - It's pretty large so I've just now gotten this out and he really likes it.
7. Bright Starts Start Your Senses See and Sense Book - LOVE. A must. As a little baby, he could manipulate this and make it crinkle. He's always liked this. Crinkle books are not at all annoying and they hold their attention for a good little chunk of time.
8.Baby Neptune Ocean Adventure Playmat - Have some kind of play mat with tons of stuff to keep baby occupied. We've been using this for a long number of months. Parker still seems to like it.
9. Baby Einstein Musical Motion Jumper - The Best Thing That Happened To Our House!!! For two months, Parker has been jumping. First, just a little at a time and now for extended periods of time. There are a ton of photos of him playing in this on the blog. He loves it!

*Baby Einstein Videos are great too. Parker really liked those at about 3mos.

Sleep
 

1. Miracle Blanket - If you have anything at all, it should be this! The miracle blanket squeezed more hours of sleep out of Parker than anything else. I can't imagine what I'd have done without it! You can still use this after they get too long. Just lay them on top of the pocket and use the part that wraps the arms.
2. Sleep Sheep - You can pick this up at Target. It plays four different soothing water sounds. My favorite is rain. Daniel, Parker and I all slept to this the first few months of life. It is very helpful in drowning out the noise in the house.
3. Aiden & Anias Swaddling blankets - These are the biggest and best for a true {hospital style} swaddle. The cotton are great for swaddling. The bamboo are a must as well, but they don't stay taught enough to swaddle as well.
4. Nuk Pacifiers - I bought four different types of pacis and these are my faves {and Parker's too}.
5. Woombie - I ordered this online from the manufacturer's website. I wish I'd had it when Parker came home from the hospital. I don't think I got it until he was a couple of months old. I integrated this in at nap time and then once he started breaking out of the miracle swaddle, we used it at naptime.
6. His Gem Lovey - I love this!
7. Cloud B Twilight Constellation Night Light - We just got this when we moved to SA. I like turning it on for Park to fall asleep and if I have to go in to put a paci in during the night.

Clothing


I am not a clothes horse. I do like shopping for Parker, but reality always trumps coming home with everything cute in every store we walk into.
1. Long Sleeve Side Snap Shirt - I got mine at Target - they're Gerber. These are great for the first few nights at home! The hospital actually puts the babies in this too. So easy for middle of the night diaper changes.
2. Zip up/ Footed Jammies - You need these in every size for FOREVER. Zippers beat out snaps anyday, especially when baby is little and diapers are still getting changed throughout the night.
3. Onesies - Every size. Parker is 6months old and we still lounge around the house in a onesie.
4. Romper - Add a little leg to a onesie and it becomes more "appropriate" for public. :)

 Must Haves


1. Nose Frida Snot Sucker
This is an alternative to the nasal {bulb} aspirator. They don't work so great and you can't at all see what you're doing and if you're getting any snot. Whoever invented this thing is genius. Parker can't stand it, but that's because it works really well. No worries, there is a filter in place so that you aren't sucking snot into your mouth!
2. Baby Care App - Google this and download for your specific phone. I couldn't have lived without mine. It keeps up with all the important stuff: which breast you last nursed on first and how long, bottle times and ounces, sleep sessions, diaper changes, baths, immunizations and more.
3. Moby Wrap - I wore Parker around the house when he was little and he wouldn't let me put him down. Now, I wear him grocery shopping or walking! He loves it so so much. I've worn other carriers and this is by far the most comfortable.
4. Amazon Mom Subscribe and Save - Subscribe! Have diapers and wipes delivered to your doorstep for CHEAP - FREE SHIPPING!

*Updated to add: Please also see my friend Shawna's list of must haves. Her blog is an incredible resource.

I'm sure there are a few things I'm forgetting. I'll continue to add to this if I think of anything else that I feel is important. Remember that whatever you choose is the right choice for YOU. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: sarahshalley@gmail.com. Good luck and lots of love to you and your little one.