Favorite Baby Things

As my little guy is moving quickly into "boyhood" I wanted to take a look back at some of my favorite baby items.

My daughter is still comfortable in this Cosco Alpha Omega Elite 3-in-1 carseat. The crossover lap belt thing works better now that she's older & knows how to keep still. We have an older model that's in my hubby's truck that has independent clip-ins that worked better when she was smaller & more fidgety. Anyway, we like this one because it's got a forward facing limit of 40 pounds (she just turned four & only weighs 31.5 pounds). Then it's got a 80 pound limit when used as a booster! So this thing'll be with us for a LONG time. Now, my Bear is in a Britax Marathon. It's got a forward facing limit of 65 pounds, where the Britax Roundabout had only a 40 pound limit. We got him the Britax because we had to transition him into a large carseat when he was still young. He was a BIG boy so he quickly outgrew the baby carrier. I'm sure we'll end up putting him into the Alpha Omega, since it can be used as a booster (and since we've got two of the Alphas). When the kids were babies though, I did adore using the Baby Bjorn to carry them around. This way I had a free hand to do stuff with. Both kiddos were clingy until they were about 3 months old, when they finally learned that the crib was a GREAT place to spread out and nap comfortably.

Then what do I use when we go out? I use this "Un-Diaper Bag" from Babystyle on a daily basis. I've got it in black. It holds a sippy for each kid and a bottle of water for me. I keep my sunglasses, keys, & cellphone in the side pocket that has a flap for easy access. The inside of the bags holds a LOT of stuff. I end up having to clean out the bag because there's room for WAY more than I need. I know that when it was just my daughter I used the Lands End Deluxe Backpack Diaper Bag. I think I'll go back to using it once I get it out of the storage unit. It should have enough space in it now that the Princess doesn't need anything but a snack when we go out. Also, it'll be more "manly" looking for when my hubby helps out on weekends. Plus it's made of that tough 600-denier fabric that wipes clean. Of course there's the multiple uses of baby wipes. We don't have any favorite brand on this one. Then there's the Playtex sippy cups. They're easy to clean and the insulated ones keep drinks cold. Then we're pretty loyal to Huggies diapers. It worked for the Princess and it's working fine for the Bear. We use the regular Huggies during the day and Huggies Overnites before putting him to bed (he's got lots of pee-pee at night & these really hold up for him). The Pull-Ups work just fine for potty-training too. I keep this Chicco Caddy Stroller in my car. It came with a rain cover and a carry case. It also has a strap on it so you can carry it when it's folded. What I like about it is that it folds really easily, you can bend the sun shade forward or fold it back, maneuvers easily, and it's SO lightweight.

The Bumkins bibs are the BEST! I just handwash them and they're dry by the next meal. I like this first shaped bib for every day use at home. Note how this style covers the shoulders? We use the one with the sleeves when we're out at a restaurant. This helps keep his outfit clean. Then there's Portable Placemat by Kiddopotamus that we use when we go out to eat. We like it because we can stick it to whatever table and put the Bear's food on it. No plates! The little gutter thing that hangs off the table catches most of his mess. But I'm also thinking that the Press'n'Seal wrap might work too. Might be handy to keep one of these rolls in the car for unexpected eating out!

I breastfed both kiddos and the Avent Isis Breast Pump worked well. I didn't have to purchase any replacement parts the entire time. Yes, it was a manual pump but I could control the strength of the suction (which I couldn't figure out on the electric pump). Our Boppy Pillow lasted through breastfeeding two babies. I also used it to give the kids a different perspective. I'd lay them over the bottom of the U so they'd have elevated tummy time. When they got a little stronger I used it to help them sit up.

They both got a kick when they'd sit in their Tiny Love Gymini. The Princess used to lay beside the Bear when I had him in it. I would attach other toys to it so they'd get different visual stimuli. The Sparkling Symphony Gym was also a favorite. I liked the fact that it had a long-play mode (I did however have to put tape on the speakers to soften up the sound). Then when the kids were older I moved the colored keys into the horizontal mode so they could play it like a piano.

Then there's the Baby Einstein videos/DVDs. Both my kids love the entire series. They're simple & amusing & hold my kids' attention. I love that the kids are exposed to classical music. I love the fact that the toys they show are low-tech. I love the images of the animals too. We had a really inexpensive bouncy seat that we loved - it looked similar to the one pictured below. It allowed the kids to sit up when they didn't have the ability to do it on their own. We were able to eat dinner when the kids were in the bouncy seat (vibrate mode ON!). I was also able to shower & get ready for the day with them in it. It was some of the best $20 we spent! Then there was the Evenflo Exersaucer Walk-around that I bought at a second-hand baby shop. The Bear loved walking around and around. The Princess loved pushing him around and around too!

What are some of YOUR favorite baby items?