Little Baby, Big Stuff (0-4 months edition)

When I was a bride of just five weeks, I attended the wedding of some of our best friends. I was bursting with the pride of being Tovi's wife and filled with the knowledge of what it takes to Be A Good Wife and Run A Home. I wanted to share {everything} I had learned with my friend. I probably did, and she was sweet enough to tolerate my hubris.

Four and a half years later, I actually wasn't that far off the mark. But of course, I chuckle at myself. Such a newbie. So full of pride.

I recognized the same tendancy in myself when trying to pick out a present for a baby shower the other week. I wanted to buy her {everything} that we love and can't live without. I reigned myself in and bought something off her registry.

But I can only reign myself in for so long!

Here it is, the Top Ten Twelve Products We Love!

12. Munchkin Microwave Sterilizers
Bottles, breastpump accessories, pacis, toys... they all go in this bag, into the microwave for 90 seconds and come out clean and germ-free! Easy peesy. 

11. Soothies
This is Cruz's preferred brand of paci. He'll take other brands, but these are fail-safe. 

10. Gerber Organic Cloth Diapers
No, no. We don't cloth diaper this lad. Because I'm working , we made a value choice about going green in everything but diapers (aka, avoiding awkward walks through the office with a poopy diaper in hand). Sorry, Earth. But these puppies make the best burp cloths. Soft and extra absorbent. 

9. The Bouncer

We love our bouncer. Would kiss the bouncer if appropriate. Yup. I would marry that bouncer. How else do you think I get to shower and straighten my hair everyday? One day I was taking Cruz in the stroller and humming to myself, but couldn't quite place the song. I hummed it louder... ah. The bouncer music. 

8. Speaking of strollers...

We really love our BOB. It goes everywhere, is super light, and will be a great runner stroller once Cruz is a little older. Maybe you'll see me and him run the half-marathon together in November?

7. Amazon Mom
When you tell people that you're pregnant, they make a lot of the same remarks. 30% of these remarks are about the cost of diapers. However, thanks to Amazon Mom, the cost of diapers is the least of my concerns. I've really become obsessed with Amazon. I order everything on it. I'm probably single-handedly destroying Mom and Pop businesses in Santa Barbara because I never shop in regular stores! Actually, that's not true at all because if you've ever shopped at a baby store in SB, you'll know that "Mom and Pop" means "this $80 lovey is the least expensive thing we sell." So I embrace Amazon and it's free two-day shipping. 


6. Activity mats of all kinds

I would put one in every room in our house if I could. The bright colors kept Cruz entertained as an infant, and now he can reach all the hanging toys and (most importantly) cram them into his mouth.

5. Mirrors

Cruz is obsessed with looking at us in our mirrors. We spend long moments staring at our good-lookin' selves. 

4. The Nursing Mother's Companion

In the hospital, Cruz ate like a champ. I asked every health professional that came into our room to watch him eat, wanting to be armed with as much information and confidence as possible. When Cruz had trouble with latching on once we got home, I was beyond thankful to have my mom (a former lactation consultant) sit up with us at 4am. When Cruz was still having trouble the next day (and New Mom Panic was setting in), our saint of a pediatrician sent over a lactation consultant. The moral of the story is, breastfeeding is amazing AND hard. It would have been really easy to give up. But with help, education and encouragement, Cruz and I were able to get over our bumps in the road. And when the professionals were gone, I relied heavily on this book. It used to sit beside me for every feeding. Thank you, talented, all-knowing sister-in-law, for this great resource. 

3. Babywearing

We own a lot of carriers. Tovi prefers the Ergo-- it's comfortable, manly, and Cruz instantly falls asleep in it. We also own the Moby (best for extended wearing) and the LuckyBaby sling (best for in and out). Babywearing is so practical and easy. I love carrying Cruz around this way! And at work it's easy to put him in the sling and carry on with my job. 

My sling from the YodMom

2. Boppy

Or Brestfriend. Whichever. All I know is the nursing is work and these lifesavers make it much more enjoyable. Also, Must-Have Item 2B is extra Boppy covers. Nuff said. 

1. Magic Blanket Swaddle

AAAAA! I think this will be my go-to shower present for years and years to come. My brilliant sister-in-law gave us one, and when Cruz slept like a champ in it, I went out and bought more! We never go anywhere without this swaddle. Ob.Sessed. 

We own two of these!

There are oh so many things I wanted to put on this list! Clearly, I would have had a much harder time being a Mama twenty years ago, never mind the olden days. (Although in the olden days I would have been shipped away to one of those schools for the blind ala Mary in Little House on the Prairie, never to have a child. God bless lasik surgery!)


So enough about me... Mamas, Mama-in-Training and Veteran Mamas, what's on your baby product list?