Newborn Gear

There are so many things on the market out there for baby gear, especially "newborn gear."  I got so much advice on what I needed before Banks was born, but now I know that every baby is different and likes different things.  So I wanted to share what worked for us it the newborn period and what we could not have lived without.  Ok, we could have lived without a lot of things, but what made our life a lot easier. 

1. Kissy Kissy Sleeping Gowns-  We put Banks in a gown every night due to the ease of diaper changes in the middle of the night.  No snaps, no buttons, just slide up and down, easy peasy.  Why specifically Kissy Kissy?  Well they have snaps all the way down the front which eliminates any sliding of anything over his head, which he hates.  Also, they are pima cotton, which of course is my favorite for him to sleep and snuggle in.  He has about 7 of these and that is the perfect number, therefore he gets to wear one every night :)  Also for some reason the Kissy Kissy gowns fit a multitude of sizes!  He has worn the same gowns since he was born (literally in the hospital) to now.  They also have the hand covers which keep his little hands warm at night.

This is him at 2 days old and 4 days old in the same sweet Kissy Kissy gown. 

2. My Brest Friend- Not many people know about this awesome device, but it has made breastfeeding loads easier.  It is basically like a boppy, but specific for breastfeeding.  It is contoured for baby's head and snaps around my waist so it stays in place.  Love this! I can even get up and walk around while breastfeeding if I have to. 

3. Sound Machine-  We use this every night in his room and I think it helps him sleep better.  I don't think we have ever tried without it, but we don't plan on it :)  We use the "wind" setting, which is basically white noise.

4. B.O.B. Stoller- This is a necessity, honestly.  I absolutely love our bob, its the best.  My sister had gotten one for Blakely and I knew that Banks would be needing one too.  It is so smooth and makes walking anywhere so easier.  Its a bit of a splurge, but it is highly recommended.  This stroller has already logged many miles. 

5. Aden and Anais blankets and burp cloths-  These blankets are light weight and perfect for South Carolina summer/fall weather.  They swaddle great and also are perfect for just wrapping him up.  I frequently use these to drape over his carrier (as seen in picture above) to block out the sun or just block germs in wal mart :)

This is the orange one again, but most of the ones he has are white background with cute patterns like turtles, owls, or bees. 

The burp cloths are awesome as well.  Banks is a spitter so we use lots of burp cloths and these are our favorite.  They are very absorbent and easy to wash.  We have two and need to get some more because they are constantly in use. 

6. Flannel Lap Pads- Ok so this is a weird one to my favorite thing, but they are.  These are found at Babys R Us and come in two sizes.  One about a square foot and the other probably 2x3 feet.  I put the smaller ones on his changing table (over changing pad cover), mamaroo, bouncer, etc. and the bigger ones in his crib.  These are great because they catch all the mess and it reduces the times you have to wash the crib sheet and changing pad cover.  We have yet to wash the crib sheet because he doesn't lay on it.  If you have ever changed a crib sheet you know how annoying it is, so this is a life saver.  

7. Oxiclean Spray- This is another random one, but a must-have for babies.  This will take out any stain...and there has been a lot of stains!  Baby poo and spit up are no match for Oxiclean spray!  I just spray a little on any stains and it comes right out in the wash.  It even takes out blood easily, which is like a miracle.  I have almost gone through a whole bottle already. 

8.  Desitin- I put this one him at each diaper change and it helps keep his little bottle rash and redness-free!  My mom used it with all three of us and we never had a diaper rash :) Blakely has used it too and she has never had even a slight bit of redness on her tooshy!  There are lots of barrier creams on the market but I think this one is the best. 

I think that does it for my top baby items.  I know every baby is different and people have different favorite things.  Most people love their Boppy, but I've barely used mine because of my Brest Friend.  I will probably use that more when he is a little bigger and wants to use it to sit up.  I also barely used my bassinet because we put him in the crib so early.  I love hearing what works for other moms!  It is definitely a trial and error process to figure it out for you and your little one!