Favorite Things

I was putting together some stuff for my girlfriend, Monica, who's a mom-to-be and it got me to thinking about my very favorite mommy items. Things that I have come to love and can't live without that I didn't know about before. I remember when I was preggers with Brady, Kate Kadane put her Top 5 Mommy Must Haves on her blog and I really enjoyed looking at what she loved and what worked for her... so I'm stealing her idea! I know everyone is different and every baby is different so this is just how it works for us... so far! Here we go: 

Number One: Mylicon

I had no idea about this until I was a mom. Brady was all of a sudden fussing like nobody's business when he was about 2 weeks old or so and I called all of my girlfriends trying to figure out what to do. They told me that he might have trapped gas and to get these little Mylicon drops and see if that works. (See Blog Post ) Immediately he started tooting! Our doctor told us that there's no 'proof' that they work, but my mommy friends swear by them, and now so do I! My motto is... there is no harm in trying them!



Number Two: Baby 411

My friend Ashley sent me this book the first week I was home with Brady. What a lifesaver!?! It has everything in there... from when to call your doctor to how to cut their fingernails to what kind of poops are normal! It has saved me a lot of worrying time and probably saved me lots of trips to the doctor too! Every first time mom needs one!



Number Three: A Land's End Bag

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Land's End bag. This was one of the best gifts ever! They're inexpensive and they come in every color! (We're actually about to get another one!) They're washable and they have two pockets inside that are perfect for bottles. (Get the medium sized one). I don't mind when things spill because they are easy to clean and don't show dirt at all!! It's the perfect size for all of his supplies for an entire day-trip! Get one!



Number Four and Five: A Formula Dispenser and Vinyl Labels from Heavenly Press

Even if you are nursing, these formula dispensers are perfect for dividing out puffs, cheerios, and the like. Right now, of course, we're just using it for formula, but it is A-Mazing. Again, didn't know about these until after I had Brady. The vinyl labels are a must too! Hillary Kouba, who is a founder of Heavenly Press gave these to me at a shower and they are wonderful! There are a ton of designs and these things do NOT wash off!! I soak my bottles in hot water every night and they're still looking as good as new!



Number Six: Some Sort of Stain Stick

Because stains do happen. I started out with the Deft stain stick, but I personally like the tide one better. It's cheaper and seems to work better for me for some reason... but anything to take with you will work, I'm sure!

This happened just last night when Brady grabbed the tylenol dropper from my hand and tried to put it in his mouth all by himself! I couldn't get it fast enough, obviously!





One of My Newest Favorites: Super Baby Food Book

This is obviously a new addition to my favorites and I absolutely love it! It tells you everything you need to know about solid foods, making your own food, store bought food and feeding your baby.

The swing was a lifesaver for us at first, also! He wouldn't sleep really anywhere except the swing for the first two-three weeks... it was so easy to put him down at the time! It ran out of batteries a while back and I've just never replaced them, otherwise, I'm sure we'd still be using it daily! We didn't ever get a bouncer but I've heard those work the same as well!

I also love the Bumbo. Now he's sitting up a lot better by himself, but I still like to be right next to him, so the Bumbo helps us when it's time to watch Baby Einstein DVD's. Oh, that's another one... Baby Einstein! I used to feel bad about sitting him in front of a baby einstein DVD, but I have reconciled that there is nothing wrong with this! Just like in pregnancy, everything in moderation, right?

I'd love to hear other favorites... I just went to a baby shower and I feel like there are already new things that weren't around when Brady was born. It also could be entirely possible that I was just ignorant to it all and didn't know about them!