Monthly Archives: March 2012

It’s amazing how much stuff first time parents buy when they’re having a baby. Yes, I at least partially fell into this trap and probably ended up with more than we really needed.  Yet, there are some things others might overlook that I absolutely love and consider a necessity in our household! Below is my list of must haves for at least the first few months with your baby.

1. Super Cozy Striped Blanket – I originally got this in green for James’ dad diaper bag, but ended up nabbing it for everyday use because it’s so soft and snugly.  After not having it because it was in the wash, I went back and also ordered the pink one as well.
2. Tweezerman Baby Nail Scissors – These are super expensive for a tiny pair of nail scissors, but are hands down the best for cutting teeny tiny baby finger nails. They make cutting Reagan’s nails fast, quick, efficient, and with no worry about accidentally cutting her.
3. Prince Lionheart Ultimate Wipes Warmer – Any diaper warmer would probably work, but we like the Prince Lionheart and Reagan definitely appreciated the warm wipe on her little tush during the cold winter months.
4. Baby Comfy Nose Nasal Aspirator – This is a MUST HAVE for every new parent.  Unlike the blue bulb syringes, this nasal aspirator actually works and is gentle on your baby.  Unless we need to do some major unclogging, Reagan normally doesn’t even cry when we use this on her.  And yes, it might seem kind of gross to be literally sucking the snot out of your child’s nose, but trust me, when your baby can’t breathe and is miserable, this is a lifesaver and you could care less about the gross factor.  I also liked this so much that I bought an extra one just to keep in the diaper bag!
5. Bumbo – This isn’t for newborns, but once Reagan started holding her head up, the Bumbo has worked pretty well.  Reagan gets to look around and be a part of the adult world and it’s lightweight enough we can easily move it to wherever we’re at.
6. Gerber Burp Cloth – These are super soft, don’t easily stain, and Reagan loves gnawing on them!  We use them not only as burp clothes, but also to wipe off her little face when she has milk on it and to catch any extra spit up!
7. BabyHawk – I tried a few different baby carriers, but this one by far the best for not only me, but James as well.  It’s nice to have one carrier that we can both use and Reagan almost instantly quiets down when you put her in it! An extra bonus is that it really does help distribute Reagan’s weight across our shoulders, so it’s much easier to carry her long distances.
8. Sleepers with snaps, not zippers! Maybe we’re just lazy, but it so much easier to change a baby when their sleeper has snaps instead of a zipper! I found we naturally gravitated toward only putting her in sleepers with snaps, so I quit even buying ones with zippers no matter how cute they were.
9. Medela Freestyle Breast Pump – If you are breastfeeding and need to pump, this breast pump is a work horse that cuts your pumping time down to almost nothing! I can pump both sides at the same time and finish completely from setting up to taking down in 10 minutes! This has been a must have since I have to pump at least 4 times a day while I’m at work.

So there you have it, my list of must haves for new parents or any parents! It should be interesting to see how my list changes and adjusts as Reagan gets older!