My Favorite Baby Accessories

I thought it would be fun to do a post here on my favorite baby "stuff" and I would love to hear input from others on their favorite things, too. Contrary to what most of the baby magazines and TV commercials will tell you, you really don't need tons and tons of paraphernalia . . . that's why I didn't title this "My Favorite Baby Necessities," because most things are just accessories that are nice to have. Also, everyone is going to have different things that they love and use all the time. But anyway, here is a list of things that I have especially enjoyed using (and look forward to using again soon).

1. Boppy pillow--This has to be one of my top favorite things! My friend Mindee gave me hers when she was done with it, and I even bought another one later so I could have 2--one for in the car and one for in the house. This was so handy for nursing Sam, from the time he was tiny to when he was probably about 6 months old. It saved my back and was so comfy to use. It also is nice for propping a baby up when he's learning to sit.

2. Breast pump--I have an Avent Isis (manual, not electric) and it was really useful. I preferred not to use formula at all (personal preference; not criticizing anyone who does!), so it was nice to be able to pump bottles full of milk for when we were out sometimes, although I also didn't mind nursing him under a blanket out in public--till he got big enough to always try pulling the blanket off!

3. Snugli carrier--Another hand-me-down from Mindee, the Snugli front carrier was worth its weight in gold! It was such a nice way to transport Sam when he was small, and I wanted to go for a walk but not bother with the stroller, etc. I even used it sometimes in the house, when I was vacuuming or something. Jim also enjoyed using it--I think he probably used it as much as I did. Later on we got another one that could be a front or back pack, and we used that one quite a bit, as well. Sam took many naps in the Snugli--I think any kind of carrier like that (or a sling) is great because it helps baby feel so secure and close to mommy or daddy.

4. Portable swing--Since we lived in a tiny trailer, having a portable swing (rather than a full size one) was very helpful. The first one we had stopped working for some reason (not the batteries) when Sam got to about 10 lbs. I read reviews on that swing on Amazon and found that that was a common complaint with that particular model. I even wrote Graco a letter about it (complaining in a nice way) but unfortunately never got any response. We were able to borrow a Fisher Price swing after that, which worked really well. I'm definitely going to invest in another Fisher Price one for this baby!

5. Bouncy seat--This was also passed on to us, and Sam really liked it. I kept it at my mom's (no room in the trailer for both swing and bouncy seat), and it was very useful up there since I did laundry at her house several times a week.

6. Baby tub--Ours didn't have any bells and whistles such as some of them come with now (my cousin just got 2 of them at her baby shower which came complete with a shower handle, and one also was a "spa!"), but it works just great for bathing a little one. We would set the baby tub across the kitchen sink and use the sink sprayer for rinsing; it especially worked well for rinsing a soapy head.

7. Pack & Play--We were given a barely-used pack & play, and we didn't actually use it all that much with Sam. But with baby #2, I'm planning to use it as the baby's bed (placed next to our bed) for the first few weeks or months. The kids will eventually share a room, but we figure it will be less disturbing to Sam if we have the baby in our room to start with, for those all-too-frequent nighttime feedings! The pack & play we have has one of those "bassinet" thingys that attaches to the top, so the baby is higher up and easier to get in and out.

8. Onesies--AKA bodysuits :) I just love these for all ages--Sam still uses them even now. I don't think they make them a whole lot bigger than 24 mos. though . . . I especially love the Pampers brand (I think) that makes the newborn size with the umbilical cutout. So handy!!

9. Booster seat--This is for when the baby can sit up and start eating solid foods. We got a really nice one from Babies R Us for about $25 and it has been well worth it. It's handy for traveling, takes up little space in the house since it just straps onto a dining chair, and works well for babies from about 7 mos. or so, up to toddlers. Sam is still using his!

10. Stroller(s)--We have three so far: the Graco one that goes with the carseat/carrier, a jogging stroller that was given to us, and a small cheapie umbrella stroller that we got at Walmart. We've used and continue to use them all, although the Graco one doesn't see as much use since we got the jogger. We'll probably use it some again for the next baby, though, as it's very handy to put the carseat/carrier in when you're out and about. The umbrella stroller is great for outlet store shopping, or going in and out of stores that have small doorways and aisles, and the jogger is awesome for when you live on a dirt road, as we do.

I guess that's basically my "top ten" list. So, I'd love to hear others' favorite baby things, too! Share away!!

Oh, and pregnancy-wise, I don't have anything new to report--next appt. is on the 10th, so I'll try to update again after that.