Our favorite things!

You know how Oprah use to do her "Favorite Things" show??? Well, this is my baby version! It's amazing how I went from knowing absolutely nothing about baby "stuff" to now being able to shop the baby aisles with ease, and not feeling like I'm in a foreign land.

Before Drew was born, a friend from work gave me a list of items she recommended based on experience and from a therapy standpoint. I was so glad to have even a little advice, because it's daunting when you're looking at 20 different kinds of bottles, trying to figure out which one is the best for your little peanut. I know I have a lot of friends that read my blog that don't have children yet, or that are just starting off with babies of their own. Hopefully this post helps you like some of my friends' advice and recommendations have helped me!

Our favorite things over the last 4 months...

Soothies pacifiers

I already planned on using the Soothies paci before Drew was born, because it was recommended to me by a friend. We also received our first one in the hospital. I like it because the nipple mimics a real nipple and there is a little hole that you can put your finger in and feel the baby sucking on your finger. It was the neatest feeling the first time I felt Drew sucking!

Asleep with his paci

Dr. Brown's bottles

I love these bottles, even if they are a pain to clean. They come with more parts than any other bottle I've seen, but the venting system allows baby to take in less air while drinking, preventing a lot of gas bubbles. I like the accessories that Dr. Brown's makes, too. We'd be lost without the microwave sterilizer and the bottle warmer. Little things like these make life so much easier!

Holding the bottle all by himself

Swaddle

We love the "Summer Swaddle-me" brand  the best. They come in all different patterns and it's all one piece, which is nice. It's the only kind that Drew has not broken out of. He tends to try to be a little Houdini and kicks and pushes his arms against the sides. This is the only kind he can't escape from. Since we've been swaddling him, he has been sleeping about 8-10 hours at night and has been taking 1.5-3 hour naps. It's so nice, because mommy and daddy sleep great when little Drew is swaddled!

Wakey, wakey! Happy baby!

Diaper wipes warmer

Only the best for my baby... he's already being spoiled by warm diaper wipes with every changing. It's not a necessity, but I know if it were me, I'd prefer warm wipes too! :)

Pack n' play (with changing table and napper station)

We would be lost without our pack n' play. This has gotten more use than anything since Drew came home from the hospital. Originally, we put it in the living room, expecting it to stay there for just a week or so until we transitioned Drew into the bedroom with us. It has not moved from the living room yet! Drew slept in the napper every night for almost 4 months and having the changing table with it is such a bonus. It's still in the living room. The napper station has been removed and now we just use the changing table portion. It's nice to not have to walk all the way to his room to change him every time. Convenience is key! 

Glider and ottoman

This is another thing we would be lost without and something I miss when we're trying to calm Drew down when we're not at home. Originally, the plan was to put the glider and it's gliding ottoman in Drew's nursery once we got home from the hospital. Bill asked me if I wanted it out in the living room for a few days just to have something comfy to nurse in, and it hasn't moved from the living room since! I love it because it doesn't look like a "normal" rocker that would be in a baby's room. It fits right with our furniture in the living room, and will most likely stay in the living room for quite awhile. It's the "go-to" chair when our parents come to watch Drew during the day. It's like a big hug when you sit in it. Everything I read before the baby was born said to splurge on a good rocker because you'd basically be living in it, and boy am I glad we spent a little extra money, because it's so worth it!



Little boy in the big brown chair

Bouncer

An absolute lifesaver. I cannot tell you the many ways we use this bouncer. We've put it next to the dinner table to have Drew near us when we eat, we've placed it outside the bathroom door so we can see him as we shower, he's slept in it, and now he loves trying to catch the "fishies" as he bounces for 30 minutes to an hour. It has music and a vibrating chair. Best invention ever!



Watching mommy make dinner




Fast asleep- so soothing!



Boppy

Oh, how we love the boppy! I had no clue how we would use this odd shaped pillow when we registered for it. Now, I can't imagine my life without it! You can use this pillow for everything! We have primarily used it to prop Drew up during feedings, but now he's gaining control of his head movements and getting stronger, so we use it for tummy time and as a prop to help him learn how to sit up on his own. I think the dogs wish we would have gotten them a boppy too. Any time I leave it unattended on the couch, they try to curl up in it.

Boppy time!

Playgym
Drew love his play mat. At first, he would just look at the dangling toys and loved all the colors. Now, it is so fun to see him actually interact with the toys. He reaches for the toys and pulls them, trying to put them in his mouth. He loves to kick the chime toy and will entertain himself for up to an hour on the mat if he's in a good mood. This has been a lifesaver!

Investigating the chime

Lullaby music

For the longest time, we would just turn on the soothing music on the music channel on TV when we would put Drew to bed. The music was great, but the only problem was the lights from the TV keeping Drew awake or startling him when it got too bright. My mom bought Drew a CD of lullabies that we just adore. It's called "Blessed Slumber" and it's made up of lullabies and bible songs in instrumental form. In fact, it plays all night and much of the day because it is so soothing. It never fails... Drew is usually asleep by the third or fourth sonce when I put him down at night.



Best lullaby CD!



I'm sure this is just the beginning of many blogs to come about favorite things we've discovered. It's so fun learning about and trying new baby things.  :)