I did a "best buys" post after Stasa was born with things we loved then. Here's what I'm still loving and some new things I've discovered along the way.
Swing: We have two Graco swings, like this one, and keep one in our living room and one in the nursery. I try to have a safe place to put the baby on each level and the swing has always been a God-send for us. Each of our babies have loved the swing and have napped well in it.
Babyhawk Mei Tei carrier: I have three carriers, the ultimate baby wrap, which is similar to the Moby, a Baby Bjorn, and the Babyhawk. The Babyhawk is hands down my favorite carrier. It's super comfortable and distributes the baby's weight evenly on my shoulders and hips. I can wear the baby in this carrier for hours without feeling exhausted or in pain. The wrap is good for infants or lighter babies and I usually use that around the house. I use the Bjorn for quick trips in and out of a store. I prefer not to carry the baby in the Bjorn for long periods of time because my back will start to kill since all of the weight is put on my shoulders and upper back.
Bebe Au Lait hooter hider: I have two nursing covers, one I keep in the diaper bag and one I keep around the house when I'm on maternity leave and then move to my pump bag when I return to work. I like the Bebe Au Lait covers because the material is a thicker cotton yet light enough to use in the summer. And I really like the pattern choices.
Boppy nursing pillow: I know some people prefer the Breast Friend nursing pillow, but I've always loved the Boppy. I have two and like the swing I keep one downstairs and one upstairs. I use the Boppy primarily for nursing, but have also used it to prop the baby up after a feeding (while I'm sitting next to her/him), and to assist with sitting up when baby is first learning.
Muslin swaddle blankets: We have a plethora of baby blankets, but the Aden and Anais blankets are by far a favorite. They're HUGE and lightweight muslin so they're perfect for swaddling, especially in the warmer months. They're great to use as a clean place for baby to lay when we're out and about and as a stroller or car seat cover. I've also bought undyed natural muslin from the fabric store and use that as a swaddle blanket. That muslin is less stretchy than the a + a blankets so it's harder for baby to kick its way out of the swaddle.
Cloth diapers: These suckers have so many uses. I have a stack of Gerber brand cloth diapers and use them as burp cloths. They're so absorbent (as they should be - after all they're diapers!) and really help me protect my own clothes when I'm burping the baby. Stasa and Tommy have been the queen and king of spit up in our house, so we go through bibs like crazy. These diapers have helped catch a lot of the spit up. I bought our batch of diapers back when I had Stasa and they've gone through the wash multiple times over several years and have help up well.
Coconut oil: Thank God Anne told me about this stuff. I've replaced my beloved lanolin with it and have used it to heal cracked nipples, as a lube on my pump flanges, as a hand lotion, to help rid Tommy of cradle cap, as a hair mask for Lexi to help her dry scalp, and as a replacement for butter when cooking and baking. LOOOOOOVE this stuff.
Ultimate crib sheet: I still love this sheet more than any other crib sheet. It's a waterproof pad, mattress pad and sheet all in one. We have two of these and don't have a need for more. We keep a cute regular crib sheet on the mattress and then put the ultimate crib sheet over that. The snaps make it really easy to change, especially in the middle of the night and when the mattress is lowered.
Baby Connect app: I got this app before I had Lexi and love it. I use it for all three kids and track their stats and vaccinations and allergies. When Lexi was a baby and now with Tommy I've been using it to track diapers and feedings. Sooooooo much easier to be able to tell the doctor how often the baby's eating and how many diapers he's gone through in a day. I've also used it to track fevers and illnesses with the girls, which has been handy because I can accurately share that information with the nurse or doctor when they ask. I have it downloaded to both my phone and iPad and wish Tom and I were on the same iTunes account so he could have it on his phone and iPad, too.
Strollers: We've gone through six different strollers since Stasa was born. Go ahead, give me the side-eye. I know it sounds crazy and if I knew then what I know now we would have only ever bought two maybe three strollers. We started out with the Graco travel system stroller which was bulky and heavy and not great for outdoors. I traded that in and got a single Baby Trend jogger and loved it. We put many many miles on that sucker, but then realized we'd need a double stroller once Lexi was born. So I went out and tried multiple doubles and really really wanted the Phil and Teds double stroller, but Tom didn't want to pay the price for it so we ended up with a Baby Trend double jogger. It was HUGE and HEAVY and awkward and barely fit through our front door. Forget fitting it in the trunk of the car. Before Lexi was born we bought two other strollers: a Chicco umbrella stroller and a Snap n Go. When she was born we had four strollers. I listed both joggers on Craigslist in the hopes of selling those and using that money towards a new double. I was so happy to see both of those strollers go and even happier that I found a used Phil and Teds double stroller on Craigslist for only a couple of hundred dollars (much much less than what it costs new). Once I was pregnant with Tommy I bought the car seat adapter for the P&T so we could use it for him, too. We primarily use the P&T stroller when we go out, but kept the Snap n Go and Chicco umbrella stroller for when we take a singleton out with us.
Diaper Dude diaper bag: I registered for this diaper bag back when I was pregnant with Stasa and am so glad I did. It's not huge which means it's also never too heavy. I've never had a problem with being able to fit everything we need for a day out for all three kids (and that's with two in diapers). It's also something that Tom doesn't mind carrying and doesn't look girly at all. I usually fit about 10 diapers (5 for each kid), a change of clothes for Tommy and Lexi, a sippy cup for Lexi, container of wipes, diaper cream, pacifiers, changing pad, tylenol and allergy meds, breast pads, nursing cover, burp cloths, a light blanket, and bottles (when needed).
Milkies: I am so glad I discovered this product this time around. I've always had a strong letdown when nursing and would soak my breast pad on the non-nursing side at each feeding. It was such a waste of milk. With the Milkies I've been able to catch anywhere from an ounce or two of milk just from letdown at each feeding. I end up with about a bottle or a bottle and a half each day from letdown milk. It's so easy to use and was definitely worth the $20+.
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