Baby crap

While I certainly subscribe to the Less Is More school of thought with regard to baby supplies, there are a few things I’ve found invaluable, so I thought I’d share them here. These are items that, at 11 weeks now (11 weeks? Or 10, who knows, let’s just say almost 3 months), LG and/or I are still using daily. Of course, because kids are fickle, fickle little creeps, she might end up hating ALL THESE THINGS tomorrow. Who knows.

(Also, there are a couple other lists like this floating around the Internet, but all with completely DIFFERENT items, so if you’re into looking at what baby things OTHER people are using, then click here for Temerity Jane’s list, click here for Amalah’s list, and click here for And You Know What Else’s list.)

Various Swings And Seats And Whatnot

I am lucky to have friends (like Elizabeth) and family (like my grandparents) and random behind-us neighbors (like our random behind-us neighbor) who fully stocked us with swings and vibrating chairs and rocking seats, thus giving us many different options for where to put LG.

Up until now, she’s mostly dug her blue electric chair, but has a new-found love for her swing (thanks, E!) I think because there’s a mirror facing down on her, so she can talk to and flirt with the cutie in the mirror (we haven’t broken the news to her that the cutie in the mirror is, in fact, HER.)

Straight napping

I’m lucky to have gotten all these items for free or on loan, but I bet they’re all readily available on Craig’s List, if you’re down with used items (the fluffy seat of the swing pops off easily, so we were able to wash it before using.) A lazy Google search tells me that this electric chair is about $50 and the swing is around $90 (both new, not used.)

This seat, the Fisher Price Newborn Rock & Play Sleeper, was a gift from our behind-us neighbor and is a LIFESAVER. We were lucky to receive it after two restless (literally, no one slept a wink) nights of trying to put LG in her crib.

It’s like a little cocoon, so LG feels all safe and secure (I assume; she hasn’t actually TOLD ME this) and it rocks to and fro (well, you have to rock it yourself, but it’s easy to do from the side of the bed; you can rock it with your foot while also trying to get some shut-eye yourself.) Plus, it’s angled, which is great for babies (like ours) who spit-up a lot or for refluxy babies, who sleep better while at an angle.

Well, you can’t SEE the angle-ness from this, uhh, angle, but trust me, it’s an angled seat

Bottle Warmer

I got this from my best friend Carrie, not really sure if we’d use it, but taking it because YOU NEVER KNOW. I am glad we did, too, because LG is very particular about her bottle. She’s like one of those freaking bears…It can’t be too cold, it can’t be too hot, it has to be juuuuust right. Well allow me to cater to your every need, sweet child o’ mine, for I have a BOTTLE WARMER.

Looks vaguely like a toilet, but keeps bottles nice and boob-temperature

Anyway, as I said, I didn’t pay for this, but a quick Google search tells me there are several different brands, ranging anywhere from $16-$32.

Gillian & O’Malley Nursing Tanks

Ladies, I have worn a bra twice since giving birth. I know I’ll eventually have to start wearing one once I go back to work (August 1st, waaaaaaaah!) but in the meantime, I’ve just been living in these Gillian & O’Malley nursing tanks from Target. They’re nice and long, which is good for a tall(er) person like myself and they’re reasonably priced ($16.99.) If you’re more of a big breasted-ed lady, these may not work for you, but for us flat-chested sisters, they’re perfect.

Here’s me modeling a purple nursing tank, while standing next to my sunflowers. It’s just your typical afternoon garden photo-shoot up in here!

Play-Mat

Those from the older generation see play-mats like this and always make some comment like, “The things these kids have these days!” Yeah, okay, we get it, insert walking-to-school-up-hill-both-ways-in-the-snow story here, but honestly? These play-mats are more for the parents than the babies (at least at the beginning.) Around two weeks old, I started putting LG on her play-mat, just so I’d have something to do other than stare at my sleeping baby. There are rattle-type things and noise-maker type things and the mat itself is washable.

All the bells and whistles

Practicing a little stomach-time, LG demonstrates the diversity of the play-mat

They’re a little pricey – the one I had registered for was around $60 from Babies R Us; the one we own was actually a gift from a friend of ours, but I imagine it was around the same price – but like the swing and the chairs, it’s another place to stick your kid. Plus, like I said, good for the parent’s sanity.

Aden + Anais Swaddle Blankets

Someone doesn’t care to be swaddled anymore, but we still use these blankets, which were a gift from my aunt, as LG’s “blanket” every night. Basically, we just sort of drape it over her and tuck her feet in, but DO NOT DARE cover her hands with it, lest she totally freak out. They’re lightweight and come in cool patterns that aren’t lame-baby, like most baby patterned things are.

Here’s a picture of one of the blankets that I hooked to her seat (using binder clips, just call me MacGruber!) as a sun-shade for when we go on our walks:

No babies were harmed in the taking of this photograph

There you have it, the handful of items I COULD live without if I HAD TO, but I don’t have to, and may I say thank goodness? Because if it weren’t for that swing, I wouldn’t have been able to write this blog post.