baby must haves

It was not so long ago I was walking the aisles of baby stores, staring in confusion… What is all of this stuff? Are these sleep-wrap things for real? Can baby monitors really be this expensive? And, lord help me, but what kind of bottles do I buy?… I was so overwhelmed I wanted to walk right on back out to my car and leave babies r' us in the dust forever. Instead, I polled some friends with babies and happily went online to purchase such items. Whew. Some things got used and others never even left the box (ie. bottle heater & wipes warmer).

So, the reason I'm writing all this now is I have four very loverly pregnant friends that might need some tips. See, I'm all big in my britches and think I totally know what I'm talking about. Cocky huh? Anyway, for those that are even a smidge interested in what I think, here ya go ladies…

1. puj tub : Loved this clever contraption. It saved my back for the first few months and nestled my babe in a little spa.
2. sound machine : doesn't matter which one, but someone gave me this at a shower and it hums away perfectly in the nursery. Great when you have a small house and paper thin walls.
3. sleep sack : I bought the miracle blanket and it frustrated me to death. Baby girl wiggled like a fool and it took two people to figure out how to tuck and wrap this sucker. So, we finally bought a sleep sack with a velcro wrap to swaddle her arms and it was a life saver. Swaddling so tightly felt so strange, but it keeps them from flailing their arms and waking themselves up (which they do).
4. boppy liners : Babies pee all the time and these allow them to be naked for a bit without ruining whatever is underneath. Used them on the changing table constantly!
5. sleep lady's book: I didn't use her "shuffle" method, but I did love her sample schedule and advice. It told me what sort of schedule the baby should be on (once she was big enough to be on one). Awesome!
6. soothie pacifier : only paci Miriam would take.
7. lovey : So sweet & they can hold and rub when going to sleep.
8. mustela newborn set : Got this as a gift and I'm still obsessed with its smell.
9. dr browns bottles : Pain to clean, but worth it for a happy baby tummy. Get small bottles and larger bottles for then they start drinking more milk.

My last piece of advice is to do what feels right to you. Sounds easy, but it's hard when you're in the thick of it and questioning your every move. As long as you're giving that baby lots of love that's all that matters so just hang on tight!