My Favorite Things

Welcome to my Fav-o-rite Thi-iiinnggs!

 (Picture me saying that just like Oprah.  No cars or trips to Australia though, so don't get too excited.)

These are our favorite baby items from the first six months of Madeline's life.  These are the items that made life easier, and got us through our panic as first-time parents.

1. Arm's Reach Mini Bassinet Co-Sleeper 

When Madeline came three weeks early, one of my first thoughts in the hospital was, "Omigod, where are we going to put her when he get home!?"  Luckily, my sisters had picked this up for us, and Madeline didn't have to sleep in the dresser drawer after all.  (I once accidentally locked the cat in my dresser drawer for three hours.  He didn't seem to mind.) As a breastfeeding mother, this co-sleeper was a life-saver.  I didn't have to get up in the middle of the night to feed her.  She was close enough for me to touch, but I also didn't have to worry about rolling over on her.  It fits perfectly in the small space between my bed and wall, and it's easy to travel with too.  It's still set up in our room even though Maddie is now in her crib.  We use it if she's having a tough night, or if she's awake while we're getting ready for work in the mornings.  Love, love, love this!

2. Fisher Price Cradle N' Swing - My Little Lamb

There were a lot of baby products that I didn't really think we'd need...until we did.  A swing was one of them.  Then, Maddie got a good case of the colic, and I wanted a swing stat.  I dragged Eric to the store the first chance we got, and we bought the first swing we saw.  Life-saver!!  The lamb cushioning is really soft and cozy.  Madeline napped in this all the time as a wee one, and now that she's older, she likes to sit up in it and watch the world go by.  Eric and I have wished they made grown-up sized My Little Lamb swings on several occasions.

3. Fisher Price Newborn Rock and Play

This was another "Omigod, where are we going to put her?!" product.  When Madeline was a newborn, if she wasn't in our arms, she was most likely in the Rock and Play.  It's really light and portable. (I used to bring it into the bathroom with me while I showered so that I could keep an eye on her.)  The incline in the seat helped with her baby reflux.  I also really liked how the shape kinda cocooned her so that she felt safe and cozy in it.

4. Skip Hop Funky Farmyard Activity Mat

We've used this activity mat from the time Madeline was a newborn, and she still loves it.  It's been really cool to watch her interactions with the toys change as she's gotten older.  There was a time when all she could do was stare at the cow mirror.  Then, she'd kick at the toys.  Now, she can grab at the toys, talk to the toys, scoot around to get to the toy she wants.  Plus, I love the cute farm animals.  We can also rearrange the toys or add our own to keep things interesting for her.



5. Bumbo

Do I really even need to explain this product?  It seems like everyone with a baby has a Bumbo these days.  Lately we've been using it when we feed Madeline.  I'm not sure if that's the best way to feed her, but she doesn't quite fit into her high chair yet.  We also place it in front of the full-length mirror in our bedroom so that Madeline can see her reflection.  She loves talking to the baby in the mirror.  She's her pal.  We have it in lime green, which is a favorite color of mine, but there are tons of colors to choose from.

6. Maxi-Cosi Car Seat

We love this car seat!  I have a smallish car because I'm too stubborn to give in and admit I may need a mom car like a minivan or station wagon.  (It could be worse, I used to drive a lime green Beetle.)  When I started looking into cars seats, I knew we'd need something on the small side.  Also, I'm not going to lie, I like the way it looks.  It's modern, and comes in fun colors.  We have a base for each of our cars which makes it incredibly easy to transfer her from one vehicle to the other.  The lining is soft, durable, and easy to clean.  We also got an insert for the cold weather, (we get a lot of that around these parts) and a rain shield to keep her comfy-cozy.  Madeline falls asleep almost instantaneously when we put her in her car seat, and that's worth it's weight in gold.

7. Quinny Zapp 4 Stroller

Eric and I claim that if we ever have a son, we will name him Quinny Zapp to ensure that he turns into a pretentious rock star.  When we want to take Madeline for a walk, we put her in the car seat and clip it into the Quinny Zapp.  I clearly remember having a complete meltdown when I was still pregnant because I was sure I'd never be able to figure out how to use a stroller.  I was wrong.  Easy, peas-y lemon squeeze-y.  The stroller is light, and folds up easily.  Yet, it is strong enough to handle the cobblestones and railroad tracks we have to cross on a daily basis.  When Madeline is ready, we can zip the big-girl seat back into the frame and use it without her car seat.  I'm looking forward to taking her for walks by the river to see the ducks when it gets warm enough.

8. Baby Bjorn

When Maddie was still a tiny peanut, it was nice to be able to go for walks with her sleeping cozily on my chest.  Now that she's a slightly larger peanut, she loves to be able to look around.  I think if we want to keep wearing the Maddie Bear we'll have to invest in something with more support, but the Baby Bjorn has been great for the first few months.

9. The Boppy Pillow

Like the Bumbo, I feel that almost everyone has a Boppy.  I can totally see why.  I still use it every night when I feed Madeline before bed.  Now that she's older, she also uses it to lay on when she's playing, or for extra support when she's sitting on her own.  Also? I LOVE the Sweet pea cover.  So cute.

What are your favorite baby products??