baby must-haves

When I was pregnant, I always loved reading baby must-have posts from other mommas, so I thought I'd compile a little list of things we've loved so far!


Aden + Anais Swaddlers - These swaddlers are wonderful! They're stretchy and BIG, so you can get baby wrapped up nice and tight. They're made of thin, breathable muslim so baby doesn't overheat which is important for reducing the risk of SIDS. Bonus? They're cute!

Summer BabyTouch Digital Video Monitor - I have to say I love this thing! Originally, we had decided on a sound and movement monitor, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought I'd like the peace of mind that seeing Jaqs in her bed would provide. Boy am I glad we went this direction! After a couple nights in her Pack & Play in our room, we learned that Jaqs was much happier in her crib, so she's been in her room ever since. This monitor has made that a lot easier on mom and dad!

Dr. Brown's bottles - Jaqs gets a pumped bottle sometimes, and these are the best! We've had no gas or nipple/flow confusion with them. There are several parts to clean, but I say it's worth it if it keeps baby's belly calm!

Chicco Cortina KeyFit 30 Travel System - We really love this travel system! It has impressive safety reviews and is easy to install. The car-seat clicks in and out with ease, and the stroller seems to provide a pretty smooth ride. We went with a gender neutral yellow so it could be used for future kiddos as well.

Pampers Swaddlers Diapers - We only tried these and Huggies, but we much preferred the swaddlers! They seem to fit so much better. Plus, the Huggies had a very chemical smell that I was not a fan of putting on my baby's bum.

NUK pacifiers - We tried a few different types of pacis, (Soothies, Avent) and these were the clear favorite. We didn't force the paci thing at all, and at first Jaqs wasn't a big fan...that is, until the NUK came along. She LOVES these things! We try not to shove it in her mouth all day and don't let her sleep with it, but for that evening fussing, these things seem to calm her in a way that we can't. Darn you, paci!

Graco Swing & Bouncer Duo - We got a 2-1 to save space, and this swing has definitely been enjoyed so far! Jaqs usually takes one of her naps in it during the day. We haven't used the bouncer separately yet because baby girl is kind of small for it, and she slides down, but she'll definitely fit into it a little better soon.

Aquaphor Baby Healing Ointment - We mostly keep Jaqs' bottom slathered with this to repel moisture and prevent diaper rash, and it's worked wonders so far! It makes clean-up easy for those sticky poos in the early days, too, so pack it in your hospital bag ;)

P.S. - the Target brand works just as well.

HoMedics SoundSpa White Noise - This white noise machine is awesome! It has several sound choices including mother's womb plus a picture projection for older babies. We didn't want Jaqs to require silence for sleep, so hopefully this is helping us to achieve that. It seems to be soothing and calming at bedtime and for her longer afternoon nap.

These are just a few of our favorite things so far! I'm sure we'll add to and change this list often, so maybe I'll update what we're loving on occasion!