Baby Gear We Can't Live Without!

There are soo many things you need for a new baby, and so many things you think you need but don't. We were so blessed to have been given so many wonderful baby gifts. Some things we use all the time, and some things we've never used. I thought I would do a post about our favorite baby items for Addison.

These are the things we've used so far:

Swaddle Blankets- specifically JJ Cole muslin giraffe print, and Aiden and Anais muslin swaddle blankets. Addie cannot sleep unless she is swaddled, so we swaddle both for naps and at night.

Playtex Drop-Ins Bottles/Liners- These bottles are our favorite! They are similar to breastfeeding, so Addie took to them right away, and the liners collapse as they drink so she doesn't suck air. We rarely have a gas issue since we've been using these bottles. Bonus: They are soo cheap to buy!

Medela Pump in Style Advance- This is an obvious necessity, but this particular pump is worth every penny. It pumps in the same way the hospital grade pumps do, is quiet, and has great attachments like a battery pack so it's portable, and works if the power goes out (which happens a lot at the cottage).

Skip Hop Studio Diaper Bag- Every mom needs a diaper bag, but this particular diaper bag is amazing. It has tons of accessible pockets (including an anti-microbial one for cloth diapers), straps onto my stroller, and since I also use it as my purse, looks pretty.

Britax Chaperone Car Seat - another obvious necessity, but we love our car seat. It is a little heavier than other car seats, but it has the highest safety rating out there, with no history of company re-calls, is more comfortable than other car seats we looked at and it looks stylish. It is also neutral so we can use it again. This particular car seat was rated for the lowest birth weight we could find too, so when we thought Addie was going to be early, this was important.

Bum Genius Organic All In One's Diapers - you can see from my previous post on cloth diapers that we love our cloth diapers. These are so soft, have never leaked or blown out, look cute, are economical and have absolutely no chemicals in them. Love, Love, Love these diapers. Bonus: also not made in China!

Our Monkey Gym - Addie is a very active baby. She tolerates her swing, but doesn't like it. Addie needs things to look at and things to do when she plays, so she spends a lot of time playing on her monkey gym, both on her back and her tummy. Not only does it have bright colours, and interesting toys, it also has a little cabanna hut that lights up, plays music and has a mirror on it. Addie loves this thing.

i'coo Targo Stroller - My mom bought us this stroller and we couldn't live without it. I cannot list all the features of it there are so many, but one of my favorite things is that it is so versatile. When Addie was very small we used the pram, and the car seat attachment, and now that she is bigger we use the stroller seat. It is lightweight, and even Ryan comments on its maneuverability being so smooth. My only complaints about this stroller are that the shade is a little short, I would prefer rubber tires (I don't know why, I've never needed them) and it could really use a cup holder.

Baby K'Tan Organic Carrier - Before I had this, I couldn't get anything done because I was constantly having to hold Addie all day long. Even the Baby Bjorn carrier wasn't close enough to being held. This carrier is so easy to take anywhere (it fits in the diaper bag), is super comfortable, and looks adorable with Addie in it. It wraps into 8 different positions, and is easy to wash. I am in love with this carrier. It is perfect when we are out and I don't have room for the stroller, or Addie wants to be held and I need my hands free.

Pack 'n' Play- This is quite possibly the best gift we received at our baby shower. We have used this since day one at home and Addie still uses it. When she was born, we put her in the napper part and she slept all nice and cozy like she was in a little baby nest. She slept there until just this week (even though she outgrew it a month ago - if she turns out to be bowlegged we'll know why). Now Addie sleeps in the bassinet, and when she outgrows that, we'll move the mat down and put it in the livingroom to use as a playpen. This pack 'n' play has a change table, plays music, nature sounds, has a night light, a timer, and best of all the napper and bassinet vibrate which puts Addie to sleep every time after those midnight feedings. We didn't even bother buying her a bed for the cottage since it only takes 2 minutes to tear this down and set it up. Couldn't be easier.