Newborn Favorites

I'm clearly, by all means, NOT a baby expert; however, I've been getting some questions lately about my favorite baby products, so I thought it may be helpful to new mamas to round out a brief list. In no particular order, here are my favorite newborn items I found to really like and/or be extremely helpful with Sydney.

1. First Impressions Dot Blanket - I received this blanket as a gift from my baby shower, and it is the softest blanket I've ever felt. It's so warm and cozy that it was an easy choice to bring with to the hospital, and it's now Sydney's favorite blanket, hands-down. Even now at six months, I can wrap her in the blanket and she'll nuzzle in and fall asleep within minutes. The most ironic part of this gift is that I didn't have it on my registry, and the woman who gave it to me asked my mom for permission to go off the registry before purchasing. Well done, Ms. Christensen!

2. Philips Avent Soothie Pacifiers - The rumors are true; these pacifiers are the shit. For whatever reason, babies seem to gravitate towards these guys and Sydney was no different. We especially liked how you can put your finger in the nook, so it was like she was sucking on our fingers (but without the germs). :-)

3. Pottery Barn Nursery Snow Leopard Bath Wrap - We didn't give Sydney that many baths when she was a newborn, but when we did I always wrapped her in this particular bath wrap because it was so soft and cuddly (not to mention adorable). Sydney HATED getting out of the bath because of the cool air, but she always calmed down immediately once we wrapped her in this. Six months later, she still loves it.

4. aden + anais Bamboo Burpy Bib - I stocked up on burp cloths prior to Sydney's arrival thanks to my sister-in-law's advice, and I got all different kinds, sizes, brands, etc. The majority of burp cloths I got were aden + anais partly because I had heard such rave reviews and partly because I thought they were the cutest. Luckily, they turned out to be one of my favorite baby items of all, especially the bamboo ones. Because of their quality, they lay flat and the ends don't curl up like the Gerber and Carters ones from Target, and because of the snaps built into the design, they double as a bib, making your diaper bag just a tiny less heavy (hey, it all adds up). They're lightweight, super soft and big (I'm not a fan of the small burp cloths - what's the point?).

5. Burt's Bees Baby Bee Calming Lotion - Confession time: I chose to go with Burt's Bees products solely because they smelled the best. I mean, I did all the research, but simply put all the baby-specified hygiene brands (Burt's Bees Baby Bee, Johnson & Johnson Baby, Aveeno Baby, The Honest Company, etc.) are pretty great and come highly recommended. I knew I didn't want to do anything too organic or natural (aka expensive) because I kind of had a hunch this kid wouldn't have uber-sensitive skin and would do alright with the mainstream brands - and I was right: Sydney was perfectly fine with her Burt's Bees. She's also perfectly fine with Johnson & Johnson, California Baby, Aveeno Baby and The Honest Company, so why go with the most expensive? Anyway, Burt's Bees Calming Shampoo & Body Wash and Lotion smell SO GOOD, and I feel like the scent stays with Syd longer than the other brands (which is important when she's just had an extremely dirty diaper).

6. Boon Lawn Countertop Drying Rack - Even before I got pregnant I knew I was going to get this (kind of like the Bumbo chair, ha!) because it's so cute, but to be honest, the other drying racks are just ugly (are you noticing a trend here?). I'm not a fan of clutter (I know, some of my pictures speak the complete opposite...), so I felt if I had to leave something on my counter for her bottles to dry, it might as well be cute, right? Plus, you can get all these accessories for it like a flower, twig, butterfly, etc. We opted to go with the Lawn rather than the Grass because of its size (Lawn is bigger) because when you need to wash this many bottles/pump parts/nipples, etc., you'll be glad you splurged for the bigger size.

Ugh.

We actually ended up getting a Grass in addition to the Lawn because...well...

7. Gilligan & O'Malley for Target Nursing Bra & Cami - I made the (major) mistake of not getting ANY nursing bras or tank tops prior to Sydney's arrival. I have no idea what I was thinking (or not thinking apparently), but I was in a real bind come February 4th when I was let out from the hospital and it was no longer acceptable to wear just a robe all day. Gilligan & O'Malley for Target came highly recommended from a few girlfriends who advised me not to waste money on expensive nursing apparel until I had a better understanding of my needs - GREAT advice. Turns out these nursing bras were the only bras I needed; they're soft, comfortable and easy to 'use.' The nursing cami is also great; I was getting frustrated because for the longest time I only found nursing tanks that were super tight and fitted (and hello, who wants to wear spandex right after you've given birth?), so when I discovered these, I can't even tell you how happy I was.

8. Baby Gap Favorite Knot Hat - Sydney was born in the middle of winter in Colorado, so hats were a staple in her newborn wardrobe. We loved the hats from Baby Gap because they were so--you guessed it--soft and easy to slip on her tiny head. There are very few pictures of Sydney's first couple of weeks without her wearing a hat. :-)

9. Boppy Newborn Lounger - I'm probably alone in saying this, but I found the Boppy pillow to be fairly useless. We (I) never used ours, and it just took up space in our living room. The Boppy Lounger, however...that was a different story. I didn't even know these things existed until our friends gifted us with one, and just as I can't imagine a life without Chipotle or coffee & Baileys, I can't imagine a life with a newborn without the Boppy Lounger. We used it all. the. time.

Sydney resting on her Boppy Lounger, getting her first taste of bitter disappointment watching the Broncos blow the Super Bowl

10. Halo SleepSack Microfleece Swaddle - This was another gift that I can't imagine life with a newborn without. Sydney broke free of all her blanket swaddles and would wake herself up by waving her arms around, so I quickly gave up swaddling her with blankets and turned to this fuzzy contraption. This thing is AMAZING. Thanks to this cozy, warm little straight jacket, Jordan and I have had one, maybe two, sleepless nights since she's been born (yes, seriously). That's not to say Sydney didn't try and fight us a few times when we were putting it on, but once it was, she immediately quieted down and was out like a light.

Hope this list is helpful for all the new mamas out there! I'll post more of our favorites later as well. :-)

Favorites can also be found here.