There’s really nothing that can prepare you for bringing home a new baby, but there are a few items that have helped us along the way. Earlier, I posted about my thoughts and experiences with First year with our Audrina. Thank you to everyone who messaged or commented on how much you enjoyed reading it. I still can’t believe I’m one year old. Today I share my favorite picks for baby’s first year.
There are many items on the internet that tell you what you need for a new baby. I’m here to break it down into must-haves from the start.
Car seats and strollers are good for babies
Before you’re allowed to leave the hospital, you’ll need a car seat to put your newborn baby in. We LOVE the ease of Mesa . infant car seat because it has an easy to install base and has green arrows to let you know if it aligns or not. We also have Vista Trolley hold a carseat or stroller, it makes getting from car to walking around seamless and super easy. I highly recommend purchasing a suitable car/stroller seat set. Add a visor for sunshade and protection.
Wraps and Pajamas
We went through quite a few swaddles and nightwear during our first year and these are the ONLY sets I would use again. At first we used SwaddleMe 0-3 months in a scarf they have velcro and it’s super easy to wrap her up instead of trying to actually wrap the blanket for herself. Blankets and quilts come in many different designs today. If you enjoy making down comforters, you may find these modern quilt patterns quite interesting and useful.
Then when she got a little older, we switched to Halo Sleep Sack Swaddle, which is great because we can keep her bracelet inside or out. When babies start rolling, you want their arms out of the swaddle, so we gradually move to one arm, then both arms out with these swaddles. Plus, they come in a variety of sizes for your growing baby.
When Audrina starts rolling, I will try to put her to sleep with her arm off the wrap but she always wants to chew on her hand, keep her awake. So I decided to give it a try Magic pajamas. This was very effective and kept her on her back during sleep, but once she was strong enough to move and roll in her pajamas, we had to transition again. So now she wears a Halo wearable blanket and I plan to keep her in here for the duration of Toddlers.
I don’t know if four different wraps and sleepwear sets are too many?!? But this is great for us and I will do it again. OH and for pajamas, just spend anything with a button, you won’t bother trying in the middle of the night, ONLY zipper pj’s!
Other sleep essentials
While we were talking about the topic of sleep, when we brought Audrina home we put this portable crib in the living room during the day for her to nap and up to our room at night. When she started waking up more to play and needed a quiet space to sleep, I started putting her to sleep in the crib. I knew she would require more space and purchased the best safe cribs after researching on blog sites like https://www.safebabymonitor.com/safest-baby-cribs/.
Girls love to exercise! We used swings and Rock and Play, but she really wouldn’t sleep much in them. She just loves her crib and crib for some reason.
She also sleeps with white noise, I love Hatch sound machine because I can control volume, light and sound from my phone. We also love this humidifierit’s quiet and definitely feels like better air quality, especially in winter with the heat blowing through.
Humidifiers actually tend to be the best investment to combat dry air and make it breathable. If you are also thinking of buying one, maybe like the one we ordered, make sure you use it with distilled water. You can order several 5l or 10l bottles of distilled water depending on the tank size of your humidifier. Using distilled water not only reduces the risk of mold forming inside the humidifier’s reservoir, but it also improves the overall air quality of the home. You can take it a step further by testing your air quality with a home mold test kit to make sure that the air quality is right for you and your child. Taking these precautions is a necessity and they can prove to be very helpful.
Audrina didn’t use a pacifier for the first few weeks so we could breastfeed. Then when I tried it once, she wouldn’t drink soft drinks so a friend recommended it Bib pacifier. I consider them a sleep essential because she mainly uses it to soothe as she drifts off to sleep. But we brought pacifiers with us in places these clips is another necessity unless you want to constantly pick it up off the floor.
Feeding
I don’t really like bottles, cups, plates, rugs, etc. But there are a few feeding supplies that I would highly recommend during the first year.
If you’re breastfeeding, you NEED Haakaa, which is a manual breast pump that you attach to the other breast where the baby isn’t sucking and the pump usually just drips. I only use it in the morning when my breasts are full, but it’s the easiest way to create an abundance of milk without having to pump. At first when she was little, I always used Pillow friends chest This makes nursing a lot more comfortable.
If you read about our experience during the first year in my last post, you’ll know Audrina was having reflux and spitting up a LOT. Muslin Burp . fabrics are best when soaked in saliva and I still use them to wipe her face sometimes because they are so soft. And now when we’re teething and drooling, I always put some Bandana overalls on Audrina.
After she started eating solid foods and feeding herself, I really liked these Waterproof bibs because they catch some of the food they fall off and are easy to clean.
We have this 6 in 1 high chair this is great because we can use it as it grows and it is relatively easy to clean. If you have the space for it, it’s great to have a standing stool so you can move them around the kitchen.
Audrina eats most of her own food, but I have tried some puree made from food processor with her so she can practice feeding herself with a spoon. This GooTensils Spoon It’s great because I can put food in them, give them to them, and don’t fall out when they put them in their mouths.
Play
Frieddie the Firefly was the first toy Audrina seemed interested in. She will follow him with her eyes, trying to catch or chew on him. I took him everywhere we went.
We started reading as soon as she stayed awake longer. Any board book is great, but The pinnacle of someone and Brown bear brown bear I feel like her favorite. This Can not destroy It’s also fun because they can play with them when they’re young before they start to understand how to turn pages.
For the first few months, she LOVED playing this game Piano mat and we even took it with us on vacation. When she started moving around more, it was too small, but we still played with the piano part and will definitely make good use of that part.
When Audrina starts rolling and moving a little more, I love this Let me sit to keep her in place. This is a great purchase because she prefers sitting up to lying down and it’s good if she doesn’t want to lie on her back. I still use it often if I need her to stay in place for just a few minutes because before you know it, you’re chasing a baby crawling around.
When she got a little older, we got her This Joovy Walker allow her to move around on her own. Our house is quite small so she doesn’t have much room to move around but she flies around the kitchen island several times a day. I like this walker because I can easily put different toys on it. You learn quickly, a child’s attention span is only so long, so it’s great that you can switch the toy your child is playing with, even though it’s only half the time they’re already lying on the floor. Now she’s walking on her own, we still put her in the walker when I want a minute to get work done or use Learning to walk practice.
For her first birthday, we gave her this toy bike ride she’s still trying to figure it out, but I feel as if it’s a notch higher than a pedestrian.
There are many other children’s toys that you can buy and you can buy them all for fun. I will tell these $5 stacking mugs and these Shape Sorting Block was the best investment for us once she started sitting and crawling.
Other:
For Audrina’s nursery, I love having a large vanity with a changing table. I suggest these changing pads for accidents. It’s great when you just throw the pad in the wash and don’t have to change the entire sheet.
Also, on my dressing table there are various creams, lotions, oils, etc. One brand I love is Tubby Todd Bath for all their dream ointments and creams. They both help cure some of the acne we had at first and clear up eczema flare-ups.
Another item that I love and wish we used more of sooner is Ergobaby company. At first I was very nervous about it, but now I put it on to go for a walk or go to the store with her.
For Mom
Don’t forget about yourself in the first year. That means booking hair and nail appointments, scheduling girls for the night, and sleeping when you can. You will need it! But besides those essentials, around the house I usually wear comfortable clothes and nursing bra or bra from Target. And I would love to have this steel coffee cup because it keeps my coffee warm and I can’t spill it on Audrina while breastfeeding. I’ve also never been more thirsty while breastfeeding so I love this Hydro Flask lớn large water tank to keep the water cold and remind me to keep drinking. And wine, enjoy a glass or two regularly.
And that just rounds out all of my favorites for baby’s first year. Most importantly, don’t get too attached to anything, they keep changing and before you know it the first year is over and you have a toddler, AH!
Question of the day:
What are some of your kids’ favorite foods?
Tell me what your toddler’s preferences for our future are.
