My Top Ten Baby Items (Thus Far)

I think I've been asked about 500 times what are the top baby items I couldn't live without, so I figured I would put them into writing. I have decided that I will use some of these items as baby shower gifts in the future. I always try to give gifts based on practicality, not cuteness factor (although it's hard when it comes to baby items!). In no particular order:

1. Infant Mylicon - life saver for those gassy tummies in those first few weeks as their bodies adjust to life on the outside. Also a sanity saver for mom and dad. Tom made a 4am Walmart run to get this when the girls were days old. Safe enough to use with every feeding. You'll be glad you have it on hand (Here's a tip: buy the off brand! It's around $3.50, while the name brand is $11.50 for the same thing! Also, buy the dye free, you'll save a lot of onesies this way).
2. Sound Machine - we got ours with a 20% off coupon from Bed Bath & Beyond. We were going bonkers because the girls would wake up to any little noise in the house, and with hardwood floors, that was hard. We got this and set it to rain falling, not only is it soothing, but it drowns out all other noises from the house as well. We will be using this for quite some time, I can tell.
3. Dr Browns Bottles - They really don't have as many parts as some make it out to be (really the valve and vent are the only extra pieces, the rest is bottle, ring and nipple), and they can be a pain to clean. But, when it comes down to your little one having a horrible upset tummy from sucking too much air, these are worth their weight in gold!
4. Dishwasher Baskets - As mentioned above, the Dr. Brown's bottles can be a pain to clean. When you're sleep deprived anyways, you don't want to be standing at the sink cleaning the little nooks and crannys, or having parts flying all over the dish washer. Now granted, I have double the bottles, but I don't think I'd be able to wash all the parts if I didn't have a dishwasher (I would've probably opted for the Playtex Drop-Ins). Get one of these and it will save you a lot of time and effort. All the Dr Brown's parts fit well (no need to buy the more expensive Dr. Brown's basket)
5. Infant Swing - Now, some babies just don't like swings, so realize that for some, it might be an investment that won't get much use. In the Ervin household, they are used every. single. day. It is sometimes the only thing that will calm them down in the event of a meltdown. My biggest tip: get one that plugs into the wall, you won't be going through batteries like water. My girls like the side to side swing better than the front to back, so I would look into a swing that give you an option for the direction. 
6. Waterproof Mattress Pads - We use these everywhere. They are in their cribs, co-sleeper, on top of the ottoman in the living room for quick diaper changes, in the diaper bag, you name it. They keep the surfaces underneath looking nice, because frankly, I really don't feel like cleaning the nooks and crannies of the pack-n-play, or to have my ottoman smelling like urine when I couldn't get the diaper under the tush fast enough.
7. Chicco Keyfit 30 - I believe this is the best infant car seat on the market. It is always ranked high on Consumer Reports and the NHTSC tests. Being a Certified Passenger Safety Technician, I can tell you that I've come in contact with a lot of car seats in a lot of different cars, and these are by far the easiest to install. Less room for error, in my opinion. They also feel better than others. I hate chincy feeling car seats. These are solid and well made. The weight limit goes to 30lbs, but most children outgrow the height limit of 30 inches before they are even close to the 30lbs. Besides, who wants to lug around 30lbs?
8. Swaddle Me's and Halo Sleep Sacks - These kind of go hand in hand for me. When they were little, they loved the secure feeling of being swaddled, but those "swaddle blankets" you buy in the stores are tiny and don't serve their purpose at all. I have a whole drawer of them unused to prove it. So the Swaddle Me's make your little one feel secure, without the fear of your child waking to be re-wrapped 600 times per night. Now that my girls are a little bigger, they don't need to be swaddled, but I still want to have them covered. They are hot-bodies that don't like a lot of hot materials around them either. Right now we use their cotton sleep sacks. They aren't too binding, but don't make their little tootsies cold at night either. We've used the heck out of these.
9. Formula Dispenser - A staple item in the diaper bag. They serve their purpose well, the spout fits easily into the bottle so there is less spillage. They also stay tight and secure while bouncing around in the diaper bag. I'm probably going to be getting a third one to store cereal in for when we go down to grandma and grandpa's and we feed them solids.
10. EASY Baby Clothing - Now that I'm a mother, I can't stress this enough. Obviously the designers that designed infant clothing with non-stretchy, buttoned outfits never have had children of their own. I mean, come on. I know they look cute on the rack, but please step away when contemplating purchasing these. The new mother will thank you, instead of cursing you as she is trying to unbutton the back while the child is screaming from the blow-out they had all the way up their back. Some of my favorites easy clothing include: 
1. Gerber Sleepers (Tip: Gerber brand runs small, my girls almost always require the next size bigger) They are great because they zip up. I hate trying to line up snaps!
2. Circo Onesies - The best onesies out there in my opinion. They stretch nicely, they hold up to washings. They fit the best and my girls always look comfortable in them.
3. Anything Carters - They always have great deals online and very cute clothes. They do make outfits, with buttons (beware, lol), but they run true to size and hold up well and last a long time. If you're looking for something cute, you can't go wrong with this.

   I'm sure I could go on and on, but I'll stop at ten. I'll end with a picture of Tessa's new trick.

It doesn't look like it, but that is her foot!