What was your favorite baby item aka tips for Corey and Julie

[DVCsince02]

One note about diaper bags. Get one for each car. Fill it up and check on it about every 6 months or so to make sure the clothes and diapers still fit. I can't tell you how many times the diaper bag was in the other car. UGH!

 

[AuroraJae]

Agree re: the books. We often give them as shower gifts, and find we're often the only ones to do so.

Some good titles:

-- Pat the Bunny
-- Goodnight Moon
-- The Runaway Bunny
-- Corduroy
-- Are You My Mother?
-- Hop on Pop
-- Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?
-- Go Dog Go!
-- The Very Hungry Caterpillar
-- The Very Busy Spider
-- Where the Wild Things Are
-- Guess How Much I Love You
-- The Beatrix Potter books (Peter Rabbit, etc.)

We already have several that are on your list! I am a big reader, so books were some of the first baby items that we purchased. We have more books than anything right now! Yikes!

 

[AuroraJae]

Wow!! Thanks for all the advice and suggestions for things to consider or not. It is much appreciated and I'm sure Corey and I will find it all extremely helpful!

 

[DVCsince02]

Wow!! Thanks for all the advice and suggestions for things to consider or not. It is much appreciated and I'm sure Corey and I will find it all extremely helpful!

Here is another... I see your beautiful fur babies, so here is a tip for them. After you deliver the baby, the nurses will put a hat on him/her. Don't let the nurse trash it after it becomes dirty. Have Corey take it home to let the dogs smell and play with. It will prepare them for the new arrival.

 

[Beka]

My breast pump! If you are going to breast feed, use one! It will free you up! Medela has a great website that shows how to BF properly, as well as La Leche League. (Those websites are a great resource, and Medela has a lactation consultant who e-mailed me back in less than 24 hours!)

Also, sleep n play outfits for baby. (They look like footed pjs.) They will keep the baby warm, and it won't have to be swaddled or wrapped up in a blanket all the time.

Our swing! He loves it! (Conner is 2 weeks old tomorrow.) He hates his bassinet because he has too much room to move, and the swing makes him feel cozy and cuddled, even if it's not moving. We have the papasan swing.

We have the Diaper Champ. Love it! It doesn't take special bags like the Diaper Genie does, and has done a great job keeping smells down. We have 2 dogs who get into the trash constantly, and they haven't even noticed the Diaper Champ.

 

[Madi100]

We already have several that are on your list! I am a big reader, so books were some of the first baby items that we purchased. We have more books than anything right now! Yikes!

We have tons of books, too. Our DD has always had a full bookshelf. I belonged to more book clubs when she was little... Of course, she reads them fast enough now and won't read them twice that she needs to just be hitting the library.

 

[tinkbutt]

Julie you should also get

the monster at the end of this book

a rainbow of my very own


my grandpa use to read me the rainbow book every time he would visit. It is definitely my favorite from my childhood I found it at barnes and noble!

 

[drakethib]

Not so much to use when a baby but after a little while these are saviors.

 

[Torontogal]

1. Advent bottles
2. Exersaucer
3. Baby Swing
4. A good diaperbag which won't rip
5. High chair - I got the evenflow one which converts to a table and chair when they become toddlers.
6. Baby monitor

Good books --

What to expect when you are expecting
What to expect the first year

 

[mejkjj97]

We also love books. My husband use to read to my belly while I was pregnant almost every night. This got us into the habit or reading nightly to our daugher before she was born. Here are a few of our favorites authors and books

Doreen Cronin
Giggle, Giggle Quack-
Click Clack Moo
Duck for President

Sandra Boynton (we love all her books but here are a few)
Snuggle Puppy
Barnyard Dance
Pajama Time
the going to bed book
What wrong, Little Pookie

 

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

Here is another... I see your beautiful fur babies, so here is a tip for them. After you deliver the baby, the nurses will put a hat on him/her. Don't let the nurse trash it after it becomes dirty. Have Corey take it home to let the dogs smell and play with. It will prepare them for the new arrival.

Yes this is a must. Our minpin slept under the bassenet and gaurded the baby; it was so cute. Now the poor thing gets tormented by our crazed toddler.

Another tip. I have way to many. We loved thos open bottom night gowns. Even for a boy. LOL. You have to change them so often at first that just pulling it up was way easier than all those snaps or buttons.

 

[Beka]

Another tip. I have way to many. We loved thos open bottom night gowns. Even for a boy. LOL. You have to change them so often at first that just pulling it up was way easier than all those snaps or buttons.

Those are great too, but be sure to put socks on with them, because their feet get cold. (Those gowns are called layettes.)

 

[LilGMom]

Another tip. I have way to many. We loved thos open bottom night gowns. Even for a boy. LOL. You have to change them so often at first that just pulling it up was way easier than all those snaps or buttons.

We called those potato sacks and I just loved them!!

 

[daneenm]

We loved thos open bottom night gowns. Even for a boy. LOL. You have to change them so often at first that just pulling it up was way easier than all those snaps or buttons.

LOVED these. My babies lived in these for the first few weeks and then still at night for as long as I could squeeze them into them. SO good for the middle of the night changing.

--Daneen

 

[mantysk8coach]

We called those potato sacks and I just loved them!!

The thing I didn't like about those though, were that when you pulled them up to change the diaper, they gathered around the waist, in the exact area where you were trying to fasten the diaper.

I like sleepers, and sleep "bags" that zip. Snaps are a total PITA to try to do in the middle of the night. Zippers are sooooo much easier than snaps for quick changes!

 

[DisDarling]

I think every new mom needs an endless supply of nursing pads for herself and onesies for the baby- never had enough of either of them!

Ames

 

[CelticBelle]

One thing that I think is a fabulous idea is a coffee can. My grandma and mom both did this for my sister and I and it really is special. They would take an old coffee can and cover it with paper and our nicknames (aka Babycakes...or sweetpea!) Then they would put in spare change and little special things. I have old disney dollars and silver dollars in my cans. They were given to us after our high school graduation. And it was like a little time capsule.

I know its not immediatly helpful for a baby, but a really special long time project!

 

[grizbuzz]

Wow, it's already been a few years... Different things worked for each baby but here's what I can remember being useful for both little ones:

• "Happiest Baby on the Block" by Harvey Karp. Must read, especially if the little one happens to be a little colicky.
  
• Good Diaper Rash Cream. My absolute favorite brands were California Baby and Mustela - though not cheap they worked when other brands didn't. Both brands also have very good sunblock.
  
• Mirror for baby's car seat, so you can see them even when they are facing backwards (so you can see that baby is indeed sleeping and still breathing when all of a sudden crying stops).
  
• Baby carrier. I used the Baby Bjorn, but it looks like there might be some new stuff that's come along since then.
  
• Bouncy Chair. I think we had the vibrating one. I must admit to once or twice puting the baby in the bouncer, turning on the baby massage, putting in a baby einstein video and taking a minute or two to brush my teeth and get dressed.
  
• Exersaucer. Good for both of my active kids.
  

 

[Torontogal]

Julie,
I think it is a great time to start the scrapbooking hobby (if you don't scrapbook already). It is a fun and relaxing hobby and you can start by taking photos of your pregnancy, etc. I wish I had started when I was pregnant.
It is also great to invest in a good quality video camera for all those precious memories. We bought our camera before my 1st was born in 1999 and have video of every major milestone from both my kids. First steps, first words, first Christmas, first day of school and yes, first trip to see the Mouse!
When I watch the videos - I cannot believe how fast they have grown! (they are 8 and 5 now)

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

I also agree with the Happiest Baby books and also you can take what you need out of the Dr. Sears books. I had to put down the "What to Expect" (and so did most of my girlfriends and I've been in medicine for 20+ years), because I felt they focused too much on the "what can go wrong" and went for the paranoia pregnancy angle. Don't get caught up in that, because it is way too easy to, when the hormones start raging.

On the paranoia thing - one big piece of pregnancy advice - by law, all cheeses sold in America must be pasturized. Some states can get around that with loopholes, but it is still illegal in most. I checked the sales laws internet (www.realmilk.com and www.cheesemaking.com) and Florida is a "raw milk products are illegal for human consumption" state. Products must be labels "For Pet Food" if they contain any raw milk. Farms in FL do sell it privately and directly (ie, bring your own bottle/packaging) under a "don't ask, don't tell" policy and they cover their butts with the "Pet Food" disclaimer.

Most average people in America and many doctors do not know that and get extremely parnoid/rude to you when they see you eating cheese during your pregnancy. This means that if you are a cheese lover, go ahead and eat those cheeses that you like and ignore the books. You will not be harmed from them.

Nancy