family

Baby Must-Haves

Snuggle Me Organic/Dock-A-Tot Lounger: we received a Dock-A-Tot for Hunter and a Snuggle Me Organic for Beckham. Hunter was 50/50 with the Dock-A-Tot. Beckham disliked the Dock-A-Tot and more so enjoyed the Snuggle Me.
- The MAJOR points:
  - Price point: Dock-A-Tot is a bit more expensive than the Snuggle Me.
  - Dock-A-Tot is padded where you lay baby (easy to use on floor/hard surface) whereas Snuggle Me is just fabric which would require a softer surface.
  - Both covers are removable, interchangeable, and washable.
The Ollie Swaddle: I’m not sure why this is so hard to find now (and is way price gauged on amazon – find it at Target here). This was a GAME CHANGER. Both babies could break out of any swaddle they wanted to in their sleep. First off- this is extremely easy to use, is so stretchy and soft, and has industrial strength velco to keep them swaddled. Both boys LOVED this and I swear by it 100%.
Woolino Sleep Sack: this is the next sleeping “bag” I swear by. Neither baby (or me) liked the Halo, Swaddle Me, etc. Hunter used his Woolino until he moved to his big boy bed. It’s made of wool, is temperature regulating, and slightly weighted. One sleep sack accommodates 2 months-2 years, they have footed ones, etc. Their ultimate sleep sack is also car seat friendly so you can easily move your sleeping baby right into their crib 🙂 CLICK HERE to save 10% on your Woolino order!
Sophie la Girafe, Penguin Hand Teether, LouLou Lollipop Rings: both boys were obsessed with their Sophie (she’s nice to chew on AND cute). The penguin teether fits onto their hand so it’s anti-drop which is soooo important, especially now.
Silicone Pacifier Clips: not only cute but perfect for teething/fiddling babies!
BIBS Pacifiers: so many people raved about these pacifiers and I will say, this is the only one Beckham will consistently take. Very similar to breastfeeding/nipples.
WubbaNub Pacifier: Hunter loved these as a baby and Beckham does too. I think Beckham enjoys chewing on the paci part vs sucking it and loves the plush animals.
BABYBJORN Swing: both boys LOVED this. Simple, different elevation settings, washable cover. The more baby kicks, the more it bounces.
Solly Baby Wrap + Ergo Carrier: I love the Solly wrap for the newborn/infant stage. It’s so soft and cuddles baby so close. The Ergo is great and offers good support once they’re bigger, heavier, and moving.
Copper Pearl Swaddle Blankets: these are my FAVORITE. The biggest, softest, stretchiest, easiest blanket to swaddle with. Both babes hated the muslin blankets/they never worked.
Lily Jade Diaper Bags: this is definitely my new favorite bag. With Hunter, we had a Freshly Picked bag, but I felt like we outgrew it quick (due to space). My Lily Jades have so many compartments to stay organized and are very spacious! Can be worn as a backpack, crossbody, or on the shoulder. Real or vegan leather options.
Hatch Rest Sound Machine: this is a must-have for both babies AND us! We got so used to sleeping with one when Hunter was an infant that we can no longer sleep without the waves sound LOL. Can control from your phone, has 16+ sounds/colors/controls.
Nest Camera: we chose to go with Nest cameras for our baby monitors. The quality is outstanding, it records every movement/sound for playback, you can talk through the camera and we can use them around the house once we don’t need a monitor anymore! Plus- you can tune into the camera from wherever you are, no matter how far.
4moms Pack & Play: this was a lifesaver not only for traveling, but when both babies slept in our room. Hunter HATED bassinets (no clue why) but would sleep in here and his crib no problem. Beckham would’ve outgrown the bassinet so quickly so we just used this until he moved into his crib. Has a bassinet/changing area insert you can place on the top which is super convenient.
4moms MamaRoo Swing: we bought this swing for Beckham because the one we used for Hunter (Rock n Play or whatever, which he loved) had been recalled. I do like the options for different motions, speeds, and built-in sound machine. Can also adjust the elevation of the seat.
Boppy Pillow: this is the only support pillow I used for breastfeeding. I tried “My Breast Friend” and thought it was a bit bulky and not as easy to carry around. Boppy can also be used for tummy time/lounger/sitting support.
On Becoming Babywise book: this is the book I used as a guide for sleep-training. I would 10000% recommend this. I know many of you swear by Taking Cara Babies too. While I didn’t use that one, I believe they adopt the same idea of “eat, play, sleep” scheduled.

Other items that we’ve used for the last couple years that we LOVE:

Uppababy Vista Stroller: comes with toddler seat and bassinet. Can hold 2 toddler seats, toddler seat + bassinet, 2 bassinets, car seat + toddler seat… you get the idea. You can also get a kickstand for a third (older child) to ride along!
Uppababy Mesa Car Seat: works interchangeably with the stroller system- no adapters needed. Has a top safety rating as well!
Wonder Space Floor Mat: this is AWESOME for when baby starts sitting up on their own!! Instead of laying a bazillion pillows everywhere, just plop them in here! So spacious, keeps them in one area and is like a soft tempurpedic on the bottom. I could sleep on this LOL!
Dr. Brown’s Anti-Colic Bottles: these were the only bottles that helped ease Hunter’s spit up/colic and the only ones we use for Beckham! They have more pieces than your regular bottle, but has a valve inside that really prevents any extra air from getting into baby’s belly.
Burp cloths: you can never have too many, especially if you have a spitty baby (like Hunter!)
Bandana bibs: love these for multiple reasons- they’re cute, good for first time eaters, super soft, good to catch drool/spit up.
Activity Gym: any sort of gym with dangles will do- both babies loved them so much!
MilkSnob Car Seat Cover/Nursing Cover: I LOVE this one. Material is so soft and stretchy. Perfect for car seats and perfect for nursing in public! Washed/dries super quick too.
Extra sheets: blowouts, potty, spit up… you will definitely want a change of sheets.
Haakaa Manual BreastPump: this is great for placing on the opposite side that baby is nursing from. It catches any letdown milk so you can store it for later!
Nipple Balm: I love the Honest brand. It was the only one that worked for me (and I tried A LOT)
Nose Frida Aspirator and Picker: these are great for getting little boogies out gently and easily.

Things we could have done without/wouldn’t buy again:

Bassinet itself (of any kind): we tried the Halo and while I liked the concept, Hunter HATED it. We didn’t even try it for Beckham and it’s a good thing we didn’t. We tested out the bassinet from our stroller for naps since it’s portable and he hated that. No clue why. We used the portable pack & play in our room when we had him sleeping in our room initially.
Wipes warmer: we never had one and don’t feel like our kids suffered in any way 😆 I’ve also only heard that they barely are even warm after you pull them out. They can get pricy and just isn’t worth it.
Baby Food Maker: this was just another appliance with a baby label on it IMO. Just use your own blender or food processor!
Separate nightlights: our Hatch Rest sound machine has built in nightlight to it so we just use that in the boys rooms!