Must Haves For Month 1

When faced with the daunting task of creating a baby registry, I was beyond overwhelmed (as I'm sure many of you have been).  Really?! There is a whole wall of bottle nipples at Babies R' Us.  How the heck was I supposed to know what I would need?  What's really funny is that we have an entire kitchen cabinet full of different kinds of baby bottles, and Max will (maybe) take one bottle a week.  We hardly use them at all.

So, I was thinking that it might be helpful if I shared all of our "must haves for the first month".  (Maybe I'll look back at this post when we have Baby #2 to remember all of the important goods.  No, there are not any plans for Baby #2 any time soon!)

So, here are the things that we absolutely could not live without for the first month of Max's life.  I'll do a follow-up post for months 2-3 soon.

Necessities for the Nursery

1.  plain white cloth diapers
We have ALL kinds of burp cloths.  We have baskets filled with cute patterned, monogrammed burp cloths.  And, we rarely use them.  That's because these boring cloth diapers work better than anything---and they hold up better than any others we have.  Coming from a mommy of a little boy who does a lot of spitting up (even after Zantac), these are a must-have.

2.  aden + anais Life's a Hoot 4-Pack Swaddle Blankets
Friends talked me into putting these on our registry.  I didn't see what the big deal was.  They seemed way overpriced, and we had tons of baby blankets already.  But, I use these all of the time.  They are awesome for swaddling since they are so big.  They are light-weight, so they can be thrown over the carseat when you're out in public.  Once I opened the first pack, I went out and bought 3 more.

3.  changing pad covers
Buy these.  In bulk.  You might will be changing them ALL of the time--especially if you have a boy who likes to sprinkle his tinkle all over the place.  I like the minky ones by Boppy--they come with coordinating white cloth covers too!

4.  MAM pacifiers
We have tried what seems like hundreds of brands/types of pacifiers.  This little guy will only take one kind.  So, we stocked up.  Binkies have a way of disappearing faster than you can pull them out of the package.  I swear that I will probably be finding them in twenty years under my couch.

Where Do I Put this Baby?

1.  Snuggabunny Swing
Max slept in the Snuggabunny swing for the first month of his life.  It was the ONLY place where he would sleep.  He still loves it, and he usually takes his long morning nap in the swing.  He's definitely getting too big for it now, and it's only a matter of time before he outgrows it.

2.  Moby Wrap
When Max was diagnosed with colic at 3 weeks old, he was a crabby, fussy baby (nothing like he is today). He wanted to be moving all of the time and didn't like to be put down anywhere.  I was bouncing 24/7.  For the first month of his life, I got absolutely nothing done around the house. Laundry?  It sat until JB or my mom offered to do it.  Dinner?  Ha-I am still trying to figure out how to make dinner.  So, I learned to wear Max in the Moby Wrap, and it was the one way we could both be happy and get things done at the same time.  I have the Britax baby carrier too--which I also use when I"m out and about.  But, the Moby was especially comfy when he was a newborn munchkin.

3.  Britax Carseat
I did a lot of research on carseats and strollers.  I consulted friends, online resources, and books. Here's what I came up with.  All carseats have to pass a mandatory safety code.  So, they're all pretty safe.  I liked this one, because it has extra safety features (side airbags) and the easy clickable LATCH secure system.  The only downfall to it, is that it is very heavy.  I have the bruises on my legs to prove it.

4.  Fisher Price Rainforest Activity Center
We used the mat for tummy time each day (without the activity bars).  He likes the tactile pieces attached to the mat and now can see the bright colors.  I like that it is so easy to clean--just toss the mat in the washing machine and the toys can go in a bucket with soap (or in the dishwasher).

Personal Care

1.  American Red Cross Grooming Kit
Oh, those little baby fingernails....that come in the form of sharp, pointy daggers that leave big scratches all over your sweet baby face.  First we tried to cut them with the baby nail clippers.  And, he bled--all over the place.  And, I cried.  They're so thin and connected to the skin, which makes them impossible to trim.  Then, we tried filing them with a nail file.  But, there always seemed to be one we missed.  Finally, we figured out that the key is using the baby scissors and then filing the corners.  And STILL, there are times that we miss a sharp little dagger.  We've found that the key is to do this when Max is sound asleep.

2.  Fisher Price Aquarium Tub
Max loves tubby time.  Even when he was fussy with colic and reflux, he seemed calm and still when he was in the tub.  He would probably stay in there until he was shriveled up if we let him.  This tub has a great hammock for newborns (he has almost outgrown it).  We've used it on the kitchen counter before, but we usually just keep it right in our big garden tub.  Then, we can get in there too, and the water stays contained in one place for the most part.

3.  Aquaphor Healing Ointment
I've been using Aquaphor for years as a lip balm.  It is always in my purse.  Now I use it on Max.  He has never really had diaper rash (knock on wood), but he got a little red once or twice.  A thin layer of Aquaphor made it go away immediately.  Sometimes his cheeks get a little red and dry from bathing or being out in the cold.  I lather him in Aquaphor and he's good as gold.  It's like Windex in my Big Fat Greek Wedding--Aquaphor fixes everything.

4.  Dr. Brown's Bottles
Like I said in the beginning of this post, we have a lot of different kinds of bottles.  I've tried 2-3 different kinds with Max, but he seems to like Dr. Brown's the best.  Other people seem to not like them, because they have a lot of parts.  That doesn't really bother me, but then again, I only use one per week.

So, that's a list of our most favorite things from Max's first month. Some of them we still use, and some of them he has outgrown already. We have lots of new favorites now too.  What were your favorite things for a newborn??