Mama's Month - Baby Gear

I feel like I am the last mom on the planet to do one of these posts.  It's like a blogger's right of passage into mommyhood.  And while opinions widely vary on what a new mom should and should not buy (or does and does not need), I always find it interesting to see what certain people can't live without.  I really think that the baby industry has gone overboard and there really isn't all that much that we actually need to raise a baby, but I do love some items that just make life so much darn easier.  So if I had to get rid of the rest, these would be my top five picks for what I must have (minus diapers, wipes, a car seat, and other no-brainer essentials).

First up: the Fisher Price Space Saver High Chair.

When we got married, Josh's dad was super-generous and gave us his old dining room set.  Since we now had eight chairs for just the two of us, we decided that our home really did not need one more.  We opted to get this chair, since it straps onto a regular chair, and it's been one of our best purchases.  It reclines, so baby Jake could and now Lilly can sit in it and drink their bottles.  The pad comes out so it's easy to clean, but we just leave it out all the time now since toddlers are messy.  Plus, we can take it places with us, which is super convenient when we're traveling to stay with someone who does not have little ones.

Next is our video monitor... ours is the Summer Infant Slim and Secure, but I'm sure there are similar ones on the market.

Here's an item that I don't think is a necessity by any means, but it is SUPER nice to have.  The picture is clear enough to see that a newborn or infant is breathing and the night vision is fantastic.  Plus, I don't rush in there after every tiny noise because most of the time my kiddos are content just playing in their beds.  But honestly, it's the moments when you look at the screen and are totally taken off guard that make this little gadget worth it.  I once saw nothing but a bare baby bum and still have no clue how little Jake got his diaper off when he went to bed.  But it gave me a great laugh!  I will warn you though... it's hard to go to bed when you just want to watch your little one sleep soundly.

# 3 - My jogging stroller / travel system... ours is by BabyTrend:

I knew from the get-go that I wanted a jogger, and this one has been fantastic.  My sister has a BOB and aside from the canopy offering more coverage than mine, I think this one is just as good.  I've jogged with it numerous times and love that it has lots of cup-holders and storage space.  Our only complaint is that the seat only holds up to 22 pounds (whereas a lot go to 25), and since we make some solid children, they've both outgrown it by about six months old.  But all-in-all it's an affordable travel system, and a jogger is much easier to navigate through shopping malls, crowds, and uneven terrain.

# 4 - This is completely random and not on most people's lists I'm sure.  It's actually a new discovery for me- the travel bottle warmer:

Our family is on the go a lot and our kids are no strangers to road trips.  I frequently pump in the car and feed on the go, and this thing has been amazing to heat up refrigerated milk.  My pump did not make the list, but according to me, anything by Medela (I have the pump in style... but really, can you really pump "in style"?  There is nothing stylish about that process!) is the way to go.  Consider that a bonus item on the list!

I actually had a hard time coming up with a fifth, so instead of gear I'm just throwing in some things that I personally love, even though everyone is entitled to their own opinions.  This is just what works for my kids:

Diapers - Target brand are great if you've never tried them.  The polka-dots are cute, too.

Wipes - Huggies all the way for these tooshes.  They are thick and sturdy, which is a must.

Bottles - Playtex Drop-Ins.  Fewer parts to clean make this lady happy!

Swaddling Blankets - aden + anais... lightweight and big.  They make great nursing covers, too!

Steam Bags - Medela Quick Clean bags... great for pump and bottle parts as well as pacifiers!

Of course I could go on and on, which is why I chose for people to share only five.  I would love to see your favorites, too, and have a place where moms-to-be (or just moms in the market to update their current stuff) can find lots of suggestions.  If you did a post as part of my series, or if you've done a "Favorite Baby Gear" post in the past, please link it up with mine below!

Mama's Month - the Essential Diaper Bag

To diaper bag or not to diaper bag... that is the question.  When I was pregnant with Jake, I can remember being really excited about the idea of a new diaper bag.  I have always loved purses and handbags and have a pretty decent collection, and to me this just sounded like an excuse to add to the stockpile.  Knowing that I would be carrying it everyday, I wanted something that looked more like a purse and less like a baby bag, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that many of them do!  But while my indecisive self searched and searched, my sweet husband surprised me with this that Christmas:

He has great taste, doesn't he?  It is a great bag, very deep, and those two side pockets ended up being perfect to hold bottles.  Plus, it is big enough to hold anything and everything, including a swaddle blanket, which is what I use as a nursing cover-up.  My pump even fits in here, too!  But because all of this stuff fit, I will say that things often got lost in the abyss.  As much as I love this bad, it's like a big, black hole when you're trying to find your wallet, key, etc.  And the inside is also black, which doesn't help.  So before Lilly came along I went on the hunt again... two kids equals more stuff, which also means more to dig through.

As my search continued, I got yet another bag as a gift!  Yes, I have great friends.  Or perhaps my friends and family just know all to well that I can't make a decision.  So before Lil came along, this came in the mail for me (although it says "Lilly" on it):

Much like the first, this one is nice and roomy, too, and fits everything and anything.  It's thick, sturdy canvas, white on the inside (a plus!), and has multiple pockets on the inside.  Somehow, however, I still managed to lose everything in this bag.  Plus, I still wanted something that looked a little more like a purse; something I could carry to church, to the park, to the mall, or on a date.  So after months and months of having this on my bookmark list, I finally bit the bullet and bought myself a present:

Behold, the Timi & Leslie Dawn tote.  Ain't she a beaut?  I debated for a long time about this bag because of it's price tag, but let me tell you, buying an actual baby bag as opposed to making a regular bag into a baby bag is worth every penny.  A woman definitely designed this thing.  It has light-colored water-resistant interior, multiple pockets inside and out, and it comes with accessories: a small matching clutch for your wallet and phone, an insulted bottle holder, a changing pad, a messenger (cross-body) strap, and stroller straps.  Plus, the whole top zips shut and keeps Jake's tiny hands out of there.  I never knew how much I would love having a cross-body strap until I used one, and now I will never go back.  I've heard of people liking backpacks for the same reason as it is so much easier to juggle kids without a bag falling off your arm.  And the stroller straps?  Well, I finally got around to using them last week and, well, they are amazing.  My one complaint is that I've had a quality issue with one of the pieces of hardware, but that could be due to the heavy load I put in this thing.  But like I said, worth every penny.  If you're searching for a diaper bag, here are my suggestions (and this one has them all):

• Looks like a purse and not a diaper bag - check
• Lots of pockets - check - PLUS a key clip and additional accessories
• Light-colored interior - check
• Big enough for 2 kids' stuff but not huge and bulky - check
• Zip closure to keep everything in - check

I rarely spend money on myself any more, but I felt like this one was deserved.  If I'm going to carry around everyone's stuff, I might as well look good while doing it, right?  And I get a ton of compliments.  People are always surprised when I tell them it's a diaper bag!  Mommy-gear has come a long way!


So do share... what's your diaper bag of choice?