first year must haves

i have been getting a lot of questions lately about baby must have's. i love talking baby gear. like, a lot. so i decided to get all of my favorite first year items down in one spot. here goes nothing.

GO TO'S: 

• the bob stroller - if i could do it again, i wouldn't register for a whole carseat/stroller get up. pick out the car seat you like and get the bob insert for the baby carrier. you will love this thing. worth every penny. 
• we use dr. brown glass bottles. i like them both a lot. the glass are super freaking heavy but i went with them because i knew they'd last longer for next baby. (we use the plastic sometimes too, but just have more glass bottles so end up using the plastic when we haven't run the d/w in a day. (seriously, dishes.never.end.)
• binkies - we love the nuk brand. they seemed to be the only one's that stayed in wyatt's mouth but i know others that liked advent. we just went with the nuks because, well, i think the colors are stinking cute. and there was this little whale binky that they made and i couldn't resist. 
• the baby book by dr. william sears has been awesome. great registry item. awesome go-to in the freak out moments while you wait for your ped's nurse to call you back :)
• burp rags -- my faves are made my moonbeam baby. you can personalize them and they are adorbs. they wash really well, and they are thick.
• little wash cloths -- the circo washcloths are perfect texture and thickness. we used them all the time when he was an infant and now he loves them for teething. we put them in the freezer sometimes. we also use a couple during bath time. he usually has one hanging from his mouth the whole time. 
• the cute boon bath frog is one of our faves along with any of the boon bath toys -- wyatt LOVES them. such a fun gift. (they even have this cute little lady bug version which i love too!) 
• the sophie doll. a must have for teething. plus she's just plain cute. 
• nuk tippy cups are freaking cute. and the handles are perfect for little teeny tiny chunky knuckled hands! i get ours at safeway, for real. we were able to start him on these pretty early -- the size is perfect and the texture of the spout is comfortable for him because it's super similar to his bink.
• mustela baby lotion, bath wash, and liquid cleaner. someone got me this for a shower gift and i got to try everything early on. this smell is so awesome. (keep this in mind though -- in the begiining your babe won't need a lot of this stuff. during bath time, do bath wash like every other time -- so if you do bath time every couple of days, use soap every other time. soap really dries baby skin out. i learned the hard way!) 
• unscented detergent -- i have to admit, this one was hard for me to accept. i love the smell of laundry, especially on cute little baby clothes. but, the scented yumminess of tide, dried his skin out so bad. (also, another tip - don't use dryer sheets when you wash your babe's clothes) 
• carter onesies -- i found these were always the best price on the carter's site OR at the outlet store. plus, these are just plain good quality. i know i'll use these for our next babe. we have a ton! 
• aden & anais swaddler blankets -- my biggest regret? not buying the the bamboo set. they really are amaze balls. so soft, love love love. adorable. you will use these a ton -- they are small enough to stuff a couple in your diaper bag - perfect to use as a cover up for nursing too. (wyatt hated the hooter hider.)

FOR MAMA:

• get these. the best thing my bestie did was have these in my fridge, nice and cold before i even had the babe. 
• medela nipple shields -- if you nurse, your nips will freaking kill about day 2 into nursing. these are rad because your sensitive nips won't stick to the inside of your nursing tank/bra. get two sets. at least.
• medela lanolin - way better then lansinoh brand if you ask me. 
• nipple pads - my fave's are johnson & johnson brand (and actually find them cheapest at the grocery store of all places -- $7.99). they even have a little nip bump in them. hilarious. but i also love the lansinoh disposable one's better then medela brand. both are good and individually wrapped. i also bought about 3 pairs of washable organic pads - these are good to have on hand too. i leaked like crazy that first two weeks so i needed these bad. (one thing though - i didn't need these a lot until later because i used the shields every single day for the first 4 months). i ended up with some "issues" about 8 months in and had to use the pads every day.
• nipple gel pads - these were great the first two weeks - they are just cool stickable pads for your nips and they are super soothing. i think i had the medela brand. love. 
• nursing tanks - glamourmom brand seriously rocks. they are expensive, but SUPER high quality. and snug. 
• gap maternity leggings were rocked throughout my pregnancy but also the first 2 months postpartum. they were so cozy. i would still wear my black pair if they fit! 
• gap maternity yoga pants are also awesome for pregnancy and after. and of course, anything lululemon.
• medela free style pump - this thing rocks. thank you, lindsay! i can pump anywhere with this thing and don't have to tote around that big pump bag anymore. you also should get the quick steam bags. seriously - so easy to clean your pump parts with this thing daily!

MORE BABY GOODS:

• the halo sleep sack with the velcro swaddler -- i had one in small and then ended up with 2 mediums. we used them every night starting at about 2 months. seriously though - every baby is different. it's just nice to have a few of these on hand. 
• pack n' play -- we have the capri graco. loved it at all stages. especially all of the vibrating options! 
• favorite boppy cover ever - cutest color, best fabric, so soft. washes great. love. 
• lamb sound machine -- so cute. and has a few different sound options (ocean waves, heart beat were the ones we used the most) and at one point it was the only thing that allowed ty and i to eat dinner together. we don't use it as much now, but there was something about it early on -- it was portable, so that was super nice. we do have about 3 three of these in our house and have used them for years and years. i grew up with this sound machine, and it still works. we have one in our room and wyatt's room. worth the investment for anyone that appreciates a good night sleep. hello, everyone. 
• mylicon - this is a must for a gassy baby. does freaking wonders. they have the generic brand at most grocery stores for MUCH cheaper than the brand name God send.
• gripe water - another must for gassy, upset tummies
• cool mist humidifier - the crane drop is so cute. so many fun colors. 
• this is my favorite highchair booster - i wouldn't have even registered for a high chair if i knew how awesome this seat was.
• teething tablets - have no clue if these really work but i think wyatt loves them and if anything, they distract him from whatever he has going on. here's the thing - it's a freaking guessing game early on. i noticed that when i gave him one of these things right before nap time, it would calm him down and he would lay his head down instantly and pass out. no clue. #whatever works. :)
• these robeez boots. they don't really get much cuter than this!

TOYS THAT ALLOW ME TO MAKE DINNER:

• stand up play stations - this fisher price one is our favorite. the songs are kind of disco-ey (real word) and wyatt shakes his booty every time he plays with it. need i say more? 
• melissa & doug car/plane/truck wood toy
• melissa & doug blocks
• this rattle and this rattle ball - for some reason this kid still loves these things! 
• mirror anything - like this hanging mirror and this little snail toy
• vtech red gangly arm toy 
• this new recycle truck has bought me about 5 minutes. worth gold. made from recycled plastic!
• these keys are awesome during dinner out, hanging on the high chair. they were awesome on his carseat as an infant too! 

there is a lot of stuff out there, as you know. but this is stuff that i remember because it actually made or is making a difference for me at some point. if i were to do my registry again, every single one of these items would be on there. good luck to you mama's! and pass it on for those out there that have other must have's! list them in the comments why don't ya!