Things I couldn’t have lived without (not previously mentioned)

*This was written when Harlow was about 6 months old, as advice to my pregnant-at-the-time friend.  My own opinions.

• Rock n Play. (I couldn’t find the exact one, but here are several similar.)  I didn’t get this at my showers and had decided not to bother since we went out and bought a Pack-n-Play (next), but when we were in the hospital, a friend sent it with my parents and I decided to try it. Harlow slept in this until about 4-5 months old when I transitioned her into lying flat in her pack-n-play prepping her for crib at 6 months. During the day in the early days, I would carry her in it from room to and she would sleep wherever I ended up, night and day. So handy.

One of my favorite newborn-days photos. Abbey… awww…

• Pack-n-Play for travel. We got the one with the bassinette attachment (this one) and the diaper changing pad/storage attachment. Don’t bother. I barely used either one (although I did use and love the “higher level” attachment). I now also use the PNP to put toys in and keep her safe/occupied while I do stuff.  (I would have gotten this one, or similar, if I were to do it again…)  *Still use when we travel.
  

• Sleep Sack Swaddlers. The kind with the bagged out bottom but that straps their arms in. Harlow never liked having her feet secured, but the instant her arms were swaddled, her eyes would roll back in her head and she was out. We still use the Sleep Sack every night and love it! It keeps her warm without having the heat crazy cranked or having a blanket in with her, which is a scary thing. *Still use the Sleep Sack at 19 months!

• For bottle (and food container) labeling. This is one thing I wish I had found sooner. It took me a good 6 months, in which time I tried EVERYTHING, including buying ridiculously expensive “removable” bottle labels off of Etsy (F.U., Etsy!). Everyone says to just use masking tape, but when you have to write out name, date, oz, kind of milk, on 5-7 bottles a day, every day, it drives you crazy (and looks terrible, which I know most people don’t care about, but I’m me!). I tried so many kinds of printable labels, including the Etsy ones, and they ALL left horrible sticky residue. My last-ditch effort was these labels, which I picked, sortof at random, and I wouldn’t go back to any of the other options if you paid me. They work perfectly and I print out cute pictures on them so it looks cute, too! Because that’s who I am. Avery labels AVE22828. They stay on wonderfully (some I had tried in the past smeared and fell off while being heated, just leaving the nasty sticky stuff) and they come off, even after being wet, heated, etc, without a hint of residue!  *edited to update – They worked perfectly on the Medela bottles and smooth food containers, but once we got into the “bigger” bottles, they did leave a residue on the designs of the bottles… maybe because of the texture?

• Exersaucer – We were gifted the one that grows with the baby. It starts off as a floor mat toy, then you move on to the actual seat/bouncer, and when you have a walker, it becomes an activity table of sorts. As far as all that goes, it sounds good, but I think the simpler the better, because I was never really impressed with the floor mat toy, and we have since bought another activity table, but Harlow still loves the actual bouncer/Exersaucer, and we started putting her in it with a blanket prop at maybe 4 months old. It is a great way to occupy her while I’m making food or cleaning (ha! I did that about twice since having her). *We JUST put this away.  She used it as the bouncer until she was around 16 months old, then I set it up as the standing play station, and she played with it like that a little, but not much.

The simple hand-me-down one at Grandpa & Grandma’s.

• For the car. A mirror is great. It makes me nervous if I can’t see her, especially in the new days to make sure her face was uncovered, but now it is just nice to see her cute self. *I’m not sure which one we have, but it is a simple, inexpensive one.

• Plug In sound machine. I’ve used this every night of Harlow’s life. I love it. I also have a battery one (the Sleep Sheep Traveler) that shuts off after x-amount of time. Don’t bother. It is in a drawer after one too many times of turning off right when she was drifting off and waking her up again. *Munchkin Nursery Projector & Sound System – I’ve only ever used one sound, and Harlow never cared about the pictures it puts on the ceiling, but this is essential. 

• Sophie the Giraffe. This is one I’m reluctant to put on here. Sophie is around $30 for a little rubber giraffe, which I think is ridiculous. All my mom friends swear by it, but I was just not going to cave. Then, after we asked for it for Christmas and didn’t get it, Chris just went out and bought it. Harlow is obsessed with Sophie. I guess all the moms had a point after all!  *Still uses this!

So there you go!  Next up is This Not That…

Anything you have questions about?  Let me know!