Baby Must Haves: Essentials

Registering was so overwhelming for me as a first time mom. I read through hundreds of blog posts from other mamas and also compared tons of reviews. In the weeks that followed our baby shower, I was so happy to see so many moms state that their favorite products were ones on my registry! I am really confident in the items we chose, so I thought I would share our choices with you. Over the next few weeks I will cover all the major groups of items and gear that we own for our little one. I also plan to update you all as time passes and we use these things once she is born.
Carter's Zip Front Fashion Tote Diaper Bag: My friend actually owns this in brown. I love all the compartments, I love the size, I love that it doesn't look like a diaper bag, and most of all, I love the price. I couldn't justify spending hundreds on a diaper bag, so I am really happy with the quality I got for such a low cost.
WubbaNub Lamb: If I am being honest, I chose this at first because it was cute. In the weeks that followed my friend's giving birth, they swore to me that these are lifesavers! They are easy for a newborn to grasp and hold on to and they make losing a pacifier near impossible.
Puj Flyte Compact Infant Bath: The compact version had better reviews that the normal one, plus I liked the idea that it takes up even less space and is easy to travel with. It can work with a ton of sinks, so this was way better for us than buying a bulky plastic baby tub.
Brica Baby In-Sight Mirror: This is pretty much on everyone's registry. It let's you keep an eye on your baby while you are driving. Pretty self explanatory. I registered for the same one Ryan's sister has.
Gerber Organic Prefold Cloth Diapers: I registered for these not necessarily as cloth diapers, but as burp cloths. My mom had these when I was little and then they turned into dust rags as we got older. 26 years later and she still uses them! I liked the organic cotton ones because they are much softer than the regular ones.
Soothie Pacifiers: These are the same pacifiers used at our hospital and also connect to the WubbaNubs we have. I also love that they come in a bunch of colors - so we got pink and purple.
Sophie The Giraffe: Ryan hates that I got this. He thinks it is an expensive "dog toy". But review after review says otherwise. This is hands down the most loved teething toy out there. I also registered for one of their other toys for kids that are a bit older.
Ergo Baby Carrier: I went back and forth on so many carriers. I do have a "wrap" or two. But after spending a weekend camping with our friends, I got to experience an Ergo firsthand. My friend said her back never hurts and her daughter loves being in it. I also didn't realize it was so easy to use and isn't as big as it looks in photos. I am part of a buying co-op so I got mine for 1/3 of the price. The only issue is that Ryan may not love walking around in gray stars - but I love the one we got.
Satsuma Baby Mittens: A ton of my friends swear that these are the only mittens that stay on their newborns' hands. We got two different pairs: cream and pink.
Aden + Anais Bamboo Swaddles: I must confess, I am obsessed with these blankets. I own two different packs of the Bamboo ones and one of the plain muslin. The first time I saw this Mela print, I had to have them. I also have the Diwali print and the For The Birds print. These appeared on almost every registry I looked at and everyone swears that they are worth the higher cost. One thing I did find out: the quality of the ones that are sold at Target are NOT the same as the original ones online.


Check out one of the sweetest ladies I know: