My Must Have Baby Items
We love this baby monitor and so do all the grandparents, let me explain. It’s a video monitor, you download the app and then you are able to see the baby, the temperature in the room, take photos, and if you have the smart swaddle you can monitor his breathing - which gives us such peace of mind (especially since he went to the NICU because of breathing problems). The grandparents all have the app, too, so they love to check on Jude, and they can even talk to him through the app. It might sound weird, but since they all live 1000 miles away…. they love that they can still check in on Jude.
We quickly learned that Jude won’t sleep unless he’s in a swaddle. We only had one Nanit swaddle…. and as you’ll see throughout this blog post, you need extra of everything you have to wash, haha. So we then ordered a 3 pack and that made our lives a lot easier. I also wish we had ordered more of the larger size right away because he grew out of the small size so quickly. These swaddles are great, he sleeps well in them and they allow the Nanit to track his breathing, so we sleep better at night too.
We use this second monitor too because it doesn’t use WiFi, so we don’t have to worry about not hearing Jude if the Internet goes out (which has happened). This is also a video monitor, it also tells us the temperature in the room, and the monitor is wireless so I can take it with me where ever I go. We will also use this monitor when we go on overnight trips.
We keep this downstairs in our kitchen/living room area. I actually texted my mom from the hospital to ask her to put it together because I knew it would be helpful to have. Let me tell you, it has saved us a lot of trips up and down the stairs. This one has a changing table and a little bed thing to use while he’s little. It even has a little basket to keep diapers, wipes, cream, all that! We change his diaper here all the time and when he was real, real little we set him in the bed and had him close to us while we were cooking to something like that.
This is the last thing I purchased for the nursery because it took me so long to decide on a changing table that 1. Fit on his small dresser and 2. Was aesthetically pleasing. But that’s not all that makes this changing pad great (wow, I sound like an infomercial) This changing pad is also a scale! So we track his growth on our own and it records it (which really saved the day when I realized I didn’t document what he weighed at one month and couldn’t remember… I just looked back on the app, and it was recorded!) The apps also allows you to record feedings, it has a stopwatch feature for when you’re breastfeeding, and you can track dirty diapers. And on top of all that, it super easy to wipe clean. I’m beyond happy we chose this changing pad!!
This. is. a. must. Because no one likes the smell of stinky diapers. And that’s all I’m going to say about that.
You’ll want lots of these. They are so cozy and so easy. Just make sure you get the zip kind - two zippers are even better! Because trying to button PJ’s at 3:00AM is not fun.
Lots of Soft Blankets
These are so nice to wrap little babe up in while they’re snuggling in your arms. Jude tends to spit up a lot, so they get dirty fast, so having quite a few is nice.
Lots of Burp Cloths
If you think you have enough…. get more, haha. The first week, we ended up ordering more. We keep some downstairs, but most of them in a basket in the nursery by the rocking chair upstairs. We go through these so fast. I feel like I’m just constantly washing and folding burp cloths.
This is another thing we ordered more of. We had two sets, but it’s nice to have more so that you don’t have to do laundry every single day. Now I have like 5 sets, not gonna lie. I love that these are waterproof.
This is such a great cozy little bed to put them in when they're little. It hugs them just right and is so handy when you need a break from holding them. Plus, not gonna lie, one of the big reasons I love it is that it’s great for taking photos of your little babe.
He loves this Swing/Bouncer from Ronbei! We have this one downstairs and every morning I put him in it while I make breakfast and at night when I make dinner. I love that it looks nice/matches our home, it is super lightweight so I can easily move it to where ever I am, and it reclines. He is currently in it as I write this blog! And I’m sure we will use this a lot when I go back to work and have a ton of editing to do.
This has been his favorite thing since he was teeny tiny. There are so many play mats to choose from, I love the colors of this one and it reminds me of Costa Rica, which is a plus. Judes loves looking at the animals and at himself in the mirror at the top.
Solly baby wrap (Similar one here)
This has been a game-changer. This wrap is the only way I get things done around the house, honestly. Jude loves to be in it, and he almost always immediately falls asleep. Super comfortable for me and him. We have the Baby Bjorn carrier too, and I do not like that one nearly as much. It’s not as comfortable for him, I still feel like I have to hold his head. So, at least while he’s so little, I’ll continue to use a wrap carrier. Oh, and It’s really not that hard to put on, if you’re worried about that!
We keep this one upstairs and it has been amazing!! Jude absolutely loves it! Even if he’s fussy he will usually calm down when I put him in this swing. It has so many different options for movement, plays sounds, and has a mobile, which Jude is so fascinated by! Highly recommend this!
*Please note that some of the links are amazon affiliate links, and I make a small commission when you shop through these links
