This photo has little to do with this post, aside from it containing a baby. BUT LOOK HOW CUTE SHE IS! She likes chillin' in the tub.
So there are the obvious things you'll need for a baby: crib, blankets, diapers, changing pad, car seat, etc. But here are some things I either didn't realize were so important or didn't know I needed. I looked at a lot of these lists online when I was preggo so I figured I'd make one of my own. These are must have goodies for at least the first few months, or what I think of as the survival days. I am still flying by the seat of my pants and learning as I go, so I've got no clue for the rest of the first year. And everyone is different, you might hate these things and swear by something else, but these are what worked for me.
I put links to some of the stuff we got, in case you're in the market. We mostly used (and still use) amazon for all our baby stuff, it's where we registered. And it's the bomb.
A swing. I mean this sounds obvious, but dang, you need a swing! I was kind of whatever about them because they're huge and unattractive (ha!) but they rock. (Puns!) Indy napped great in it when she was little and now it keeps her (momentarily) occupied while I cook/clean/whatever. We have a tiny little apartment so from where it is in the living room she can see me while I'm in the kitchen! And vice versa.
Plug in night lights: Oh man, this is something we had to go grab post baby. We just got a bunch of the cheapo plug in ones; there's one in our room, her room, and the living room. That way I can sneak around at night when I'm feeding/changing her without waking Brendon or getting Indy into party mode. Also so I don't trip!
Sun hat: We love being outside but are also vampires so this is a must. Indiana has my fair fair skin, but she loves being outside and so do we! The sun hat doesn't bother her at all and bonus, it's adorable.
Onesies: For real, all the onesies. Because as cute as those little dresses and shirts and pants are, ain't nobody got time or energy for dealing with that mess with a new baby. Indy lived in onesies for the first couple months and they're still our daily staple. Plus, they're hella cheap so if there's a bad blow out just toss 'em. You'll probably get a million at your baby shower.
Knee high socks: Indiana is a maniac. She's a wiggler and a kicker and has been since she was in my belly. Blankets get kicked off, as do little socks. Those little crew socks are super cute, but impractical. We bought a pack of long over the knee socks on Amazon and they're the best. Homegirl can't get them off! She wore them pretty much everyday when it was cooler, and even now sometimes in the mornings. And they're SO CUTE.
Lullago: This is what we use instead of a bassinet in our room. It's a fold up travel crib, so it doubles as a crib on the go! We love it. There are similar ones by other brands but this is what we got. It's bigger than a traditional basinet so I think you'd get a little more mileage out of it.
Rocking chair/glider: I almost went without. Just because we didn't have much space and they were a little pricy. That would have been a mistake. But my mom bought us a glider at the last minute and SAVED US. Like we got it the day I went into labor, it was close. Since day one I have used the hell out of that thing. I love it. My cats love it. Indy loves it. It's her calm place. We rock, a lot.
Swaddle Me's: I suuuck at swaddling with a blanket and Indiana is, as previously mentioned, a wiggle worm so she's been busting out of traditional swaddles since the her debut at the hospital. We were gifted the Swaddle Me's by a friend and they are a life saver!! Praise Velcro. So much easier and it helps her sleep. I'm dreading the day we have to stop swaddling her. Which will be very soon.
Humidifier: Maybe because Indy was born during the winter, but dang she'd get crazy boogers. So we got a humidifier and it's actually a pretty good white noise machine too, haha. And I think it helped my snot situation too.
One million burp cloths: I mean, duh. But seriously. Keep them everywhere. Because spit up happens, everywhere. I prefer the big flannel ones to those little narrow things. We ended up buying an extra pack. Bonus, Indiana likes to hold/chew on them soooo they're like a toy too! ;)
Boppy: Okay everyone swears by these for nursing but I didn't really use it until I started propping Indy up on it. We only used it for nursing a handful of times. It was just awkward with my body? I don't know maybe I was using it wrong. I liked just having her in my arms/on my tummy. But we chill together on the couch with the Boppy everyday. She sits in it while we play or I read to her. Plus it helps with tummy time. It's also a good head rest for grown ups and a decent cat bed.
Colorful wall art: Random, but for real. I put some vintage Disney posters above her changing table and homegirl LOVES them. She smiles and talks at them like crazy. We joke that she's in love with Peter Pan because seriously... that poster makes her so happy. Jungle Book too. When she's fussy sometimes I just let her stare at them. Baby rooms are so often all pastel everything but I swear, she looooves bright colored stuff! I made this rainbow felt star garland for her room that she is also very into staring at. Staring at stuff is her favorite.
Sling/soft carrier: I HATE carrying the car seat. I have zero upper body strength, and that sucker is heavy. Plus she's not nuts about hanging out in it when she could be out looking at the world. Thus I'm a big fan of baby wearing. We registered for an Ergo structured carrier, but Indy just sorta disappeared in it even with the infant insert when she was little bitty. So after she was born we ended up getting a ring sling and I loved it. Sooo easy and handy. We kept it in our diaper bag and we used that thing all the time. It's the only way we survived at HEB. Now that she's bigger (heavier) and even more wigglier, the Ergo works better than the sling. She tends to wiggle her way out of the sling, but there's no way she can escape the Ergo. I think a wrap would be a good medium between the two but we haven't tried one; I'm intimidated the actual wrapping part. But I highly recommend a sling for a newborn! And they make them in so many pretty colors and fabrics. Mine is linen but there are some silks out there... Woo!
Backpack diaper bag: I am not into diaper bags. They generally scream "diaper bag". So I found a backpack diaper bag that looks pretty much like a backpack. It's huge, and has a zillion pockets and all the diaper bag bells and whistles. And I tried to get one that was gender neutral so Brendon could carry it and not feel silly, but he says it's still girly. I think it's pretty chill. But the important part here is backpack. Hands freeee! Which is super nice and extra important when you're flying solo.
Nursing bras (I'm a fan of the Cake brand), tanks, pads: In a bigger size than you think! I had nursing bras ready to roll but my boobs got SO BIG when my milk came in that they didn't fit. We had to make an emergency target run after Indy was born. The emergency bras I got are now too big, but man, when your milk comes in you do NOT want restriction. You want those puppies to be free. But also not to leak milk everywhere so stock up on pads. They make reusable ones! Also nursing tanks are cool, I like to sleep in them. And when Indy was a newborn I lived in them. I wear normal shirts during the day now but at night it's easier to sleep in a tank. Just bust that boob out. ;)
Netflix: Mostly joking but seriously. Stock up on things to watch. Hunker down on the couch or in bed with your little one and binge. I swear all we did for the first two months was watch tv while Indiana snoozed on my chest. It was so good. A happy blurry daze of cuddles and sleep deprivation. Those days are gone. I'll get a few episodes of Gilmore Girls in during her afternoon nap but we spend a lot of time playing (aka me trying to entertain her) now. Which is awesome! Watching her learn and play is insane and so fun. But I do miss those lazy Netflix days. TAKE ADVANTAGE. Soak it in. Don't feel guilty, just bond with your baby and rest rest rest! Seriously!
I hope this was helpful, if you're expecting. Or thinking of one day expecting. I think there should also be a list of "things you don't need" because baby stuff man... you can go overboard. But I think we were pretty minimal on our registry so we haven't had too much unused stuff. There were some outfits she never wore. And Indiana has a million toys. But I guess eventually she'll play with them. (Am I the only one bothered by all that obnoxious bright plastic? I guess that's what babies are into?) Anyway, don't register for clothes or toys because you'll get them, by the truckload.
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