Full disclosure: I am an obsessive researcher. My pregnancy was essentially a nine month long Google search. Most of my extensive preparation paid off and I ended up with some items that were complete game changers for me and our new life with baby Wyatt. I narrowed my list of must haves down to 10, because I wanted to keep it concise and only share items that, in my opinion, were true necessities. I’ll also share a few things that were just ‘nice to have’ at the end of the post.

1. Summer Infant SwaddleMe Original Swaddle, Fox friends print. These were amazing once Wyatt was about 3-4 weeks old and no matter what I did, he managed to get un-swaddled when I used traditional swaddle blankets. I started using this and was able to velcro him in snugly so that he couldn’t wiggle his little arms out, but not too tightly that he wasn’t comfortable. They also have a zip-up version that can be used when baby is brand new, which I’ll definitely be purchasing next time. I used the small size until Wyatt was about 4 months old, then I switched to the transitional swaddle by the same brand.

2. Cat & Jack Baby Boys’ 3 Pack Sleep N’ Play, Navy/Heather Grey. To the genius that decided to create these life changing zip-up pajamas: thank you and I love you. These particular pjs have an inverted zipper, which makes all of the late night diaper changes that happen in those early days so much easier. Plus, I love Cat & Jack because their quality is amazing and just about everything they make is adorable. There are other brands that make the inverted zipper, but these are the ones that I preferred because of the fabric and quality.

3. Fisher-Price My Little Snugapuppy Deluxe Bouncer. I actually loaned borrowed this bouncer from my sister-in-law, because I didn’t think I would need one in addition to the MamaRoo. But, I was wrong. All the showers and baths I took during those first few months were basically because of this bouncer. I never even used the vibration or sound features, it was just a comfy & safe place for me to put Wyatt. And he actually really enjoyed being in it.

4. Gerber Birdseye 3-Ply Prefold Cloth Diapers. These make the best burp cloths. I actually didn’t start using these until Wyatt was a few months old. I used burp cloths that my mom made me, which are still in the rotation and well loved. Around 4 months old Wyatt started spitting up a lot more and I had to build up a larger stash of burp cloths. I had heard people mention using prefolds, so I tried it out and it’s amazing. They’re soft, they wash well, and they’re relatively inexpensive. Bonus: my mom sewed fabric on one side, which made them adorable and even better.

5. Skip Hop Explore-and-More Amazing Arch Activity Gym. I ended up with two other play mats from my baby shower’s that Wyatt seemed to really enjoy, but I had a hard time getting him to like tummy time on them since most of the fun toys were overhead. I ended up discovering this activity mat and bought it as Wyatt’s Christmas gift (so he was about 2 1/2 months old when he started using it). I love that the arch can be moved so that they can see and touch the toys both on their tummy and their back. Wyatt absolutely LOVED the fox that dances to music/sounds. The only drawback is that a couple of the toys have batteries that can’t easily be replaced, without sewing and buying special batteries. Also, the dancing fox (if you use it as much as we did) eats up batteries like crazy. That may just be a testament to how often we used this though…(and still do).

6. Ingenuity Smart and Simple Deluxe Playard, Vesper/Grey. I registered for this particular pack-n-play for so many reasons. It’s washable, has a mobile/dream center that displays stars on the ceiling (& plays lullabies), is easy to assemble/disassemble, has a changing station…the list goes on. Wyatt slept in the bassinet until he grew out of it around 2 months old, then he slept in the middle section for a couple weeks until he started sleeping in his crib at 2 1/2 months. We now use this when we travel and in the living room as a safe place to play (& stay contained). Highly, highly recommend.

7. Little Martin’s Drawer Baby Nail File. I actually did not buy this until just recently, after giving up on the traditional nail trimmers. I could never get through a trimming session without someone crying, either Wyatt or me. I finally found this electric nail file, ordered it, used it a few times this week, and it’s amazing. I just wish I had this sooner.

8. Summer Infant Deluxe Baby Bather. This bath chair is awesome and ended up working out better than our 4moms Infant Tub. Don’t get me wrong, I like the 4moms tub, but it (sadly) barely even fit in our kitchen sink since we have a single sink bowl. And it was way too big for our bathroom sinks. It would take 15 minutes just to prep for the bath, because…dishes. When Wyatt was about 3-4 weeks old, I decided I wanted to try something more simple and ended up with this particular bath seat. It was a lot less hassle and Wyatt really enjoyed baths a lot more this way.

9. 4moms MamaRoo + Infant Insert, Multi Plush. I had heard so many things about the MamaRoo even before I was pregnant, so I was super excited to try it out with the little guy. I think we ended up putting Wyatt in it the day we brought him home from the hospital because I was that excited. Wyatt was not a particularly fussy baby, so this didn’t save our lives or anything, but he did really seem to enjoy it and it was another safe & cozy place that we could put him to nap or just relax. As I mentioned earlier, since we had received the MamaRoo, I didn’t think we would need a bouncer chair, but we did end up using both because the MamaRoo is just too heavy and bulky to move from room to room. I tried it a few times and it was just too much, so it stayed in the living room, and that is where it remains to this day. The weight limit is around 25 lbs and you should stop using the MamaRoo once baby starts trying to get out of it. Which is where we are at currently, so we will probably be putting it away soon (but saving it for the next baby).

10. Onesies. I was definitely one of those moms that had to have their baby dressed up pretty much any time we left the house. (Including shoes!) But, it just isn’t always practical. Especially when you’re going through 3-4 outfits per day. So, I really ended up putting Wyatt in simpler onesies while we were at home and saved the super fashionable (please note the sarcasm) outfits for when we went out. Cat & Jack, once again, were my absolute favorite ones because of the quality and “trendier” designs. Plus I ended up with (almost) their entire line, so it was just what I had most available.

Some things that are just nice to have: 

Aden & Anais Swaddle 4 pack. Soft, breathable, and huge.
Ergobaby 460 All Carry Positions. I’ll do a full blog post on my quest to find the best baby carrier. Spoiler: this one is my absolute favorite.
Cat & Jack Baby 4 Pack Mitten Set. Or any other mittens, these were just the ones I used.

I hope this helps anyone that currently has, or is expecting, a little one. Obviously, every mom & baby has their own opinion, these are just items that worked out best for us.

*Note: Surprisingly, I am not sponsored by Cat & Jack or Target.*