Our favorites (0-3 months): part I

When figuring out what to add to our baby registry, I did the obvious- research and copy other people's registries:) I'm only sort of kidding but seriously it's insane how many options we have as moms on items you would think were simple. Diapers, wipes, diaper bags, wipe warmers, bumbo, boppy, moby- what do you really need? Because posts like this really helped me, I thought i might talk about Luca's favorite items so far.
#1Chicco Keyfit 30: Limonata

We love this car seat. This is one of the decisions that took me forever to research. I was going back and forth between this and the graco snugride 35, and honestly it just came down to the fact that Luca was expected to come early and the Keyfit is reviewed as a very safe car seat for small babies. This article by Consumer Reports talks about the specific car seat needs of preemies and low birth weight babies, and this article published by Safe Ride News Publications lists the specs on some of the most popular car seats and categorizes them by weight. Across the board the Keyfit was among the safest for babies around 5 lbs. So that's one reason I chose the Keyfit. The other reason? Duh, I like the color. BUT, this is the one thing I wish I could change! Not necessarily the color (I still love the lime green), but this specific color has a material that does not look good when it gets wet. We all know that babies spit up, rain and snow fall on your car seat, and baby gear can start to age quickly if it stains easily. I had actually read this about the color and I purchased a protection plan with babiesRus when I bought the car seat. From the Babies R Us website,
Here's a breakdown of what our coverage includes:
Mechanical and electrical breakdowns
Failures from normal wear and tear
Damage caused by power surges
Defects in materials and workmanship
Accidental Damage from Handling on select eligible items

Replacement Plans begin on day 31

Replacements on all eligible items under $300
Service on all eligible items $300 and above

So for I think 40-ish dollars, the protection plan is essentially a replacement Plan. Again from the BRU website, "Our Replacement Plans are intended to cover products under $300.00. These plans provide 15 months of coverage from your date of purchase, and the start on the 31st day. Reimbursements made are in the form of "R"Us Gift Cards."

Basically use it for 15 months or less, call them and tell them it has stains and the fabric is snagged (normal wear and tear), and they send you a gift card for the price of what you paid. According to the manager I spoke with, you don't even have to send your item back or return it. It's a win win if you ask me, but obviously I haven't redeemed the benefits yet, so I'll keep you updated:)

#2: Wubbanub Infant Pacifier

Shopping at Target with his elephant

We actually have both the elephant (thanks Auntie Liz!) and the giraffe. Luca loves his Ellie and it's his designated car seat pacifier. I love that it's big enough that I don't ever lose it, and I love that it's helped develop his ability to grasp. I worried about how I would clean it, but I actually just throw it in the regular laundry twice a week and wash it with hot water and soap every night and it's clean. No biggie. I've purchased this as a gift once or twice and I've heard good reviews from my friends. But, I also have a friend, E @ Oh Apostrophe who didn't love it, so I think it's one of those items that some babies love and others don't.

#3 Halo Sleepsack Swaddle


I snapped this photo one morning while Luca was still sleeping next to our bed in our room. This also shows one of our other early favorites the Rock n Play.

This swaddle has been a HUGE part of Luca's successful sleep in the past two months or so. Until about a week ago, we would swaddle, nurse, and bed. Luca finally started breaking out and we had to go cold turkey without the swaddle. It was a rough couple of nights of sleep training, but we made it! (more on this later).

# 4: Fisher Price Rock n Play
Ok so I might get a little slack for this, but this is actually a product that we loved. Let me start by saying that we only used it for a couple of months, but I do think that it was a huge help when Luca was having reflux issues and when he was congested. Around 8 weeks, Luca's reflux got pretty bad and the Dr. suggested we probably start to think about rice cereal. For me this seemed like an extreme suggestion, and I did some research and took some advice from friends. Everyone suggested that sleeping in a more upright position would help, but when I propped up the crib and bassinet mattress, Luca just slumped over and his reflux got even worse. No one was getting sleep, and I called my hubby at work in desperation and asked him what he thought about the rock n play. When you read the reviews online, some of them talk about how they believe the rock n play can cause torticollis and a flat head. The reviews criticize how hard the backing is under baby's head, and although most people agree it helps with sleep and reflux, some of them suggest you only use the rock n play as a place for a nap or rest and not as an overnight solution. But the newest version of the Rock n Play has more padding where baby's head rests, and we really had no issues with Luca's head or neck. For us the RNP was a lifesaver, and I would use it again in a heartbeat.
Luca loved that the sides cradled him, and I think part of the reason babies sleep well in the RNP is that it makes them feel like they're being held. It also rocks really easily, so when Luca would fuss he would actually rock himself. I also love how it's only about 30 inches high, so when placed next to my side of the bed I could just reach over and easily bring him up to bed instead of having to stand and get him. It made for easy night feeds, and I'm convinced the Rock n Play and Halo sleepsack swaddle are the two reasons we got any we've had any sleep the past few months.

#5: Homedics Sound Spa iPod docking station

While we're on the subject of sleep, I should talk about our white noise machine/iPod dock/nursery clock. We were gifted the Cloud B Gentle Giraffe, and we do love it, but it stops working after 45 min, and we found that Luca really does sleep better with the noise. I had also been asking for an iPod dock for our nursery, so hubs picked up this twofer (2for1) and I love it. I've used it a few times as an iPod dock, and the only criticism I have is that I wish I didn't have to take off my phone's case every time I want to plug it in. It does charge my phone, though, so I guess I can't complain too much! We use the wave sound, and as part of our bedtime routine, we turn on the waves and Luca knows it's time for bed. It also helps me avoid looking at the video monitor every two seconds because I don't hear every fuss from the little man. Another win-win:)


So those are just a few of our favorites right now, and they're already changing as Luca grows and his needs change. It's crazy to think that only four months ago Luca joined our family- I feel like I've known him forever. I know we're soulmates.

(luca at 8 weeks)

What are your favorites or must-haves?