Things we've needed and not needed the last 6 months...

Every mom & dad has them. Their favorite baby things. From carriers to bottles to toys. My opinion might not count for a whole lot but I'd like to share some of our favorites and not so favorites with you. Teagan asked me to share her favorite toys with you and I will do that in the next post!

Favorites:

1) Boppy was by far (and still is) one of our favoirte things. I was blessed to be able to breastfeed Teagan and this helped during those times when I was tired and wanted us both to be comfortable. We also used the Boppy pillow to lay Teagan in for naps on the couch (with one of us right there with her) in her early months. Actually, for the first month she was either in our arms or the Boppy for most of the day! Until she could sit up on her own we used it as a cushion for if she would topple one way or the other and I seriously think this helped her sit on her own so early & so well.

2) We loved (she doesn't use it anymore) the Boppy Bouncer in Pink. For the first 3 or so months she would take naps and watch me get ready while relaxing in the bouncer. She doesn't really like it anymore because she would rather be able to move around so it's fixing to go into the storage closet but we loved it while it lasted!

3) The Bumbo seat has been wonderful! She started sitting in it around 2 months to help with her neck strength and now we use it for feedings! We use the Bumbo with the tray attachment and she loves it! It helps her sit straight up and she does really well during feedings.

4) A nightlight. This is more for my benefit then hers. This is so I don't fall when I go in to check on her at night.

5) Medela pump has been a God-send. Teagan has been able to continue to have breastmilk at her afternoon feeding at daycare (I feed her at lunch) because of this pump. It is a little pricey but if it means that Teagan is still able to have breastmilk when i'm not around (on top of the money we've saved not having to buy formula) then it's worth it.

6) Her exersaucer is her new favorite thing! She has the "fun at the pond" version and loves the ducks and fish and flowers on it! It has been incredible to see how she has come from just looking at the toys on the exersaucer to manipulating the toys like a champ! It has also helped with her leg strength!

7) The SwaddleMe was another God-send. I didn't swaddle her for the first few weeks because I was scared she would get too hot. After a few nights of nothing calming her to go to sleep if I put her down I decided to swaddle her and I swaddled her using the swaddle me until she was around 4 months old (JUST at night). She slept through the night every night with it!

8) Sleepsack . Since we stopped swaddling Teagan we have used the Halo Sleepsack instead of a blanket. I have an extreme fear of SIDS and there is NOTHING in Teagans crib other than her and the mattress. She does have a mirror that is attached to her crib but it is where she can only see and not touch.

9) Huggies diapers. We tried pampers and a couple of other brands but the Huggies little snugglers and the Huggies Pure and Natural have been the only two that fit Teagan the right way. We thought about using reusable diapers but the daycare won't use them due to sanitation rules. We haven't counted them out and are still thinking about using them when she's at home. We just haven't decided the brand and type (we're relying on my best friend & mommy of Teagan's bf for this help! =-D ).

10) The Baby Bjorn was something that when we had the oppurtunity to use it we loved it but we don't have many oppurtunities to use it. I think if we lived in the city or somewhere we could walk a lot it would be different. I was able to get some house work done with it while she napped on my chest and she watched fireworks in it next to her boyfriend, Miles, who loves his as well!

11) Graco Townsend Pack-in-Play. This was our changing table for downstairs and this still is Teagan's bed for when we travel. We like it a lot and she hasn't had a problem sleeping in this vs. her crib.

12) Graco Towndsend Travel System. We got this pattern because we want to be able to use it again (at least the car seat part). The car seat was/is top rated and Teagan is very comfortable in it. The fabric does get a little warm but for the most part it's great. The seat will grow with her and isn't very heavy by itself. The stroller is a little bulky but it is very sturdy and I feel safe with Teagan in it. It also holds shopping bags really well (haha)!

13) Nuk Binkys and Bottles. These has been wonderful. I was worried about the transitioning between breast, bottle and "binky" because of the horror stories I'd heard about breast rejection after introducing bottles and pacifiers. Teagan did great with the Nuk pacifier and bottles. We decided to use the same brand for these so their would only be one different nipple so there wold be less confusion. She adjusted well and we've had no problems with her rejecting any of them because of the other!

Our Least Favorites and stuff we could live without...

1) The swing. When Teagan was staying with Mom she loved swinging while looking out the screen door. Her love for the swing didn't last long. I'm just glad we didn't buy the swing and waste money on something she didn't really like.

2) Her mobile. She could absolutely care less about the mobile. It never calmed her. She didn't really like to look at it. So, that was a waste of money. It did look pretty though, lol.