Favorite Baby Items: Take 1

First, I can't believe Bennett is already a month old. Time has been flying by! Over the past month I've definitely been able to identify our favorite items thus far that have been either life savers, or that have just plain and simple made life much easier! I'm going to try to post five items every couple of weeks that we couldn't live without. To start, here are my first few items that we've loved and have made life easier thus far (in no particular order):

Rock 'N Play - We have the Fisher-Price Deluxe Newborn Auto Rock 'N Play. Bennett slept in this next to our bed for the first few weeks before we moved him to his crib. Not only did it ease my mind having him right next to our bed, it also made night time feedings so much easier, and he loved it! Even though he's no longer using it to sleep in overnight, I can still use it for instances like taking a shower or getting dressed and ready for the day while he's awake - he'll happily rock in it in our bathroom while I'm doing these things, and my mind is still at ease because I can see him! Also - it's so light and compact that we can easily move it between floors if we want it in the kitchen or living room, or if we need to travel with it for him to sleep in.



Target Bins - Yep, from the dollar aisle! These bins were $3 each and have been so helpful! They don't look exactly like this one pictured but are pretty similar. It's made out of thin plastic and they are so easy to clean when needed. I have bins for:

• Dirty Bottles: This bin sits next to the sink to keep all of the dirty bottles that are ready for sterilization together. It makes it so easy to have everything in one place and without adding and mixing into the clutter of regular dishes that are often collecting in the kitchen sink.
• Pumping: This bin sits next to my bed and breast pump and keeps all of my pumping accessories in one place for easy access when needed. I like having these items in a bin that I can easily move, for when I need to pump in different places in the house.
• Clean bottles ready for pumping: This bin is close by to my pumping bin so that I can easily grab two bottles to connect to my breast pump when ready. Again - having everything clean and all in one place makes things so much easier! 
• Baby Cabinet Organization: We have one big cabinet in our kitchen that is designated for baby things! Anything from extra bottles, bottle parts, breast pump parts, feeding accessories, bibs, etc. Having little bins to neatly organize each of the above keeps everything neat and tidy, and I can quickly identify where things are when I need them.

Swing - We have the Graco Simple Sway Swing - This is Bennett's favorite swing! He absolutely loves it and 90% of the time, it rocks him right to sleep when we put him in there (whether intentional or not)! :) 

Microwave Bottle Sterilizer - We have the Avent Microwave Steamer. Self explanatory, it makes sterilizing bottles so much easier (and fast)!

Video Baby Monitor - We have the Levana Astra 3.5" PTZ Video Monitor. It is amazing! We can zoom in, pan around the room with it, it has incredible night vision, tons of nursery music that can be played from it and also has the option for us to talk to Bennett from our end of the monitor, if we'd like! If you're a parent with more than one child, or if you prefer to have more than one camera to use for other rooms in your home, you can connect and sync additional cameras to your monitor for multiple camera use. This gadget is one of the only reasons I felt comfortable moving Bennett to his crib overnight while he was just three weeks old. I could easily see and hear him at all times if needed :) I'd love to get another camera to connect to this eventually for our living room where his above favorite swing is located, for those times when we take Tucker outside or find ourselves doing something else in the house while he's sleeping in his swing. Again, a mom at ease is a wonderful thing! :)

So that's it! These are my first five items. Check back for another five favorite items - we already have so many recommendations/suggestions! :)