Four months in - my favorite things...so far

The other day, a fellow mom stopped me in the parking lot at BuyBuy Baby to ask my opinion on my stroller. I happily obliged and then promptly called Nick to tell him that I obviously looked like a legit, experienced mom who knew what I was doing. I may have squealed.

Last week, a former co-worker announced that she was expecting a Baby Girl and asked her mom friends for their favorite and necessary things. As a very opinionated lover of lists, I was happy to oblige. Of all of the stuff that we now have and use. These are the things that we use almost every day and that make this whole parenthood thing just a tad bit easier.

• The book, Baby Bargains. This helped us out a TON when we were registering. It is a great starting point for comparing products and brands. While we were in the store, someone even asked us to borrow it, which was kind of akward, but funny

• The DVD - The Happiest Baby on the Block. My friend Marci bought this for us and I received multiple recommendations that it was the must-have. This DVD will teach you some crucial calming techniques, including how to swaddle.

• A white noise machine for the nursery. We had no idea that we needed this, until we watched #3. Thank goodness for friends who knew and who bought this for us.

• A swing. We ended up having B in our room for the first month. This was more for us than for him, and the swing provided a cozy place for him to sleep until he got the boot into his own bedroom.

• A Moby wrap. I was a skeptical about the whole baby wearing thing, but the prospect of having my arms and hands back was irresistable. If you decide to use a wrap, give it time, and practice, practice, practice. It took me awhile to master this and I'll admit that there was almost a baby dropping incident. Note: It was almost, I caught him and it didn't happen again.

• If you decide to nurse, get a good breast pump. When I saw the milk starting to flow, I realized that it meant a little bit of freedom for me. I'm not going to lie - it also was pretty gratifying to see the amount that my body was producing, since I had no idea before. I have a Medela Freestyle. I picked it because it is small and lightweight with a timer and memory feature. 

• A Pack & Play with a changing table attached. This was a tip from several friends and I'm so glad we listened. Not only is it convenient, it was necessary during the first few weeks when I was told to limit my times up and down the stairs. 

• A Chicco KeyFit Caddy. This was something I saw in the Dr.'s office. Instead of using the gigantic stroller that comes with the travel system, this is essentially a stroller frame that accommodates the car seat. You clip the seat right in. It is light, easy to fold and much more convenient than the oversized stroller. I also realized that the area under neath is more accessible for this stage. Once B is out of the car seat and sitting up, this won't be as important, but for the first few months, its been fantastic.

• Muslin blankets. These work well because they are lightweight, oversized and great for swaddling. The best part is that they're also breathable, which means fewer mommy freak outs if the B pulls it near his face. Our favorite is aden + anais and they also make a great little security blanket. It is also muslin, trimmed in satin and helps keep his hands occupied at night. from BuyBuyBaby.

• A breast feeding pillow. I have three, and it might take you a few tries to find the one(s) that is right for you. My two favorites are the Boppy and My Brest Friend (yes that is really the name). It just depends on where I'm nursing as to which one I use.

• A video monitor. This was another recommendation. A parent told us that it helps you figure out when the cry is a cry versus a whine and they were right. We received the iBaby as a gift and can keep tabs on B from our phones or iPad. It wasn't a huge deal in the beginning because when he cried, he was hungry - but now it is awesome because he cries when he gets stuck on his belly, which means that it isn't something that requires a boob to fix.

• An extra car seat base. This seemed like a no-brainer and it is. Having one in each car makes drop offs and pick ups so much easier.

• A diaper Genie. Those diapers get stinky and the Diaper Genie keeps all of those diapers contained into a plastic bag for easy clean up and trash.

So. Did you make it all the way to the bottom? What are your favorite products? What should I start shopping for now that I'm into month 4?