Thoughts, Prayers and Emotions: Baby Gear

For those that know me, they know that I'm a thrifty (ok, cheap) person and that I like to get my money's worth out of the things I buy. So, I've compiled a list of things that we had for Quinn (and some even for Owen) that were definitiely worth the money. (I'll do a later post about those that were NOT worth it). Please note that these are just my honest opinions and I'm not being compensated to endorse any of these products.

Bouncy Seat - I believe that a bouncy seat is a must. When the kids were just beginning to eat cereal and baby food, this worked very well for feeding them. In addition, it is great to get a baby sitting up for part of the day soon after they are born. In addition, this was great to use when I needed to take a shower and wanted to keep an eye on my child so this allowed me to take them right into the bathroom with me! The one here in the picture with Quinnie was actually given to me by a friend when I had Owen, so this one stood up to 3 babies and it got a lot of use. This one doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles (but does have a little vibrating feature for soothing). (You can find a pretty nice and sufficient one here)

Hammer: This Little Tykes Hammer we got as a gift (and retails for about $15). This one has an on/off switch. I've never replaced the battery through two kids. The head part of the hammer is soft(er) and when you hit it against something it lights up and makes hammer (and sawing) noises. Great toy to take with you too!

Learn and Groove table (Leap Frog): We got this table for Quinnie for Christmas (she was about 6 months). What is really great about this table is that all of the legs are removable so before your baby is even standing, they can play with all of the different aspects. Quinnie loves this table and plays with it daily.

Gerber diaper bag: This diaper bag worked very well for long trips where I needed more than just a couple hours worth of stuff. It comes with a diaper changing pad, two side bottle holders and some nice inside smaller mesh pockets to hold things like spoons, toothpaste, medicine, etc. I got mine for $20 (at Meijer)

Playtex Vent Aire bottles: We got these bottles when we had Owen (and thus the pre "Advanced" stage). They held up through both children. Things I loved about these bottles: They are bent to help not only the person feeding the baby, it also is helpful for when the baby learns to hold it themselves. Neither of our children were "spitter-uppers" and I believe I can contribute a lot of that to the usage of these bottles. They were a bit pricier upfront, but they were worth it! Here is what Playtex says (more eloquently): "Promotes semi upright feeding position recommended by pediatricians to help prevent ear infections. Plus, micro-channel vents create a consistent flow of liquid to minimize pressure on your baby’s ear canals and helps protect against gas, colic and spit-up" (view their webpage here)