1. After lots of research, review-reading, and personal recommendations, we chose the Britax B-Safe infant carseat. We were pleased. I think it's probably pretty rare to go wrong with a Britax. It wasn't their top-of-the-line infant seat but it was well-made, got good reviews and safety ratings, and was a doable size for our vehicle. We used this guy for about a year and I feel like we already got our money's worth out of it. Plus, I washed it up (looks good as new) for any potential baby #2 down the road since it still has plenty of years left before it expires. We had thrown the idea around of just getting a convertible seat to begin with but found that infant seats tend to get better safety ratings for the little ones AND with a winter baby, I thought it would be nice to have the carrier. I'm glad we went that route. It was nice to have it for shopping, eating out at restaurants, etc... and we had a nice cover for when we were out in the elements.
2. I knew we'd eventually need a convertible seat so we chose Britax again. I found a good deal on diapers.com and got this Marathon for 30% off + free shipping. They have their Britax seats on sale like that a few times a year. Anyway, Reid started using that when he was basically a year old. He seems very comfortable and secure in it. The straps rarely get twisted and I think it's just a nice, well-made seat I expect to get years of use out of. Again, this isn't their biggest-baddest convertible seat but it certainly does the job. We also plan to get the Britax Roundabout as a secondary seat for Dac's car.
3. I did not want a jumper. Like the swing, I thought it was just one more thing to clutter my family room. However, Reid was using one at Cori's during the day and loved it. I realized it would help give me somewhere to sit him when I needed to do something and it would be something he would actually enjoy. SO - Cori let us borrow one of hers. We just recently took it down to give back to her. We got a lot of use out of it. I definitely think this is a product worth borrowing or maybe buying a nice used one but no matter what, it was great to have around!
4. Like so many of Reid's things, we got this monitor as a gift. I feel like a video monitor is such a luxury and I felt silly registering for one but I also knew that I'm such a worrier and that a video monitor might put my mind at ease. It has. It has allowed me to see if a cry in the middle of the night is a serious "come help me" cry or a "don't worry about me mom, i'm just fussin' myself back to sleep" cry. That, my friends, is priceless in and of itself. It also gives the room temperature too which has been helpful. Bonus: Sometimes I just like to look at it and watch my adorable baby sleep. He's so dang cute with that little booty in the air. =)
5. After much debate (I seriously had the hardest time picking a dang diaper bag), I chose the Skip Hop Duo. I like that it's sturdy and has lots of pockets. I also like that ours (plain black) is very gender neutral and it's one that Dac has no problem carrying. I DO wish I had picked a bag more like the one I pictured (a textured grey... so me... they didn't have this one at the time though) or something with a print. The plain black is just that... plain. My only other complaint is that while the bag is super deep, it's not super wide. This makes it a sleeker bag but also makes it harder to get things in and out of the main compartment. Overall, though, I love the bag and it's one I still use and probably will for a while. Oh - and it has special stroller straps so it nicely snaps on and hangs from the back of our stroller.
6. For a highchair, I knew I wanted something that wouldn't take up a ton of space and that wouldn't require us to have multiple chairs. The Fisher Price Space-Saver fit the bill. It straps on to our regular chairs so it... wait for it... saves space. =) It's easy enough to throw in the car if we're going on a trip and it's super easy to clean which is a total must in my opinion.
7. This pretty little booger is the Bumbleride Indie annnnnd I love it. I had narrowed my stroller search down to the Britax B-Ready and the City Mini GT stroller. Both of those get great reviews and seemed to fit my specifications... especially the City Mini GT since it had the more beefed up tires (great for our brick streets and crappy sidewalks). Then, my mom came across the Indie on Zulily one day. This is normally a stroller with a super high price tag and I would have never bought it on my own but it was at a great price on Zulily and my parents and aunt and uncle went in on it together as a gift for us. We've love it. It has a super smooth ride, folds and un-folds easily, has a very-adjustable seat, and it turns on a dime. Oh - and it's pretty. =) It really does ride well on un-even terrain and I have no doubt it will last a long time. My only possible complaint (other than price) is that it is a little on the large side. Since it turns so easily this is rarely an issue but I'm sure there might be times in the future when a small umbrella stroller would come in handy. Still, I love it. Period.
8. We bought the Ergo when Reid was around 6-months old. I used it off and on around the house to vacuum, etc... and while at the store a couple times. Honestly, we haven't just used this a ton. BUT - I do love it and it's easy on the back. I think it would be invaluable with more than one kiddo in the house. I also think we'd use it a lot if we traveled more. Side note: They now offer a super cute anchor design. I dig it. Another side note: I just read where Ergo will be releasing a wrap next month. I bet it will be fabulous and great for those first few months.
9. I pretty well knew I wanted a pack-n-play because I was just sure our little babe would sleep in it before moving to his crib. Well, we already know that didn't go well and we used the Fisher Price Rock'n Play for several weeks. Still, this bad boy has been used a ton. It has done some traveling and currently resides in our office/guest room so that he can play and be contained if one of us is needing to work in there. I particularly love this one because it sets up in one quick motion and is super sturdy. I also like that it doesn't scream "BABY!". I mean, as much as a pack-n-play can't scream baby. ha! =) It has a real nice, supportive mat and Reid has always seemed comfortable sleeping in it. Again, this is a product I see lasting through another child.
I mentioned the jumperoo was borrowed but we also borrowed a Bumbo seat. That's an item we used some and, for a few short weeks, was nice, but we really didn't use it much at all in the grand scheme of things. We did, to my surprise, use an activity mat for quite a while. Every kid's different though and every family has different needs on a daily basis. Another item we used for a while was this Fisher Price Rocker-Bouncer.
I already mentioned the Fisher Price Rock'n Play and 4Moms Mamaroo in my Newborn Essentials post... both of which I think are pure excellence in the gear department. My philosophy on baby gear was to keep it to a minimum but to buy quality items to stand the test of time. I fully anticipate all our bigger items (that we actually purchased or were gifted as opposed to borrowing) to do just that!
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