Baby Registry Musts & Products We Love

Wells came home in our Maxi Cosi Prezi Infant Carrier. We never used the infant insert because our little guy was close to 10 lbs. Ted and I both loved this infant carrier. Comfy, safe, and user friendly. When Wells was first born we used our Quinny Buzz Stroller with the Maxi Cose Prezi using adapters. Soon into our new world of parenthood, I ditched the Quinny because it was bulky and annoying. We both preferred wearing our Moby wrap or Bjorn. When we traveled, we picked up a Snap and Go stroller and it was very helpful. Helpful in carrying all our extra stuff as we made our way through the airport, but we didn't use it very often to cart Wells around. Each time we have flown I've always just worn Wells the entire time going through security. 

A few months ago, we upgraded Wells to the Maxi Cosi Pria 70 toddler seat. I have to say that I may love it more than the Prezi. They are very comparable in design, comfort, safety and ease. My go to thought when looking for car seats is what will last the longest. I wanted something that will carry as much weight and height. All car seats go through the same crash and safety tests. They have to pass all the same things to be on the shelf. I do believe that the Maxi Cosi brand is very safe. Wells rides rear facing. He can now see out the windows, sits more upright, and naps like a champ. It was definitely a perfect time to switch car seats for us. 

Like I said, I ditched my Quinny stroller (and thankfully sold it on Craigslist). Recently, we purchased the stroller I wanted from the beginning the Maclaren Quest. It is a lightweight but high quality and full featured umbrella stroller. It is perfect for a traveling family like ours and easy to open, close, and push. It fully reclines and Wells enjoys naps on the go. The sun shade blocks the sun and stroller came with the rain cover. I'm not a stroller lover, I don't wants to sit in a stroller all day so this was perfect for our family. This stroller will grow with us. I couldn't recommend the stroller enough. 

I've mentioned the Bjorn Babysitter Bouncer on the blog before because but I can't stop raving about it. For the first 6-7 months, we used this bouncer everyday. I truly believe it helped develop stomach muscles for Wells as he learned to bounce himself. They have an attachment toy for the bouncer which we never purchased but we thoroughly loved this bouncer and had no need for anything else. It is a sleek design and folds flat for easy storage or transport. 

We picked up Ikea's little toy gym above and Wells loved it. I think we started putting him on the faux sheepskin rug (so soft) on his back under the gym around two months. It is very basic but it encouraged Wells to turn from side to side and eventually made him a very active roller early on. He gravitated towards spinning the side pieces. As he grew he would grab the side and move this toy all over the place but it definitely serve it's purpose in our home. I always would set up the Bjorn bouncer with the gym over it so he could play while I was showering, cooking, or etc. 

 I have to pace myself in Ikea, because some stuff is cheap and in quality you can really tell. I've bought items that I fully regret. I've always had wonderful purchases that are just what we need for a great price like our high chair and training potty. The Ikea high chair is basic but works great and is 20 bones. 20 bones people. I love the Stokke high chair but that is $280 more expensive. Before we moved, I would sit Wells on the training potty each morning and before bath time. He has peed and pooped in potty.

Now that we are eating on the go a lot more, I've started to use this Leaflet tight travel lunch box. It has three different trays that you can separate food in. I just wish that the trays had covers for sealing. I'm still looking for a better lunch box for when we are out and traveling.

We have used three different carriers: the Moby wrap, Bjorn, and Ergo. We like all three but now I love my Ergo. I never used the infant insert (or used a hand towel) for when Wells was little, but I loved my Moby wrap. For the first few months out of the womb, I believe the Moby is ideal. He was covered so strangers wouldn't touch him. He was warm because it is a lot of fabric. He was comfy and close which is perfect for the fourth trimester. As he grew, I stopped using the Moby because he didn't sit right in it anymore. I could see the fabric stretching out if I had continued to use it with him. Ted loves the Bjorn we have but I don't love it. I find it hurts my shoulders as the weight is not distributed like the Ergo. The Ergo is great for distributing weight, breastfeeding while grocery shopping, and cooking (wearing him on my back). We do not carry Wells facing out so we didn't go with any carriers that would allow for that.

Turkish towels are perfect for babe care. They are so soft and absorbent. I'm kind of obsessed with them. I use Honest diapers mainly but do have an assortment of Thirsties all-in-one cloth diaper. It's pretty easy to clean and use. I probably prefer prefold inserts with a cover but our Thirsties work pretty great too.

The most comfortable, easy to assemble lightweight pack and play is the Bjorn travel crib. It is extremely easy to put together and fold back up. What I love most about it is that the mattress sits right on the ground and there are no bars that can break. The mattress is very soft and probably what I think Wells likes the best. At the store, it looks very small next to the other pack and plays but it is a perfect size. It looks similar to the Phil and Ted travel pack and play but their's is a nightmare to open and close.

We love our Bebe pod chair and have been using it since around two/three months. At first he was slouched all over the place but eventually built enough muscles to sit up all on his own. This chair is hands down better than the Bumbo chair which has no room for growing thighs (I actually really dislike the Bumbo functionally and esthetically). The Prince Lionheart Bebe pod has a tray table that you can purchase but we never did. We love this chair so much that we are traveling to St Thomas with it (packing it in our suitcases). We bring it to restaurants that don't have high chairs and over to friends houses. Wells sits in it so well.

All these products have made our life as parents so easy. To be honest, we don't have much else just a few toys here and there and lots of books. I was deleting our registries and wondering why I had certain stuff on there. Baby stuff is so overwhelming because there are so many options. I'll do a round up of toys and books sometime. Hope you enjoyed our favorite basics.