YALL. This ain’t a mommy blog, promise. But I need to share about a random assortment of baby gear that I had NO IDEA would become some of our most-used items during for these first 6 months of parenthood. I say random because they aren’t your usual “must have” baby gear items that people/blogs/the internet might tell you about. I didn’t read about many of these things while I was putting together a registry. But somehow, and thankfully, we acquired them (aka: I refused to put anything more than basics on my registry, but our seasoned parent friends + fam saw right through that and gave us the good stuff.)

Things that I’m not sure I could do parenthood without:

• A vertical bottle dryer rack – VERTICAL is the important part. We have limited counter space, so the small footprint is super helpful while still getting the drying job done. I didn’t realize how much we would use this!
• Bottom-up zip jammies – (forever) – I don’t know if I’m explaining this right… The ones that zip up from the foot! Making diaper changes 100% easier since whenever they were invented.
• Velcro Swaddles – (1 – 4 months) – There are a few brands out there, we used the SwaddleMe ones. Julien was a tiny ninja and would never stay in a normal swaddle and hated the zip swaddles. These velcro ones helped us all get (a little bit) more sleep 🙂
• Textured teething toys – (starting at 3 months) – We have the Itzy Ritzy brand pineapple and cactus, and these things go eveeeeerywhere with us. And get chewed constantly. Julien started teething just before 4 months, but didn’t have a visible tooth until the day he turned 6 months old. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s too early to stock up on the teething toys!
• Portable bottle cooler – We have the SkipHop one, and it fits like 3 bottles, plus a small ice pack. I couldn’t travel without this!
• A backpack diaper bag!! – At first I had a stylish, cute, over the shoulder diaper bag, but it was more annoying than helpful. I switched to a backpack diaper bag and it is SO much easier. Definitely a must-have if you are out and about a lot. (or if you would rather carry a coffee than a diaper bag in your free hand 😉 )

Things that aren’t must-haves, but definitely useful TO have:

• A small car seat blanket – Easy to grab, and small enough that it doesn’t drag on the ground or get caught in the carseat crevices. The size also makes it easy to tuck in around baby! The 3 we have are all handmade. They range from 10×10 to 16×16 inches, and all are made from different material – fleece, flannel, & knit . PRO TIP: If a grandma or best friend offers to make a blanket, say yes and mention needing a small one!
• A musical stuffed animal toy – (1-3 months) – Someone got us the freaking most annoying octopus plush toy that plays high pitched classical tunes and recites colors. It’s so annoying. But it’s the ONLY thing that would catch and keep Julien’s attention during those early weeks of tummy time. He’d scream, we’d push play on this toy, and he’d stop crying. For like 5 minutes. But in the early days, 5 minutes at a time is all you need.
• Doorway jumper – (starting at 4 months) – Julien goes NUTS in this. OMG it’s the funniest thing. We put him in this while we eat dinner, and just laugh at how serious and dedicated our baby is at jumping as hard as he possibly can. Also great for tiring him out before bedtime 😉
• Very small stuffed animal that Baby can fit in one hand – (4 -6 months) – Again, someone got us this toy and I’m so glad. It’s a yellow elephant, probably only 6 inches, that has become my go-to to give him in when we’re in the car or visiting places. It keeps him entertained with no noise, and small enough to pack easily into the diaper bag.
• Keep your pregnancy pillow! – You can use the c-shaped ones to make a little cozy ring for when you teach your baby how to sit up. Curl it up like a cocoon and plop him right in the middle. Supervise always, obviously.

Let me know if you have any questions or additional slightly random gear advice for all the new moms out there! -s