Our Top 10 Essential Items for Newborn
Since Brandon was born in March, we've been learning the nuts and bolts of parenthood. There are so many decisions to make! Many friends and family members have given us great advice and very useful gifts. Here's a list of the 10 most useful and essential items we would recommend to all our friends who are expecting babies. We're very grateful to these tools. They make our life a lot easier and are indispensable to Brandon's daily routine now.
It's hard to imagine how our parents raised us when none of these tools was available. We're so spoiled now by technology.
1. Dr. Browns BPA Natural Flow Bottle Newborn Feeding Set
A friend of 25 years brought this as a gift for us, who is a medical doctor herself with 3 kids. It does an excellent job of reducing air bubbles.
2. Dutailier Foam/Round Back Cushion Design Sleigh Glider and Ottoman Combo, Beige
We bought not one, but two such Dutailier glider chairs. One for nursing Brandon, the other one for our parents and in-laws. It's very comfortable with great quality (ie. no shrieking sound). We often spend 7-8 hours on this chair everyday. It's a godsend.
3. UPPAbaby 2015 Vista Stroller, Taylor
UPPAbaby Vista seems to rule the world. In any park we walk into, at least half the strollers are Vistas. After extensive research and comparison between Vista and Cruz (a lighter-version), we still went with Vista. It's heavier than Cruz by 6 pounds, but that's trivial for the husband.
4. Boppy Nursing Pillow and Positioner, Peaceful Jungle
Our essential tool for nursing Brandon. It helps Brandon get into the right position for easy latch-on, while also preventing him from rolling off his mom's laps.
5. Health o meter Grow with Me 2-in-1 Baby to Toddler Scale with Growth Chart Book
Pediatrician will weigh the baby during scheduled visits, but that's not frequent enough. In the early days, we're weighing Brandon every week.
6. Nuna Leaf Baby Seat Twilight with Mesh SE02005
This baby seat seems really popular in 2016. We'll leave Brandon in this seat when having dinner. He will look at us in curiosity while swinging gently, looking content.
7. LEVO G2 Essential Tablet Floor Stand
It works for all tablets like iPad/iPad 2. Since we spend many hours on the Dutailier, we'll just place this stand right next to Dutailier to watch Game of Thrones.
8. Diaper Dekor Classic Diaper Pail - White
Steve said this was a must-have, so that must be true, and it is. It keeps stinky used diapers in a separate trash bin with a convenient mechanism to replace the plastic wrap inside.
9. Philips AVENT Drying Rack
When we were using bottles to feed Brandon, this rack was very handy to dry up the washed bottles.
10. Medela Pump In Style Advanced Breast Pump Backpack
After experimenting with different brands, we found this to be the best one.