My Must Haves: Baby Edition

Our babies need so little, despite what our Pinterest boards might tell us.  River is by far our most stripped down baby, his list of baby gear quite short and simple.  I purchased very little for him while I was pregnant, bringing back a few favorite items from the girls and introducing several new finds that I discovered along the way.  Here is a list of my baby must haves: third child style:

1.  Aden and Anais muslin swaddle blankets: perfect for swaddling, as a nursing cover, as a stroller blanket, as a car seat cover/sun visor, as a tummy time mat, as a diaper changing station, as a tent to share with big sisters.  These blankets are amazingly soft, they are built to last, and they can be used for a million different purposes.  We love them so much that we sometimes steal them to use for ourselves.

2.  Boppy pillow: Although there are fancier, trendier nursing pillows out there, the Boppy pillow is my personal favorite.  It is supportive for both baby and mama while nursing, especially in the early days when you're just getting to know each other and becoming more comfortable with the whole experience of nursing.  I love that it can be used well into the toddler and school age days: our girls still use the Boppy as support while reading in bed or watching TV.  I purchased our Boppy cover from Iviebaby and love it.  Elizabeth's products are handmade and completely beautiful, I have a mile long wish list for things I want from her shop.

My favorite photo of River in his Boppy:

3.  Magnificent Baby Footies:  We were given a few of these footie pajamas as a gift from Shawn's aunt and they are such a great find!  These jumpers have hidden magnetic closures that make putting the baby's clothes on SO much easier.  No buttons, no snaps, the magnets just click together and dressing your baby in the middle of the night after a blow out is suddenly simplified.  These jumpers are made of 100%  super soft cotton and are completely lead and phythalate free.

4.  BumGenius 4.0 one size pocket diapers:  I plan to do a cloth diapering from the working mom perspective post soon but, until then, let me just tell you that I love our BumGenius diapers.  Cost efficient, excellent quality, and super reliable.

5.  Mybaby Lullaby sound machine:  How does a baby brother sleep in a busy house with two older sisters?  The sound machine, of course.  All three of our kids have used this sound machine and the sound of rain seems to always be echoing through our house.  It helps to soothe them to sleep while simultaneously blocking out the noise from the rest of the family: it's a lifesaver.  Shawn and I have grown so accustomed to the rain sound at night that we need it to sleep just as much as the kids!

How about you?  What are your baby essentials?