A few of my favorite things

For all of my friends who are soon-to-be mommy's, I thought I'd make a list of some of my favorite baby items. When I was pregnant I liked asking anyone and everyone what stuff they liked. Most of these aren't completely essential. I've found that only a few things are absolutely essential: a few clothes, diapers, a few blankets, and some way to feed the child. These are things that have made my life so much easier with my babe.

A carseat cover:
My mom bought this for me for Christmas and I love it! The little loops keep in it place, and this one is thick with cute minkie fabric on the inside, so it keeps the cold and wind out. Especially since Chase was a winter baby, the few times I did take him out it was nice to just keep him covered. Even now when we are running errands and he is sleeping in the carseat it keeps everything a little quieter and darker.
Sleeper Nightgowns:
My brother is completely disgusted that I have Chase sleep in a 'dress', but I love these sleepers. They make middle of the night diaper changes so much easier! These are Carter's brand. You can find them at Kohls, which I've found has some of the cutest baby clothes at the best prices I've found anywhere.
Travel System:
We bought the Chicco travel system and I've been very happy with it. We liked the neutral green color and actually picked it out before we knew if Chase was a boy or girl. It's really sturdy and the stroller rolls really well. When we researched it we found that this carseat is rated one of the best "bang for your buck" carseats- it's not too expensive and has excellent safety ratings. The only downside is that the carseat is on the heavy side. I'd recommend it to anyone.
Swaddle Me:
I got this as a gift from my friend Rachel and it is one of my favorite things. Chase loves being swaddled and this keeps him very tightly swaddled. He sleeps in it most nights and when he was brand new I'd put him in it to feed him because he couldn't figure out what to do with his hands and they just got in the way.

Pack N Play:
My mom bought me this pack n play as a baby shower present and I love it. This one is Graco brand. It's really easy to set up, packs up really small and I love the attached changing table. It makes traveling with Chase so much easier. Also, Chase loves mobiles, and this mobile has little bears that are facing him while he lays in it. It's also nice that when we are traveling Chase is sleeping in something familiar. (Actually- I'm not sure he knows the difference yet, but it sure makes me feel better). It's going to be his bed in Dominica.
Some more favorite things:

• Blankets- I swear you can never have too many. There have been some weeks where almost every blanket we own is dirty. We got a big variety of blankets as gifts- big, thin ones for swaddling, soft, fluffy ones to keep him warm, and I love all of them! I just bought him the Aden and Anais swaddling blankets for Dominica, so I can wrap him without him getting too hot. They are big, thin, soft and gauzy and I think will be perfect for the heat!
• Rocking Chair- We decided early on the a rocking chair would be a luxury and we would buy it if we had enough money left at the end of the pregnancy. Ben found one on Craigslist for a really good price and it was basically brand new. I love it. I'm so glad we got it. I spend a lot of time there, rocking Chase to sleep, reading him stories, and nursing.
  
• Boppy Pillow- I sent Ben out to buy this when Chase was 3 days old because nursing was so difficult. I didn't buy one before because I know some people don't like it or think it works very well, but I have loved it. I'm sad I can't take it to Dominica with us.
• Books- I love reading to my baby. He started really liking story time when he was about 6 weeks old and could sit up supported on my lap. He gets really excited looking at the pictures and I feel like it's good 'quality' time with him. The older he gets, the more engaged he is in his books. He doesn't really like toys yet, but thinks books are great.