Since the boys are one year old I decided I would compile a list of all the things I couldn't have survived without that first year. Ok so maybe I could have survived without these things but I wouldn't be sane.
The boppy was something we used everyday not only when I was nursing but for bottle feeding too. Pretty much every three hours you could find me on the floor leaned up against my recliner with a bottle in each hand feeding the boys on their boppys. Even when they could hold their own bottles we still used the boppys to prop them up on.
The sterilizer is the item that has probably got the most use. I used this to sanitize all the bottles before the boys were born and still use it now that the boys are one. It also works great for breast pump parts and pacifiers.
This is the Halo Sleepsack with the swaddler, it was the best swaddling blanket we found and I used it until the boys were around 5 months. A lot of people called this the straight jacket but after seeing how much it calmed them, they knew why I put the boys in it. My boys were the kind that like their feet to be free but their arms still needed to be swaddled because they would fling them in their sleep and wake theirselves up. Another good thing about the sleepsack is that it zips from the bottom up so you can change that diaper without undoing the swaddle.
This is great if your baby has colic, gas, or hiccups. The good thing is it is all natural. Gripe Water always worked better than Mylicon for my boys.
I always loved Trumpette socks because they are so cute, but they also serve another great purpose. THEY STAY ON THEIR FEET!!! You can ask anybody that came to my house when the boys were newborns, we had socks EVERYWHERE because they kept falling off their feet until we found Trumpette. They come in many different styles. Of course now my boys purposefully take off their socks.
We had a mobile when the boys were in the same crib but when the boys moved to seperate cribs we used this Fisher Price Ocean Wonders music projector. Have you ever tried to sync two mobiles together? It is impossible, it just sounds like a jumbled mess. That is when we switched to this and both boys can see and hear it from their individual cribs. Don't have twins? I would still reccomend this just because it is cheaper and will last longer (you should not have a mobile once your child is old enough to grab it).
The Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo was worth every penny. We got it for the boys when they were around 4 months. At first they just sat in it and played then when they realized they could jump they didn't stop and provided a lot of entertainment for mom and dad also.
I ordered this shopping cart cover from Peanut's Boutique on Etsy. There are many places that sell these but I picked this one because it doesn't have the cushioning that most have which makes it very bulky. Since I have to carry two of them in my diaper bag the last thing I want is to have something that takes up a lot of space. To be honest though, I don't use this much as a shopping cart cover ( I would if I just had one baby though, we have to use the stroller everywhere we go). However it gets a lot of use as a high chair cover when we go to restraunts. The toy loop is another good feature, so you aren't fetching toys all through out dinner.
If you like to eat out, this is another MUST HAVE! Your waiter will thank you. Does your child see a plate/bowl of food and the first thing he does is swipe it off the table or dump all the food out? Well this placemat will help with this. It suctions to the table and has a catch-all that will get all those pieces that missed your little ones mouth. It also folds up very compact.
My secret to a sucessful shopping trip? Snack trap with a endless supply of treats(ex cheerios and puffs). The snack trap has slits that they can fit their chubby finger in but they aren't big enough they can take a whole handful and if they drop it no clean up. People always compliment on the boys behavior when we are out and about with our snack trap.
Our favortie bibs are the Bumkins bibs. They catch all the food that misses their mouth, machine washable or you can wipe them down with a wet cloth. What more could you want?
I was not paid for any of my opinions in this post. I just love these products and hope this list can help someone else out.
holds my broom, mop, sweeper and all that good stuff.
wash the cloth pad after every use.
