Show us your life Friday- Baby Gear!

This post is all about the baby gear that we did or didn't find to be either necessary or helpful with having our first baby. Lord knows that when you walk into Babies'R'Us it can be a little overwhelming and you can DEFINITELY have too much when it comes to babies.

Here are the things that got our "thumbs up"!

1) Snap'n'Go stroller- we bought this stroller for when I was traveling to Minnesota by myself with Emersyn when she was 7 weeks. We have an "Uppa" stroller, which is fantastic. It is a spendier stroller but we got it for a KILLER deal on ebay, and I mean KILLER!!! However, I didn't want to take our higher end stroller on an airplane, where it would be trashed. Hence the "snap'n'go"! Super lightweight and easy to use. I ended up using this stroller more often then I thought I would too, especially if Emersyn was asleep in her seat when we needed to get out of the car.

2) Nikon D40-No joke. I know this isn't traditional baby gear but I think every new parent needs a good camera. We have only had professional pics taken once and I think because of that, this camera has paid for itself! We also bought a good flash for it and eventually upgraded the lens. But the lens that comes standard with the camera is fine. And it isn't that difficult to operate, just takes a little practice and learning. We have a BAZILLION pictures of Emersyn that I think are just as good as professional pics and for that I am grateful. We didn't get a video camera until a couple months ago and that is something I regret, wish we would have had it day one.

3) Boppy Pillow- Great for nursing, to use as a baby prop for picture taking :), to use to support babies as they learn to sit up, etc.

4) Hooter Hider- sell for $35 at the store but you can find patterns online to make for next to nothing. If you are nursing, this is vital!! :)

5) Jumper/Bouncer- Emersyn got her Baby Einstein Jumper for Christmas when she was 4 months old. I liked it over the excersaucer because of the jumping abilities. We did get an exersaucer for free from one of my husband's co-workers however, that we kept over at Brett's parents house. She loved the excersaucer too but I loved the jumper. As she got older, I would turn music on and she would jump to the beat. My girls got rhythm!! :)

6) Bouncy Chair/Swing- I didn't think I would need BOTH of these items but I sure ended up rethinking that as soon as my mom left when Emersyn was one month old! We used our swing downstairs and I used her bouncy chair upstairs while I showered or folded laundry. We bought the cheapest bouncy chair possible; I found the super cute and decorative bouncy chairs didn't actually bounce as much. We got our bouncy chair for $25 from Walmart. We got a Boppy swing from a neighbor that was gently used for $40. Gently used baby gear is a total score!!

7) LeapFrog "Violet"- This is probably my favorite toy that Emersyn has ever gotten. This sweet little puppy came with a USB cord to connect her to your computer so you can program her to say your little one's name. Violets sings to Emersyn, calls her by name, talks about Emersyn's favorite color, favorite animal and favorite food, all items that we programmed into her via the USB cord. It was really easy to set up and teaches Emersyn how to spell her name, how to count, etc. She was a gift from a friend for her first birthday but the toy is for ages 6months-36 months. Emersyn loves her, she is playing with her even as I type this!!

8) Medela Swing Breast Pump- I worked part time while still nursing and a good pump was very important to me. This one worked great!

Thumbs Down:

1) Wipes warmer- bought one for super cheap online, however, never really used it.

2) Diaper Genie/Champ- never used one. I think we were just undecided about it before Emersyn was born and the we just never got around to buying one. We have a trash can in her room with scented trash liners (dollar store) and we just take it out once a day or we take dirty diapers out to the trash as they happen. It just worked for us.

3) Fancy Baby Lotion- Our pediatrician swears by Vaseline and I am telling you, it works! Emersyn has pretty bad eczema at times and there isn't anything I wouldn't pay to make her more comfortable. I do love the Aveeno products but they can be more expensive. Vaseline works really well. We mainly put it on her before naps and bedtime because it can be a little greasy but it is always completely absorbed by the time she wakes up!

Well, that's my two cents! I will try to add to this list if I think of anything else.

Happy Friday everyone!!