More Favorite Things

• Bumbo - No, this is not a flying elephant, it's a baby chair. We were blessed to have one given to us recently, and it did not disappoint! Granted, Chase is still a little small for it. But it's great to sit him in when he doesn't want to lay on his back, and mommy needs to use her hands for something else. I keep it on the kitchen counter and he watches me cook :)
• Cloth Diapers - Another item I fought against. But my mom insisted that I buy some, and she was right. They are the perfect burp cloths! All the cute, colorful ones are way too small and not nearly as absorbant. Plus, I don't really care if these get dirty or stained...and they're all white so I can bleach them clean. We never leave home without one...definitely a good investment!
• My Backpack - I am officially on my third diaper bag. Shortly after Chase was born, I decided that I didn't want to carry both a purse and a diaper bag. My first diaper bag didn't have enough pockets to accomodate this. The second one had plenty of pockets, but wasn't big enough. I finally settled on a backpack, and it is perfect! It has two main compartments (I use the smaller one for my stuff and the large one for his stuff), and plenty of little pockets as well. Love it! Bonus: because it's not girly or awkward, Kevin doesn't mind carrying it either.
• Pack and Play - If you travel AT ALL, these are worth every penny! Because we're in a temporary living situation, we're using ours as a crib. But we've also traveled multiple times, and this baby is the best! It's simple to set up/tear down, doesn't take up a lot of storage room, and lightweight enough that you can move it around very easily. PS - We went with a simple model without all the bells and whistles (no changer or tiny bassinet that vibrates). It does have a feature that allows you to raise the floor/base so that you don't break your back picking up/putting down baby. This model was about $90 cheaper than the fancy ones, and I can't see why you would need that stuff, anyhow.
• Parent's Choice Formula - aka Walmart brand. After paying $20 for a can of the fancy stuff, I called my pediatrician and they said that they highly recommend this formula. They even gave me some free samples to try (yes, please!). Not only is it $8-$13 cheaper than the name brand stuff, but Chase poops better when he's on it too. Score!
• Car Mirror - I LOVE this! It hooks to the headrest in front of Chase's car seat so that I can see him in my rearview mirror. It's a little hard to get used to at first, because all you want to do is watch baby. But once you learn where to focus, it's great. Especially when he spits his paci out and you have to reach back and put it in his mouth. (I've become a pro at driving with my right hand reached behind me)