Must Have Baby Products for the First Month

When we were shopping for Henrik (prior to his arrival), I tried to keep everything in perspective and not buy every baby item imaginable. Being the shop-a-holic that I am, I think I succeeded and failed at the same time. (Is that possible?) We have a lot of baby items we haven't used yet as he is not big enough, but here is a list of things we found useful the first month.

{Please note, I am not getting paid or receiving anything for free - I really just like these products.}

• Fisher Price Rock n Play: Henrik has actually been sleeping in this since we brought him home. I have been trying to figure out why he likes it so much, I think it's because it creates this cozy pocket for him and combined with a swaddle, he sleeps like, well, a baby (in three to four hour increments). This picture doesn't do it a lot of justice (except for the cute little boy sleeping in it), but it is currently in our bedroom where little man is napping and you never do anything that might wake a sleeping baby.
  
• Graco DuetSoothe Swing & Rocker: For some reason, when registering for a swing, I was really stressed about it and did a ton of research. We settled on this swing and have been very happy with it. You can switch which way it swings (back and forth or side to side), it has a vibrate function and you can take the seat off and it turns into a rocker that you can take anywhere in your house. I also like that it plugs in so we don't have to rely on batteries. Henrik has really responded well to the vibrate function and so it's been nice we can take the seat anywhere in the house with us. My one complaint is the vibrate function is rather loud, thus the yellow vice grip my husband implemented to quiet it. 
  
• Aden and Anais blankets: I big-fat-puffy heart these blankets. They're light weight, warm and don't take up much space in the diaper bag. Plus, they come in some really stinkin cute prints!
  
• Boon Lawn: One of my friends told me to get the Boon Lawn vs. the Boon Grass and I am really glad I took her advice. It's larger than the grass, which has been nice for putting bottles on. I also love the twig and flower attachments for holding lids and nipples - even my husband said this thing was the "coolest thing he's ever seen". 
  
• Carter's Clothes: I have found I am partial to anything Carter's for our little guy. Their clothes are so soft and cute, I find myself reaching for those outfits the most. 
  
• Halo Sleep Sack : I never even attempted to learn to swaddle with an actual blanket. Instead we have been using Halo sleep sacks and love them. We put him in a long sleeve half onesie and then swaddle him up in the sack and he does really well. I love that it has an inverted zipper (zips down, rather than up). This combined with a half onesie makes 3 am diaper changes a lot more manageable. So far I have accumulated four of these sleep sacks - two newborn (which he is almost too long for) and two smalls (which should last him awhile longer.)
  
• California Baby bath products: Bath products were something else I stressed about. I wanted something that smelled good that was good for his skin. I started with Johnson & Johnson (despite all their recent negative press), but his skin was super dry and he kept breaking out. So I switched to California Baby and his baby acne cleared up in a snap and his skin stopped flaking immediately. Their products are a little on the pricy side, but I rarely have to use lotion on him now and I love the smell. 
  
• Skip-Hop Studio Diaper bag: Besides being cute and roomy, this diaper bag is super functional. Nice big bottle pockets on each side are great for Camelback water bottles (Since I'm breast feeding, no bottles on the go for little man yet) and lots of pockets for both Henrik and I's miscellaneous items such as pacies and chapstick. The thing I have liked most so far are the stroller straps, which creates more room in the basket below the stroller. In addition to cute and functional, the price tag won't break the bank either. 
  
• UppaBaby Vista Stroller: This was my splurge when I found out we were expecting. There are three things about this stroller I absolutely LOVE: 1.) The push bar extends up three inches. Three inches doesn't sound like a lot, but when both you and your husband are tall, it makes a BIG difference. 2.) It rides like a dream - this thing has better shock absorbers than our relatively new car. 3.) It comes with a regular seat or a bassinet and you can buy a car seat attachment. So far we have used the car seat attachment - which is great when I know he won't be in it for long - and the bassinet attachment - which is great for him to stretch out in... On a side note, while getting the stroller in and out of the car is annoying at times, my husband and I both love always having cup holders and something to hold our purchases. 

We are half way through month #2 already (not sure how that is possible) and are using different baby items already and some of the things listed above, not as much. I'll be sure to update you next month on our latest must-haves.