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omg I just found this photo from June last year(Emma was only 4 months old) gah!

I debated writing this post because Emma is well over a year now but every now and then I get questions about products that I used for Emmas first year so I figured I’d just write a post for you. I wrote this post last year and it’s even changed from those early newborn months. We definitely tried a bunch of stuff with her and even from month to month her wants/needs changed as she started crawling and then walking but these are the products we’ve loved and most of them we still use for her today;

1 → The Happy Sleeper
I read this when Emma was only a couple weeks old but it was a LIFE SAVER once Emma was around 2-3 months. It helped us so much and I really think her sleeping through the night at just 6 months old is attributed to this book. I highly recommend it. I purchased it on my iphone through ibooks so I could read it while nursing.

2 → Merlin Magic Sleepsuit
Another thing that I feel like helped with her sleeping! This suit made Emma look like the michelin man and I talked a lot about it in this post but it was so helpful. You can only use it until they start turning over but Emma wouldn’t sleep without it. She had a really bad Moro reflex(when they feel like they’re falling and jolt their legs/arms from being so snug in the womb) and so this helped with her arms/legs. I’d suggest buying two, in case they blow out their diaper at 3am and you have to do a load of laundry because your baby won’t go to sleep without their suit. I wouldn’t know from experience or anything.

3 → Hatch Baby Rest Sound Machine
Of all of the sound machines this one is my favorite because they have an iphone app. You’re able to turn it on/off from your phone, adjust the brightness of the night light, change the sounds(there are 6 sound settings) and set a timer if you want it to turn on or off at a specific time. I love that there is also a touch sensor so you can just tap the top of the machine and it will turn off. This is the #1 item I use with her every single day and I travel with it when we take her out of town.

4 → Dockatot
This was super helpful from newborn through 6 months. It’s basically a little portable bed for her. I’m sure you’ve all seen it. But we loved this thing and plan to use it with our next baby. You can also find them second hand on apps like Let Go or Next Door.

5 → Vibrating teether
Emma already has 10 teeth(yes, 10!!!) and we’ve tried loads of stuff with her; tablets, tylenol, frozen berries/bananas, teething drops, everything. She constantly reaches for her vibrating teether when she’s teething and I really think it helps her cope with the pain.

6 → Nest cam
We have used this everyday since we brought Emma home from the hospital. It’s not really meant to be a baby cam but I love that I can watch her sleep in her crib from my iphone, computer or ipad. In those early newborn days we also sent a private link to grandparents so they could watch too. The video quality is great as well.

7 → Backpack diaper bag
In my previous post about essentials I included a diaper bag but after carrying that bag around I actually found that I much prefer a backpack type diaper bag to wear so I can have my hands free. I snagged this backpack from Madewell last year and love using it as a diaper bag for her. This way when I don’t need to carry around 200 different types of snacks and all of her diapers I can use it for myself. Its also great to travel with!

8 → Ring sling carrier
Oh man, I can’t say enough amazing things about this sling. I tried every carrier out there and this one is my favorite because of how easy it is to take on and off. Plus it’s super cute!!! I have 4 different colors and different types of fabrics so depending on how cold or hot it is I can just take one and go. Today Emma still loves jumping in one every now and then but it’s getting harder now that she’s walking.

9 → Uppa Baby Vista Stroller
I am in love with this stroller. It has different attachments so it grows with your baby. We were able to attach her newborn carseat to it and now we’re able to attach an adjustable seat to it. I love that with the seat it can still fold down into one piece and it’s glides so smoothly. I just took this on the plane with me(checked it at the gate) and it was SO easy to use. This is probably one of my top must-haves. We use it at least twice a week at the zoo or park. It has a huge basket underneath so we can store alllll the things.

10 → Snot Sucker
I was very disgusted when we first got this but it’s been so helpful. I used to have Aaron take on the snot sucking task but I’ve gotten acclimated to it and it doesn’t gross me out anymore. You essentially are sucking the snot out of their nose through a tube with your mouth but there’s a little foam catch that prevents it from getting in your mouth. It works way better than those old snot sucker bulbs from the hospital.

11 → Essential Oil Diffuser
I’m not huge into essential oils or anything but I love diffusing oils in Emmas room at night. The lavender sent is my favorite along with anything bergamot! I also love oil blends and this Boost one smells ahhh-mazing. It calms her down while also smelling really great. I set it next to her diaper pail because sometimes it can smell a little funky in her room so I love to mask the smell with her diffuser!