These are a few of my favorite things (baby edition)

I did this for my favorite things during pregnancy, now it's time to share my favorite baby products that make life easier with a little one.

• I am a swaddling mom; every one of my children was (is) swaddled as a baby, and I believe it's the best way to help infants sleep. My friend, Kelie, gave me Dwell Studio receiving blankets from Target, and I have decided they are the very best swaddling blankets because they are extra large. And they are super cute!


• Some babies take pacifiers, others don't, and some mothers believe in pacifiers while others don't. I'm a believer in pacifiers to help babies soothe to sleep and to temporarily stretch time between feedings (like when a 2.5 hour feeding schedule needs to become a 3 hour feeding schedule as Baby gets older). And I am a believer in the pacifier that soothes when nothing else will; we all know the desperation we feel when nothing else works. Isaiah loved his Nuk, Katie didn't take a pacifier (I tried every one I could find--she was a fussy baby!), and Max will only take a Soothie. I really like Soothie pacifiers. Unfortunately, sometimes a pacifier needs a clip, and Soothies don't have a hole. Never fear, Shelli to the rescue! All you have to do is use a regular hole punch to punch a hole in the little tabby thingy. Works great!


• Speaking of Soothies, I really like Soothie bottles, which my friend, Teresa, introduced me to. I like the nipple on both the binkies and the bottles, it just seems more realistic, if you know what I mean, which is nice for breastfeeding moms like me who only occasionally bottle-feed. But the bottles are also cool because the lids snap onto the bottom of the bottle so you don't lose them!


• And while I'm mentioning breastfeeding, I just have to thank Haley again for my Hooter Hider (yeah, that beautiful one was for me!). Real Hooter Hiders are pricey, so despite how useful and beautiful they are, they're just not practical for normal girls like me. I was lucky to be the recipient of a beautiful handmade one.


• Okay, I don't own this, but if I did I would wear it under my clothes to make quick changes into SuperMom. This slogan is probably my favorite mantra when I get odd looks from people who ask if I'm still breastfeeding. (Okay, no one's said that this baby--yet. But it's only a matter of time!)


• We haven't used Hyland's teething tablets with Max because he hasn't teethed yet, but Hyland's also has colic tablets which we have used when he's had a stomach ache. We love Hyland's!


• I'm a thrifty girl, so I feel like a hypocrite saying how much I love Huggies cucumber and green tea wipes. Normally I use regular old Kirkland wipes, but when there's a coupon at Costco, I will buy the thick, lovely-smelling Huggies wipes. The coordinating baby wash and lotion are some of my favorite things, too. Shhh, don't tell: I use the lotion myself sometimes.


• The most expensive thing I bought this time around, and by far my most researched and loved baby purchase probably ever, was the Graco carseat. Yeah, Graco isn't exactly top-of-the-line, but it had all the features I wanted and was rated one of the top in safety. Plus, it doesn't weigh 20 lbs, which is important for a wussy girl like me. And I love, love, love the Darius pattern. Every time someone compliments it, I feel like I'm glowing because I spent months looking for the perfect carseat, and I got it!

Well, I'm sure to remember more after I post this . . . I've already waited a week from when I started writing it until posting (and I keep coming up with more!), but I'll stop here.