Here are some things I found myself running to the store for after Brandon was born:
1. Sleep n plays. These are the one-piece outfits complete with footsies. They come in either snap up or zip up. I thought I was going to be dressing Brandon in preppy little outfits every day, but then I realized you have to change his diaper all the time and change his clothes every time he pees on them or spits up too much. So anytime we didn’t leave the house, Brandon was in a sleep n play. A zip up one – the snaps are way too much work.
2. Socks. Nobody buys socks for a new baby. Plenty of people buy them clothes, but exactly one person bought Brandon socks: Steve’s very thoughtful and brilliant aunt. And we used those socks every day until he outgrew them and I had to buy some in the next size. I am constantly buying socks in the next size. Although I recently bought Brandon socks and the size says 2-4 years so here’s hoping I get a little break in sock buying.
3. Bibs. Holden drips formula out of his mouth at nearly the rate of a waterfall. Bibs are a necessity when bottle feeding. And with how many times they eat a day, there are never enough clean bibs. Then they start eating real food, and of course you need those plastic ones you can wash off. Steve’s same aunt is the only person who bought us those and they have gotten a hell of a lot of use.
4. Jumper. How people survived without these is beyond me. There’s not that much for babies to do before they’re able to walk, so having something to put them in while you’re cooking or cleaning that they enjoy is an absolute must.
5. Baby Einstein videos. I don’t know why babies like these – it’s nature scenes or animals or toys to classical music. But the fact is, babies love them. Taking Brandon on airplane trips was manageable thanks to these (and the lady sitting next to us the last time seemed pretty taken by them, too).
6. Gas drops. Your baby might not be gassy. But Brandon sure as hell was. My life got a lot quieter after we discovered this nectar of the gods.
7. SwaddleMe type-blankets.When a baby is little, you’re supposed to swaddle him every night. God knows neither Steve nor I could swaddle worth a damn. So these handy little velcro wraps make it pretty foolproof. Yes, kids outgrow them pretty quickly, but they also outgrow swaddling pretty quickly and I doubt you want to try swaddling correctly with a regular blanket multiple times a day until that happens.
Other things worth investing in are a bottle warmer, teething tablets, a crib mobile or soother and a hell of a lot of baby powder. And a good babysitter for a few much needed date nights.
holly pelesky 
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