A New Dad’s Top Ten Must Have Baby Items

I could not be more excited to share this completely unsolicited Top Ten list from a new dad friend of mine. My family came to know Jason and his wife Cortney when we lived in Florida before they had kids. (They even watched our son when my daughter was born.) This spring they welcomed an adorable son and I hate that we live far away and we can’t experience them as parents in person, but I have no doubt they’re amazing.

Now, I’ll be honest, if I received this list and thought it stunk, I wouldn’t share it. But, I trust Jason and he proves his list is worth it with some top-notch picks that I can get behind.

Without further ado, check out Jason’s ten favorite baby things.

1. Pampers Swaddlers Diapers . American engineering at its finest! Undoubtedly designed by the same guys that sent us to the moon in 1969, these use a variety of features to keep poop and pee inside/ away from you. Totally stopping blowouts is impossible, but these reduce them at least 90%. We tried lots of other types of diapers which were shower gifts –they all bow down to Pampers Swaddlers.

2. BOB Revolution . I have run hundreds of miles with this stroller and I love it. When we bought it, I thought there was no way it could ever be worth the price. It is and baby loves riding in it. Not only is it great for running, we’ve used it at the mall, on walks, at Disneyland, and even the beach.

3. Chicco Liteway Stroller. We have 3 strollers and just leave this one in the trunk of the car all the time. It’s a good compromise–small enough to take with you and carry, but large enough to have some features like a fully reclining seat. If I were going to only own one stroller, it would be this one.

4. Sophie the Giraffe Rubber Toy. Baby throws this toy on the ground almost daily while we’re running. It’s so easy to wash and give right back to him. It’s also small, easy to take along, and he never seems tired of it.

5. Britax Roundabout Car Seat. I don’t really think Britax seats are probably any safer than the competition, but other people seem to think you really care about your kid if you buy a Britax. Strangely, I care what other parents think when it comes to my parenting abilities. Baby loves it, it’s a nice seat, and doesn’t cost much more than the competition. We had a carrier/ base type car seat, but only used it a few months so I wouldn’t waste much cash on one of those.

6. Fisher Price Super Deluxe Swing. This thing costs a small fortune and we only used it for four months, but was worth at least ten times what I paid the first time it helped baby sleep through the night.

7. Baby Jordans. Baby shoes are a stupid idea since they have feet which resemble stumps. Baby shoes slip on to these stumps and then come flying off about 20 seconds later. It turns out babies don’t walk anyway so shoes serve no purpose other than the satisfaction parents have in buying and displaying them. Baby Jordans look cool and actually stay on (Velcro!) so I like them, but I’d throw all the rest of baby’s shoes in the garbage.

8. Dekor Plus Diaper Pail. I don’t totally understand how this thing works, but never once has there been any smell from the pile of dirty diapers. The heat coming out the top when you open the lid is frightening, but stopping the smell entirely makes this product great.

9. Angelcare Deluxe Movement Monitor. Just for the peace of mind of paranoid parents, this is worth the extra cost over a regular monitor.

10. Go GaGa Slide Diaper Bag. Diaper bags aren’t made for dads, but dads are required to carry them anyway. Using a backpack instead sounds good, but that idea is never going to fly. We have 3 diaper bags; the Go Gaga bag is soooo much less feminine than the Coach or Petunia Pickle Bottom bags that I also have to sometimes carry and it actually has some good features as well.