My must haves for infants 0-4 months

I have seen a few other bloggers do these kinds of posts, and as a pregnant woman, I loved reading them in order to get good ideas on what I should purchase, what I could hold off on, what products are worth the $$, etc.  I thought maybe others out there would like to see what we have loved so far!  (Hey, even if you aren't having kids currently, it's a great resource for baby gifts!)

This blanket made by DreamSacks is awesome.  It's really lightweight (perfect for summer blankets and Southern babies), super stretchy (for those babies who try to break free from their swaddle), and it comes in unexpected, not too babyish colors.  I received this as a gift, and I will give this as a gift in the future. 

A baby sling (mine is from Mod Mum).  I used this constantly when on maternity leave as it was one of the easiest ways to get things done when he just wanted to be close to me.  I still use it now in the hip carry method, and it works really well.  We also have the Ergo baby carrier (love it as well) which is great b/c B can use it.  I didn't think we would ever use two different carriers, but it's wonderful to have both. 

The Baby Jogger City Elite stroller.  We opted out of the infant carseat/stroller combo as I knew the strollers that come in the systems wouldn't suit our long term needs.  We ended up looking at the Phil and Teds and the Uppa Baby Vista but decided on the Baby Jogger after hearing rave reviews from a few people and after seeing how easy it was to fold (I can do it one handed).  I was slightly nervous about how a teeny baby would work in it, but it lies down completely flat and we just put this little head rest thing from Babies R Us in it and it worked out perfectly.  It can be used for running and I love the tires- they'll take on anything!  My only complaint is that the undercarriage basket is quite small.

The Little Lamb swing.  SYT has since outgrown this, but he adored swining in this while we would work in the kitchen.  He took many a nap in here, and for any baby who likes motion, this thing worked!  He didn't like his bouncy seat at all, so I'm really glad we had this swing. 

The soothie pacifier.  SYT really isn't a huge pacifier guy, but this one got us through many a meltdown.  The Happiest Baby on the Block positioning (on their side, bounce the head, saying shhhhh really loudly, and giving him this paci) really worked for our non-napper. 


Tommee Tippee bottles.  They are shaped so that they resemble a mom's breast, and I think they're awesome.  SYT took to them like a charm, and we've had zero problems with them.  If you're going to nurse and pump for daycare, I would definitely try these as your first option.

Any of the Trend Lab towel and washcloth sets.  I had a really hard time finding a cute towel to register for, and I'm so glad we got this set.  The back of the washclothes and the towel are made of fabric like a men's dress shirt and then it's a really soft terrycloth on the other side.  There are quite a few sets (some blue, some pink, some neutral, all really cute), and I would highly recommend registering for this and/or giving this as a gift.  I wouldn't be surprised if I ordered another set b/c I like it so much!

Other things:
*Spencer wasn't really a swaddler, but the miracle blanket and the kiddopotomas swaddler worked well.
*I adore ebay for baby clothes!  I've been able to get things that have never been worn as babies grow so fast, and it's significantly more reasonable than the local boutiques carry!  A few of my favorite brands are Kissy Kissy (oh my goodness, soooo soft), Petit Ami, Ralph Lauren (love that they're really cute and only one piece), Janie and Jack, and pretty much anything that is smocked. 
*Most swaddle blankets that you get will be outgrown quickly if you have a big baby.  The Aden and Anais ones are great b/c they're HUGE!  I also love the Little Giraffe line for blankets and lovies.

Hopefully this will help someone out there!  If you have any questions, feel free to ask!