My last hit item is a baby monitor. I cannot sleep at night unless I can hear my baby snoring away in the crib or bassinet or even right beside me in my bed. Since I used our first monitor until it broke, we recently had to purchase the  Safety 1st Safe-Glow Nursery Monitor 2 Receiver Set and I absolutely am 100% disappointed with it.

Not only is it confusing to use (the on/off switch is no simple matter and fussing with it at midnight is not on my list of things I want to do), but I often hear nothing but static on it, and I can’t even tell if I’ve got it on the right channel. I liked the built-in soft glow nightlight and liked having two receivers but hated everything else about this thing. We are returning it in search of something better. It is listed on sale for $45 on Amazon.com but it’s not worth $5.

That said, once you find a monitor that works for you, they are completely invaluable for naps and nighttime.

 
The fourth item on my list of necessities for baby is a stroller. If you’re not into pushing your baby around in a buggy and you travel by foot as often as I do, I think a carrier of some sort is in order. You’ve got to have your hands free (and save your back and arms) at some point in time and for that, I have a Mei Tai. However, I also have Evenflo Congo Journey Travel System. We have dragged this thing through mud, muck, rain, snow, gravel and whatever else dares to cross our paths for over 3 years and it is still in good shape. The front tires had to be reinforced but otherwise, nothing is awry.

My favorite features are the bug net, relatively simple folding system, and smooth steering. It is rather bulky but great for long treks and durable (we’re on our second son.) The front piece lifts, making getting your child in and out simpler, and there’s even a detachable piece that stores away underneath to keep legs and feet protected until they’re too big to be kept in. The car seat attaches to the top and is a handy carrier and travel rocking chair for baby. It comes with a canopy and head cushions to keep baby’s head steady. We paid much more than the $129.99 price tag on Amazon.com but, happily, it was worth it.  

We borrowed our exersaucer from friends and are terribly glad we did. We had only a large ladybug that had very few toys on it and bored the heck out of our first son; luckily it was only $10 second hand. We’re going to use it outside this spring/summer. Our second son is tough to entertain so we called in the big guns. Even though this exersaucer comes equipped with several toys that move, spin, and squeak, we are glad that we have been able to add toys of our own to it by clipping them to already existing pieces. Our son has fun playing, bouncing, and spinning to see everything in the room. With our busybody baby, I don’t think I could survive my day without an exersaucer, even though it takes up lots of space and doesn’t match the décor at all. You can find many different designs (I covet the Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo) but we have the Evenflo Delux Exersaucer-Wild Thing and couldn’t be more satisfied. They’re $49.99 at Amazon.com.

 
What’s my second pick for baby shower gift items? Toys. My youngest son needs lots of entertainment and that means that we have a lot of bright, fun toys for him. His exersaucer is covered in extra toys (besides the ones already built into it) to look at and chew on. My son is a big fan of his froggy clip-on friend. He spent half of our walk today giggling at it and his image in the mirror under the frog…and half the walk sleeping under this travelling mobile. My sons are both mobile fans (my 3 year old still has a colorful mobile hanging on the wall above his bed), so the Bright Starts Clip-On Friend has come in handy since we received it from my parents on Christmas. Not only is it fun to look at but the crinkly plush creatures attached to it are fun to chew as well (just make sure baby doesn’t get a hold of the clip!)

I shopped around and though it was only $9.99 at ToysRUs.com, they were sold out. Everywhere else I looked, it was $19.99, including at Amazon.com.  Also available is a butterfly version.

 
To go along with the baby shower theme I’ve already begun (My Top Five Picks for a Delightful Baby Shower), I want to give you a few ideas for what to give mama-to-be at a baby shower. First pick: baby wipes case. Whether you buy a couple inexpensive plastic cases (sold in baby departments everywhere) mom can refill or buy a handy more expensive case like the Swipe by Skip Hop, unless mommy-to-be never leaves the house, they will come in handy. I keep a wipes case in the laundry room on the change table, upstairs in our bedroom for nighttime diaper changes, in the diaper bag, and in my son’s backpack for preschool. The Swipe baby wipes case attaches to a diaper bag, buggy, or many other places with a snap closure and has a “Quick Draw” opening; just hit the button and grab a wipe. With its $8.00 price tag at tottini.com, I’m still on the fence about whether or not I need one, but it could come in very handy when I need a wipe in a hurry (like when there’s a diaper blow-out that leaves shirts and pants in a mess and baby is squiggling to get free!) I do, however, rate it to be a perfect baby shower gift.