A New Dad's Must Haves:

For fun I have compiled a list of what I believe to be the must haves for any new parent.  Keep in mind that this comes from the perspective of a dad and I am sure a mother would have another perspective.  I welcome any thoughts or discussion on the items I have listed or items you believe have been left off.  I will try and add pictures later but at the time I am unable to so I have provided links for most everything.



Boppy - The boppy is a must have (although doing a google search I have discovered what we call a Boppy and what the world calls a Boppy are two different things - click here to see what I am talking about).  I would recomend the boppy over a bassinet any day.  It is small and easy to move from room to room or city to city if traveling.  Our kids slept in the boppy for the first couple of months of their lives until we transitioned to the crib.  They are soft, vibrate, and have toys which make them versatile for day time use also. 

I give the "Boppy" five out of six dirty diapers.

Formula Dispenser - We did not discover this early enough (click here to see the dispenser).  It is great for making bottles on the road, pew, or in the middle of the night - at 2am I am not wanting to measure water and counts scoops!  Before going to bed leave the bottle filled to the right level with water and the dispenser on your bed stand or bathroom sink, combine the contents when needed, prop the bottle up* and go back to bed.  Done.

I give the "Formula Dispenser" four and a half dirty diapers out of six.

Baby Gates - Some might argue that we have taken gating our house to a new level.  I would rather have one gate up that keeps kids out of our kitchen then have baby latches on all our cabinets.  My favorite gate so far is this one because it is sturdy, foot operated, and swings both ways.  Buying new can be costly but we have bought both of ours at yardsales or craigslist so keep your eyes open for them.

I give "Baby Gates" four out of six dirty diapers.

Diaper Dekor - We owe thanks to Lara for giving us this little peace of heaven.  The Dekor is great and I have seen it hold up to 16lbs of dirty diapers.  A couple of things to remember though with the Dekor that has led to its lower rating: 1) Toss, not pitch or throw, the diapers into the Dekor, the flap can break 2) Tie a figure eight in the bag to avoid having the knot slip under the pressure of 16lbs of baby byproduct.  It is a great product though.

I give the "Dekor" only three out of six dirty diapers (although it can hold at least ten times that!).

Bottle Brush - I think just about any model will work.  It is really nice to have when you find that bottle under the couch and can't identify what it had in it.

I give "Bottle Brushes" three out of six dirty diapers.

A Recliner - Eternally grateful I will be for my parents for providing us a recliner.  We some amount of time almost every night for the first several months of both of our children's lives in that chair.  If you don't have one - get one!

I give "recliners" six out of six dirty diapers.

What are some of your must haves?  Anything I left off the list?  What are some things that can be returned if received as a gift (ie Baby Hand Pillows)?