Shiny Object Syndrome

Graco Snugride Carseat (for infants)

It is actually probably silly to review a car seat because they are constantly updating the technology to make them safer, but this is the one we used with both children. Remember, never buy a used carseat.

At the time (2007), this was one of the lightest on the market. I made a lot of my decisions by weight since I have a bad back. Honestly, I have never heard any one complain about an infant car seat. Safety is the number one concern here, and luckily most people don't ever find out how safe their carseat actually is firsthand. Aside from weight and the all important pattern choice, and stroller compatibility (many strollers are compatible with Graco, but if you have a stroller already or one that you know you are getting, check its car seat compatibility before you buy a carseat), I would check consumer reports or similar to make sure you get the safest, most up-to-date version.

Yoga Ball

We already had one because I do yoga (sometimes), but they're cheap, and you can sit and bounce for days, which we did with our first in the first few months. They're super mobile so you can bounce wherever you and your baby wish. They do take up some space and are hard to keep from rolling around the house, particularly if there are older children around (if you don't want them playing with it or "bowling" toward their infant sibling. Our second baby didn't need much rocking or bouncing at all so after the first few weeks we rarely used it and due to the enticement of "bowling" for our older one, we actually deflated it for a while. If you need to bounce, rock your baby a lot or even a little, it's a great and easy way to do it.