As I was putting my newly turned three-year-old to bed the other night, it occurred to me: a couple weeks ago I had bought diapers for the last time. We’re working our way through potty training and, while we’re washing our character-themed training underpants frequently, there will be no more giant boxes of diapers in my grocery pickups.
Once your youngest is fully into toddler mode and quickly making their way to big kid territory, you can’t help but reflect on the journey. The long nights, the days filled with both laughter and tears, and all the little moments in between. And along the way, I used some products that surprised me and some I didn’t even find until my second baby.
This isn’t an exhaustive list, just some things that are perhaps not frequently found on all the baby registry lists:
Spray Aquaphor and Spray Vaseline Cocoa Butter Moisturizer
I found these when I was looking for a spray lotion for my legs when I was pregnant over the summer. With baby number one, I had been flexible, doing yoga and walking the whole pregnancy. With baby number two however, it felt like my body had given up and subtly turned into an incubator. I was sick, had heartburn, and couldn’t bend over if I wanted to. But, I could prop a leg up and spray this Vaseline lotion on! It was a lifesaver, and I liked it so much it’s still my go-to in the summers. The spray Aquaphor doesn’t replace my squeeze Baby Aquaphor, but it is handy for hard to reach places or when I just need a light application. I ended up using it on my healing C-Section incision.
Dermaplast
If you’ve had a baby, you probably have a can of Dermaplast sitting in your bathroom cabinet. When someone gets a small but painful burn at home, this is our go-to after running it under cold water! It takes away the initial sting and really helps a crying kid calm down.
Neosporin BandAids
I really like the seal and light layer of Neosporin already on the pad of these bandages! It makes for a quick and easy application.
Reading lamp
I like using this lamp in both a baby’s room and an older kid’s room when they need a reading light/night light. It’s rechargeable, and has a clamp base and a long neck which makes it easy to move around if necessary. I also like the dimmer option and amber light so it doesn’t wake everyone up too much during a 2am diaper change or feeding.
Parent’s Choice Diapers
This was one that surprised me. With both of my boys, all the more expensive diaper brands leaked. A friend had made us a diaper cake at our baby shower out of Walmart brand Parent’s Choice diapers, and I tried one out of desperation with baby number two. To my great surprise, no leaks! And they were significantly cheaper than any other brand. Worked for me!
Westcott Retractable Ceramic Box Cutter
If you’re like me, you open a LOT of Amazon packages…and if your kids are like mine, they’re always hovering strong, trying to grab whatever’s in the package before you can! This little ceramic box cutter feels a lot safer to have around the kids than a blade or pair of scissors. Plus, it’s retractable and hard for little hands to pop the blade out and direct it anywhere.
OXO Tot Grape Cutter
Do yourself a favor and save YEARS OF YOUR LIFE with this grape cutter! I use it for grapes, cherry tomatoes, and black olives. I wish I had known about this with my first kid! Fortunately, I heard about it when my second was born.
Apple Slicer
Similar to the grape cutter, save yourself time and avoid slicing someone’s hand open trying to cut an apple! I like this one with the protective blade cover, and there’s also an option on Amazon that will do 16 thinner slices!
Command Bath Toy Basket
I originally found this when we were in an apartment and needed a non-permanent way to store bath toys, but I liked it so much I bought one for our house too! It has drainage holes and stores quite a few toys. We’ve had it on there for over three years so far and it’s never come off!
Wet Ones Wipes
Buy the blue pack for hands and face cleaning, and the yellow antibacterial pack for general germ removal, and then DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT THEM! In fact, my mom still carries them and all her kids are grown! They are so handy! I’ve also used the face ones for diaper wipes in a pinch!
