How did I live without these?

When I was pregnant with Abigail I did research on a lot of things that I thought we needed for our first baby. We got a lot of "good" stuff that we also used with Henry. Somethings didn't last long (like the stupid Diaper Genie), but other things have now been used for three kids. When I was pregnant with Johanna we realized we needed a few new things. Did you know that carseats expire? The one we used with Abigail and Henry will expire before Johanna is one, so we bought a new one. We also got a new stroller since the one that came with the travel system we bought for Abigail was bulky and truthfully quite junky in the long run...hardly made it through Henry. Other things we're doing differently/buying...a new bouncy seat, cloth diapers and a more compact swing. There are other things that I have found/used this time around that leave me wondering how I got by without them the first two times! They are:

ICKY BAGS:

~Yes, it's a shameless plug for my friend Kelly, but seriously, these are the best things ever. Ever. I have 2 regular sized ones and one XL. I always have a regular size one in my diaper bag and it gets tons of use. Johanna spits/barfs a lot. A lot. She goes through tons of bibs, burp cloths and outfits every day. Sometimes we aren't home and she really soaks on outfit. Instead of putting it in my diaper bag with all the clean stuff, I stick it in the Icky bag until I get home. I use the XL bag to carry my breast pump to/from work. I will also use that size eventually for our cloth diapers. My other regular size bag has been used for swimsuits, suntan lotion and as a toiletry bag. They are the best...and you can just wash them with your regular wash. Love 'em!

Medela Quick Clean Micro-Steam Bags:

~My sister told me about these. You get 5 bags for $5. Each bag can be used at least 20 times. They are used to sterilize breast pump parts and/or bottles. They are awesome. After using my pump, I do a quick wash on the parts and then sterilize it in one of those bags, set out the parts to dry completely and I'm good to go. I don't have to get a sink full of soapy water or put them in the dishwasher. I know everything will be clean and good to go when I'm ready for it!

J.J. Cole Diaper Caddy and Pacifier Pod:

~The diaper caddy is perfect for our house. We don't have a changing table anymore, so we just have the caddy in our living room. It easily holds a box of wipes, a bunch of diapers and lotion or whatnot in the drawer. It comes with a changing pad which is perfect too. It's easy to carry anywhere in the house where you need it and everything is always neat. Love it!

~The pacifier pod seems like an unnecessary item, but it's proven to be a lifesaver for us! We have it hooked right on the diaper bag and it holds 2 of Johanna's pacifiers. I'm pleased to say we've never had to search for a pacifier and haven't lost any yet either.

Both of these things can be purchased at Tip Toes in Holland...they have lots of JJ Cole stuff!

Gerber Organic Onesies:

~I found these on a fluke at Target on clearance. I bought them because they were cheap. Now I can't really find them anywhere and I LOVE them. They are super soft and a little more generous in size than the regular Gerber onesies. I found two places online that have them...www.albeebaby.com and ebay, but that's it right now. Definitely the best onesies I've owned though...and we've tried Gerber, Carter, Circo, etc. etc.

Sleepy Wrap:

~I never thought I'd be into "wearing" my baby. And I'm still not doing it a ton, but I bought a sleepy wrap 50% off from http://www.babysteals.com/ late last year and have been using it with Johanna. She loves it and I LOVE how it frees up my hands. It doesn't hurt my back, can be used in lots of different ways and isn't complicated at all. Love it.

What about those of you reading this? Anything you couldn't/can't live without?