Hidden baby gems for the new parent!

Perhaps the BEST baby item I ever put on my registry. This is one of my GO TO gifts at any baby shower. It is the Itz Been Baby Care Timer. What a fabulous gadget this is! No longer will you have to ask "How long has it been?" 20 times a day with a newborn or write down times just to lose the dang piece of paper! This nifty little gadget keeps track of how long it has been for feedings, diaper changes, sleep, and "other" (you can make that anything you want). Basically, when baby starts feeding, you click the button with a bottle on it. This resets the clock to 0:00 and keeps track for you until your next feeding. IT IS AMAZING! It was, quite literally, my brains for those 3 sleep deprived months. Oh how wonderful this timer is. It has a button you can push for a night light and also one to provide a back light so you can see the times in the dark. Last, but not least, it also has a switch at the bottom to keep track of what breast baby last nursed from. It also clips to just about anything, and is free standing. Did I mention it's awesome?! If there is one thing you buy/get, it is THIS!!! I, sadly, do not have a picture of us using this, which is surprising as I carried it with me wherever I went.

A hook on high chair was the hidden gem given to us at our baby shower! We have a two seater table, and very little space. We NEEDED a hook on chair, and I am so glad someone got one for us. We were given the Chicco 360 rotating chair seen below, but there are many different options out there. I loved the 360 aspect of our chair because I could rotate my son so he was facing me when feeding him (as you can see from the picture!) It also came with a tray, which many of them don't. These chairs are also great for travel! Just unhook the chair, and you have a high chair for where ever you go!

These toys are awesome for the car (and of course, the home!) They keep baby engaged and offer a wide range of things that tickle all five of their senses. These were my sons absolute favorites as a baby, and he still loves them at 19 months old. The Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes always transfixed him. It lights up and plays soothing music. It also has a large handle for baby to grip. The Sassy Xylophone was perhaps his favorite toy as a baby. He LOVED anything with buttons, textures, sounds and lights... this has all four! Four buttons offer four different textures and four different sounds. It also lights up when baby pushed it. The colors are very eye catching for a baby. Last it the Manhattan Toy Woozit. I will admit the first time I saw this, I thought "what a... weird looking toy for a baby" but apparently, lots of babies love it so I gave it a try. My son still plays with it to this day. One side has a black and white spiral design, the other a very colorful face. Seven arms reach out from the center with different shapes on them. Lots of different textures and sounds also adorn this great toy. Perhaps one of my favorite parts of this toy is the Velcro hanger on the top, which allows you to attach it to a car seat. This toy transfixed my son for hours. In fact, I had to buy 3, as my in laws dog ate two of them!

We received two night lights: one for baby, one for us. These both are AWESOME night lights. First, the one for baby. The Twilight Night Light is a great addition to your baby's nursery. It comes in a variety of different forms, turtles, ladybugs, and different colors. Each night light portrays a "sea of stars" on your baby's walls and ceiling of their room. There are three soothing colors to choose from when turning on the night light, and it has a 45 minute timer. My son loves this night light, and asks for his "turtle" every time he goes to bed.

The other night light is for parents. I LOVE THIS NIGHT LIGHT! It is the OXO Candella Guardian Nightlight. It comes in two parts: on is a circular plug, the other sort of looks like a door hanger. You plug in the circular object, and hang the night light on this part. This charges the night light, making it PORTABLE! Yes, you read that right. Just take the night light off the circular plug, and you have light to carry with you! Oh my how many times I used this to go to the bathroom, go to the kitchen, feed the baby, and change a diaper in the middle of the night without turning on any lights! A must must must! Keeping the lights turned out helps babies learn their natural sleep patterns: darkness means sleep! I still use the night light to check on my son at night. Who needs a flashlight with batteries that dies when you have this?? A video is below!

OXO also makes portable night lights for babies and kids! This in on my to buy list!