Best Gifts for Baby - small town Alaska edition

Having a baby is life-changing.  They will all say it, and it will always be true.  One of the unexpected ways it changed our life was by introducing us to an entire new genre of things to buy and consume...  Ahhh, baby stuff.  The clothes, the gadgets, the appliances, the things with wheels and skis, the things that we use for only a month but that make life for baby (and us!) bearable and/or enjoyable for that time.

Here, in no particular order, are some of the best baby things we've been gifted, or that we gifted to ourselves:

1.  A secondhand Bob stroller - Found on craigslist during a trip to Kentucky, we used contributions from family and friends to buy it, and then brought it back home to Alaska.  We use this smooth ride many times a week: on our bumpy side road, on trails, occasionally on the beach, in town and even at the grocery.  Baby E is always comfy and I love the ease with which the stroller operates.

2.  Start Fresh cookbook, by Tyler Florence - My wise and very food savvy friend, Lisa, gave this to us at our Anchorage, AK, shower.  She said it was one of the most useful things she had received when she had her first little one.  It is an amazing cookbook!  It introduces new parents to cooking first pureed solids for baby and then advances along with baby -- through toddlerhood and beyond.  Simple, delicious, healthy and inspired.  We'll no doubt be using this cookbook for years.

3.  NoseFrida snotsucker - I didn't want to believe that such a thing even existed.  Then baby E got sick for the first time, with a fever and an awful runny nose that made nursing and sleeping impossible.  At that moment I realized how ridiculous the little blue snotsucker from the hospital was and vowed to get a NoseFrida from our local pharmacy.  It's amazing.  And disgusting.  And amazing.

4.  Knitted baby blankets, made of soft and washable wool - I write this with hesitation, because we received so many baby blankets that we didn't know what to do with all of them.  The ones we use most often?  Both handmade by loved ones, and each made of washable wool - so warm and practical.  In the winter, or in Alaska for most of the year, we always use a blanket for stroller walks and for car rides.  These are the best.

5.  Moby and Ergo baby carriers - We were gifted / handed-me-down at least seven different baby carriers.  The Moby, once I figured out how to use the crazy thing (Carma had to show me in person before I'd attempt it!) was best for when E was 1-4 months old.  She was snug and secure, and I was comfortable.  It is also very washable, which is a huge bonus for these first months.  When E could hold up her head, we began using the organic Ergo that I splurged and bought new.  I found it to be the most comfy for me and her, and from 11 mos on, I've been able to use it to wear her on my back, which she loves.  These carriers can be great thrift store or craigslist finds.

6.  Waleda Calendula Diaper Rash Cream - E rarely has bum trouble but when she does this stuff clears things right up.  The other brands we used do not compare.  And the one tube we were gifted has lasted an entire year with more to spare.

7. Homemade meals and "easy" food for the fridge - The day after E was born by unplanned C-section, my sister, Laura, came from L.A. to stay with us for a week.  She held and cooed over the baby, cooked, cleaned, was supportive in so many ways.  She filled our freezer with about 20 delicious and healthy freezer meals - mostly amazing soups that were easy to heat up.  One of Dan's coworkers organized dinner deliveries for us for two weeks or so after E's birth.  And at least two friends brought over entire coolers of fresh and delicious fruits (melon already cut!), cheese, vegetables, sandwich meat, bread, prunes.  In a small town where take-out options are pretty slim, these deliveries made a world of difference!  We felt so loved.