It’s been a couple of months since I’ve last written a post, but that’s because we’ve had our hands full with our new baby girl, Anna. Arriving on 12.12.12, this bundle of joy weighed 5lbs, 140z and is coming up on her 10th week. (If you want more in-depth news and updates on everything Anna, check out my wife’s blog at TheMalloryReport.)

Being the planner and prepper (not this kind) that I am, I always wondered what products, gear, and tools we would need to make our lives easier and that we would be using the most often. I asked the guys at the Dad Boot Camp I went to what their thoughts were and they didn’t really give me any specifics (I don’t know why) and I felt like a lot of things I found on the internet were just check-lists or seemed pre-arranged by baby registry websites.

So, what are my top, must-have things so far?

Ergo Baby Carrier – Undoubtably, there are a lot of these things out there, so the ultimate decision on which brand to buy is up to you, but I’m going to tell you to go with this one. Combined with its – Undoubtably, there are a lot of these things out there, so the ultimate decision on which brand to buy is up to you, but I’m going to tell you to go with this one. Combined with its Infant Insert for babies 0-3 months, we use this thing all the time, including walks outside, walks inside, calming Anna down to help her fall asleep at 3:00am, general up-right time (which is good for her digestion), and – once your lady is a pro – you can even breastfeed in it.

Cloth Diapers – These aren’t the cloth diapers your grandma used. The technology today is world’s away from what it used to be like to handle cloth diapers, meaning these deserve a second look. It’s definitely a family decision because they require more of an up-front cost to buy them all and the you need time to wash and dry them, but in the long-run you can save some serious cash and land-fill space. (Here is an example cost break-down.) We chose to go with bumGenius Newborn and One-Size diapers. You use the Newborn size once the baby has finished passing meconium through the time that they weigh about 12 pounds and then you can transition to the One-Size all the way through to the time that you potty-train thanks to all their snaps and expansion points. I recommend about 20 of each, especially in neutral colors if you plan on having multiple kids (which also doubles the savings!). We also chose to just use regular Pampers diaper wipes instead of reusable ones, however, and also went with two of these cloth diaper pail liners.

Cradle N’ Swing – It’s not a matter of if your arms will get tired, but when. And when they get tired and you want to set your baby down to do some other things, help rock them to sleep, or just give them some controlled awake time, this is your go-to tool. Note that this isn’t a replacement for a crib because, just like a car seat, long-term sleep in it can put pressure on their air-ways resulting in less restful sleep, etc., but this thing is a must-have in our house.

See, that was easy? Why is that so hard, internet?

What’s your must-have gear?