I remember shopping for her and the nursery while I was still pregnant, and I recall my husband and I trying to choose things that would last well into toddler-hood or at least make it past the first year. Aside from the crib and stroller, it was kind of a guess as to what would still be holding up or in rotation now. 

So, what five items are we still using nearly 10 months later! 

I'd never thought we'd use the thermometer so much, but due to the pandemic, we are using it nearly four to five times a day! We need to take her temperature in the morning, evening, before school, etc. So, investing in a thermometer made for babies was a great choice because it's fast, has a flexible tip (since she's a squirmer), and easy to use. My daughter has also suffered from a few viruses, and so, having a reliable and familiar thermometer during those times was a life saver.

I've been using white noise since the day she came home from the hospital. At first, I was using a YouTube video, and then I downloaded an App called Baby Sleep App, and I've been using it as her white noise machine ever since. As soon as I turn on the white noise, she starts yawning and getting into sleep mode. It's a positive sleep association, so I don't mind using it, but we have begun to wean her off of it because of her needing to get used to sleeping in a noisier atmosphere at daycare. 

My husband and I downloaded a baby tracking app around the second week of her being home. The application we ended up downloading is a free app called (Yep, you guessed it!) Baby Tracker. This app is designed for us to keep track of feedings, sleep, and much more, like medication, diaper changes, and temperature. The best part of the app is that both my husband and I can use it from our own phones and see real time up-dates. So, when I'm at work, I can go on the app and see that my husband logged her as sleeping or she ate. It's been so beneficial because the first few months, I was so sleep deprived and could not for the life of me remember when she last fed and how much, so it was so great to have a log of it. I think I'll continue to use this until she's down to an easier schedule of one nap and eating solids.

Once again, because of the pandemic and the general vulnerability of infants, we still sterilize her bottles and boil her water for milk. It's become a habit now, and I'm glad that we still do it because of all the nasty germs that can hide inside bottles and teats. It only takes a few seconds to pop them in the sterilizer and they're done five minutes later. I like having the peace of mind and because it's a microwavable sterilizer, we can sterilize other things as well, such as teethers, mucus snatcher, and other silicon or microwavable items.

I was a little iffy on getting a changing table due to most Japanese women changing their baby on the floor with a mat, but I'm glad we have one because it's easy enough to lift her right now, and after she's out of diapers or when she can sit down and help pull up her own diapers, we can use the changing table as a storage piece!