| Cribs and Baby Furniture |
After doing a ton of research on cribs, we settled on a crib and dresser from Ragazzi. The crib is made of extremely solid wood with  a great working sliding mechanism. Some of the other cribs we saw had very poor sliders that were difficult to use and were very flimsy. The Ragazzi crib, while a bit more expensive, was the most solid by far.
We bought ours at Baby Super in San Jose (see the "resources" tab for more information), and were able to get the crib no problem into a mid sized SUV. Putting it together took about an hour, but if you don't want to do it yourself the folks at Baby Super can deliver and assemble the crib for you. There is, of course, a nominal fee.
The dresser was also a good buy and was just as solid as the crib.  We decided to use a changing table topper on the dresser rather than get a dedicated changing table to maximize space given our nursery configuration. We bought our topper from pottery barnand were able to match the snowdrift white of the crib perfectly.
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| Other |
 
There are a few other must haves for the nursery that we've found indespensible. One of the first things our friends bought for us was the Diaper Champ. This revolutionary diaper pail keeps your baby's room smelling good. In addition to limiting diaper smell, the Diaper Champ also takes regular trash bags so you don't have to keep buying refills like the Diaper Genie. We've found that using scented kitchen trash bag in the Diaper Champ eliminates all but the worst dirty diapers.
Another key purchase for the nursery is a good monitor. While there are many audio monitors out there from Sony and other manufacturers that work great, if you want to keep a close eye on the little one a video monitor from Summer Infant is the thing to get. This is one of the only video monitors we've seen that is not the size of an actual television, so you can easily carry it around with you around the house.
 
Something that may or may not fit in your nursery but is essential for naps in the early days is a swing. There are hundreds of swings out there, but the one we bought was the ocean wonders swing by Fisher-Price. This swing has two rocking positions, a number of different songs and nature sounds as well as lights and other things for your baby to rock to sleep to. We have some friends that would put their baby in their for hours (not recommended) because they slept so well in there. A definite must have for the first few months.
 
Another item that we never initially thought to buy but has been really helpful is a wipes warmer. Our child is very sensitive to temperature changes, and having wipes at a regulated temperature during diaper changes (especially late at night) was a life saver.
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| Strollers |
For a stroller we looked at a number of brands including Graco and Peg Perego. These brands had strollers that were really good for easy folding and had plenty of storage space, but did not have the versatility we were looking for. We ended up going with the Bugaboo Frog after a great deal of debate about spending north of $600 for a stroller. Even though it was really expensive, the Frog was totally worth it. The Frog is a mid range model, not as expensive as the Chameleon (high end model) but more than the Gecko (low end model).
The Frog came with not only a stroller seat, but also a bassinet attachment that we used when our child was very young. In addition to this, our Bugaboo stroller came with a rain cover, mosquito net (we unfortunately haven't been strolling in the jungle yet), foot muff (for cold days) and a maintenance kit. Part of our decision to buy the Bugaboo was based on its ability to hold a car seat. 
Though we had to buy the car seat adapter separately, having all this functionality in one stroller was perfect for the early days. There are no cup holders, but there is an afermarket cup holder, Babu, that works perfectly. This stroller is even good for light jogging, which is about as much as we get to these days. The transport case was also a good pickup, as it is essential for flights and other long hauls.
While we chose the Bugaboo, there are a number of other good strollers and car seat carriers for more reasonable prices. From what we've heard from other parents, there are a few clear cut favorites including the Inglesina Zippy and the Maclaren Techno XT. Both of these are a good mixture of price, functionality and ease of use.
If we had gone for a stroller other than the Bugaboo, the car seat carrier we would have gone with would be the Colcraft car seat carrier. This is by far the sturdiest of all the car seat carriers we saw and the price isn't bad either.
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| Car Seat |
The Graco Snugride has been rated one of the safest infant seats, which is crucial. We chose the central park pattern, partly because it came with special foam padding and a cold weather boot, and partly just because we liked the pattern. Graco has many different patterns, which are each carried at different stores, exclusively. For exmple, our pattern, Central Park, was only found at Lullaby lane.
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| Other |
The clean shopper is a great way to make sure you baby doesn't use the gross germy cart handle as a teether. For our son, nothing is as tasty as the handle of a cart, which, of course, has the germs of tons of people all over it. It gives me piece of mind knowing that my son won't be exposed to the large amounts of germs found here.
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| High Chairs |
 
While there are many types of high chairs to choose from, we were looking for something with good function that was easy to use and clean up. The chair we decided on was the Ocean Wonders Aquarium high chair by Fisher Price. This chair is light but sturdy and has some cool features. The one hand removal of the tray is big when you are corralling your youngster, and a removable dishwasher safe insert makes it easy to clean up big messes. There is even a detachable set of toys that can be used when feeding time is over. All in all, this is a very good chair for the price.
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| Breast Feeding |
One of the lessons we learned really early was that you should really spend money to get a good breast pump. The Medela Pump in Style is a close as you can get to a hospital grade pump without spending serious money. While the Pump in Style was a bit more expensive than some of the others, but it was totally worth it after hearing about experiences our friends had with other pumps.
Picking a good nursing bra is really important for any mom who will be breastfeeding. When picking the nusring bras that I own, I first decided on bras with no underwire, as they can put pressure on milk ducts, causing blocked ducts. They also tend to be more comfortable,especially since I wore mine not only all day, but at night as well. Another factor in choosinig a good bra is the clasp. It is incredibly important that the clasp be easily attached and detached with one hand, and the other arm is holding the baby. One of my favorite bras was one I purchased at Mimi maternity. It is really comfortable, and it's padded just enough. I also like the Bravado bras. It is one of the only nursing bras that I've seen that actually look like normal bras. I also found the Glamour moms nursing camisoles really useful, especially right after my son was born, and I wanted to make sure my not so tight tummy was covered up. They're great for situations that you want to be extra discreet.
Another great buy was the Hooter Hider nursing cover. 
I originally purchased this partly because I thought the name was so amusing, but I used it everyday for months! It's great because it goes around your neck, with a plastic part that holds the cover out slightly, such that the cover isn't completely smooshed on your baby, and the baby can look up and see you. The fact that it's attached to your neck is great for when your baby decides to try to pull it off. It also can double as a blanket...often I'd nurse my son, and then leave the cover over him while he slept.
Other good breast feeding accessories to get are Lansinoh Milk Bags and Avent steam sterilizer bags. The bags have ounce measurements on the side you you always know how much milk you have in each bag. The sterilizer bags are very good for sterilizing breast pump parts and anything else that needs cleaning. All you have to do is pour in a bit of water, set the microwave for around a minute, and you are good to go. You can also reuse the bags up to 20 times, so just a few go a long way.
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| 0 to 6 Months |
One of the frst developmental toys we bought for our son was the Tiny Love jungle play mat. We found that this was the key for our son to gain early coordination, and he had a blast kicking, rolling over and grabbing the animals that came with the mat. It was also a good place to begin tummy time, as there was plenty to distract our son. The whole thing is also collapsable, so you can stow it when it is not in use.
The Bumbo seat was another must have developmental toy. In addition to teaching your child to sit up and strengthen their neck muscles, they look really cute when they are in the seat!
 
The Lamaze firefly was another of our son's favorite toys from the beginning. There are a number of different textures, sounds and colors that even the youngest baby will be amused. We clipped the firefly onto the Tiny Love mat and he had a blast touching, kicking and looking at it.
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| 6-12 Months |
When our child began to get active, there was no stopping him. At around 6-12 months, the best toys were ones that he could get all his energy out with. The Graco jumper (which we swear is still his favorite of all time) was a great investment. Not only was our son having the time of his life every time he got in the thing, bt it also freed up us parents to do other things like clean and work on the computer. I can't say if this is normal for other kids, but he could spend up to 1/2 hour in that thing and not be bored.
The Evenflo Exersaucer is another item that was worth its weight in gold. With so many toys and other cool things, your child will spend hours playing on this toy. The Exersaucer is also good for when you want to make a quick bite to eat or go to the bathroom without having to chase your little one around.
 
The Little Tikes walker is one of those things we wish we bought sooner, as it has been really helpful in teaching our child how to walk. We started at round 11 months with the walker, but some of our friends have gone as early as 8 months with great results. Now I am not sure whether a fully walking baby at 10 months is what you really want, seeing that you will have to be chasing them around the house, but if you are ready start early with this great toy.
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| 12 Months and Over |
Fridge Phonics by Leap Frog is a great way to teach your child hand eye coordination as well as their letters. Our child can play with this thing for a good long period of time, switching in different letters and hearing the song that goes with each one. This is also good if you are making some food or cleaning the kitchen, as he or she will be glued to the fridge making new sounds with Fridge Phonics.
 
We've gotten a kick out of watching our son play the Fisher Price piano we bought him for Christmas. He really looks like he is rocking out on it, using not only the keyboard but also the other gadgets like a metronome, hi/lo switch and a sheet music "book" whose pages you can turn.
 
When our child sees the Little Tikes climber in the back yard, he continues to point and make noise until we go outside. Sturdy enough to handle a number of kids beating up on it, the Little Tikes climber has steps and a slide that your little one can go on all day long. Assembly is pretty easy and the finished product is light enough that you can move it around your yard occasionally to ensure the grass doesn't die.
For anyone that has a large patio or lives in a flat area, the Little Tikes Cozy Push and Ride Car is a must have. Every kid I know that has it loves it, and it is perfect for taking a stroll or travelling to the park. The car has a real horn, steering wheel and ignition switch with an attached key so your child feels like they are in a real car. Our little one just sits back and enjoys the ride, which is also good. Assembly is a bit painful, but it is totally worth it when you see the look on your kids face.
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| Gates |
  Once our child bacame mobile, we needed to get some protection for our stairs. After some consideration, we bought the KidCo Center Gateway because of its security and ease of implementation. The Center Gateway mounts easily on stairs with no permanent damage to your walls or railings. This gate works using a pressure mount system and is extremely sturdy if installed properly.
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| Other Child Proofing |
 
Another safety item that we picked up was the SuperYard XT by North States Industries. We put ours by the kitchen so our son can watch as we clean or cook dinner, and he actually loves hanging out in this safe environment. Because we have hardwood floors, we use this in conjunction with a foam play mat to ensure that he is safe at all times.
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Nowadays there are all kinds of cool diaper bags and child gear carriers out there. We went for the Petunia Pickle Bottom not only for their cool, funky styles but also for their functionality. Most styles come with a built in changing pad and plenty of pockets and other space to keep everything for your baby while remaining fashionable. Petunia Picklebottom bags are also great because they can be worn over the shoulder or as a backpack. This function is especially useful when carrying the baby in a front carrier-it evens out the weight so it's less awkward.
OIOI, Skip Hop and others also have really nice diaper bags, each focusing equally on fashion and function.
