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What a fab post!

Congrats on your little one, BTW!  I gave birth to my only child, Madison, in September of 2008.  She is 15 months old and SO MUCH FUN!  I've learned a lot along the way and here's my list:

LOVE: 

Pampers, Pampers, Pampers:  I had a brief stint with cloth diapers (Thirsties, FTW!) but they were too time consuming (DH works nights so I'm alone with her much of the time).  We brought Madi home in Swaddlers and thankfully, received enough boxes of them at our shower to last us clear through until she outgrew them at Size 3.  We switched to Cruisers ('twas a sad sad day for me, I <3 Swaddlers THAT much) and quickly switched over to Baby Dry diapers as the Cruisers were not worth the extra money.  She is still wearing Baby Drys (Size 3) at 15 months and we have YET to have a leak.  Swaddlers only leaked in the beginning when her breastfed poos were still loose and seedy.  They are a total workhorse of a diaper and their soft and cute to boot.  Also, Pampers wipes are fantastic!  I use Pampers Sensitive Skin wipes and not only are they super easy to work, they clean DD's bottom with only a few swipes, and they're super soft, too.  I refuse to use anything else on her bum, they're that fabulous. 

Boudreax's Butt Paste:  We have been blessed with a baby who has tolerant skin.  To date, Madi has only had 3 or 4 diaper rashes.  However, as a staple to every mom's diaper bag, diaper rash cream is a must!  Our choice of cream is Boudreax's Butt Paste, hands down.  It's magic in a bottle and we've always experienced results within 12 hours.  (Yes, it does stink.)  As an added bonus, I work at the hospital and have seen some patients use it for their bed sores.  DH's grandmother just passed away at 95 and was bedridden for the last 6 months of her life.  She developed a small bed sore and Boudreax's helped immensely. 

Method Baby Squeaky Green Shampoo/Body Wash:  After MONTHS of using J&J, I scooped up some all-natural, paraben free Method Baby after a ton of mamas suggested it on my dating community.  It was instant love.  It's great on skin, a little squirt goes a long way, and it rinses well.  One bottle lasts a long time and DD smells like yummy marshmellows.  Mmm!

Lansinoh Double Electric Breast Pump:  For breastfeeding moms who need to pump, I really enjoyed my time with this electric pump.  It's available at most Walmart's and Target's.  It's half the price of Medela's, coming in at roughly $145, and it's an awesome little system!  This pump works with closed-system tubing so milk doesn't ever run through the pump itself, contaminating the inside parts.  The parts are comfortable, suction is great, and my output was impressive.  Everything bundles up and is small enough to put in any small diaper bag.  I found a great little insulated bag at KMart and used that as my pump bag for work.  It's now available with BPA-free parts, too!  Customer service is also great.  One day, my pump started to lose its suction so I called them up and they overnighted a brand new pump to me, no questions asked.  FYI, this pump is the same thing as the Ameda Purely Yours, only it's licensed and manufactured by Lansinoh. 

Medela Harmony Manual Breast Pump:  I was able to switch to a manual pump when DD was around a year old.  The Medela Harmony pump is awesome!  The pump itself swivels so that you can comfortably find a pumping position for each hand and the actual breastshields are very soft and mold to the shape of your breast.  Output is great and I've had no problems maintaining my supply.  My only complaint is the parts can get a bit tedious to clean but nonetheless, this isn't a deal killer for me.  This pump is nice!

Lansinoh Breast Products:  For breastfeeding moms, Lansinoh makes a great pad for leaking and their lanolin cream is AWESOME.  I'm a first time mom and the first few weeks of breastfeeding were quite painful.  I experienced dry, chapped, bleeding nipples and TONS of leaking.  Both of these products felt like life savers and to this day, I gift them to expectant mothers if they show an interest in breastfeeding. 

Boppy or Generic Version Pillow:  FABULOUS for feeding purposes!  I nursed my daughter and it saved my back.  It's wonderful for bottle-feeding, too.

Any Baby Swing:  We bought the Fisher-Price Nature's Touch Swing from a family friend.  It was a total life saver when DD was in her don't-put-me-down-EVER phase.  DH and I would rock her to sleep and use nap time as an opportunity to shower or finish up some house chores and this swing enabled us to do so.  It swings forward and backward or side to side (it swivels) and the cute bird and butterfly mobile really captured her attention.  We replaced the batteries once every other month or so, so it was pretty efficient, too.  They can be expensive when bought brand new but this is a hot Craigslist item!

Playtex Drop-Ins Bottle System:  Old faithful!  I experimented with tons of bottles and Madison rejected every single one we tried except the Drop-Ins with the latex orthodontic nipple.  She was exclusively breastfed and became very particular with what nipple she latched on to.  When it was time for me to return to work, finding a bottle for her was awful.  This turned out to be a blessing because clean up is easy with the drop-in liners and I've yet to replace a broken bottle...they are sturdy little things!

Generic Wipe Warmer from BRU:  We purchased a wipe warmer on a whim after receiving a gift card from a family member.  It turned out to be a hit because DD HATED cold wipes on her hiney.  We only experienced dried out wipes when we filled it to the top (the wipes sat in it longer).  It's a convenient little thing but it's definitely not a "must have".  Tossing the wipe around in your hand for a minute, or blowing your breath on it (as if you were cleaning a pair of reading glasses) does the trick just as well.  It's amazing how quickly the wipes lose their warmth from the time you undo LO's diaper to the time you actual need to wipe them.  Remember, diaper changes with a young one can be an Olympic event. 

Vicks Underarm Thermometer:  No explanation needed!  When Madi would run a temp and was feeling under the weather, this little blue guy was awesome.  Trust me, when your baby isn't feeling well, a rectal temp is the last thing they want to tolerate.  I ran out at midnight to purchase this thermometer and wouldn't dream of using anything else.  It might not be as accurate as a rectal temp but it's ideal for determining whether it's time to phone the doctor. 

Etsy for CUTE Personalized Outfits: For inexpensive personalized shirts and onesies, hit up Etsy.  You'll fall in love. Seriously!

And...as a quick tip, some things to always keep in the house:  Infant's Tylenol and Motrin, a bottle of Pedialyte, and some Mylicon Gas Drops.  These are staples for our medicine cabinet.  I learned this the hard way when I found myself making middle-of-the-night trips to CVS with a sick baby at home.  Trust me, it makes for a stressful trip because A) you want to make baby feel better OMGINSTANTLY and B) you probably find yourself speeding to and from the store and a ticket would be a nightmare in that situation.   

LOATHE: 

Robeez: I'm POSITIVE I'm the odd one out, but these shoes didn't work for us.  I was petrified that something would poke through the bottom and they never fit DD very well.  They have a wide fit to them and always flopped off her feet even in their smallest size.  We put her in baby Crocs instead and they are awesome.  They're soft and squishy and she loves them. 

Standard Size Diaper Bags:  I found them to be bulky and I lost EVERYTHING in them.  We bought inexpensive medium sized backpacks and use them instead. 

I'm running out of things for my list.  LOL!  I really researched most items before purchasing so thankfully, most things ended up on my LOVE list. 

@Sulli301:

Aww, thanks!  I was getting carried away with my "Loves" so much that when I got to my "Loathes" I didn't have much to share.  LOL!

I'm such a Google addict; I literally research everything so when I do break down and purchase an item for long-term use, I'm usually a fan. 

@amandopolis:

We have only used Squeaky Green for the bath, how do you like Method's lotion?  I adore the smell of Madi when she's freshly bathed.  I could stick my nose in her hair all day, the marshmellow scent is precious.  So, I'm looking to delve into their lotion.  What's your opinion of it?  I like J&J baby lotion for its thickness and long-lasting scent so I haven't made the switch yet.

@Mrs.DG:

I was obsessed with looking into wraps when DD was an infant.  In fact, I spent so much darn time researching wrap reviews that by the time I broke down and bought one, she was too heavy and the wrap didn't hold her well because it had some stretch to it.  How long do you want to wear LO in a wrap?  Have you looked into Maya Wraps?  They're stunning and able to be used for the long-term.

FWIW, I did look into LoveyDuds for a while there and even had some email correspondence with the lovely lady who makes them.  She has some killer reviews on her product and I adore the patterns.  Her wraps do have some stretch to them so once LO gets a bit bigger, you'd probably need to switch to an SSC or a mei tai.  Babyhawks are awesome!   

I broke down and purchased a Beco Butterfly II and although I've only used it a few times, it's been fantastic.  DH even wears it! 

I thought I'd totally dig babywearing and unfortunately, I found myself just slinging her up on my hip 99% of the time.  If I could change one thing, I would have worn her more in a carrier instead of just holding her.  I'm so excited for you, BWing is so beneficial in numerous ways. 

If you need any more help, let me know...I was a Babywearer.com lurker for about 3 solid months before I purchased my first carrier.

@amandopolis:

Thanks for the reply!  I will have to pick up a bottle next time I'm at Publix.  Target doesn't sell the lotion in my area.    And you're right, I love J&J for the classic baby smell.  So fresh and powdery. 

@Mrs.DG:

Yes!  Do check out Babywearers.com.  It's an awesome site with tons of advice - you can usually search the threads and find most answers yourself since it's such a huge and dedicated BWing site.  Most questions have been asked before!  However, don't spend as much time as I did on the site, haha!  Before I knew it, LO outgrew our wrap and was ready for a SSC.  Haha!

I've had two kids, 11 years apart! So I've for a few old faithfuls, and few nifty new gadgets.

My loves:

1. Fisher Price Waterfall Soother...this thing..I get ferklempt just talking about how awesome it is.  It plays music, it provides just enough light to see your little diddums..I could write an ode to it's wonderful perfection.

2. Boppy Cradle in Comfort Bouncer - My little one hated his crib at first, it was just too big, this worked like a big slingy papsan almost, it almost hugs them. Plus it vibrates, which made him happy.

3. Cloth Diapers - dont waste money on fancy burp cloths. Pick up two packs of these they're the best (I did not use cloth diapers as diapers..I used Huggies)

4. Soothie Pacifiers - these are the ones they give out in the hospital. They're aqua colored (you can also buy them all over the place) I liked them because I could stick my pinky in the binky part and he could gum my finger tip.

5. Boudreaux's buttpaste - it works, no matter what your bottom trouble, it works.

6. Unscented baby wipes from Costco - Better than anything else out there, and cheaper too.

7. Aveeno Baby products - Gentle & yummy smelling.  Especially the Lavender scent. I've seen women clear out the shelf when they find this in stock. It's that good.

8. Ameda purely yours breastpump (the lansinoh sold at target is the same) - I loved that it had separate tubing, it was convenient and effective. And cleaning it was a snap.

9. Medela Nursing stool - It's wooden with a slant. My first son had colic, the only thing that soothed him was the rocking chair, this stool had the perfect slant to be able to rock him for hours, it also gives the perfect tilt when nursing. When he started walking, we moved the stool next to the coffee table, it was the perfect height for him to sit on and play on the table or eat a snack. The it moved under my desk to ease back strain when working. When the second son came, we started from the beginning (no colic thank god) and he's two now and it's back to being his seat by the coffe table. (I think the slant makes it comfy to sit on)

10. Bright Starts Baby Play Place - Activity Mat. - Babies love this. there's tons to do (get me started on the bug that lights up and plays music, or the mirror) and the sides fold up so he cant roll away.

and my final big indulgences. BoB stroller. I love this stroller, it goes anywhere and everwhere (EVEN THE BEACH) with nary a hitch in it's step.

I hated: (there isnt alot because I learned from the first one, and the ensuing 10 years what I needed and didnt)

Sleepbags - useless.

Balmex - thick, it's sticky and just useless gross.

Seventh Generation Wipes - They really are just awful.

Shoes and elaborate outfits for newborns, infants. - babies like to be warm, and comfortable.

Rectal Thermometer - babies hate this..I mean REALLY hate it, especially when sick.  An underarm thermometer works just as well without the torment.

Also make sure you always have the essentials on hand: Mylicon gas drops, gripe water, baby motrin/tylenol, pedialyte (for this I have found the freezer pops work fabulous too)

And for a bonus thrown in BlaBla makes the best stuffed animals, they're long and floppy and still the perfect size for baby hands to grip and you can stuff them in diapers bags, purses, backpacks. They're also machine washable! (yes you heard me, because they WILL droll, vomit, pee on their stuff)

ETSY is the place for all handmade blankets, lovies, woobies, whatevah.

Babies/toddlers/kids love the blankets with the tags sewn all around them. If you cant make one yourself buy one off Etsy. The "Taggies" brand while cute are way too expensive.

i registered for diapers + wipes. i also registerd for the kimono style newborn clothes since that's what i think is most practical. i may end up taking the clothes off though because my sil is giving us clothes from her daughter who is now 2+ years old and was born about the same time our little one is due.