Like Tink, one of the absolute essentials with my kids and grandkids was the wind-up swing...it is invaluable.

A crib was no good for my grandson, Morgan. It didn't matter what we did, he did not want to be cooped up. When my daughter let him sleep on a double bed, he would sleep sideways on it, taking up the whole thing and slept very well. When I was trying to see what else we could use besides a crib,at the time, I learned that many cultures, including some Native Americans, naturally have an infant/child sleep on the ground/floor so that they will not fall out of anything. I thought well "duh!" why didn't I think of that?! It makes perfect sense to me in some environments. A crib is a nice way to keep them safe and contained, but some just won't have it.

All the baby blankets, the small ones mentioned, are great and the cats love them to be passed on to them when the kid gets too big.:-)