It’s the quintessential new baby gift: A blanket, a bib, a must-have bit of gear, a fifth of Jack for the mom. (We kid! We kid!)

Kristen: Baby quilts meet 2008 in the most beautiful modern way with the myQuilt from MilkLush (at top).

Modern Handmade Baby Quilt

Liz: I’m a huge fan of handmade quilts that don’t look straight out of the Colonial era. Props this year go to the gorgeous modern quilts from Bedscape Designs and the exquisite poppy quilt from All the Numbers.

baby-gear-play-mat-wisey

Kristen: The smart, cool baby gear from Wisey definitely make life with kids easier. Too bad I didn’t find them until now.

Kensington Designer Play Mat for Babies

Liz: Suddenly I realized why I hated tummy time: I had to spend it looking at some garish neon Noah’s Ark print play mat and not the gorgeous Kensington Play Mat.

Owl Baby Bib by Mairzey Dotes

Kristen: Mairzey Dotes handmade bibs are super cute, but not so cute that you don’t want them drooled and puked and slobbered all over.

Kimono Bath Wrap by Petite Miette

Liz: The kimono-style bathtub wraps, matching bath towels and mitts from Petite Miette are bold, bright, luxurious, and scrumptious. No pinks or baby blues is just a bonus.

Booyah Washable Stroller Pads

Kristen: I’m totally infatuated with the Booyah Stroller Pads. They’ll make any stroller look and feel fantastic.

Medela Breast Pump

Cool Mom Picks Pick of the Year 2008

Staff: An extra hand is a godsend for mothers; the Medela Freestyle hands free breast pump actually gives you two. And yes! It works! Best new invention of the year for new moms, hands down. (Heh.)