Congratulations!  It's time to celebrate this baby and register for a few gifts to make the first year go smoothly. It is easy to fall for great social media marketing of equipment and toys that you don't need and may actually not be all that great for baby.  Here is a list I have put together with equipment and toys that you will actually feel good about using with a short description of what I like about them.  These have been chosen through a developmental lens and in some way contribute to learning, visual motor, gross and fine motor development or oral motor development.  I have used all of these toys with families that I have worked with. (I don't receive any reward if you buy any of these)

Baby Floor Play mats- Essential for comfortable floor play, to define a space that feels good putting baby down. Look for various sizes.  You may want an additional smaller one that can you can move easily into the bathroom, kitchen and take with you for outings. 

Pack and Play - Great for defining a space for infant "floor time" when you can't put baby on the floor for safety or other reasons. You can do tummy time and sidelying in this bassinet when baby is new, and later without the bassinet, baby can roll and move freely to strengthen and grow

Baby Play Gym - Must have accessory for kicking, swatting, reaching, and visual stimulation.  Can be used with baby on their back, side and tummy, as well in sitting. 

Baby Noggin Stick - fits well in baby's grasp, light is soothing, not too bright, light responds to movement

Baby Einstein Glow and Discover Light bar -  sounds, light and music to use for floor time. Easily activated by baby.

Penguin Musical Wobbler - Easily activated by baby with soft jingling sounds when it wobbles, no lights, no battery

Spinning Drum with Mirror - Easily moves with light touch from baby. Good for tummy time.

Suction Cup Spinners - Great for any age. Suction to mirror for infants, use on glass doors to get toddlers to kneel and squat

Bright Starts Oball Set - Buy indivudually or as a 6 piece set.  The Oball is wonderful for easy grasping, and oral motor skills.  Tongue range of motion and strengthening for any baby, and especially before and after oral tie release surgery. The rattles are easy to hold and gentle sounds

Wrist and sock rattles - Babies learn through cause and effect. These are great for them to hear the rattle when they mve their arms and legs around, encouraging more movement and visual attention to their arms and feet

Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes - Get this one - every baby seems to love this toy.  It has lights and music but they are gentle and although it is repetitive, it somehow doesn't really get on my nerves the way other louder music toys do

Teether Sticks - Use with supervision, great for decreasing overactive gag reflex, mapping the mouth, tongue movement stimulation and chomping skills

P Stick Teether - soft texture/standard. Easily grasped by baby for mouth play, oral motor strengthening and sensory play

Nuby Nananubs - Babies love this teether. Great texture for sensory stim as well as soothing to gums

Vibrating Star Teether - or other vibrating teethers for sensory input to the lips, tongue and gums

Baby Mirror - Essential and sturdy set.  Other baby mirrors will work as well but I like this one because it is stays up without needing to lean on something and comes with contrast cards for different visual stimulation. Lots of choices on Amazon.  This one is nice, too

Contrast and crinkle soft side "book" - Can be set in a standing up position for baby to look at contrasting pictures

Crinkle Books - Soft, textured books for exploration with hands and mouth

Board Books - So many to choose from, find your favorites.  Great to set in a standing up position all around baby to encourage rolling to their sides, and pivoting in prone, reaching and eventually crawling

Stacking Cups - open ended play for years, stack, knock down, fill up, pour out

Textured Balls - more open ended play, textures for exploration by mouth and touch

Simple Blocks - open ended play for years, starting as a baby passing block from one hand to the other

Therapy/Yoga Ball for Pregnancy and baby tummy time - Makes tummy time more enjoyable for baby. Nice place to sit and hold a fussy baby when you are tired of standing and rocking, lots of exercises you can do for yourself and for baby/toddler on the ball

Busy Box - This is a pretty high stim toy which is great to reach for sometimes when baby needs lots of encouragement to engage in hard motor skills.  Can be used without turning it on for less visual and auditory stimulation. 

Large busy box for pulling to sit and stand - Look for height of 18 inch - 22 inch high so baby can learn to play in kneeling for hip and core strengthening and pull to stand

Push Walker - Starting at about 9 months baby will learn to pull to stand and can practice with the walker with your support. This one is also a good one.  Do not place your baby in a Ring style walker where they are in a seat, pushing with their chest and moving their feet to keep up with their body- these are 100% no-no.  The walkers I recommend require some core control in order for the child to balance upright. 

Soft Foam Climbing Blocks - Definitely a Splurge gift but has lots of life in it with different ways to use the blocks.  Does not have to be this brand, you are just looking for a variety of block heights and shapes for baby to explore climbing, sliding down, and sitting on at different heights. Would be smart to have this when your climate is too hot or too cold seasonally to play outside at playgrounds.