Another thought on car seats--Even though it is possible to just use a convertible seat from the beginning, with a newborn, you will probably want to have the carrier kind. That way, you can take the baby in at restaurants, etc., without having to take them out of their seat, and there is a place for baby to sit while you are eating, shopping, etc. Otherwise, until baby can sit up, you will be holding him/her the whole time.

Another thing we love is our front carrier. Ours is a Snugli, but there are a number of brands out there. We used ours with both girls until they outgrew it, and it is still in good enough condition for baby boy. Great for those times when you want baby close but need your hands free--grocery store, etc. I tried using a sling carrier with Katherine, but she hated it with a passion. I have seen others use them with a lot of success, though.