safe car seat etc...
I had a Graco pack n play that had a bassinet that vibrated and made sounds. It also had a removable changing pad. I got a ton of use out of it, but there are other similar brands.
I threw my pie for you
Mommy & Daddy Sept. 26, 2009
Baby Girl = Aug. 29, 2011
Baby Boy = EDD July 4, 2013
Get yourself a Rock n Play. AWESOME.
All bucket seats are pretty comparable, altough I did go with Chicco because they are safety tested at higher European standards. They also curve the bottom of their seats to remind parents that its unsafe to put them in the tops of shopping carts.
As far as convertible seats go, the safest one is the one that gets your child rear-facing longest. At least until 2 years but the longer the better. It seems on the car seat board I see the Diono Radians and Graco My Size 70 (not to be confused with the My Ride) most commonly suggested because they have very tall shells. Britax is a good name but their seats have shorter shells and wont get many kids, especially taller ones, RFing for nearly the same time as the other 2.