Getting the chance to register for much
needed baby items and gear is awesome and we are so grateful for all the gifts
we got from our friends and our family - Thank You! With that said,
registering for your first baby is hard. At first the event is exciting and fun
but after about twenty minutes into the process you start to realize the overwhelming nature of the task ahead. I mean there are just so many choices.
So many decisions. So much stuff… What if you pick the wrong bottles and you
give your baby colic? Does a baby really need warm wipes? Can you use room temp
water for bottles or will cold water hurt the baby? Not to mention the stroller
and car seat issues and safety regulations. How do you know which one is truly
the safest? Ugh. And then leave it to my mixed up pregnancy emotions to get
involved, making me feel bad about the whole process. I mean asking people
to buy specific items for you seems so wrong but I knew Lance and I couldn’t
afford all the loot on our own. The whole process was an emotional roller coaster.
And did I mention I’d rather go to the dentist then shopping?
But I did a learn a few important things during
the process and now that Sunny is here I’m basically convinced that most of the
baby items listed as must-haves are not all that important. There is a lot of
pressure by the stores and parenting magazines and books to register for
everything. Here is a list of the top twelve items we have found useful (so far).
1. Infant Carrier. No way around it, it is the law. We
went with the Graco Snugride. It was the most girly of the options but more importantly also
had the highest safety ratings.
2. Arms Reach Co-sleeper bassinet. This was a must-have item for us
but that was because we had to pack up and drive to Oklahoma a week after Sunny’s arrival. Had
we stayed home for a few months like normal people we would have likely taken
it back to Buy Buy Baby and used the extra money for more diapers. But for
travel the co-sleeper is the greatest and three months later she is still
sleeping in it nightly, right by my side. I love looking over at her beside me and
safe in her own little bed.
3. Breast Pump. Worth it even though they are
ridiculously expensive.
4. All-in-one Stroller. We are spoiled. Very very
spoiled by a good friend who gave us the mack-daddy of all strollers – the
Bugaboo. We are in love with our stroller and totally see the advantages and
versatility provided in an all-in-one stroller. She is about to outgrow the
bassinet and move into her big seat but we got a lot of use out of the bassinet
these past few months plus she will sleep in it when go back to Oklahoma next
week. And we can’t wait to put it in beach mode this summer and take strolls in
the sand.
5. Blankets. We have some muslin wraps by Aden and Anais
that are amazing. These blankets make swaddling easy and they are breathable so
I don’t freak out if I see it all up in her face.
6. Bottles. Lucky for us she likes the cheap Medela kind that
come with the pumps. They aren’t fancy but they make her happy. And we are
still using the nipples from the hospital. I think I had doll bottles that had
more advanced bottle nipples. Our theory was to start with the cheap and work
our way up to the advanced ones if needed.
7. Bouncing/vibrating Chair. We actually have several of
these things and she is a big fan of each one. I know she will grow out of them
soon but they still buy us a few hands-free minutes.
8. Backpack. We love our Skip Hop backpack for baby.
Lance can carry it without losing his man card plus it is handy and carries a
ton.
9. Carrier and Slings. So nice to have an alternative
way to transport baby girl other then the stroller. The carrier and sling are
easier to use on the metro and when going to crowded areas. Looking forward to
spring and more adventures in the carrier and sling.

10. Rainforest Jumper and Play Mats. They each buy us at
least 30 minutes of time as she entertains herself in the rainforest. We call
her the queen of the gorillas.
11. Mobile. We have yet to figure out why she is so entertained
by the purple bugs that spin in a circle above her head but she loves loves
loves her mobile. It makes her laugh out loud.
12. Footie PJ’s. (See blog post Number 22. Put That Baby
in Footie Pajamas.)
So that is our list of a dozen must-haves for new moms. We have easily lived without a wipe warmer,
diaper genie, bottle warmer, baby washcloths, Boppy pillow (although great
during pregnancy), crib bumpers and accessories/decorations and baby books. Not
books for baby, we love those, but how-to-deal-with-baby books. We are
just winging it thus far and Sunny is happy and sleeping through the night - so
we are going with it.
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