Baby Registry

Here's the list. It's sort of all encompassing and not just for the registry.. I got some tips and advice from my sister-in-law, now you can have a look for yourself. Feel free to leave advice in the comments! If I've picked out a particular brand or style of something, I also included that.

 

Nursery

• Furniture
  
  
  
  • o   Crib {Cache, Montana}
  
  
  • o   Dresser/ Changing Table {Cache, Montana}
  
  
  • o   Chest {Cache, Montana}
  
  
  • o   Nightstand {Cache, Montana}
  
  
  • Glider & Ottoman {Newco Premium Rosie Glider – Ivory}
  
  
  • Lamps (At least one floor and 2 desktop)
  
  
  • Ceiling Fan & Additional Lighting (White Fan, Pendant Lighting)
  
  
  • Bassinet (Verdict still out for this. Haven't decided whether to get a bassinet or just use the Pack n Play)
  
  
  • Mattress
  
  
  • Changing pad
  
  
  • Storage baskets (for closet and table tops)
  
  
  
  

Baby Gear

• Stoller Travel System (includes stroller, car seat) {Graco FastAction Fold Travel System, Metropolis}


• Car seat cover (for cold weather)


• Play yard {Graco Pack n Play Element Playard, Metropolis}


• Carrier {Boba wrap..verdict still out on this one too. Boba is my favorite, but might be easier for something already ‘put together.’}


• Backseat baby mirror


• Baby seat {Bebe pod}


• Highchair {Fisher Price Healthy Care Deluxe Booster}

Diapering

• Diapers (different sizes)


• Wipes


• Diaper rash cream (couple different kinds)


• Dirty diaper pail & refills {Diaper Genie}


• Diaper bag (comes with travel changing pad) {SoYoung, Charlie}

Feeding

• Breastpump + accessories {Medela Pump in Style Advanced}


• Milk storage


• Boppy


• Lanolin ointment


• Hot/cold gel packs


• Breast pads


• Burp cloths


• Bottles (different varieties)


• Bottle Brush


• Drying rack (Boon)


• Bibs (ones with plastic backs for later)


• Sippy cups

Bathing

• Baby Bathtub {Puj Tub or First Year’s Infant to Toddler}


• Shampoo/Body wash


• Hooded bath towel


• Washcloths

Clothing

• Sleepers


• Onesies


• Socks & booties


• Mittens


• Hangers


• Hats

Sleeping

• Swaddling blankets {regular, possibly a woombie too)


• Sleep sacks


• Crib sheets


• Waterproof mattress pads


• Noise maker {Sleep sheep}

Toys/Entertainment

• Bouncer/Swing {Fisher Price My Little Lamp Platinum Edition Cradle 'n Swing}


• Play mat


• Pacifiers (different varieties)

Safety

• Baby gate


• Monitor

Health

• Baby lotion


• Cotton balls


• Clippers


• Bulb syringes


• Saline drops


• Anti-gas drops


• Baby thermometer


• Infant acetominophen


• Baby brush


• Teething toys {Sofie the Giraffe}

 

And we'll be registering at the following:

12 Weeks Pic

Hot off the presses. Here's a couple from 12 weeks. I couldn't decide between goofy or normal... so I went with both! No real baby bump yet, though. At our 12 week appointment I had lost a little more weight, but you kind kind of tell where the baby is pushing up which is starting to make my food belly stick out a little more. Pleasant.



Also, why did no one tell me about maternity shirts before now? They're the most perfect shirts ever. I plan to wear them forever, pregnant or not.

 

 

The Refrigerator Abyss/Problems from the Pantry

I work from home so everything I eat throughout the day comes from the things I can find around the house.

Since this whole pregnancy-thing started, I've had quite a few scruples with the fridge. Once it goes in.... it absolutely never comes out. This was generally true before of things we'd bring home from restaurants, but now it has extended to just about everything. Even things I just bring home from the store just sit in there. It's a complete waste any way you look at it and it makes me a sad panda.

I've also lost my desire to make food. I think this partially extends from my inability to cope with food in the fridge.

Now that I'm at 12 weeks, my ability to handle hunger has changed. Any time I start to feel hungry throughout the day I have to eat something in a pretty short time frame to keep from getting sick. This is becoming more of a nuisance since I'm having such a difficult time with keeping food around the house. If you have any ideas about what I can keep around the house (out of the fridge)... and doesn't require cooking or mixing, I'm all ears. Just keep in mind I'm trying to keep the salt and sugar at a minimum!

The Baby Bag

There are three things that I think about fairly often when it comes to Baby Taylor.

• The Nursery


• The Stroller


• The Baby Bag

These are the three things that will most likely stick with us for multiple years and so I really want to choose wisely. I want to figure out what will be the most important characteristics for me and what can grow with baby. This seems slightly impossible since I really have nothing to base my *needs* on other than the experiences of my family, friends, and the internet-world, but I think I'll make do. Live and learn, I suppose.

After deciding on a nursery theme, my mind went straight to the baby bag. And yes, I'm fairly certain I've already figured out which one I want. The baby bag is the smallest of the three items listed above (and the one that will be the easiest to replace if I choose the wrong one), so I don't mind that I've made such an early decision without even knowing what really goes into a diaper bag. Well, other than diapers... clearly.

Before I really even began my search, I made a list of things I was looking for (again, without really knowing what I will need) and it looks a little something like this:

-Netural/Nondescript: I don't want a bag that screams BABY! I think the actual screaming baby will give that away all by itself. I want it to kind of go with all kinds of outfits AND be masculine enough for Cory to hold. Not that Cory wouldn't hold a hot pink and feathered bag for his sweet little baby, but let's be reasonable and get the guy something he'd be a little more comfortable with.

-Pockets: I love pockets. I had pockets sewn into my wedding dress. I try not to buy clothes without pockets. It's ALL ABOUT POCKETS. But they have to be easy to get into. If they're all buttoned and zippered, it takes all the fun out of the pocket.

-Insulated areas: I imagine a baby running around in a year or two and getting sweaty.. and thirsty... and hungry... Having an area dedicated to hot or cold items would be excellent. Maybe even room for a bottle of water for myself or Cory.

And uhm. Well that's all I could think of initially. Then I started looking at what other moms carry and what make a good diaper bag for them. A light/wipe-able interior was a common attribute that most women found helpful. So I added those to my list.

That's when I came across the most excellent diaper bag. The SoYoung Charlie Bag.

[gallery type="square" columns="2" ids="265,271,270,272"]

It's a little pricey in terms of diaper bags, but the features on it seem perfect (for me). Here are the features of the bag:

• Can be used with shoulder straps, messenger bag strap, or can be converted to a backpack. It also has straps that connect to the handle of the stroller for easy access.


• Laminated changing mat included. Machine washable.


• Reinforced bottom to protect material.


• Fits a 13" laptop easily.


• Removable key clip.


• Back flap to hold bulky items (e.g. newspapers, umbrellas, yoga mats, sweaters, towels, etc.)


• Built-in sunglasses pocket, wallet holder and phone pocket


• Insulated side bottle pockets


• All compartments are light-colored and laminated for easy browsing and cleanup.


• Full size insulated compartment.


• Front pockets are magnetic and easy to get into with one hand.


• Large interior compartment for diapers, wipes, etc. etc. etc.... with mesh pockets so you can see into them with ease and nothing gets lost.

Andd.. probably some other things that I neglected to mention. I watched a YouTube review of this bag a few days ago that helped me make my decision. It's 15 minute review... so I don't recommend watching it unless you're really bored or really interested in getting the bag, but she's quite thorough.

So that's that. The bag has been selected. Hopefully it won't be discontinued or something terrible like that before we're ready to purchase!

Preliminary Furniture Shopping

According to my BabyBump phone app, I have somewhere in the ballpark of 200 days to go. As I stare at that number I think to myself... how on earth do I maintain a blog for that long? I know there will be posts about doctor visits and kicking and gender reveals eventually, but what happens in the other 190 days?

I've decided I will most likely go over products and baby gadgets I enjoy to fill in where I literally have nothing else to talk about. Hopefully this will serve as a helpful tool in choosing what products are right for me as a new mom and young mom (and maybe you too if you've happened upon this blog via a search engine or something of the sort).

My mom and I went out yesterday to do a little preliminary baby (window) shopping. This was not a trip intended to purchase anything, but rather a chance just to see what's out there (mainly in terms of nursery furniture). For me, venturing out into the sensory overloaded world of baby this early is probably a good thing. With so much going on, I like knowing that I have time to really go over my options and pick what I truly want rather than something I have to have because I've procrastinated my searching endeavors to the last moment.

Our first stop was at Burlington Coat Factory. Coats? What? Indeed. It's not just a place to get coats. They have a lot of discounted things including baby items. And then we did the obligatory Babies-R-Us run. So many nursery options. Luckily, I already know what "theme" our nursery is going to be so I don't have to worry about that. I really just have to focus on the furniture.

Our nursery will be fairly neutral (please, don't confuse neutral with boring!) with bits of a sagey/baby green. We'll throw another color in there once we find out the sex, but there will definitely be green involved. The main theme will be sheep and lambs. There will be plenty of time to discuss the theme in depth later, when I know more, but for now I'm just going to post a couple of the furniture options we looked at yesterday.

[caption id="attachment_259" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Westwood Geneva Collection[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_258" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Suite Bebe Barcelona Collection[/caption]

There were a lot more and if I remember what they were I'll come back and update this post later! We took pictures of most of the things I liked but mom has those :)