"What if I've never had a baby before and I have no idea what I'll actually 'need'?"
"Just scan everything that you could possibly 'need'."
"So, like, define 'need'. Like, items my baby will never be functional without? Items that make it easier for me to care for my baby? Items that help baby's growth and development?"
"Yes, you need all those."
"I do."
"Well, let's just say this, every mom registers for it."
I started sweating profusely and the whole store turned into a blur of primary colors and powdery smells. So, let me just say this, I agonized over the potential needs for Luke before he got here ("What if we DO need a self-walking stroller and a baby's first miner's cap with flashlight!? I know all stores are set to self-destruct the day after Luke is born. We'll never have what we need if I don't deal with this now!").
Good news is - I survived the registry process. AND! I have found there was very little I actually needed (outside diapers, wipes, clothes, and nourishment, duh). So, beyond the goes-without-saying needed items, here's the gear I've found most awesome (for 0-6 months anyway).
1. Bouncy Seat - Just a plain, no nonsense, no bells and whistles, bouncy seat. Luke has spent countless hours in it. And, since it's so light and mobile, I took it to every room in the house with me. Two reasons: the uprightness helped with his reflux, and the mobility of it helped him always be where I was without my needing to hold him. It. is. our. friend.
2. Diaper bag that doubles. I didn't want to be a two-bag mom. Nor did I want to be a ABC, 123, Giraffe Bag mom. Not that I have a problem with letters, numbers, or animals, but let's be honest, Luke is so lazy. He still hasn't carried his diaper bag, not even one little time. So, I wanted fashion and multifunction. And I couldn't be happier with the bag I found. Love.
3. Buttpaste. I slather it on every night (on him of course) when I would put a diaper on him that's likely to be on him a while. And! In seven months, we've had one slight diaper rash! Lasted a week and cleared up.
4. A humidifier. Keeping his room a little humid when he sounds sniffly allows his sinuses to drain (gross, I know), which prevents a cold getting worse or even turning into an ear infection. Thankfully, we've not had a bad cold or an ear infection yet. Praise the Lord!
5. Possibly my most favorite item was this pack n play we purchased from Amazon. It was our priciest buy as new parents, but we've used it every single day since he was born. It sat beside our bed his first three months for those middle of the night nursing sessions and we used the bassinet portion, then I brought it to work with me and he napped in it at the raised level (that you can see in the middle, minus the bassinet and changer), and now we've lowered it and he'll play for 20-30 minutes at a time in it while I work. I have LOVED it (basinet vibrates, it's inclined which was great for his reflux, changer wipes off easily, there's plugin for an iPod which we used to play white noise for him during the colicky days, and the actual play yard part is soft and cozy). Only thing I found not really helpful was the storage on the side - pretty flimsy, so I only kept diapers in there.
7. Carrier. This infantino thing has been AWESOME on several occasions, especially the airport! It's a less expensive option for mommies who might not use it daily, and it works really well.
8. Otterbox. Yeah, it's a phone accessory. But check it out - my kid can hold the phone, watch Veggie Tales, teethe on it, throw it, and we're good. Yes, please.
9. Groovebook. Great way to print off and store your phone pictures. $2.99 a month, 100 pictures, and no more mom guilt over, "what am I going to do with the entire history of my child's life - because like, 9,999 of these 10,000 pictures aren't really frame worthy?"
10. Woombie. Luke loved this swaddle (in his immobile days). It seemed very cozy to him and it helped him sleep just a bit longer than without it. We tried other swaddling blankets, but I'm pretty inept, and I had a hard time swaddling him in a way that actually stayed secure. And this one, yeah, it's like swaddling for dummies. Awesome.
11. Monitor. There are about a million and a half options for a baby monitor. This one has been perfect for us. Highly recommend.
And yes, that's eleven items, I made myself twitch but those are literally my favorite items and there just happened to be eleven. Sorry fellow lovers of even numbers.
Happy mommying! Or, happy buying awesome stuff for a mommy you know!
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