Registry/newborn list

When it came time to register for Ethan, I was completely overwhelmed. We made the mistake of going to Babies R Us first thinking, well they have everything. Well, they do. Including a ton of things you don't need that they'll try to convince you that you do.

Anyway, here are some of our most used things within the first few months.

-receiving blankets. Get a lot of these. We used them to give him a light cover in his bouncer/swing/carseat, used as burp clothes, used for small spills, great for laying on the ground when out and about, small enough for traveling, etc.

-Baby carrier. There are tons of options. The most popular is probably the Ergo since it's the most widely carried in store. I recommended going to a store that has tons of options that you can try on if you can find one. We did this and it was the best way to see what we liked. After reading a ton of blogs and watching youtube clips, we thought we'd want the Beco or Ergo. After trying them all on though, we went with the Boba 3G.

If you're in the DFW area, check out Nappy Shoppe. We had to drive an hour from Justin, but it was completely worth the drive for the selection they had. Their prices were great and the staff was very helpful and friendly.  http://www.nappyshoppe.com/ You can also buy online if you know what you're wanting.

Reasons we chose Boba: It was the most comfortable and natural fit for both of us. It didn't require a newborn insert (the bottom folds up for newborns). It has a nice shade for his head in the sun as you can see here and also has a strap to snap your purse on you. It comes with foot straps for when your kid is older. The straps are super easy to adjust, this is important for nursing in it since you can lower the waist and loosen the shoulders quickly. It comes in some super cute patterns (although we kept it simple with black and grey since we'd both be using it). Overall, the way it felt while wearing baby was our biggest consideration.

 Ergo was our 2nd fave and we've since gotten one 2nd hand to keep in our car for the times we forget to grab the Boba. We def prefer the Boba over it though.

We also have a ring sling which is another great option. I was gifted this by one of my friends and I love it. It's great for short trips or doing things around the house. It's quicker to get him in and out of it which makes it best for quick outings. It doesn't have as much support for your back though so I don't recommend it for long outings or major housework.

-a breast pump if you plan to breastfeed. I originally only got a manual thinking that would be enough, but I was lucky enough to win a double electric one. So glad I did because it was much easier. Also, check with your insurance, they may cover either a rental of one or a new one. Most should, but they may not be very familiar with it so it may take a few calls to get someone that does. We ended up with the
   --you'll also want some bottles, but all babies like different ones so try a few before stocking up. Also freezer storage bags (note: don't buy the BRU brand ones, about 1/2 of them leaked and there was a LOT of wasted milk which SUCKS)

-handsfree pump bra. You will look absolutely ridiculous in this, but it makes it easier to double pump. I'd just read or play games on the ipad while pumping. This is the one I bought.  

I mean seriously?! Doesn't this thing look ridiculous?! The things you'll do for your baby...


-baby monitor. Again, tons of options so think about what works best for your family. I have a (slightly irrational) fear of SIDS so I went with the Angel Care since it will alert you if there is no movement. Warning though, you may end up with lots of false alarms that scare the crap out of you, show you how quickly you can run after just being woken up, and make it hard to go back to sleep. This usually happens because he ends up in the corners of the crib and the sensor pad isn't big enough. I still would rather have it though.

 --For travel or for when he's asleep somewhere that's not the crib, I use the Baby Monitor app on my iPhone/iPad. It's got video and sound, you just leave one facing baby and keep the other with you.

-2-3 Swaddlers. Sure, you could use blankets for this, but in the middle of the night when you need to either change the baby or want to get some quick skin to skin time for nursing, you will LOVE the velcro these have.  So easy, just pop baby in the bottom and wrap/velcro. They also are easy to get  them snug as a bug and foolproof for dad.

-A playmat. Tummy time is important for babies from day 1. I love the colors on this one. It also had the little pillow to prop him up with. It folds up fairly easily so it doesn't always have to be in the middle of the room

-a diaper rash cream. I chose this one from Motherlove because it's also a thrush cream in case that becomes an issue. We haven't dealt with diaper rash yet, but it gets rave reviews. The few times he's had a little redness, I dab a bit on and it goes right away.

-bouncer or swing. In the first few months, this will be a great way to keep the little one comfy and close to you. We were gifted this from our registry. I liked that it was neutral and didn't take up a lot of space. We also bought a swing used for $10.

-A good cleaner. Let's just say I'm surprised by how well baby OxiClean got out some of the stains that happened. Esp the ones on the swing and bouncer which both had a way of making the baby have a blowout. Luckily the fabric on both was easily removable to toss in the wash.

-Boppy. Great way to get baby positioned good for nursing. This thing will practically be attached to you in the beginning.

-Obviously you'll need a carseat and stroller, but I recommend going and testing a ton out rather going on someone's opinion. What works for one person, may not work for another. We ended up going with the Graco FastAction Fold travel system mostly because it's easy to open/close. The carseat only goes to 22lbs, but we figured he'd outgrow the length before that (which he did). We've upgraded to the Evenflo Symphony for his convertible seat. It was a great price through Amazon and Costco and it has higher weight limits than many others in it's price range. Plus, it looks great. We also bought a used BOB stroller for jogging. You don't really NEED 2 strollers, but for us, the BOB is not good for travel/errands because it doesn't fold or turn well, but the Graco isn't great for sidewalks and can't be used for running.

Things we didn't bother registering for: Clothes: Most people will buy you cute outfits anyway and stuff changes so often that the things you register for may not even be available anymore. Exersaucer/jumper: You won't be using these until around 4-6 months so no need to have them taking up space before then. High chair: Again, won't be using this until around 4-6 months. Diapers: You'll probably get some small packages even if you don't register for them. However, if you care about a specific brand, then I would. Toys/teethers: People will usually buy cute ones as an add on to their gift or they will buy ones their kids liked. Books: Same as above, people like to give their faves or faves they read to their kids. It's fun to see what you'll get!