This weekend, T and I took on the task of starting a gift registery. It wasn't so much for upcoming showers, but more for us to keep tabs on what we want to get to prepare.
Let me tell you. . . It was an overwhelming experience! We should have taken a class on registering for a baby, because we were pretty clueless. Not only that, but registering for an adoptive child poses some additional challenges. . . like having no idea how old this child will be when he comes home.
T and I did the best we could, but I'm pretty sure our registry is not even close to being finished.
I'd love ideas from people with kids out there. Were there any baby items that you couldn't live without? I'd love to start a list.
9 comments:
Make sure you have meds and diaper rash ointment on hand. That was one of my pediatrician's big recommendations. We had tyle.nol stocked before our baby was born. Definitely get an infant bather too. I bought one at targe' that has a little seat. I LOVED that thing. Baby Bean just barely outgrew it. And buy wipes. You will never have enough wipes, no matter how old the child is (unless they are potty trained, but I didn't think you wanted one that old).
I LOVED the baby registry. It was overwhelming for sure, but fun too. We had some friends go with us to one of them and help because they had a one year old so it was all still fresh in their head. Let's see... some basics that I wouldn't have thought of necessarily off the top of my head but were NECESSITIES to us:
1. co sleeper - if you are interested in co-sleeping at all (many say they won't do this but find themselves doing it anyway) I highly recommend this for safety and all sorts of reasons. You can find them at Target for like $45.
2. Baby powder with cornstarch - when my lil boy first was home he had a small rash and that was the ONLY thing that helped. Make sure it has the cornstartch in it.
3. Lots of newborn gowns. These will be crucial in the beginning when you are changing them all the time, etc.
4. If you are doing disposable diapers, I suggest having a few cloth diapers on hand. The good kind you have to order on the internet cause they don't sell this stuff in stores very often and therefore it is super hard to find. That way if baby has a rash or allergic to diapers or anything you have the cloth available!
5. Plenty of bulb aspirators for the nose and mucous. Okay I know that sounds gross, but you need to know these things right :)
6. Bottle drying rack. Bottle brush for cleaning and nipple brush for cleaning.
7. Figure out what method you are going to warm your bottles.
8. Notebook for eating/feeding/sleeping charts.
9. Frozen meals for easy dinners for you and hubby.
That is all I can think of right now but I know there are more :)
I did a post once about what I wanted to get the baby so maybe that will give you some ideas. We still had a lot of things like toys, and a crib.
http://bigsisterkali.blogspot.com/2009/07/baby-items-i-like-and-would-like-to.html
A baby food warmer/bottle warmer is kinda neat. Since I made all of Kali's food, they were cold and had to be warmed. She only liked things room temperature, and the warmer helped with that since it didnt get really hot, really fast. A few things off the top of my head, and may be in the list on my blog, not sure.
Car seat handle covers to protect the neck (we still use), buggy cover for the stores(you want it to really cover the whole seat if possible), hat with a brim, night light, pretty sweater that will go with a lot (harder to find than I thought!), tiny mittens to prevent scratching, changing pad cover so the cover is not cold, hamper for the baby's clothes, car mirror (our fav, and still use to see her behind us), cotton swabs for infants (still use those too), and a travel pad (believe me when you see what your baby could lie on in a store, you will be happy to have this). And there are NEVER enough wipes especially when you find how wonderful they are for housecleaning!
Okay, I am done, for now, lol.
Safety tip: keep your window blinds up and tied up when the baby starts to walk, and throughout toddler hood.
I want to share baby shower ideas because I thought these were really good. Invite people to bring a book if they want to be entered into a drawing for a special door prize. That way the child's bookcase will be stocked in no time! The second idea works best if the couple expecting happens to have a chest freezer. Invite people to bring their favorite meal frozen to be entered into a drawing for a prize.
Though having a perfectly set up changing table in the nursery is usually what people plan on, you should consider keeping a basket/bin full of changing items and a changing pad/blanket in the most popular room of the house. My sister-in-law hardly ever uses the changing table in the nursery because the living room is the play room. Why walk all the way across the house to quickly change a diaper?
Besides diapers, wipes, and bottles for necessities, I don't know, I just babysit and get to play!
My niece's favorite toys (and mine), all available at Target:
- Vtech Move and Crawl Ball (crawling)
- LeapFrog Learn and Groove Musical Table (standing)
- Fisher-Price Stride-to-Ride Lion (walking)
- Step2 Push-Around Buggy (for family walks, riding in a toy car is more fun than in a stroller)
So fun!!
Hey Leah! Thanks for reading my blog, it's so great to reconnect this way. Good luck with the rest of the adoption process. I can't think of a more beautiful way to open one's heart that to adopt a child. I hope to do the same one day (maybe when I'm not living in a village in Africa :) Cheers and God Bless!
PS: My Dad and I are SUPER ADDICTED to No Reservations, it's killing me not to watch this season!!!!:O
It's been over seven years since I had to worry about the needs of a baby but I felt inclined to share with you what I do remember I needed. There are a lot of items out there that people will insist that you have/need but the reality is...less is more. So don't get overwhelmed by what the books or magazines tell you to go out and get. When the baby comes, and you need it - go and get it. Never used my diaper genie or the warmers (wipes or bottle/food). The suggestion to have baby medication on hand is by far the best advise! Don't go overboard on products like shampoos, soaps, cremes, etc. because you don't know how their skin will react. I used a lot (a lot) of wash clothes (soft small baby kind). So have plenty of those on hand. And yes, baby wipes (the free and clear/natural kind is by far the best). Luvs - they work just as well as the expensive kind and better than the generic! Jack had tons of cute little outfits but he wore a lot of sleepers and onsies. A really good pair of baby fingernail clippers. Laundry detergent. And I also loved the suggestion about frozen meals or easy to prepare meals for you and T. Those were by far the best gifts I received those first few weeks! A good bubble bath for you! And make sure the camera is always fully charged to take pics - because you will be taking a lot of those!
Peter and I have come up with the cosleeper, butt paste (a diaper ointment), and the mae tai. The cosleeper allows them to sleep by themselves but at an arms reach which, when they are crying because they are hungry, is a nighttime lifesaver. Butt Paste, which is a thick, white bottom rash ointment, clears up EVERYTHING and then keeps it away. The mae tai allows us to carry a baby and still have use of our hands. Using them, the twins quietly enjoyed their first church service and a neighborhood walk!
Post a Comment