Baby Essentials

When I was registering for my baby showers, I had NO clue where to start.  I took Mama with me, and she was not very much help.  To her defense, you didn't really register for stuff when she was having babies, and too things have changed so much.  I ended up registering for a little bit of everything and  kinda learned the hard way about the things I love, couldn't live without, and things that haven't been very helpful.

Of course, some things will be no-brainers, so I will skip over those (stroller, car seat, ect.)

Here are a few of my favorite things:

• Diaper genie:  her room never smells like dirty diapers
• Wipe warmer:  get a good one!  The first one I got dried my wipes out, so I went and bought the Prince Lionheart wipe warmer.  It is AMAZING.  It has a wet pad in the bottom so the wipes always stay nice and moist!  Norah Kate don't know what to think when I wipe her bottom with a cold one, she is spoiled ;)
• Snug a Bunny Swing and Bouncy Seat:  She loves her swing!  It has different swinging motions and an overhead mobile.  I like the neutral colors too, so that I will be able to use it for a little boy.  My bouncy seat stays in our bathroom.  It's my babysitter while I am in the shower or getting ready!
• Nap Nanny:  This thing was a life saver during NK's first couple of weeks/months, when I would jump up at every little cry or wimper.  She went through this stage where she didn't like to sleep laying flat, and the Nap Nanny let me safely put her in the bed with me while she was so tiny.  Now it stays in our living room and she will take naps in it.  Be sure not to put it in their cribs though!!



• Summer Infant Mother's Touch Baby Bather: I love it!  It is mesh, so it's way more comfy than a plastic tub and it keeps them from sitting in the dirty bath water.



• White Noise machine:  It helps during nap time.  She almost can't go to sleep when it is stone cold quiet.
• Ameda Double Electric Breast Pump:  Medela makes a good one too, but I love my Ameda!  I would highly recommend buying a good one if you are planning on pumping a lot or continuing to breastfeed once you return to work.  Even if your aren't planning of pumping, you may find a handheld pump helpful at some point!  It saved me when we were having issues!
• Backseat Mirror:  It allows me to see her when I am driving, and now that she is a little bit older she talks to and flirts with herself in the mirror!

Things you can't get enough of:

• Onesies/sleepers:  I especially love the zip up sleepers.  Fumbling for buttons at 3am is no beuno!  That first month we changed outfits AT LEAST three times a day.  Leaking diapers, spit up, and breastmilk everywhere!
• Homemade burpcloths:  the ones made out of cloth diapers = my favorite!  They are absorb wonderfully!
• Extra crib sheets/basinet sheets/changing pad covers:  Same thing as the outfits... they get pretty messy, so extras are nice :)
• Clothes hangers:  I had to keep buying more!!

Things to keep in mind:

Don't panic if you feel like you have too many of something, chances are you will be grateful for the extras.  I thought I had way too many burpcloths and blankets at first.  After I had Norah Kate I was so excited when I got a few late gifts with homemade burpcloths and things, because I was thinking about buying more!!

Don't open up or take the tags off of every little thing.  Because I had such a big baby, I had to return some of her newborn size diapers, she was in size 1s pretty quick.  I had actually opened up one pack too many, and I HATED wasting those diapers!  I also only washed up and took the tags off her newborn and most of her 0-3 months clothes.  You can always return extras OR regift ;)

Don't stress too much about the nursery.  I was bound and determined to have her nursery finished a month before she got here.  Haha!  She has yet to sleep in that crib at night, and has only taken a few naps in it!  I am trying to gradually get her used to her room.  We have just started our bedtime routine in there, I rock and nurse her in her room after bathtime, and read a story to her.  Then she gets laid down in the Pack-n-play in our room.  Really, if you had room for a basinet/Pack-n-Play and changing station in the master bedroom, you could probably get out of not having a nursery for the first few months all together (unless your were one of those that wanted your baby to start out in her own room from the get go, not this mama!).

Don't get your heart set on one particular brand of bottles/pacifiers etc.  I literally have almost every brand paci and bottle.  We had to test run several brands until we found what she liked.  NK is pretty picky about what goes in her mouth!

Go ahead and register for things they might use/need later.  Walker, electric socket covers, sippee cups, eating utensils, ect.  Also register for gender neutral things.  That stuff is expensive, and a lot of stuff you will not get at second baby showers.  If we have a boy next, most of the high priced items are gender neutral!  Yay!

Have a little first aid/ medicine kit handy.  I would have hated to make a trip to Walmart in the middle of the night for Tylenol, or a thermometor, or gas drops!  P.S.  Don't leave the hospital without their suction bulb!  The store bought ones don't hold a candle to it!  It's big and orange and ugly, but works like charm!!

You could probably talk to ten different mothers and they would all give you a list of different things they "had to have" but these were my favorites and things I learned!  Hope it helps!