{Live and Learn}: Baby Registry

I am often asked by new expecting moms, 

"What were your favorite baby products that you registered for?"

This question always leads into more questions, and before I know it, I'm helping them register.  {Which is fine by me, because I LOVE helping expecting moms prepare as they anticipate the arrival of their sweet bundles of joy.} Plus, Babies R Us might be the most overwhelming store for expecting parents.  In fact, the first time McDaddy and I went to register, the only thing we put on our registry were car seats! So, for those expecting mamas and daddys out there,

here are a few of my favorite things:

(Moms of Multiples: I put an * by the items that you probably need more than one of.)

BIG Items:

• * Infant Car Seat: Graco SnugRide 
• Stroller: Graco Travel System Stroller (for Singletons) or Graco DuoGlider (for Twins)

      

• Convertible Car Seat: Britax Marathon

• * Graco Pack n' Play

• Swing: Graco Silhouette Swing (We had one upstairs & one downstairs)

• * Bouncer: Fisher Price Deluxe Infant to Toddler Rocker

• Play Mat: Baby Einstein Activity Gym

• ExerSaucer: Baby Einstein Activity Saucer

DIAPERING:

• Pampers Diapers
• Pampers or Kirkland Brand Wipes
• Diaper Genie & LOTS of Refills: 1 for each changing location (upstairs/downstairs)
• Diaper Cream: A+D Ointment and Desitin Cream
• Carter's Lap Pads
• Diaper Bag: I found that a book bag was MUCH easier to carry while also carrying a kiddo or two than a shoulder bag

BATHING:

• Carter's Hooded Towels
• Carter's Washcloths
• Johnson & Johnson Tear Free Shampoo
• Suave Detangling Spray
• Bath Toy Storage: Boon Frog or Bug Pod 
• Safety 1st No Tears Rinse Cup
• Bath Sponge Cushion: We owned 2 baby bath tubs, but we found it SIGNIFICANTLY easier to bathe and clean up using the bath sponge cushion.

EATING:

• * Highchair: Fisher Price Space Saver
• * Traveling High Chair/Booster: Fisher Price Healthy Care Deluxe Booster
• The First Years Sippy Cups (without the stopper inside)
• Gerber Soft Bite Spoons
• Gerber Graduates Forks & Spoons
• The First Years Take & Toss Forks & Spoons
• Plates & Bowls: Target dollar section are our favorites
• "Top 100 Baby Food Purees" by Annabel Karmel
• Baby Food and Breast Milk Trays (for freezing homemade food or pumped milk)
• Boppy or My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow: 1 for each feeding location (upstairs/downstairs)
• Medela Pump in Style Double Breast Pump
• Medela Freezing & Storage Set
• Nursing Cover: Bebe au Lait Chateau
• Gerber Burp Cloths
• Bottle & Nipple Brush 
• Munchkin Snack Catchers
• Bibs: Carter's Teething Bibs
• Bibs: Mullins Square Toddler Bibs
• Scale: Health-O-Meter Grow with Me Baby and Toddler Scale: For all breastfeeding moms: this is a MUST especially if you have a preemie or a struggling eater.  1 oz of weight gained = 1 oz of breast milk consumed. It's easy to know how much a baby gets from a bottle, but nursing moms have no clue how much their babies are actually receiving.  Weighing before and after will tell you!

SLEEPING:

• Baby Monitor: Sony 900 MHz BabyCall Monitors
• Conair Infant Sound Machine: One of the greatest sleeping suggestions that was given to me by a mom of triplets - cranking up the sound machine while babies sleep to block out any noise going on elsewhere in the house.  We prefer the "Ocean" setting as the "White Noise" setting drives me a little batty.  I have found that the "Ocean" or "White Noise" sounds are the most soothly to an infant.  All four McMinis still sleep with their "Oceans" at night.  
• Fitted Crib Sheets: (2 sets per crib)
• Sheet Savers: (2 sets per crib) It's my absolute favorite item.  It's a sheet with a built in waterproof backing.  Imagine trying to change a crib sheet in the middle of the night if a baby has an accident or gets sick... not fun!  The sheet savers are a single sheet that lay on top of the fitted sheet and snap onto the railings of the crib. You just unsnap and take it off without having to take off the bumper, pull out the mattress, and strip it down. Seriously, brilliant!
• Carter's Receiving Blankets
• "Happiest Baby on the Block" DVD: Seriously, one of the best investments we made - especially for McDaddy.  The video is presented by a doctor that provides five things that you can do to calm a baby; he calls them the five S's.  Swaddling is one of the S's.  In my opinion, it's worth purchasing the Carter's receiving blankets over other brands, because they are rectangular (opposed to square) and larger than the other brands which makes swaddling a million times easier. 

OTHER ITEMS:

• Thermometer: Braun Ear Thermometer (LOVE LOVE LOVE!) I can take the McMinis' temp while they are sleeping within seconds and without waking them up. 
• Safety 1st Nail Clippers for Manicure Mondays 
• Safety 1st Perfect Fit Gates
• Moby Wrap Baby Carrier
• C.R. Gibson Loose Leaf Baby Memory Book: There are several different styles of baby memory books these days.  This collection of baby books are my FAVORITE because they are actually a binder that you can add more pages or keepsakes to (and remove pages that don't apply to you.)
• Lovies: Angel Dear Blankies
• * Eddie Bauer Car Seat Protector
• * Eddie Bauer Car Mirror
• Johnson & Johnson's Safety Swabs (Q-Tips)
• Oral-B Training Toothpaste
• Oral-B Infant Toothbrush

I'm sure I have left something off the list, so if you have a question about a certain item or would like to share your favorite baby items, please feel free to leave a comment below.  :)

**Please note, there are hundreds of baby items out there and more than one way or method to take care of your baby.  These are just some things that have been helpful to us.