I have been wanting to write this post forever. I have been thinking about it since Ivar was born. And after just talking to a friend of Rory's who was trying to process his first trip to Babies R Us to register for their babe-to-be, I decided it was time.
This begins The Baby Gear Post.
I will never forget Rory and my first trip to the big box store that is Babies R Us. I think I've written about it before. It blew our mind: a baby store the size of Best Buy, the size of Borders, the size of the food building at the state fair. How in the world did a baby so tiny, one that was currently doing just fine in my snug little womb, need so much crap? We walked every aisle bewildered. We ended up in the back of the store, me looking at nursery sets, bumpers and quilts while Rory found his respite in the glider rocker, self soothing as he rocked back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. We had just entered a land of crazy.
And it sort of really is. Babies all over the world and all throughout history have survived with much less gear. Before Ivar was born I was convinced that we would never bring one of those enormous exosaucers into our house. They are a space suck if there ever was one. We have a sweet little Minneapolis home and there was no way I was going to let something that bulky and obnoxious eat up a quarter of my living room. Well. Turns out we got two. No joke. One for the upstairs and one for the downstairs. I don't see it so much as a space hog anymore as I do a little gift of genius. Ivar loves it, he stays occupied, and when he's in it I know he's not licking the bottom of our shoes. (got one from a friend and one at a garage sale)
All this to say, every item has its season. And somethings you will never need. For sure, you don't need to get it all at once. The day will come when you'll say, "you know what would be handy? a seat I could set Ivar in so he can't move, that would surround him 360 with toys that he can't throw on the floor." And that will be the day you'll give in to the exosaucer.
All this to say, every item has its season. And somethings you will never need. For sure, you don't need to get it all at once. The day will come when you'll say, "you know what would be handy? a seat I could set Ivar in so he can't move, that would surround him 360 with toys that he can't throw on the floor." And that will be the day you'll give in to the exosaucer.
After nearly 12 months of enjoying our little boy, I give you...
Becca's Top Five Favorite Ivar Things:
Becca's Top Five Favorite Ivar Things:
1. Glider Rocker. I've fallen asleep in ours more times than I can count. I love it. Can't imagine mamahood without it.
2. Room Darkening Shades. We got ours from Target (the cheapest brand) and have them hung with Ikea curtain rods that were $1.25 a piece. They are tight against the wall and it means that in the middle of the day I can make Ivar's room dark as night. I swear this has more to do with his happy long naps than anything else.
3. Sleepsacks. Ivar couldn't stand the ones that swaddle with velcro. He wanted his arms by his face. So we got sleeveless sleep sacks and dressed him in a longsleeve onesie. These were my saving grace in the middle of the night. I couldn't handle trying to change his diaper when he was wearing footsie jammies. Trying to wrestle his legs back into the outfit about did me in at 3 am. The sleepsack was a gift from above.
4. Rumble Buns. I thought everyone called it a rumble buns, but I guess I made that name up. The rest of the world calls it a bouncer. Ivar napped in his for the first 8 months of his life. We brought it with us on vacations and he slept better in this than in the pack and play...until he got too heavy and his bottom was bumping the floor.5. Carseat Cover. Ivar's first six months of life were winter. I never put a coat on my son until this fall. I thought this thing was so slick. If it was really cold I'd cover him with a blanket and then cover the seat. And usually he was a whole lot happier in it than he is pictured below :)
If I were to do it all over again:
1. I'd skip the diaper bag. You definitely still need a bag...but the marketed diaper bags seem bulky, have so many pockets and the one we got was so cumbersome. We ended up getting a medium size mail-style bag at Target that has one big section with two side pockets on each end. We love the size. Feels more manageable. Go for gender-neutral...dad ends up carrying it a lot.
2. I wouldn't get the stroller system. We got a grayco something or other with the infant seat that can lock into the stroller. If I were to do it again I would get a stroller frame for when the baby is little (for something like $70) buy the infant carrier and carseat base separate and then get a good running stroller. Those Bob running strollers are really something. (But crazy expensive!!) Not only are the wheels big for a comfy off-road ride, but the visor to block the sun goes all the way down to the babies toes. You can fully cover your baby. I don't know. I'm still on the fence with this one because it's all expensive, but I guess I think it would be worth it...
Looking back, I'm glad I...
1. Returned everything I didn't immediately love. For real, I have no guilt about this. Hope this doesn't offend anyone, but I became well known at Target and Babies R Us making sure that I returned the stuff I didn't think I wanted and buying the stuff I knew I'd love. Babies are expensive and I love that I love everything I kept :)
2. Kept up with thank you notes before Ivar was born. Because wow. The gifts just kept coming. I still am writing notes, but now I'm caught up so I try to write the note immediately as the gift comes in. It is so important to have a running list that is left out so that everything can be written down as the gift is opened. Life gets a little nutty after the baby comes.
That's my two cents. How about you?!! What were/are your Baby-must-haves?
7 comments:
I completely agree about the diaper bags. I ended up having 3 (2 with my daughter, and a very expensive backpack one for my son) and none of them worked well. I never figured out what a good alternative was for a baby. However, when my daughter was about 18 months old--and then when my son turned one (last Thursday), I got them each a Pottery Barn preschool backpack. It is perfect! It's big enough for diapers and such, a change of clothes, a bottle for my son and my daughters has some extra underwear, some pull ups, her fold up potty seat and snacks. My daughter carries hers around herself. My son is still a bit young to do that, but even so--a little backpack is so much better than the huge bags I was carrying around before!
I also agree about the stroller travel system. That's what we have (well, we actually have 5 stollers...ugh!), and I wish I had just gone with the frame instead. I have two BOBs--a single and a double. I know that sounds extravagant, but we were able to purchase our single one for dirt cheap from friends whose child refused to sit in it. Then, I hoarded REI gift cards and was able to get the double stroller for less than I'll be able to resell it. Really, the BOBs (and a cheap umbrella stroller) were all we needed.
This is a great post. I thought it was interesting how baby stuff can vary from person to person. We don't need the super winter stuff down here in TN.
With my first, I thought I needed all the stuff. Now, I pretty much just want a sling. And diapers and clothes and I think we'll be set.
Well, maybe a couple more things. I'll have to trade in my double stroller for a single - something simple. We need a carseat, and I'd really like a swing. We already have a high chair, so that's it. I don't even want a crib.
Thank you so much for this post---we're currently registering at Target as we're expecting our first child (a girl!) and the whole process is totally overwhelming. This post has some really helpful tips...& I love Ivar's nursery decor!
Love this post, Becca! It is interesting how baby items vary from person to person. I, personally, love our diaper bag...especially the clips that go over the handle of the stroller, it's a SkipHop Duo Deluxe. It also has nice waterproof zippered pockets which have been great for dirty clothes and cloth diapers. Otherwise, some of my must haves over the last 4 months have been: Medela Breastpump (we had some issues breastfeeding in the beginning but it was so important to me to give her my milk so this was a HUGE item, and now while I work), this item: Nosefrida: The Snotsucker Nasal Aspirator was a big surprise (got it at a shower as part of a "Guess this baby item" game. We all joked how crazy it was. BUT I use it almost every day, especially now in cold season. 9 times out of 10 she doesn't even cry...unlike the bulb thingy.), and my Ergo baby carrier with infant insert (Received it as a shower gift but would spend every penny for it myself. Love it for walks, sometimes naps, or times when she wants to be held but I need to do something. It will last until she's 40 lbs!). Those are my top three but I may post again :)
I love this! It is is interesting to me how everyone has a few favorites...and that they're often so different from mom to mom, and really, baby to baby.
We got a baby gate last night that I might have to add to the list. It's an actual gate...so far we've had the $10 kind that serve more as hurdles in the doorway. This new one swings open. Praise the Lord!
Renee...I'm excited to see your diaper bag sometime. It sounds great. And a Nosefrida?!! I've never heard of this thing but it sounds so effective and handy! I'll have to look into this one. :)
Okay, so I've been thinking about this all morning! I have one more item...
aden and anais swaddle blankets. Our litte one needed to be swaddled for the first two to three months. These blankets were big enough to do the job. Light weight for our summer baby and we still use them to cover her up.
I would agree to your comment about getting what you love and what works for you!! And as I've been thinking about this, some of those things for me were a bit more expensive but I'm glad I spent the money (or someone did for me) because they work. Use garage sales for things like exersaucers and clothes.
Finally, for those registering, Amazon.com has a baby registery and I used that too...then I could put whatever I wanted on there! It's pretty slick!
Becca, would LOVE to get together so you can see my diaper bag but more importantly so I can see you and Ivar :) and you can meet our little one. Mondays and Fridays are my days off...
Thanks for this post! Michael and I have been in baby registry chaos for the last few weeks. It can be really confusing to know what works better / easier than others, if a higher price tage means better quality, and if your kiddo is actually going to like using it. We just cleaned out the guest bedroom to make way for the incoming baby furniture. I'm sure I'll have more questions as we start figuring all this out. Thanks!!
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