Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me; List #536
After writing this post in my head the night before (what? You’re not as obsessed with blogging while off the computer as I am?), I realized that there was a wealth of things pregnancy, baby and childhood related I wish that people had told me before I wasted my time/effort/money on doing otherwise.
Then again, if someone HAD told me, I probably wouldn’t have listened. Because I’m stubborn AND crazy.
I now present to you a new list, for all you list-a-holics out there, and I encourage any and everyone to add to it as they see fit. And any new parents-to-be can disregard this as I would have.
Aunt Becky’s Guide To Buying Baby Crap:
1) The minute you go and register at one of the bigger baby stores, you will inexplicably start registering for stuff you will never use.
2) In fact, at least 80% of baby gear that you purchase or oogle in the store will be unused by you once the baby is hear and AFTER you have gotten rid of the receipt.
3) You can never have too many onsies or footed jammies.
4) Trying to put a baby who cannot walk yet into an outfit involving jeans and a t-shirt, is like trying to hold onto one of those slippery water-filled tubes that you give kids. Or perhaps it’s just a phenomenon with fat kids, like mine were.
5) It may also look exquisitely stupid if your child is built like Mr. Potato Head, like mine both were. But you won’t realize it at the time. Only after you look at pictures will you truly see what he or she looked like. And be ashamed of yourself.
6) Most of the gimicky things you see at the baby stores are useless BUT SEEM LIKE A GOOD IDEA. Or they require more brain power than someone who isn’t sleeping more than 2 hours at a stretch can provide.
7) A good rule of thumb is that if it requires many pieces to use OR many REFILLABLE pieces to use, it’s not worth it. Unless you have a miracle child who sleeps through the night, remembering to go online (because you can never get it in the store), recall WHAT the refill piece is called, correctly identify and purchase said item BEFORE you run out, isn’t gonna happen.
8) Having used both the Diaper Dekor and the Diaper Genie, I can tell you that neither is as simple as using a trash can with a lid. Both of mine began to smell WITHOUT a single diaper in it when I finally gave them up.
9) Even is you decide to cloth diaper, it’s probably wise to buy a pack of disposable diapers to have on hand JUST IN CASE. If you don’t use ’em, you can easily donate them to a shelter.
10) (this one kills me to write) Decorating the nursery isn’t as useful as you think it would be, because you rarely spend QUALITY time in there until the child is older. And when the child is older, he (or she) may decide that they’d like a CARS themed room, not a Winnie The Poo room. I’d never tell you NOT to do it, I’d just not spend the baby’s college fund on it.
11) Those flipping adorable crib sets of bumpers, sheets, a crib skirt and a moblie that cost approximately the down payment on a house (I oogled one before I realized it was a thousand dollars. Which is more than I spend on my OWN bedding. I then became scared that I might have broken the stuff and would have to buy it) are a lot of fun to look at and set up. But, sadly, you cannot use bumpers in a crib. Well, I suppose you CAN, but it increases the risks of SIDS. So not worth it.
12) Swings are either the work of a delicate wonderful angel or a minion of the devil depending on which baby you ask.
13) Even if you’re totally planning to breast feed, buy a stack of bottles and pacifiers ahead of time. JUST IN CASE. Before you sick the LLL on me, let me remind you that just because YOU’RE certain you wouldn’t need it, your BABY may have other ideas. I tried desperately to nurse Ben, who, later, was determined to be autistic WITH MASSIVE SENSORY ISSUES. You can imagine how much HE wanted to latch on (read: never).
14) It wouldn’t hurt to buy some formula too. Just a can or so, JUST IN CASE. Worst case scenario? Give it all to a shelter and roll your eyes at how very wrong I was. I will happily be wrong here and admit it.
(trust me, you don’t want to find out a 4 AM that you have to send someone else out to buy formula. It’s an over-the-top job for someone who has no idea what he or she is looking for.)
15) Never, NEVER buy a used car seat from someone that you don’t know. If a car seat is in an accident, it’s structure can be badly damaged and may not protect YOUR baby in the event of a crash. And that is not something I’d ever fuck around with.
16) You can never have enough blankets or washcloths.
17) Stuffed animals are horrible dust-catchers. I don’t mean that they’re HORRIBLE, just that they seem to attract dust. Which sucks if you have a kid who is allergic to stuff and things because you’ll have to dump ’em. Again, you’re not supposed to put them in the crib with the baby. SIDS and the like.
18) Don’t spazz about being 100% totally prepared by the time you go into labor. Picking up crap you forgot can be something EASILY tasked to the family flocking your house post-delivery.
All right, what did I miss, people? I know I didn’t tag it all.
Whew, what a list–but one Im saving to read again! Thanks=)
Recieving blankets are useless after 10 lbs (at least for swaddling)…make friends with someone who can make them in a decent size.
I always, always, always, buy three things as a baby gift (not for the shower, though) for first-time moms. The moms, I’m certain, roll their eyes. The dads, however, always say, “Look how practical! Something we can actually USE!” The three things are: Diapers, onesies, and chocolate kisses. My tag line is: Three things you can NEVER have enough of!
One more thing that you can never have enough of: HELP! If someone offers it, DO NOT TURN IT DOWN! People like to feel useful. Make a list of stuff you would like to do but never got to and pass it out!
The one really useful baby gadget that I had was a wipes warmer. It made late night changes in winter a lot less screechy.
The wipes warmer is not only a comfort issue (later on, my disriminating son actually would gasp when I had to resort to – – yikes – – cold wipes while traveling), but practical in that it is heavy, and has a weighted down base that will still easily dispense wipes when the stash runs low… if you are just using plastic tubs, as you run low on wipes, the tub just lifts up in the air when you try to pull a wipe out one-handed (you know, while using the other hand to try to keep a writhing baby from spreading the feces around).
Thanks – I really needed to read that last one!
Listen up…..mother of 4 speaking here!
If you are a REALLY big procrastinator and you find yourself in labor with not a single baby item on hand, there are VERY few items you really need:
Car seat – Unless I’m mistaken, you cannot take the baby from the hospital unless the nurse actually witnesses you securing the baby properly in a car seat.
Some way to feed the baby – Breast or bottle…that’s up to you. HOWEVER, if you’re bottle feeding, purchase one or two of a few different kinds of bottles (some babies are terribly picky about the nipple). Also, you’ll need some formula.
Diapers – Cloth or disposable. Personally, I feel strongly that the only good use for a cloth diaper is to mop up the puke after a feeding, but I digress.
Wipes.
Clothes for a summer baby – Get a million onesies.
For a winter baby – Get a million onesies PLUS a million footie pajamas.
Blankets.
That’s it. What? No crib, you ask? No. You don’t even need a crib immediately. My children all slept in their infant car seats for their first 4 weeks or so and you know what? They all slept for 3 or 4 hours at a time and were sleeping through the night by 3 months old. After the first month, they can still easily sleep in a playpen/bassinet thing for a couple more months.
Oh, I almost forgot….a super helpful, kind, loving, amazing husband is also a necessity for me. In the absence of that, a mother, sister, friend, neighbor, etc. will do very nicely.
So with you on the nursery decor. Just get some cute fitted sheets with all that money saved NOT buying the crap (blanket, bumpers) you can’t use. We got one of those mesh bumpers and they actually are a little padded, not like the mesh in a playard.
A sanitizer that goes into the microwave is a must have. Even if you EXCLUSIVELY breastfeed, it’s great for pacifiers, small plastic toys and future sippy cups. Throw in a decent drying rack, too.
Get a membership to diapers.com. I can order diapers and get them the next day. Great if the weathers bad or I just don’t feel like dealing with the Walmart/Target breed. Plus, a lot of stores don’t carry the “mongo” sized packages like diapers.com does.
You crack me up. I just wish they would have had half of this crap when my daughter was born 17 years ago. There was nearly as many cute things as there are today. Even 11 years ago when my son was born. 🙂
1) steal as many hospital blankets, diapers, pacifiers, maxi pads, wrap shirts* , aspirin, toilet paper, etc..from the hospital as you can fit in the empty rolled up duffel bag you bring with you in your ‘overnight’ bag.
2) whoever thought to dress babies in white furry or velour outfits is a loon
3) keep some bottled water (at room temperature) and single packs of formula (4oz) in the babies room. If you get them used to ‘warmed’ milk…you’ll have tough time feeding on the go or in the middle of the night.
– and the most important thing ….send for me to soothe and rock and delight in your infant!!!
I love babies!!!
You cannot have too many cloth diapers. Not for putting on the butt (unless you want to) but for burping/puking/general baby cleanup. There is NOTHING ELSE that works as well. You can use them as bibs, too, if your kid is a sloppy eater like all 3 of mine.
I ditched the diaper genie after kid #1, and frankly, the nursery smells better. We have a small garbage can to force us to empty it constantly, but that diaper genie smelled NASTY.
With child #1, I would have said that every parent should buy stock in Mylicon. That stuff seriously saved my life. The next two are not gassy, and the stuff expires before I use it up. Who knew?
For those of you seriously into the wipes warmer – they have been known to cause bacterial growth on the wipes. Just sayin.
My sister’s friend is pregnant with her first. When my sister was visiting, she remarked, “There are so many cool things, really good ideas for babies now. Like a wipes warmer! I’m sure that cold wipes don’t feel good on a bum.”
Yeah, except that the wipes warmer isn’t equipped with an air-tight seal. When you heat a liquid it does what? Anyone with an elementary knowledge of chemistry? Right! Evaporates! So, if the liquid evaporates off the wipes, then what have you got? Warm, dry paper. Smart? Not so much.
How about a flask and a couple of shot glasses for after the delivery?
Great list. I have to send this to my first-time-pregnant SIL.
Great list! I completely agree with the diaper pail thing. A covered trashcan with vanilla-scented trash bags works just as well. And with the bottles – get at least two different kinds. Cheeks hated everything but the cheapo kind (that’s my thrifty girl!), while Cenzo wouldn’t use anything but Avent (picky boy). When anybody asks what you need for when the baby is born, hand ’em a list:
Food for parents and older siblings
Time for you to take a shower or a nap
Chocolate
Diapers, wipes and onesies!
What? I can’t use a crib bumper? I hope I’m the only first timer that didn’t know that. But then again, now I just feel like a dumbass………..
I would have to add the vibrating bouncy seat to the list. I have 2: One on the kitchen table, and one in the bathroom. Makes washing dishes and cooking (which I rarely do, but nevermind) and taking a shower much less stressful for me, as Mr. Farty can sit and chew on his ‘Razzbaby’ (another genious invention!) or feed himself a bottle.
Oh, and don’t forget to add Butt Paste to the list. That stuff is pure magic.
Oooooh yeah, butt paste is the best.
Where the hell were you when I conceived my first child?
And personally, I found the Hot Sling to be the best, especially when you have multiple kids to wrangle. My second child lived in the sling for the first year of his life. Better than the Baby Bjorn. That thing killed my back.
Muslins. We have stacks of muslins. Great for wiping things up, tying around necks for bibs, easily bleached out/washed.
And instead of spending money on expensive ‘sheets’ for moses baskets (which we bought second hand for £3) or bassinetts for those first few months, pillow cases fit nicely around the little mattresses. And wash easily. Which is a good thing, because babies can spit up a lot.
And in a pinch, you can fold inexpensive twin flat sheets around crib mattresses, instead of spending a lot on extra crib sheets.
I was surprised to see wipe warmer as a necessity on here, since I think those are the dumbest things on Earth and totally useless. They dry out the wipes and they’re just totally useless.
Diapers, onsies, burp clothes and bottles. And, when the time comes, formula. Those are the essentials. And I’m sure my wife would say “a really good breast pump.”
And I wish someone had told me about the nursery renovations before I wasted all my time. I put in all new baseboards and installed a chair rail. I painted everything. Then I stenciled stars and moons all around the top of the room. The kid sleeps in there but that’s it. Otherwise he’s out in the living room not appreciating all my hard work!
I totally agree about the hospital goodies. When the baby cart comes in your room, unload every diaper you don’t use into your bag and they’ll refill it. It’s the least they can do after charging you $87.60 for a tylenol. Right?
Second, we used a trashcan for poop, too. Diaper genies are the work of the devil himself.
In more poop related assvice, do NOT – I repeat – do NOT even think about rinsing out an outfit in a bathroom sink at the mall/restaurant/Target after it’s survived an explosion. Throw the damn thing away. It’s almost never worth it.
Oh, and use socks to cover their hands. My kids had tiny gerbil paws and those ridiculous glove contraptions were made for great danes.
Make sure someone, preferably the husband, installs the carseat ahead of time. My husband went to the car to install ours while I was getting our daughter ready to leave the hospital. He was gone so long, I thought he’d been mugged. It wasn’t as easy as he thought being a first timer.
As far as nursery decoration, go with something that will last a few years. I did cloud wallpaper for the top half, a white chair rail and rose striped paper for the bottom. My daughter still loves it and she’s 6.
For those first-timers who didn’t know about the crib bumper, neither did I until my husband (a guy!) read about it in Consumer Reports. I HATE IT when he’s right:).
I had to comment a second time because I, too, remembered that the diaper genie was just too gross for words. We chucked it after Oldest Boy. We use (get this) ziploc sandwich bags for all poopie diapers. We buy them in bulk at Sam’s Club and it is WAAAYYY better than anything else we’ve tried. (Again, I HATE IT when he’s right, but sometimes, the guy’s a genius).
I didn’t know about the bumper thing either. But after I bought a cheap crib bedding set, I turned the bumper into valances over the window with a little iron on velcro and a wooden shelf. My mom used the leftover material to sew a cushion for the rocking chair.
My son is adopted and his Foster Mother just used room temp water out of the tap. I thought that was crazy, but since she had fostered 70! babies, I took her advise. It was such a saviour in the middle of the night to not have to heat up a bottle. I suppose you could use room temp nursery water too, but if that is what the baby starts out with, it is what they will like.
Next would be the waterproof pads to put under the sheets. You can double up the bed, so if the diaper leaks, you can strip one set off and have another underneath. Saves your sanity in the middle of the night.
I forgot-learn to do everyhting in the dark, so you don’t have to turn on a light. Baby & mom will go back to sleep faster!
we’ve had 3 kids and never a wipes warmer. they have all survived.
We couldn’t have lived without our swing and bouncer. And amen to pillaging the hospital. My hubs took everything that wasn’t nailed down! A zillion burp cloths and swaddle blankets were necessties. And I bought a bunch of the really soft waterproof pads and used them EVERYWHERE. One under the baby in the carseat, one IN the swaddle with the baby, a BIG one under the baby in the crib at night. Nothing worse than the breastfed baby blowout and these saved me many a time.
We used muslin cloths like nobody’s business. We had a pack of 12, and they were soooooo helpful, especially as P had reflux. We were never without 2 or 3 muslins, no matter where we went. We still use them today when P has a runny nose.
Also, skirts are pointless once they can crawl. I never thought of that, and P had loads of skirts and dresses that weren’t used by the time she was 8 months old. Duh.
1. Skip the baby funiture. Yes, all of it. Skip that mahogany crib, skip that adorable armoire, skip all the clever-seeming combo furniture and buy a good pack-n-play with a bassinet and changing table. Bean has yet to sleep in that cursed crib, but we damn near wore the PnP out.
2. Onesies. Socks. Footed sleepers. Blankets. Diapers. That is all your new baby really needs. Anything else is just a photo op outfit and we all know it. Around 6 or 7 months old the other clothes start to work, but for newborns? Meh.
3. Even if you’ve sworn that you will deliver 1000% naturally in a lagoon full of dolphins, surrounded by monks chanting healing Buddhist prayers for you, don’t be afraid to ask for drugs if it gets too bad. The drugs don’t make you less of a woman or a mother. They will, however, keep you from killing your husband (or similar partner, friend, family member, etc.) when he complains that the hospital TV doesn’t have ESPN during your contractions. Hello, personal experience.
4. Everyone freaks out sometimes. It’s OK. Get back on the horse and don’t beat yourself up over it.
When people come over and want to snuggle the baby… really, they don’t mind if you go take a shower. They didn’t come over to see you anyway.
Oh… and for bottle fed babies a microwave sterilizer is wonderful. (and regardless of how much you WANTED to breastfeed, realize it doesn’t always work out and don’t beat yourself up if you switch to the bottle)
19. talk to my OB/GYN or pediatrician about Newborn Screening laws in my state (any and all pregnant, soon to be pregnant, pregnant in the future please take note).
My beautiful second son is healthy and whole because the state of Texas required a specific metabolic disorder test be performed on him within 72 hours and 2 weeks. PLEASE check what your particular state covers, as well as if you have an option to pay for any extra tests.
In Texas, when my children were born, they tested for 5 automatically (it’s called the PKU heel prick) – 29 more if you paid $30. Find out what your state offers before you go to the hospital.
marchofdimes.com – search newborn screenings – learn about it!
Off soapbox.
Em
Don’t waste your money on “baby detergent”, just rise a second time if you are really worried about allergies.
I second the extra newborn screens. No negative experience, I just think it’s good to be safe.
As for products that I couldn’t live without? #2 lived in a pouch sling from Kangaroo Korner (actually I used one with both girls, but it was far more practical the 2nd time around). It was the only way I could keep #1 safe in public places. It freed my hands for getting through parking lots, allowed #1 to continue to use child seat of shopping carts and generally made it possible for me to keep up with #1. Once she got past the newborn stage we switched to the Ergo which we’re still using daily at 17 months.
And, if you’ll allow a soapbox moment related to shopping carts. I kept #1 in there instead of perching the infant bucket up there. More babies end up in the ER for falls out of infant seats than anything else. One of the biggest culprits is putting the infant seat up on top of a shopping cart. Bad idea. Either put the seat into the cart itself or sling the baby and leave the seat in the car so you have room for the shopping. And stepping down now…
I have always said go register for baby stuff with a MOM, they can cut through the crap and tell you what you really need. I also thought the bumbo seat was a waste of money, until I had my second child (with reflux)……the $$ I spent on that seat that kept my daughter from choking on her “food” was TOTALLY worth it, now if I hadn’t had a refluxy baby, i would never have missed the darn thing.
I highly recommend the sleep sack (since you cant use blankets in the crib these are a must)…. along the same lines the breathable mesh crib bumper (people its not that I am worried about my daughter getting a bump on the head, but I am done diving under the crib to get the damn binky she just slid between the slats and that mesh bumper keeps the binky in the bed!!)
I spent big money on a sling that my daughter HATES, it seemed so useful, but so far nada….my recommendation before you buy one see if you can borrow one from a friend!
Ok something I am glad I spent the extra money on…. Dr. Brown bottles…… a pain in the rear to wash, but so worth the effort.
I’m really enjoying this whole debate over wipes warmers. Personally, I think they’re ridiculous, and I registered for one. And because I registered for one, I was given one. And this was after we decided to cloth diaper, making the wipes warmer completely useless.
Another useless invention – the Bumbo seat. But it looked SO COOL in the box! Look, we can make our floppy little infant sit up like an adult! That can’t possibly be bad for him, right? Oh, the hilarity. Thank god for consignment shops is all I can say.
Get a breast pump before you realize at 3a.m.that your once successful breasts have now become so engorged that a three day old can not possibly latch on…all I can say is my mom had sweet vindication that night that she had saved her hand pump for 20 some years, (and was subject to much laughing, teasing and harrassing by her lovely ungrateful offspring for all of them years) and she produced that night and saved me I am sure from a nervous breakdown or prison.
I don’t have anything to add (too early for my brain to be working properly) but I will say that you’re right about stuffed animals. EVERY year my kids get a shitload for birthdays & Christmas (even though I repeatedly ask people NOT to buy them) and it’s annoying.
Need to bookmark this post for when I finally do manage to fall preggie 😉
Very informative. Wish I would have had this list before ANY of my four children. But, I’m happy to report … I’M OFFICIALLY DONE HAVING BABIES. Sad, but true … and so relieving as I’m freakin’ exhausted.
Just to let you know I’m here while playing “PAY IT FORWARD FRIDAY†over at An Iowa Mom. It’s fun … come join us.
http://www.aniowamom.com/an_iowa_mom/2008/11/its-back.html
I used cloth diapers for my daughter for about the first six months, but used disposable ones if we went out to eat or shopping. It was minimal, but so much easier. That was back when we had a diaper service in the area and I didn’t have to wash them myself.
Most of the time, you can get free samples of formula or coupons for some free if you sign up for coupons etc online, or even from the hospital. Disposable diapers too.
I’d hold your hand through a bikini wax. Maybe. LOL. I think it would fall under the list of things I’d rather do myself than watch someone else do. Like pushing babies out vaginas.
DISPOSABLE CHANGING PADS are the #1 thing I tell people to get. I don’t know if it was just my kid but he always (and still does) managed to get baby shit on EVERYTHING EVER. Constantly. All the time.
The stuffed animals always bug me, but everyone seems to want to give a baby one. Yes, I’ve done it myself. lol I don’t know why they don’t make more of the kind you can put in a washing machine.
The bottle sterilizer thing someone gave me just took up space and wasn’t used one time. The vibrating bouncy seat and the swing were the best things ever invented as far as my son was concerned. Oh, and he LOVED those colorful little mats that have all the mirrors and toys hanging off of them.
Don’t go crazy painting or wallpapering some theme or buy a toddler bed when they get older. Waste of time and money. Twin or Queen if you can fit it, and put on the rails. Pick a color that everyone can live with for many years to come, accessorize the room, and it’s easy to change out as they age.
Keep it simple, because they need very little.
Great list. The two most helpful tips I received were
a) Diaper Goop – available at Kroger and CVS pharmacies; it’s pure magic and works in hours
b)make the baby’s bed with layers of towel, then sheet, then towel, then sheet. Not too many and not too thick, (SIDS risk), but when they poop the bed or spit up it’s mighty nice just to rip off the dirty layer and have a clean one ready to go. That tip alone saved me hours of remaking a crib when I could have been sleeping. Mine was a pooper and a spitter.
And if you can’t locate the Diaper Goop, email me and I’ll arrange to have some sent. No kidding. It’s just that good.
Great post! the only toys I would buy for a baby now would be a few rattles and teethers. all those play mat contraptions with hanging toys are so annoying and expensive. And a baby over 2 months will not stay on the mat anyway, all mine got caught up in them.
I loved my slings, I would recommend trying a friends first and showing you how to use it. Takes some figuring out.
Lots and lots of receiving blankets are a must and I agree about the clothes.
But after 5 kids and never having the stuff that I really wanted, I would recommend that if there is something you really want, or way you really want to decorate, just do it. I regret not doing stuff the way I wanted. And waiting around for my hubby to finish painting the nursery. ugh.
Those little footie bootie sleepers drove me nuts. Luke would kick out of the bootie part and then his legs would get all tangled up. I loved the sleepers with the open foot though! I used at least 3 a day!
Just dropped by to say hello. Now I know Becky and Mommy Wants Vodka are one and the same. Your list is great, a lot of things the new moms I’ve known didn’t know!
Pretty much what you said, except (a) I agree with those who recommend having (and learning how to use, albeit only theoretically) a good breast pump before the baby is born and (b) I vote for onesies that snap all the way up the front (so you can put them on a newborn without needing to pull them over the head) and for footed jammies that zip (not snap) because who can deal with lining up all those snaps at 3 a.m.? Not me, as I learned.
The swing saved my sanity during the long days of my maternity leave. It allowed me to shower! I’d put the swing at the entrance of our (small) bathroom with the door open, hop in the shower super quickly while the little man just swung away. He loved it. And I felt like a gazillion bucks every day after I showered.
Swaddle sacks. So easy to use and they work so damned well. Get at least 3 of those.
Don’t bother with monogrammed burp cloths and bibs. Get cloth diapers for burp cloths and the cheapo terrycloth bibs.
Baby shoes are beyond stupid. And frilly things for baby girls.
Onesies/outfits that button up. Pulling anything over a newborns head is crazy.
White noise machine. DS has one in his room, we have one in ours and will be ordering a third for Puff.
The angel care monitor. It has some issues with false alarms, but worth the peace of mind.
Formula dispenser. Great for when you are out and need premeasured amount.
Lots of bottles. I hated washing them and finally gave in and bought a bunch to throw in the dishwasher. Ditto with nipples. DS liked Nuby. Hated Dr. Brown and Second Nature. DH actually threw one of those Second Nature ones in disgust. Avent bottles leak like you wouldn’t believe. Evenflo nipples are anything but even. The flow varied by individual nipple. Dr. Brown made nipples with consistent flow.
This time I’m going to get some sort of container so I can make a days’ worth of formula at once.
The bumbo was dumb. The jumperoo was worth every penny. As was this: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2651028 DS still plays with the table toys.
Hotslings are shit. I’ve learned that any product that comes with DVD instructions is too complicated for use on zero sleep.
Gdiapers are great in theory. Not so much in practice, IMO.
Some sort of hand covering. We used socks and mittens.
A cat is a must-have. They are endless entertainment for babies and toddlers.
Aquaphor. The baby version as it slathers better. The best thing for eczema.
Soothie pacifiers. Super easy to clean. I only wish they glowed in the dark.
A mobile. I thought they were stupid, but DS loved it.
I’m torn on the bumper. DS is still using his at 15 months. I know it’s a SIDS risk but we’ve tried taking it out and it’s a disaster. Not sure what Puff will be getting.
I love the “and by the way which one’s pink?” label thingy.
And pretty much what you said for everything else. Love the nursing stuff, I do, but no one every tells you that your baby might just tell you to go to hell with that boob.
For those of us who’re breastfeeding rather than using formula: electric breast pumps only ever seem important to the one who needs them, no matter how high you set the priority on your baby registry. Save yourself the annoyance and register for a bunch of gift cards to buy it yourself instead.