I haven't even had little Bicho and I already feel overwhelmed. Is this a bad sign or what?! I guess it doesn't help that Bicho has been hanging out on my sciatic nerve for the past couple of days. I feel like Mother Nature is playing a cruel joke on me (Mother Nature to me: Oh so you survived the puke-your-guts-up trimester? Lets see how you handle the want-t0-saw-your-leg-off-with-a-butter-knife-sciatic-pain trimester!). When I get the chance to meet the Big Man Upstairs, I'm going to have a long talk about why the woman's body has the sciatic nerve running UNDER the my ever-expanding uterus. Couldn't He have placed it somewhere else? Alas, He did not and here I sit with a bag of frozen peas on my back.
Life is good.
No really, it is though. But here's where I need your help. I've been trying to research what I need for the arrival of little Bicho. I feel like since I will be working full-time up until the baby comes I have to plan, plan, plan to make sure things go somewhat smoothly. So here is where your mommy advice comes in.
What was the best, most helpful gift you got for the arrival of your baby?
We have a small 1,400 square foot home which is the perfect size for us but not so perfect for storing lots of baby items. And have you ever tried looking through a registry for what you "need"? According to Babies'R'Us, I need a snow bunting outfit for Bicho. Really? It's still over 100 degrees here in November. So any advice would be helpful. My goal is to register for pratical items, sprinkled with some impractical. I mean I am having a girl after all!
16 comments:
First of all...I hear ya on the sciatic nerve thing. It was extremely painful for me especially the last trimester, so I hear you sister. My favorite gifts (and MUSTS for me) were..
1. Graco travel system stroller/carseat. They retail for $220 and up, but I got mine almost brand new on craigslist (stroller, car seat, and base) for $40. WELL WORTH IT.
2. Bouncy chair. This was awesome because I'd put it on the table while I was cooking and Mia was happy as could be because she could see me. It was awesome from birth to about 7 months (crawling age, which Mia crawled late).
3. Bathtub. I loved mine, first we used it in the kitchen sink, then I would just set it in our bathtub. It is so awkward to bathe that slippery little sucker at first, but it really helps you keep them safe.
4. Baby bjorn or something like that. Those are great to have when you don't want to deal with a stroller (i.e. large crowds, etc.) Again, the really nice ones retail for like $80, but I found mine on craigslist for $5.
I'll email you an email from my friend about hospital stay info too. It was so so helpful. You are going to LOVE being a mommie. It.is.the.best!!!!
Those items are great! If you are breastfeeding, make sure you get the silicone nursing pads for at least until they stop hurting. Also, I like onesies for the baby because they are great for the warm weather and work for layering in the cold weather. Another thing we bought that I love is a rocker recliner instead of a glider. It is super comfortable and you can lay down and fall asleep during the middle of the night feedings or just trying to get the baby back to sleep. Good luck!
A Moby Wrap or pouch sling or some sort of comfy carrier. Though, when are you due again? It might be too hot here in the summer to wear a baby. But I loved wearing Grant when he was little. It's so much easier than lugging around a car seat.
I also have a little bouncer seat. It's great because it's easy to move around. I used it a lot when I was showering-- the baby is in the room with you, lulled by the running water, and you don't have to worry that he/she is screaming where you can't hear her.
Gripe Water from your local health food store. It calms upset tummies. There were times my babies screamed for no apparent reason, and that calmed them down immediately. I always keep a bottle on hand with a newborn.
Otherwise, less is more. I have very little baby stuff b/c we just didn't have room for it. Heck, we didn't even set up a crib for Grant. He sleeps better in our bed, which means I sleep better. :)
Good luck! If there's anything you decide you can't live without, you can always get it after the baby is born. But it's surprising what you can live without.
And we need to go out for Argentine cuisine sometime now, eh? :)
You'll need a bassinett in the beginning, but best bet would be to just BORROW someone's since it'll be used for such a short time. OR get a pack n' play with the bassinett in it because you'll use the pack n' play all up until your babe is 3 for outings, spending the night or naps at babysitters/family, etc. You don't need the diaper changing station on it though.
You'll need receiving blankets but people usually gift those to you. Towels/washcloths.
Do NOT buy into the furniture piece that is the changing table. It's super expensive and is not necessary. You'll most likely find yourself using a changing mat on the floor regardless if you own that expensive furniture or not.
You'll definitely need a dresser for the baby though, and a crib.
Bottles, pacifiers, and a rack to clean them in the dishwasher with. Nursing pads, lanolin for your sore nipples.
I couldn't live without my glider rocker that I got from DI and fixed up. You'll use that even during the last trimester, at least I did. It helped my back feel better like nothing else, and still does.
Clothing of course. Stroller system with car seat was really nice, although super heavy. This time around with #3, I'm just using our car seat with a snap and go stroller which is basically just a plain black frame with wheels that your snap the car seat in. Then when baby is older, you can use the much lighter and smaller, easy to take everywhere umbrella stroller compared to the big stroller system like Graco Duo.
Besides that, you pretty much can wait on everything else. What that means is, as your baby grows, take her to someone home and see if she likes something there like a swing, jumper, playmat, toys. If she likes theirs, then go and get it for her if you want. Otherwise you might be wasting your time and money. Some babies don't like swings and some don't like bouncers. You just never know!
Oh, last thing. In AZ summers, you absolutely MUST have a Cold Seat. You can google "Cold Seat" and order one online. They're $50 but SOO worth it. It's basically a carseat cover/blanket that has ice packs and you put the entire thing in your freezer. When you go out, take the Cold Seat with you. Then, when you take your child out of the car seat, you lay the frozen blanket over the seat. Then, after you're done shopping, you take off the Cold Seat and put your child into her nice and cool carseat. Brynlee got a burn and blister once from her carseat being so hot in AZ. So, in the beginning you won't need this as you'll probably be bringing in the carseat indoors with you everywhere. But when she's older and it's summer, GET ONE!
SOrry for the novel. Hope this helps!
Sorry, clarification:
Brynlee got a burn blister from her car seat before we started using COld Seat. That's what made me purchase them in the first place. :)
I say a good diaper bag is a must. Nothing too big and over the top, but something that is designed to hold diapers, changing pads, etc. A large purse doesn't do the job until you know exactly what you can and can't leave behind.
A good set of burp cloths. These will mop up spit up, protect you as you rush a blow out diaper to the sink/trash/what-have-you, and double as changing pads.
And definitely a lightweight bouncer. Danielle's comment about showering is right on.
oh yeah, and a hooter hider if you plan on nursing! blankets never stay up when you're counting on them.
It's fun to read everyone's advice. One thing helpful for a small space is to not buy a high chair. Instead you can get a seat that straps right onto your regular chair. Then you can take it with you when you eat away from home. And get something easy to wipe because you'll be wiping it lots. But, you won't need a high chair right away, so that's something that can wait anyway. I agree with not getting too carried away buying stuff before you need it because you will realize as you go what you may or may not want. But do make sure you have lots of onesies!
Vicodin, a nanny and some ear plugs.
hahaha I 2nd the vicodin, a nanny and ear plugs ;)
You'd think I was a pro at this stuff by now, but.. hahah!
1: get a good pack n play that has the bassinet attachment. Use the bassinet for now. it doubles as a changing table (for those times you dont want to get on the floor or whatever), and believe me... soon you'll be using the heck out of the thing to contain the kid! LOL
2. get a good carseat carrier. I wouldn't bother with the travel systems as they are huge and bulky. Ya know, I never even used a stroller much. When they were little, mr carseat snapped onto mister shopping cart or whatever. I guess we never went anywhere ;) I just never had any reason to use a stroller. I did get a lightweight umbrella stroller (was a maclaren volo? whatever it's called) when they were old enough to sit up just incase, but it was never used other than our disneyland trips. If you are gonna be using a stroller though, I'd totally get a snap n go stroller to snap the carseat onto until she's old enough to sit up in a nicer folding stroller like a volo.
3. SWING. The swing was a LIFESAVER with all 3 of my girls. I couldn't have a baby without a swing. It's way more valuable than a bouncy chair to me. Turn the swing off, and boom. Chair. Kid starts screaming, turn swing on and BOOM. Quiet kid. Love it.
4. A good diaper bag that doesn't obviously scream diaper bag is worth it's weight in gold. Not too big, not too small, not too fugly and covered in plastic. They're out there. They're expensive. But they can last a long time, and be used again. Remember, you'll be carrying this bag for years. You need to love it.
Other than that, some good lightweight blankets (eventhough it's 100 degrees in november doesn't mean it is inside the church on sunday!), onesies, sockies,
5. I've never been sold on the baby bathtub either. It's not that huge, but it's huge enough, and obnoxious. There's a spongey thing that you can put in the bottom of the bathtub that came with your house. Lay baby in that and boom. bathtime. I had a tub with Kaitlyn... I used it once. Got the teddy bear shaped spongey thing after that, and never looked back. The spongey thing fits under the bathroom sink. The tub doesn't ;)
My babies never liked the sing or bjorn. I tried with all three. Of the 2, I preferred the sling. You can even make one for super cheap, but they're not that expensive to buy either.
Basically, the first one is just an experiment ;) You'll get and buy things you'll think you need, to find out you don't. You'll find things that totally change life for the better.
When I hate Kaitlyn, We lived in an 815sqft 2 bed house. It can be done... lol
Also, you don't really need a bouncey chair for a while either. Until kiddo grows out of the carseat carrier at 20lbs, I just brought it in and put baby in there on the floor and it sat by me and i rocked it with my foot. With Morgan and Jordan I never bought a bouncey until they were over 20lbs. Not having an extra bouncey chair around saves a ton of room too!
when I hate kate? ROFL WHen i HAD Kate
so your true emotions about your kids come out. ha ha ha :)
My computer's been broken for a while and I'm just now getting to this!!
Honestly, for the first 3 months or so, she'll just need a decent carseat (the full travel systems are too expensive & bulky, such pains), somewhere to sleep (not a full-sized crib, a small playpen with the bassinet attachment will do), her mama's milk, diapers (Pampers Swaddlers are the best) and a few outfits...oh, and matching bows & socks, of course :)
Honestly, babies don't need a whole lot - you'll spend the first 2 months trying to keep her alive anyways :) Just cuddle her, love her, keep her fed, clean & warm and she'll be happy!
And if she cries uncontrolably, then you can move on to all of the expensive stuff, like a bouncer seat or swing :) It'll be a good excuse for us to go shopping! I say...register for gift cards! :D
yeah well.. hehe! That's really no surprise. I have ducttaped them to the chair before afterall ;)
It's always hard to think of stuff like this when someone asks you. Your mind always goes blank. But, I think the most useful thing of mine was the book "The Happiest Baby on the Block." Great book! I also would recommend a swing. And I think also a sling of some kind. For fun- bows! Lots and lots of bows because like you said, you're having a girl!
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