Baby Registry Essentials

Let me start off by saying, I am by no means a baby expert but as a former nanny and long time babysitter I have quite a bit of experience with kids/babies. I have also been that girl, reading countless blog lists and safety reviews for months. So when we started our registries this weekend I had a pretty good idea of at least a few things I wanted to include.

 

If I could give any advice to my fellow Mom-to-be's it would be to do your research before you go to register. If you just walk into the black hole that is Babies R Us without doing any prep work you will most likely find yourself hiding in the middle of the cribs rocking back & forth in the fetal position. It is that overwhelming. I had so much fun registering for my wedding and I mistakenly thought this would be the same kind of experience. It wasn't until I was staring at the 392 different kinds of bottles and pacifiers that I realized this was not the case. Luckily, due to my obsessive pre-planning, I knew at least 6 things that I was 100% sure about!

 

 

1.Vera Bradley Baby Backpack: I knew from the beginning that I wanted a backpack as a diaper bag. I know first hand how hard it is to balance a big ol diaper bag and a baby/baby carrier on each arm all while trying to get in and out of somewhere. So when I saw my cousin using a backpack as a diaper bag I thought that was pure genius. It may look a little funny but I will take convenience over looks any day. I chose the Vera because it has plenty of compartments and a changing pad that folds right inside. I went with the simple black so my husband wouldn't feel like a total goob carrying it but you better believe it will have Miss Nora's pretty pink monogram on it!

 

2. Sophie the Giraffe: I have seen Sophie floating around blogs/pinterest for years now and always wondered what the hype was all about. Well when my youngest nephew started teething I decided to do a little research. I found no joke 100's of reviews of Mom's raving about the amazing Sophie! She has been one of the top rated teethers for 40 years! Babies love her easy to grip shape with all of the different places to gnaw and her spots and squeaker are great for sensory development. Plus she is just adorable!

 

3.Britax B-Agile Travel System: The travel system was by far my most researched item. I read reviews and compared brands for months before deciding on one. It was between this and the Graco Click Connect because they are pretty much neck & neck as far as reviews go. But when we put the two side by side at Babies R Us I personally felt that the Britax was a more solid, well built product than the Graco. Even though the Graco had more options, I loved the fact that the Britax is the only steel enforced baby carrier on the market, making it safer. The bottom line is that the Britax is better suited for what we will be using it for. We actually registered for the red one but I couldn't find a picture of it on Polyvore so the black is pictured.

 

4. Aden + Anais Muslin Swaddle Blankets: The amount of options when it comes to swaddling blankets is truly unbelievable. These aden + anais blankets were another easy pick for me due to the amount of raves I have seen on other Mom blogs. Apparently the muslin material prevents overheating which reduces the risk as SIDS (my greatest fear btw) and they can be used for a number of things other than swaddling.

 

5. Samsung Babyview Digital Monitor: As I have mentioned before it was love at first sight when my husband discovered video monitors. At first I thought they might be a little unnecessary but with the only option for our nursery being upstairs (a floor away from us) being able to look over and actually see my little babe definitely eases my mind. Technology seriously amazes me!

 

6. Crane Drop Humidifier: Aside from my internet research I also asked pretty much every Mom I knew what their must-haves were. One of the only things that pretty much all of them said was a humidifier. So after a little googling I discovered that the Crane model dominated in the ratings department. Plus it is super cute!

 

It may not seem like much but just knowing for sure that I wanted these six items beforehand helped us immensely. That meant that there were at least six aisles that we weren't left standing and staring aimlessly at all of the options. Maybe my list can help someone like all of the others helped me! But I can pretty much guarantee that no matter how much you know, you will still leave the store wanting a milkshake and a fluffy pillow!