4.12.2010

Decisions, Decisions

For the past week and half, we have been focusing on our baby registry. Oh, and for the sake of argument, we means...me.

It's no secret. I am particular. I will never be one to say, "Oh, I don't know honey, whichever one you want is fine with me." Or, "Color? I don't care about color. They're all the same to a baby!" Or, "We can decide later. We still have so much time!"

Nope, not me. Some even choose to remain friends with me (and even married to me) in spite of this - I know, I can't believe it myself sometimes.

So, as you can imagine, this baby registry thing has had me up in arms. Saying it's a bit stressful is putting it mildly. There are a sea of products out there, thousands of reviews and an abundance of conflicting information about necessary items vs. luxury items - and let's be honest, who doesn't want to add a few of those luxury items to their baby loot, too? Not to mention that people swear by some products and are cursing others, making crucial decisions even harder. You then give someone choices about style, color and pattern and it becomes enough to make a girl's head spin. And okay, maybe a little bit of fun too...

While I by no means think that we have the mother of all registries, and admittedly am still trying to figure out the benefits of a swing versus a vibrating bouncy chair, I am happy to report that I think we finally have a handle on it. So, this week we're headed to the shooting range to fire away...or to Babies R Us to scan items with a plastic handheld device - whichever Chris agrees to first.

I won't bore you with the details of baby gear decisions, but for the picture alone, I am excited to share the stroller that we have decided on - The Bumbleride Indie.
Doesn't it make you want to move to the beach AND have kids?! The stroller was one of the most important decisions to us and we feel like this will be the one that suits just about all of our needs for both of our lifestyles. It's suitable for infancy to five years, can be used on pavement or rough terrain, and comes standard with several bells and whistles that you have to purchase separately with comparable strollers (clearly, they have done their job selling to this sucker).

What has been your favorite purchase recently? I am still going with the jeans. And if there are any mama's out there - what has been your best 'baby gear' investment to date? I still have time to add to the list ;)

7 comments:

Kara said...

The biggest thing that we used when Tyler was little (and didn't think was going to be that big of a deal) was the mirror for the car. You hook it up to the seat so that when you look in your rear-view mirror, you can see baby. I cannot count the number of times that saved me from pulling over to the side of the road just to check.

Also, all the swaddling blankets we got were too small, so the ones that are more like little outfits with Velcro were handy.

Looks like you are off to great start and I'm sure you'll get everything you need and more :)

Nova said...

chicco travel system it is the best rated infant carrier and base for a baby. The stroller is rated 2nd. A good thing is the bathmat sponge, you lay it in a sink to bath them and they don't slip around. A bouncer and a floor gym. Our dtr didn't care for the swing or bouncer. The space saver highchair, it straps into one of your chairs and it is easy to unstrap and load it into the car to take to a place that doesn't have one, like a friends house.

Kasie said...

Ditto on the swaddling - we used the Kiddopodomos SwaddleMe, but have also seen the Miracle Blanket work well for friends.

Regarding vibrating chair vs. swing - I could not have done it without both. Swing bought us tons of naps and chair was nice b/c it was more portable to take throughout the house.

Ok, here's my number one thing that isn't much talked about... if you plan to breastfeed you MUST get a Brest Friend. The Boppy is still great for other uses, but the Brest Friend is key for nursing. I recommend taking it to the hospital. We struggled for about a week until I got this. Can't say enough!

Sign up for the Babies R Us rewards program asap if you will shop/register there. Also, at some point there will be a coupon for everything, so sometimes it's a good idea to take back your big ticket items that you won't use right away, and re-purchase when you see a big coupon like 15% off.

The stroller is one of the biggest decisions so you're doing great!

Nova said...

I meant a jumperoo. My dtr liked the jumperoo by fisher price and the floor gym, not the bouncer. If you do get a swing, get one that plugs in or you will spend a fortune in batteries. Fisher price makes a couple that plug in, but also take batteries if you want to move it outside while you do yardwork

Anonymous said...

We used the swaddlers called kiddopodomos too and they have worked great for the first 2 months. When we used the receiving blankets he would always unswaddle himself and then wake up.
I think that a swing and vibrating seat are a must. He selpt in his swing and we used the vibrating chair to calm him. Both were/still are a lifesaver.
If you plan to breast feed ask to meet with a lactation specialist the first time you breast feed. This will save a lot of pain and agony later on. I didn't speak to a specialist until day 2 and I was in ubelievable pain! I had no idea he was latching on wrong until I was in pain.
Good luck with everything!

Trish {Pink Preppy Lilly Lover} said...

That is quite possibly the cutest sweetest stroller/image I've ever seen! :) Great choice Tiffany!

Colleen Pate said...

I am glad that registering is going better than you thought. Love the stroller. If you plan on breastfeeding get comfortable nursing pjs and bras too. You have to take good care of yourself too. I ditto Kasie on the swing and the vibrating chair. We used both. Hudson practically lived in the swing for about 6 weeks. Could not have lived without it. I know there is controversy with slings/baby carriers now, but I loved my baby bjorn carrier. It was the only way I could clean the house and make dinner for a couple of months. Hudson loved it especially in the early evenings with babies seem to be fussy. Just remember to have fun. What works for some may not work for others. Just take the recommendations and figure out what you will work best in your life. Hope all is well with your family. Tell them I say hello. P.S. You and Chris need to plan a trip to Austin soon!