Registry must haves - Gear

Gear

Last and final post for baby registry, YAY!!! I really hope you guys have found this useful as I share everything that we use on the daily.

Car seat – You can not leave the hospital without a car seat. They will stay in an infant carseat for a while but it doesn't hurt to register for a convertible car seat as well since you will get the completion discount. We have the britax carseat and if I'm being completely honest I probably wouldn't recommend this one. The only thing wrong with it is that there are attachments on the side that stick out and it bumps up against your leg and sometimes hurts. I purchased this carseat when it was on sale however so we got it for I think less than 50 dollars and I knew people that had it. We also have the Graco 4ever convertible carseat and I highly recommend this one. You will also want a car seat cover, I love this one because it serves the propose of car seat cover, nursing cover, and grocery cart cover.

Stroller – We love the baby jogger brand. We purchased the city mini GT with Grady and I wish that I would have just gotten the double stroller. We have both the mini GT and the City select double which converts to a single when needed. I absolutely LOVE this stroller. It's on the pricey side but it is so worth it.

Diaper bag - I have purchased 2 diaper bags and have not loved either one of them. I'm a crossbody girl and the ones I have found are too bulky. I have used a backpack for when Grady was a toddler and those are they most convenient. I do want to try a normal crossbody bag with this insert and see if I like it a little better.

Activity center - Babies love activity centers and so do parents. You can put them in there while you cook and they just play and play.

Walker - Pediatricians recommend not getting a walker but we loved ours and Grady loved it as well.

Bouncer - We purchased a 4 moms bouncer and neither one of my kiddos liked it very much. However my mom has a this bouncer which we love so much more.

Play mat - Grady loved his play mat, Audrey on the other hand could care less for it, It is great for working on tummy time, etc.

Outlet protectors - Nothing fancy here just some cheap outlet protectors that will break your nails when you try to take them off! 

Oxi clean - Breastmilk poop is the hardest to get out of clothes. I swear by baby Oxi Clean to get out any stains. 

Laundry Soap - We tried a few baby laundry soaps and then after going to an at home daycare she told us that she just used Tide's Free and gentle and so we purchased some and have not had any problems 

Back seat mirror - You will want this trust me! Especially on your first car ride where  you sit in the front seat.

Scale - This is optional, we purchased one with Grady to keep an eye on his weight and then with Audrey the doctor told me to stop stressing out about it.

Pack n play - We have only used ours a hand full of times and most of the time when you go places you can rent one from the hotel we just make sure to bring extra sheets. This is an item where you don't have to go too expensive.

Click the links for my other registry must haves

Health and Medicine must haves

Bath time must haves

Diapering must haves

Sleep time must haves

Feeding must haves

Registry must haves - Feeding

Feeding

If we are being completely honest this is the department I would get extremely overwhelmed with. Little babies can be super picky and its hard to stock up on items. This is why I highly suggest getting Amazon Prime. You can try out a bottle/pacifier and if that is the only one that they will take you can order it online instead of having to run out to a store to grab. Trust me you will not want to go shopping for about a month or be seen in public for that matter.  

Bottles - Grady was never picky with bottles or pacifiers, Audrey on the other hand will only use the tommee tippee bottles and pacifiers. I know a lot of people that like the Dr. Brown bottles but I have never been a big fan of all the parts they come with. My suggestion here is to register for a 3 pack and then a single bottle of brands you want to try. My favorite brand is the tommee tippee,  medela (you'll want extra medela bottles if you plan on pumping), and Avent. This way you can try a single bottle out and if your baby doesn't take to it you won't be wasting the full pack of bottles. Remember you can always return items to stores they were purchased at. And if you need more bottles just hop onto Amazon and order some more. You'll need about 3 bottles at Daycare and at least 1 bottle at home but if you are planning on pumping you'll need more bottles for that.

Pacifiers - Audrey will only take the tommee tippee pacifiers. My favorite pacifiers are the MAM, Tommee Tippee, and Philips. You can actually ask for the Philips ones at the hospital. Pacifiers come in 2 sizes 0-6 and 6-18 months. I would recommend getting 4 pacifiers for each size.

Boppy/cover - For my momma's that plan to breastfeed. Breastfeeding looks different for everyone and a boppy is something I can not live without. I will probably need to toss the one I have and get a new one for any additional babies I've used it so much. I have to have my boppy or else my back would kill me! I have 2 covers for when 1 is in the washer. 

Burp rags - By far the best burp rags are cloth diapers! People will get you cutesy burp rags but save your money on other things and just get cloth diapers. There is a burp rag everyone you look (except when you need it the most) in our house. We have them in her bed, rock n play, on the couch, etc. Audrey is a spitter upper so we use the burp rags a lot!

Spoons - For when your little one starts solids. 

Suction bowls - When your baby starts eating real food they LOVE to make messes. These suction bowls are AWESOME!!

Section plates - I'm a big stickler on a well balanced meal for every meal so section plates make it easy for the fruits, protein, and veggies. We have tried these suction plate mats before and they don't seem to work the greatest.

Silverware - My favorite silverware for when your little one starts eating on their own is actually from Ikea. However you'll need about 3-4 sets of silverware

Sippy cups - We have tried almost all the sippy cups on the plant I feel like. Here are our favorites. Take and Toss, take and toss with straw,  Nuby, Nuby transition, Thermos sippy cup.

Bibs - I've never been a big bib person. I just take their shirt off and call it good but my favorites are the cheap cloth bibs, we tried the silicone bibs on Grady and he broke out with a rash around his neck. 

Pump – Check your insurance more than likely you will get a free pump. I actually use the Medela Sympthy because I have always struggled with breastfeeding however I also have the Medela pump in style. Your pump will more than likely come with pump parts but do yourself a favor and get the 27mm flanges, your nipples will thank me later. Also I just tried the Duckbill valves and these are amazing, the suction is so much stronger. I will do a post about breastfeeding and pumping later on!

Steam bags - Do yourself a favor and get the steam bags. We use to boil my pump parts and bottles every night with Grady until the very end and used the steamed bags and boy was it so much easier!

Breast milk bags - If you are a working momma you will use A TON of these. Do not spend too much money on bags. I have used the Lansinoh bags and the Up and Up (target) bags. The Up and Up are my favorite plus they send me a coupon every month so its a plus. Bags will somehow get holes in them. Do yourself a favor and put the bags in a bowl when thawing out every ounce is pure gold.

Breast pads - You will need these until your milk levels out, with Grady that was around 4 months Audrey was around 3 weeks. I love the lilypadz brand because you can stick them in the freezer and they feel oh so good on your breasts after a feeding. I've also used the disposable ones and those work great as well.

Nipple cream - Trust me you will need this especially if you are a first time mom. Breastfeeding can hurt in the beginning and this is a lifesaver.

Highchair - We have this highchair which is nice because it doesn't take up much room but any highchair will work. They probably won't be ready for the highchair until about 8 months however.

Bumbo - I love the bumbo we use it right around 4 months until they are ready for the highchair. Babies want to see whats going on and sit up but necessarily aren't ready to sit up yet.

Bottle brush - OXO brand is my favorite, I have tried another brand and the bristles were tough and didn't get the milk residue.

Drying grass - This will be on your counter until the end of time it feels like. We also have the twig accessory.

Pumping bra - Do yourself a favor and get a pumping bra! No one wants to be holding bottles for 20 minutes while pumping.

Nursing bra - I have tried several nursing bras and haven't found one I absolutely love. I did buy a bra from Zulily this past time and it is my favorite so far(linked here). Most nursing bras come with a lining which I have never understood. I mean you fold it down to nurse and the lining gets all messed up and then your trying to burp the baby, put your boob up, and adjust the lining. It's a nightmare! I like these for sleeping, and these are my favorite for lounging around.

Also, something to do now is to go on Enfamil and other formula companies and register with them. They will send you samples and coupons to have just in case. 

(AWW baby Grady)

Click the links for my other registry must haves

Health and Medicine must haves

Bath time must haves

Diapering must haves

Sleep time must haves

Registry must haves - Health and Medicine

Health and Medicine

In my opinion I feel like this is an area that most people forget about. It's hard to think of our babies being sick but it happens and its so important to be prepared.

Underarm thermometer - Ok so I can not live without the head thermometer, the under the arm one takes far too long but for some reason Chad can not operate the head one and its always good to have 2 to have more of an accurate reading. 

Head thermometer - Like I mentioned above I can not live without this. It's so easy to use (unless you are Chad) and doesn't take forever which is important especially for a toddler

Infant Tylenol - This is the first medicine that they can actually have. It's good to stock up on some. As much as we try to prevent illness' they always seem to strike. And when your baby is running a fever the last thing you want to do is run to the store to get medicine. Trust me and have it ready to go.

Benedryl - They can't have benedryl until they are about 6 months old but its always good to have especially when they start solid foods and unsure of any allergies. You'll need to ask your pediatrician for the dosage amount 

Infant Ibuprofen - They can't have ibuprofen until 6 months of age but again stock up and have some ready. You'll be ready to use ibuprofen instead of Tylenol when they are old enough

Baby vicks - Again always good to have this around, especially if you have a winter baby. It's the sadiest thing when your baby can't breathe. Just put some on the bottom of their little feet with socks or footed pjs.

Gripe water – I swear by this stuff, this is a homeopathic medicine to help with gas and discomfort. We have given this to both our babies at night right before bed. It helps tremendously with gassy babies.

Saline drops - This stuff helps loosen those boogers up so you can suck all that nasty snot out of their nose so they can breathe.

Nose Frida - People think this is the grossest thing ever but honestly you will do anything to help your little one breathe and this works amazingly.

Humidifier - Unfortunately babies are normally too small for any medicine when they have a cold, etc. a humidifier works really well while your baby is sick or when the air is just really dry.

Click the links for my other registry must haves

Bath time must haves

Diapering must haves

Sleep time must haves

Registry must haves - Diapering

Diapering

Diaper cream : Resinol is our favorite, you can find it in the pharmacy. You don’t need a prescription for it but you’ll have to ask them for it. We also use Butt Paste, you only need 1 tube we still have the same tube we purchased before Grady was born. We have also used aquaphor is works wonders on rashes like skin irritations. Grady had a heat rash last winter and we thought he had eczema we put some aquaphor on it and it was cleared up in just a few days. 

Diapers – Variety of sizes, remember you can return diapers to the store they were purchased at for a different size. It's hard to get a "stock" of diapers because babies grow at different rates. For example Grady was in newborn diapers for not even a month when Audrey was in newborn diapers for about 2 months. I would suggest getting a big box of newborn and at least a box of every size. We love Pampers and if my mother in law isn't buying us diapers from the hospital we are purchasing them on Amazon for pretty cheap.

Wipes - A lot of times people forget about wipes and just buy diapers but you need a lot of wipes! Our favorite is Pampers.

Baby powder - Chad told me to put this one here, I've never use it. 

Changing pad – If you are going to put the changing pad on top of the dresser you just need a cheap changing pad. Honestly we barely use the changing pad and just change Audrey on the floor or on the bed. 

Changing pad sheets - If you are going to do the changing pad you will need 2 sheets. 

Doggie bags - My favorite for when we are out and about and have a poopy, especially when we are at someones house. No ones wants to leave a poopy diaper in someone else's trash can. 

Diaper genie - If you are breastfeeding you really don't need one of these until they start solids but you are for sure going to want one then. Breastmilk poop smells sweet but as soon as solids are introduce the stink is on. I can't find the exact one we have but you don't need a super nice one of these just one to hold the odor. 

Extra bags - For your diaper genie.

If you missed the Bath time must haves, click here

Registry must haves - Bath time

One of my friends asked me to put a list together of registry items. I decided I would go ahead and make blog posts about it to share with everyone my must haves for baby items! The items I'm going to share are my tried and trued items. I am not sponsored by anyone and these items are ones I have used or currently use.

I know how overwhelming registering can be for your first baby. Trust me I used to go to the baby aisle at Target and get anxiety and just leave feeling stressed and defeated. With my pregnancies and babies I feel as though I have tried everything and if I knew back then what I know now I would have saved a ton of money.

The key to registering is to register at the places with the best completion discounts and to register for a variety of items in different price points. A lot of places will have welcome bags for you when you register so remember to ask for those, they are filled with samples.

Bath time

Body wash – Noodle and Boo is my absolute favorite. The smell is amazing and it doesn't strip your baby's skin of its natural moister. You’ll only need to register for a few bottles. One bottle will last you a long time. It's a little on the pricey side but sometimes they will be on Zulily for a discounted price. I don't think I'm too picky (some people may disagree) with current things but soaps I am. I do not like to use soaps with a lot of chemicals. We have also tried the Honest brand but I tend to always go back to Noodle and Boo

Lotion – Again Noodle and Boo is the way to go. It smells absolutely amazing

Noodle and Boo cleansing wipes -  In the beginning stages of life you don't need to give you baby a bath everyday so for the days where you don't these cleansing wipes are awesome. I have also used them on myself and for my toddler when we get home late and don't have time for a bath.

Wash cloths - I prefer using a loofa just something about seeing the suds however when your baby is young you'll need some wash cloths. Depending on how often you do laundry (we normally only do laundry once or twice a week) you need about 5-7 wash cloths. 

Loofa – Like I mention above we like using a Loofa more than wash cloths. I've even converted Chad over to using a loofa instead of a wash cloth. 

Hooded towels – Babies LOVE to poop right after their bath and right unto their towel so depending on how often you plan on doing laundry, its safe to have about 5-7 towels. 

Angel care bath tub – We have tried 3 different bath tubs and this one is by far my favorite

Nail clippers - When they are newborns I normally will just bite their fingernails because its a lot easier but eventually you will need a pair of nail clippers which any kind will work. 

Brush/Comb - Any soft bristle brush will work for a brush 

Toys - You really don't need any toys until they are about 6 months old and sitting up but these little bath books are too cute and change color with water. Plus every baby needs a rubber duck. You can probably do without too many bathtoys and just compile items from around the house. Grady used to love playing with a wisk in the bathtub now he just fills the tub with his cars and trucks.

Kneeler - You will thank me. I have not used one before and my knees kill me afterwards.

Non-slip bath mat - So no one told me about this and it is a must when your baby turns about 6 months and is sitting up. The bath is very slippery and it might make perfect sense to some people to have one but it did not register with me. 

As you can see in the picture below we don't use any fancy rinser. We actually had one and it got mold in the handle so we just use a good ole cup. Also watch out for mold in your bath toys as well. 

Homemade Baby Food

I have gotten a lot of questions regarding how I made homemade baby food so I thought I would just write a blog post with all my resources. Baby food is so so easy to make and super cheap as well. Anything to save a penny I’m on it!

I used this website for looking up how to puree any type of foods. Sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, peaches, you name it. I would reference this website for how long and at what temperature you bake your sweet potatoes before pureeing or what foods Grady could eat at what age.

For the foods that do not need to be baked before pureeing I would steam them in this handy piece of equipment. For example I would put Green beans or peas in here and cover it with water until they felt soft enough to puree.

Next I used this small food processor that I had around the house. Any blender or food processor will work and there is no need to go out and buy one!

For storage I used these trays and then would store them in freezer bags in the freezer. When I laid them out I used these containers (they also come in 4 oz containers). 

I also made my own baby food pouches and used these and made my own baby cereal with red quinoa and used this coffee grinder.

Just a side note and things that I learned while introducing baby foods. Always keep prunes around- this was the only store bought baby food that I bought. Grady would get and still gets constipated and prunes help amazingly. At one time we were giving him prunes once a day. Also, with new food could cause allergies, stock up on some children’s benedryl and call your doctor before use for dosage information just to be on the safe side. Also, have fun with it I would make enough during nap time to last us a good month. It was rewarding and satisfying knowing how much I was saving. I would browse the baby food aisle when we went grocery shopping, to do research on what to combine and I couldn’t believe how much fun you could save just by making your own.

Pumping Must Haves

Pump – I have the medela pump in style advance, check your insurance to see if you get a free pump, I also have an extra set of parts(Flange, connectors, valve, and membrane). 

Nipple cream – pumping is a different kind of pain, I normally rub the nipple cream inside the flange for a little relief

Medela Quick Clean Soap, Quick Clean bags, Wipes

Pumping bra – It is way too boring to just sit there and hold the bottle while you are pumping. I like to read, or search the internet.

Calma nipple – A lot of babies get lazy when you introduce the bottle to them because they don’t have to suck as hard. This nipple is designed to make the baby suck in order for the milk to come out so you can go from the breast to the nipple with no problem

Boon grass – all parts and bottle need to air dry and this is the cutest one on the market in my opinion.

Dishwashing basket – I’ll make sure to run the bottles through the dishwasher once during the weekend just to make sure everything is sanitized.

Breastmilk storage bags - I have done a lot of price matching and these are the cheapest ones I have found. Plus they work great

Labels – These are just too cute and practical since the daycare has to label the bottles. 

2nd month favorites

Time has seriously flown by. I cannot believe that our little man is 2 months old already. Although it gets easier by the second month, the below items have helped us survive.

• Sleepers – I LOVE these sleepers. I love that they zip and are super easy for diaper changes in the middle of the night. I love that they are light weight so our little man doesn’t sweat while he sleeps, and I love that they have mittens (P.S. hurry, they're on sale right now)
• Swaddlers – You seriously cannot have enough swaddlers.
•  Play mat – Our little man LOVES his play mat. And I love that I can lay him down and keep an eye on him while getting ready, cleaning, cooking, etc.
• Gripe Water – Our little man gets gas bad and this has helped him sleep so much better at night. We give it to him right before his last feeding and it has worked wonders on his little tummy
• Tubby Todd – I love this all natural brand of baby soaps and lotions. We have the lavender one and absolutely love it
• Wubbanub – This has been my favorite pacifier yet. The toy is super cute and it also serves as a security for little man.
•  Monitor – The only way little man can sleep is if he’s on his stomach (it helps him pass gas easier) and this monitor has helped this momma sleep at night especially since they discourage babies to sleep on their stomachs.
•  Rattle – Little man has learn to grab, this rattle/toy is his absolute favorite right now. I love that he can grab and hold onto it.  

Nursing mama

I’m going to try and start a new series of registry must haves. First up on the list is for the Nursing Mama.

•  Nipple cream – I have tried 3 different kinds and my favorites are the Lansinoh brand and the Earth Mama. The Lansinoh goes on thick but it really keeps soothing, the medela brand goes on smoother but doesn’t soothe as well as the Lansinoh. The Earth Mama is a natural option, it’s a little grainy but works really well
•  Nursing pads – My favorites are the Lily pads. They are pretty expensive but they last forever. I would recommend buying 2 sets because they can start to smell. I once had 2 sets until Karl ate one pair. So now I use the Lansinoh disposable pads while I’m washing my lily pads.
• Nursing bras – I first bought these bras to wear at the hospital. I recommend buying cheap nursing bras for the first few days, your breasts will change in size so I would wait until at least 5-7 days postpartum to buy any nice nursing bras. My favorite are these.
•   Boppy – This pillow is a life saver. I love that you can sit them in it or nurse with it. Etsy also has some really cute covers.
•  Nursing cover – I haven’t gotten comfortable nursing in public but I have my eye on this nursing cover. I love the functionality, just waiting for a good sale!
•  Burb cloths – Cloth diapers are the best burb cloths to have hands down. 

My absolute favorite place to register is on Amazon. If you are an amazon prime member you will receive 15% for a completion discount and you can find everything you would ever need on Amazon. It's super easy for people purchasing presents for you and they track a "thank you" list with the individuals name and address'. Makes it super nice and easy when sending out thank you cards.