Rattles, and bottles, and mobiles -- Oh My!

I knew babies needed stuff.  Women need stuff.  But it seems like babies need more stuff than three women combined!

My first foray in the online land of baby stuff ended with me shutting down the computer in a fit of frustration. I kind of thought I knew what I needed, I just wasn't prepared for all the varieties! This isn't Bath & Body Works, but there were just as many flavors and scents!  I mean, I went to the link for bottles and there were 188 items! Seriously!?! Overwhelmed was an understatement.

It was time to call on my friends. Once again, Beth came to my rescue. She sent me a list that her friend sent her when she was welcoming her first baby. It gave me a starting point for the basics: bottles, pacifiers, crib sheets, etc. After an extensive review, I knocked out those things.

Next, my friend Amber passed on the book, "Baby Bargains." I'm sure most of you non-first time moms have heard of it, but for everyone else, it is a wealth of information on brands, safety ratings and most importantly the ability to compare the grades of each.  Okay, that helped me knock out my big ticket items like high chair, swing, pack 'n play, and car seats.

Finally, I called in my local consultant. I printed out my registries and over Olive Garden's salad and breadsticks, Ty and I went through them line by line, crossing out what I had but didn't need and adding things I forgot. Most important, she made sure there weren't duplicate items on the different registries. After that ordeal, we headed to Burlington Coat Factory's Baby Depot to add all the stuff I forgot. 

This trip was way better than my first solo trip to Babies 'R Us when I started hyperventilating and broke out in hives and had to leave.

Even after all this, I'm sure there's more stuff I missed, or stuff the baby won't even like, but I've got to get it done and don't have time to read all the damn books associated with baby registries! So, if you have some advice, feel free to pass it on, but don't get mad if I don't listen. We're running out of time, and one hour diatribes on the importance of using Dreft to wash all the baby's clothes don't fit into my schedule. But don't think I don't appreciate you thinking of us.