Looking back on our registry process I have to laugh a little bit. There we were, scan gun in hand, saying things like..."Oh we definitely need at least 2 of ___________. Lets get _________ for the den AND the family room. We'll need _________ for when she's little and when she's older." Fill in the blank with whatever you want. We scanned it...and got it. And now we're wondering what to do with all of it. Towards the end of my pregnancy I was still running out to various stores to get more of __________ as if we were still not prepared. An older mommy said to me--You only need to make sure you have your boobs, diapers, somewhere for it to sleep and maybe some blankets. I just put that comment in the corner of my brain with all of the other useless and seemingly rude pieces of 'advice' and moved on. But really-it's true! I mean, of course you need other things--but so much of the stuff we bought is just a crazy waste of money and space. Here are my list of essentials...
1. the Boppy (refer to earlier post if you are confused by this)
2. MAM pacifiers. Not all babies like them, and you need to find the specific type that your baby will go for...but Zoey loves her paci and it saves us on a daily basis--especially in her car seat and if she's being fussy.
3. kitchen towels. You are probably thinking...what??? New moms might not realize but typically, when you are breastfeeding on one boob, the other boob gets jealous and leaks all over the place. I thought this would subside by 12 weeks but nooooo. I endured wet t-shirts for quite a while before I thought of this little dandy trick. I put a dish towel in my bra of the side that I'm not feeding on so when I'm finished--I don't have to change bras and my shirt. I have several dish towels that need to be washed more often but this is a small price to pay.
4. burp cloths. Between the constant drool, threat of spit up and Lord knows what else can come out of a baby, you'll want to have a burp cloth handy at all times. Nuff said.
5. a Swaddle Me. Now not all babies care for this BUT--around 3 or 4 weeks we were having a hell of a time getting Zoey to calm down for bed time. She freaked out and cried for long clips at a time. Matt and I were looking at each other like--what in the world did we get ourselves into? Then I read in a book that babies DO indeed love to be swaddled. So we put a Swaddle Me on her and I swear--she fell asleep within minutes. Swaddle Mes are crucial in this house. And don't even try swaddling a baby with a blanket--they are little Houdinis and get out EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Get a Swaddle Me...you'll thank me later.
6. a video monitor (we like Summer Infant Sleek and Secure). This is more of a 'fancy' item but seriously...it's nice to be able to see your kid without having to get up and actually go look at them. When she's making weird noises--which she often does--in her sleep I know that she's fine without getting out of bed. I assume this comes in real handy during the winter when getting out of bed is the equivalent of shooting yourself in the foot.
7. a stroller of some kind (preferably jogging). Some times it seems as though you are a prisoner in your own home. You can't go anywhere and even if you wanted to you choose not to because that would mean packing up the diaper bag, car seat, stroller, and making yourself presentable for public. If that isn't appealing to you (which it won't be on a lot of days) you can always just plop the baby in the jogging stroller and set out in your neighborhood. A walk in the fresh air does wonders for the mind.
8. sleepers that ZIP. There is nothing worse than changing a diaper at a 3 a.m. feeding and having to fiddle with a million snaps. You will be one off--guarantee it--and have to do it all over again. The zip up sleepers are a fabulous invention.
9. an exercise ball. Sound crazy? Ever tried bouncing and sitting at the same time? Impossible. Or at the very least awkward. There will be times when you just want to sit the F down...but your baby will not be having any of that. The boss of you (a.k.a. your child) will want you to bounce, move, sway, etc. The exercise ball makes it possible to bounce and sit at the same time. A friend of mind showed me this little gem and I instantly went out and purchased one. And when your baby doesn't need you to do ridiculous things like that any more...well hey--now you can get your abs of steel back.
10. coffee!! It's a cruel trick of Mother Nature's to deny you of the ONE thing you need not only when you are a new mother but also when you are pregnant. Motherhood is exhausting and she of all people should know that. Although I drank decaf when I was pregnant, the day after Zoey was born I had Matt deliver me a Venti Skinny Cinnamon Dolce to the hospital stat. It was heaven...and much needed. I don't care who you are or where you are on the scale of super-mommyhood--caffeine is a must.
All of the other stuff?? I can do without.
No comments:
Post a Comment