I’ve been following your blog for two weeks now and found this as I was reading back on your archives. It’s definitely addicting! This is from May I understand but I always need to give an opinion on things so here goes. I’m due in October with my second child. I didn’t have a baby shower the first time around because we didn’t know how the pregnancy was going to go (it went well woohoo!) but this time around we feel much better about everything!

If you’d like I can send you a link to my registry so you can take a look at some of the items I’ve included on there. (I don’t want to post it here just for privacy reasons since anyone can see it) haha:

Car seats:

1. What brand do you prefer? Why?

Britax — they have this great “air” feature which provides such amazing protection. “Unlike vehicle air bags which inflate, the Advocate side impact cushions are designed to manage the crash forces by compressing upon impact while safely expelling air through strategically positioned vents.” Specifically, I registered for this exact carseat since I knew the gender http://www.myregistry.com/giftideasdetails.aspx?pid=http://comfortfirst.com/images/variant/medium/147194.jpg

2. Would you recommend registering for 2 car seats or just a car seat base for the 2nd car? the latter –seems better to register for 1 since guests might get confused. also I didn’t want people to think I was going overboard. sorry…probably not a strong answer but the car seat base definitely works out!

Strollers:

1. Did you opt for a travel system? Why or why not? (I’ve heard that they can be extremely heavy and bulky. Do you find this true?) yes because it’s more convenient on you as a mom. trust me!

the Bugaboo stroller is really great for travel systems but it was too pricey and I wanted a jogging stroller so I registered for a quinny http://comfortfirst.com/p-132969-quinny-2009-buzz-3-stroller-free-shipping.aspx I can’t say I have problems with the travel system so far –great stroller!

2. Do we really need a mid-size stroller, full-size stroller, jogger stroller, and a lightweight stroller? If we do need more than one, can you tell me why it would come in handy please.

The Bob revolution stroller is really fantastic for jogging. it’s really popular. a bit pricey but holds up on all sorts of terrain. I placed one on MyRegistry.com account and someone purchased it the first day which was really generous!

3. What do I need to look for in a stroller? Is it really imperative to have a drink holder, for example? What little perks did you find that you couldn’t live without?
–a cover for the stroller in case of rain and for bug protection
–a drink holder
–and if you have a jogging stroller — a hands free conversion kit might be something of interest

4. Is there a brand that you loved and would suggest?

Phil & Ted is really great as is Quinny!

Backpacks & Carriers:

1. By backpack do they mean a diaper bag? If so, did you get one for yourself and another one for your husband? Or did you share a neutral colored one?

Yea. my husband registered for a diaperdude one and I registered for a skiphop bag!

2. Do I need a sling and a more sturdy carrier? Why? What brands do you recommend and why?

sling — Serena and Lily had a great one. I wouldn’t have registered originally there but they have a promo (still going on) where if you open a registry with them you get emailed $50 to spend at their store. So I registered for a Peacock Market Sling..it’s gorgeous and hopefully works out beautifully. I was going to originally opt for the Ergo Baby Carrier but I don’t like their style…seems too bulky!

Activity:

1. Do I need a bouncer, walker, swing, and door jumpers? What brands did your baby like best? Are there certain things that I need to look out for?

a bouncer is really good! I still don’t have one but all my friends have relished the Fischer Price My Little Lamb. it’s adorable and easy for storage (I have limited options!)

Diapers & Formula:

1. Do I really need something like the diaper genie? A few people have told me that it’s more of a pain than anything. Is there something better? Or should I just throw it away in the garbage in the garage the old-fashioned way?

Diaper Champ hands down!

2. Should I register for formula even though I’m planning on breastfeeding? I didn’t but that was a personal choice.

Safety:

1. What brand do you like for audio monitors? Fisher Price has great ones for these and relatively inexpensive

2. What about video monitors? Bebesounds Flat Panel Video & Sound Baby Monitor is really good. I can’t recommend anything else except the one I’ve used so far!

Nursery:

1. Do you recommend a cradle, bassinet, or a portable crib in addition to the “real” crib that will be in his nursery? I’ve heard that a pack and play works well for this beginning time. Would you agree? Yes it works great!

2. Glider or rocker? Rocker. I registered for one at CSN but they do add up and not sure if anyone will be able to buy a gift that costs that much and isn’t extremely essential like a stroller or car seat. I’m secretly trying to win the highchair and rocker Myregistry is giving away so here’s crossing my fingers! hahah.

Thanks so much for reading this and congratulations! Keep on blogging! Love your style and ideas

We got the Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper for bassinnet-age and I am very happy with it. It is, however a bit heavy for traveling and such, but perfect for the months that it will be attached to the bed.

LOVE the Sony Baby Call monitor. NO STATIC! So clear that you can hear my son breathe. My favorite part is that there is a voice activated setting where the reciever is off until there is something to hear.

I have the Baby Ergo carrier and like it a lot. I don’t use it often anymore but just tonight used it to hold my 23 pound 13 month old son. Not perfect for newborns, but still doable. Next time I will employ a sling for when baby is small.

We use the Diaper Champ. Now that he’s on solid foods it’s not perfect at keeping out smells, but better than nothing and NO charge for refills as it uses the same kitchen bags we already have.

Just found your blog tonight as I’m very early in my second pregnancy. LOVE the blog and am glad I stumbled upon it.
You’re in the home stretch! Congratulations.

Car seats:
1. What brand do you prefer? Why? We went with a Graco Snugride – it fits into other strollers besides the travel system and works for babies up to 32 lbs. We’ll be getting a Britax seat when our guy grows out of his infant seat.
2. Would you recommend registering for 2 car seats or just a car seat base for the 2nd car? 1 car seat and 2 bases

Strollers:
1. Did you opt for a travel system? Why or why not? (I’ve heard that they can be extremely heavy and bulky. Do you find this true?) We didn’t want the travel system b/c of the bulk. I recommend you both play with strollers before you buy. I’ve heard GREAT things about the snap ‘n rides to use with an infant seat b/f you go into a main stroller.
2. Do we really need a mid-size stroller, full-size stroller, jogger stroller, and a lightweight stroller? If we do need more than one, can you tell me why it would come in handy please. We travel a lot so we want something more portable for traveling than our “everyday” stroller – I think this is personal preference more than anything.
3. What do I need to look for in a stroller? Is it really imperative to have a drink holder, for example? What little perks did you find that you couldn’t live without? For us, we cared that it felt comfortable for both of us and that it fit in the trunks of our cars (some are too bulky even when folded to fit in the trunk of a sedan).

Backpacks & Carriers:
1. By backpack do they mean a diaper bag? If so, did you get one for yourself and another one for your husband? Or did you share a neutral colored one? Hmm…do they maybe mean a carrier where he goes on your back. My hubby and I picked out separate diaper bags…but we’re picky.
2. Do I need a sling and a more sturdy carrier? Why? What brands do you recommend and why? I’ve heard fabulous things about the Moby Wrap so that’s what I got – we’re also getting a Jeep carrier (like a baby bjorn) for hubby.
Activity:
1. Do I need a bouncer, walker, swing, and door jumpers? What brands did your baby like best? Are there certain things that I need to look out for? Based on nannying experience, this varies from one child to the next. Any of these items could be your best purchase ever but you’re not likely to love/need all of them. If you have friends you can borrow from or are willing to buy secondhand, you may want to do that until you figure out what to invest in. We bought a bouncer, are borrowing a swing (and will buy our own if our guy loves it) and had a walker given to us secondhand.
Diapers & Formula:
1. Do I really need something like the diaper genie? A few people have told me that it’s more of a pain than anything. Is there something better? Or should I just throw it away in the garbage in the garage the old-fashioned way? I’ve used diaper genie’s and they’re fine but I’ve read/heard terrible things. Lots of people told me to go with the Diaper Champ so that’s what we got – it takes regular garbage bags and is about the same size (maybe smaller) than the diaper genie.
2. Should I register for formula even though I’m planning on breastfeeding? I haven’t registered for any, but I’m erring towards having some in the house in the event of a middle of the night emergency. My theory is that it can’t hurt to have it if we absolutely need it or if my milk takes too long to come in and I need to supplement.
Nursery:
1. Do you recommend a cradle, bassinet, or a portable crib in addition to the “real” crib that will be in his nursery? I’ve heard that a pack and play works well for this beginning time. Would you agree? We’re also doing a pack ‘n play in addition to the crib but I don’t intend to use a cradle, bassinet, etc.
2. Glider or rocker? Figure out what you are comfortable with…and Tarzan too if he’ll use it. My hubby hated the feeling of a swivel rocker (that turns side to side, not just front to back) and we both got “seasick” in rockers that have moving ottomans. Also, a very helpful store clerk reminded me that I want to be comfortable sitting in the chair with a boppy so I’ll have room to nurse comfortably – that led me to a totally different purchase than I originally planned on.

Good luck, it can definitely be super overwhelming so don’t feel like you have to pick everything out in a single visit!!

Car Seats:
1. Graco for an infant seat, saftey and ease of use. Britax has high ratings for an older baby seat.
2. 2 bases but one car seat for the infant car seat. Again, register for the older child seat at the same time though.

Strollers:
1. I opted for a travel system both times and never regretted it. It was everything I needed all in one (stroller, carseat, etc). We switched to an umbrella stroller after the age of 2 or 3 but it was invaluable during that baby stage when they can nap in the stroller. This is one issue The Girlfriend’s Guide and I disagree on.
2. You (or those buying for you) usually get an umbrella stroller for free when you spend $100. Again I suggest the travel system – very nice to have. I’m 5′2″ and never found it too bulky. I got a jogging stoller second hand when I decided I wanted one.
3. A big basket for stuff (like diaper bags) is imperative. A snack tray for the little one is nice. A cup holder for yourself always comes in handy as well. Again I went with Graco for this – all in one and all needs met.

Backpacks & Carriers:
1. I think by backpacks they mean a carrier worn on your back. As for diaper bags we always had one diaper bag in black that either of us could carry.
2. never had a sling but want one this time. they look so nice! had a baby bjorn and it was a little complicated for me so I usually avoided it but some people love them. I think I’d rather a sling this time to make things simpler.

Activity:
1. a bouncer is a must have for putting the babe in while you do other things like shower – they can be right there in the bathroom with you. Fisher price makes a bouncer that goes from infancy to toddlerhood http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001HTJS60
I say a swing is an absolute must. The best purchase you will ever make, may save your sanity. I’ve also heard nothing but rave reviews about the new Graco Sweetpeace Infant Soother. Forget the walker and door jumper for safety reasons. But I did find a stationary entertainer (like an exersaucer) a lifesaver!! I’m telling you, grab a few minutes of sanity saving time wherever you can!!!!

Diapers and Formula:
1. The Diaper Genie is always a pain in the ass and gets tossed to the side eventually anyway. Forget it. I do suggest these little blue, powder scented diaper sacks to put the diaper in before you put it in the garbage
http://www.amazon.com/Sassy-Disposable-Diaper-Sacks-Count/dp/B000RHLSKC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1241462148&sr=1-3
2. Don’t register for formula. You never know what kind your baby will require, you may have to try several different kinds. Have a few of the ready made bottles on hand for when you get home from the hospital in case a situation of need arises. But try not to let it be the easy way out – breastfeeding takes determination. You may have to supplement per doctors orders though if the baby is jaundiced.

Safety:
There is no perfect monitor. But thebump.com posted a list of the best ones.
http://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/blogs/3rdtrimester/archive/2008/08/22/q-best-monitors.aspx?MsdVisit=1

Nursery:
1. I totally recommend a pack ‘n play with the bassinet and changing station. Again, everything you need all in one. Perfection. My son outgrew a regular bassinet in about 6 weeks. My daughter stayed in the pack ‘n play bassinet for three months, then you have a play pen already ready to go.
2. The glider, while not necessarily fashion forward, may be your best breastfeeding friend. Especially if you come home from the hospital with a sore bottom. You’ll also use it for years.

I know a lot of people like the baby slings but I really like the Baby Bjorn carriers. I’ve tried each model and they’re nice because they’re comfy and you can easily take the baby off if it falls asleep. I’d recommend the Air model because it’s more breathable. A plus for hot hot Texas weather. The slings are nice, too but I think the Baby Bjorn looks a little more manly and might encourage Tarzan to wear the baby more often.

Oh, and unless you’re going to jog, don’t buy a jogging stroller.

Car seats:

1. I didn’t really look into brands much when I picked a car seat, I looked at a couple we could afford and found one that I had heard of adn heard good things about, I ended up going with an evenflo travel system

2. I would go for 1 seat 2 bases. I don’t see a reason 2 have 2 of each

Strollers:

1. Did you opt for a travel system? Why or why not? (I’ve heard that they can be extremely heavy and bulky. Do you find this true?) I did get a travel system, I figured it would be easier for me when we go out and it was actually a bit cheaper for me than buying the stroller and car seat alone. It is a little bulky and if you are trying to get it up or down steps I’d suggest not putting the carseat on until you have the stoller off them, with the car seat it’s a little heavy to do it with, apart they aren’t bad at all, and it’s only going up and down the steps at my house that i have had any issue with the weight.

2.

3. I love that mine has a drink holder, when I g for a walk wih her I have somewhere to put a water bottle and still be able to push the stroller. mine also has a wipe thingy (don’t know what to call it) that snaps in and out up by the handles and cup holders. i took mine out, and use the tray area for my phone, her binky, keys and such.

4. Is there a brand that you loved and would suggest? as I mentioned with the carseat, I didn’t research much, but so far I have loved the evenflow travel system I got.

Backpacks & Carriers:

1. I’m not sure if they do mean diaper bag or not but if they do, I just got one that I liked, then again my hubby has no issue holding my purse in public if I need him to and I know he’d have no issue at all holding the diaper bag either. I did go with more neutral of a bag though brown with blue and green circles and dots, that way I flet comfortable carrying it every where since I’ve done away with my purse now that I have to have a diaper bag on me anyways.

2. I have both, I tried putting her in the sling once and she hated it, my friend had actually given it to me because her son grew out of it really fast. I have yet to use the other carrier since she hasn’t been holding her own head up for very long and she doesn’t have it fully masterd yet lol and haven’t had a reason either

Activity:

1. I would so get a bouncer if you baby is anything like mine, sometimes she just wants held and bounced and it wears out my arms I’d probably die if i didn’t have the bouncer seat to put her in, but she doesn’t stay in it long before she wants out. I have a bright stars bouncer seat, it vibrates and plays music. she doesn’t seem to care for the vibration and the music is so soft and low, I’m not sure she can even hear it even on it’s highest setting, i think i could have gotten away with one that was just the seat.

Diapers & Formula:

1. I’ve just been using the reg. trash can and honestly the is practically no smell. I was also told that breastfed babies poop doesn’t smell as much (and I have no noticed that during changes since we switched to formula) I decided not to get one because i was also told they were a pain, and the refills are spendy too…

2. Should I register for formula even though I’m planning on breastfeeding? I don’t know about registering for it but i would be sure to have a can or two just in case, my grandma convinced me to do so and I’m glad I did. There were a few times that she just wouldn’t latch on even though she was hungry. the one night she cried for 5 hrs and everytime i tried to get her to nurse she wouldn’t I finally broke down and gave her formula and she went right to sleep. (I ended up switching to formula becasue even though she’s latching right, she’s pretty much sucked the skin off of me and It’s become way to painful to even pump, thankfully again I had a couple cans of formula already)

Safety:

1. What brand do you like for audio monitors? I got fisher price… they are awesome, they pick up everything, have bulbs that light up the harder the baby is crying. the base has a night light too. Mine came with 2 monitors that can run on batteries or plug into the wall, and the base of course

2.

Nursery:

1. I have a small pack and play that has the bassinet too that way when she’s no longer in the bassinet we can still use the pack and play. I personally just didn’t feel comfortable having her in a different room, I still don’t adn she’ll probably be in the bassinet in my room until she no longer fits the bassinet. It’s been great so far and makes me feel a lot better and sleep easier having her right next to the bed at night. also when i was still breastfeeding, it made the night feedings SOOOOO much easier on me and kept her from crying so hard she woke up all the way, so she’s fal back asleep faster after feedings which was great when she’d get hungry at 3 am lol

2.I got a glider more or less for myself I’d wanted one for a while and I needed some place to sit upstairs for night feedings when she moves into her room. But mostly I wanted it just for me haha the baby was getting all kinds of stuff and It made me happy so I bought it. It was also wonderful when i was pregnant and my back would hurt or i needed to kick my feet up. I wouldn’t say it was a must have though

A Few things I would say to get, PLENTY of recieving blankets, onsies, & socks. Make sure you have newborn clothes… no one got us any we had maybe 4 or 5 outfits and all the rest were all 0-3 months and up . she was 6 lbs 13 and 3/ oz 19 and 3/4 in long and some of the newborn outfits were too big for her, but premie clothes were too small I had to go out and buy some more new born out fits so she had more than 4 things to wear.
A boppy, I love mine I actually have 2 one upstairs and one downstairs. they are great for nursing, or bottle feedings too, i also lay her in hers when i’m sitting on the couch and she falls asleep, so i can have my arms back lol. and rather than a sleep positioner i use the boppy for that too, I didn’t think i would need one and wasn’t comfortable with rooling up a blanket to prop her on her side a little in case she spits up (the first day we had her home she spit up during a diaper change and almost choked becasue she couldn’t get it out of her mouth being on her back and all so i refuse to sleep her fully on her back when i am sleeping she’s propped onto her side enough for any spit up to run out) the boppy works great for keeping her on her side a little and she can’t grab it and pull it over her face like a blanket.
Pick up more than one brand of diapers, I found that the ones I got didn’t fit her well enough when I first brought her home, any time she peed it would leak out the leg. so i had to go out and buy more of the ones the hospital sent home with us. they were huggies and were awesome at first, now that others (parents’ choice, walmart brand )fit just fine are cheaper and work just as well if not better. and if you think you might have enough wipes, get a couple more packs lol i’ve gone though 3 pack of 88 in just over 3 weeks, I thought those 3 packs would be enough for a little while, I was wrong, boy was i wrong lol.

Strollers:
I LOVE my travel system! It is bigger but I can’t imagine not using it when dd was in her infant seat! It folds easily with one hand and is just so nice to have a big basket underneath and cup holders for mom and dad and to be able to hang the diaper bag off the handles (none of which you can do with umbrella strollers, they would tip over LOL)! Also I tried to leave the house everyday just to get out so we bought groceries as they were needed so the basket underneath was fine for that. If not the seat went into the grovcery cart and away we went.

2. Since we are expecting twins space it at an alltime low around here so we purchased a Graco IPO stroller ( I think they’re only available in Canada) which we thought was a decent combination of a higher end stroller and a more compact stroller…I will be going back to using my travel system stroller until the twins actually get here and I have to switch cuz I miss it so much but if you need/want the more compact stroller spend the money to get a good one the cheap strollers are pains in the butt. Look at the folding mechanism, that was our biggest point when buying again.

3. As for perks in strollers – CUPHOLDERS for mom and dad! I really miss mine when I try and go shopping with a starbucks in hand and now have to carry it.

4. My fav brand is Graco

Backpacks & Carriers:
I bought a penut shell and baby hated it! I ended up buying a wrap style so her legs could hang out and she loved that! Try any of the ones that are like the Moby style. Etsy has a ton of cute handmade ones!

Activity:
1. For newborns a vibrating bouncy chair and a swing are great! We bought both of ours from the rainforest line and LOVED them! We also have the rainforest jumperoo and that was great from about 5 months on (it’s a combination of a jolly jumper and an exercauser so it’s the best of both worlds I think!) Walkers are illegal here in Canada.

Diapers & Formula:
1. I love my diaper genie, diapers stink even with breastfed babies they just stink differently LOL!
2. I would wait on the formula

Safety:
Our monitor was given to us and we use (again) a Graco and it’s ok.

Nursery:
1. We started out using the playpen upstairs in our room but I needed somewhere to put her down during the day for a few minutes so we moved the playpen down to the living area and bought a bassinet…LOVED the bassinet! Hardly ever used the playpen. We did use it on trips but man my back got sore from bending down to pick her up (she was too big by then to use the bassinet attachment) and put her in many times throughout the day. That was probably the biggest waste of $ for us. Plus the bassinet parts of the playpen are only good for up to a certain weight so check that out cuz it might be better in the long run weight wise to get a bassinet. For the twins we will be putting a crib in our room (we were going to us the playpen but the weight issue with 2 would probably only let them sleep in there for a week or 2). The arms reach co-sleepers do look awesome but we are trying to be economical with twins on the way.

2. Glider or rocker? We didn’t buy one and boy did I regret it…I used to stand in the living room and rock her for a few hours at a time when she was in a really bad stage and even the swing wouldn’t calm her, it was torture. Another good idea is just to get a nice recliner rocker for the living room and use it there but then you also have a new piece of living room furniture too.

Good luck!