OTHER NEED IT'S:
1) MEMORY BOOK: Ask me if my book is filled out. jk, don't. The answer is not good. But maybe you'll be awesome sauce and be on top of it. If so, I really liked this Carter's one (pictured) that I found at Babies R Us but ended up purchasing on Amazon. There's also a calendar version which I wish I would've gone with - not as durable as a book but with it hanging on the wall I think I would've been better about jotting things down as they happened!
2) ROCK-N-PLAY: THE BEST. Being a BabyWise mama I didn't want to get a swing mostly because I didn't want to rely on it to keep Oliver soothed but also, they're so dang big! Someone lent us a rock-n-play and I loved it. It was extremely easy to move from room to room and folds up. We used it often when we ate dinner. We could eat and have Oliver right next to us and rock him with our foot if he got fussy. The one we borrowed wasn't electronic but it looks like most of them are, now. Oliver also took naps in it when he was newborn if we were in the room and could keep an eye on him. This definitely makes the top 5 list for me. ...I should probably actually make a top 5 list before I throw out such statements but I think it stands here.
3) PACK-N-PLAY: Necessary? No. Helpful if you're traveling, yes. Also helpful if you want a sleeping or changing station in another room. We got the basic pack-n-play without the additional attachments (changing station, etc). We knew we would only be using it for traveling. The Graco one works perfectly fine - it's not like it needs a whole lot. Sometimes the buttons on the side to collapse it get a little stuck and I have to really push but it doesn't take much to get it unstuck. It's slightly annoying but not a big deal... we don't use it enough for it to really matter.
4) LOVEY: Oliver didn't go for this but I know other babies love theirs! Basically a small stuffed animal holding a little blanket. And then if your kid loves it - get more! QUICK! Before they run out! And if you're traveling with it, bring another! This is serious business, folks.
5) TOYS: You don't need an entire toy box worth. Three will be enough. Then when they get older you can expand their horizons. ;) Technically, Sophie the Giraffe (pictured above) is not a toy - she's meant for teething. Think, doggy toy, and basically, that's Sophie. Soft, squishy and, yes, squeaky. Another thing that Oliver didn't take to but kiddos love these things. Apparently my child likes to break the mold. Something soft is good. That ball thing pictured above is good, too. Easy to grasp, colorful and rattles.
6) SAFETY GATES, ETC: You may want to wait until you'll actually use the baby proofing stuff to get it. We only have two safety items - a gate and outlet covers. So that's all I can speak to. As far as gates go - get one like the one above that you can walk through. I'm not sure of the brand we have - it's second hand. Whatever you get, make sure it extends wide enough to fit your door frames. We also have outlet covers that allow for you to cover plugged in items which we like. Doesn't work for larger than standard plugs (like our Mac charger) but otherwise it's great! We also have a power strip cover and it's great! The piece that covers the power switch doesn't latch as well as I'd like and Oliver can sometimes get to it but 90% of the time his attention stays away now that it's covered up. And obviously you probably need the ones that plug directly into the outlet - we live in a 115 year old house and all the outlets are high up so Ollie can't get to them.
OPTIONAL:
- Infant Swing: Too big for me and I didn't want to end up relying on it for soothing and naps. We did decide that we would get a used one if Oliver ended up being colicky.
- Bouncy Seat: I would pick the rock n play over this so I stuck it in with the "optionals." I think one or other will do ya.
- Jumper: Like the ones that hang from your door frame. You shouldn't let your kiddo bounce for long periods in them but it definitely helped me out many times while I got dressed and ready for the day and he bounced around like a happy little dude. (I can't recall the recommended time limit on these so check that our for yourselves.)
- Bumbo Seat: We did get a seat by Mamas & Papas for Oliver eventually... well, his grandma got it. If she hadn't, I don't know if we would have bothered. It was definitely helpful though! I used it the most when preparing dinner - Oliver could sit with me in the kitchen and play on the activity tray. Before we got the seat, we would use the nursing pillow for Oliver to sit up against and that worked well if I was paying attention to him but not for things like prepping dinner.
- Books: More like a "later" than an "optional." People will buy you books! At my shower the guests brought books with a note (usually to Oliver) written inside. I loved this. I love reading a book to Oliver and remembering the special people in our lives.
POINTLESS:
- Stationary Entertainer: So.... many, many, many wouldn't agree with me here. We did well without it, Oliver got along fine and he was walking shortly after his 1-year birthday.
THE END!
Woo-hoo.
I don't know about you but I'm feeling pretty great about completing this series.
Except not really "the end" because you need a printable list! Here ya go. :)
And here's much more involved list with additional spaces to write in your own items. It also includes quantity, registered store, received, gift giver and thank you card columns. This is similar to the list I used when registering. I liked having everything in one place.
Hope you enjoyed this series and find the printables helpful! If this is your first stop in - take a look back at the other posts in my Baby Registry series below!
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