Important Decisions

I was browsing through a Pottery Barn Kids catalog this weekend, and I could not stop laughing and oohing and ahhing at this Halloween costume:

A giraffe! Oh lord, having children is totally worth it if you are allowed to dress them up like this. I'll wait until the post-Halloween sale to see if any of the $59 price tag is knocked off, but it comes in all sizes, so next Halloween our kid is totally giraffing it up.

Since we don't have a kid this Halloween, we'll just have to do what we usually do: torture the dog. We're going to Barktoberfest for the second year in a row, and we have to decide how to dress Molly. Last year she was a lobster:

She was also a total asshole, which is why this is the best picture I have of her in her costume. You can bet we'll bring a tighter leash and also perhaps a Taser with us this year.

I'd like to choose something adorable-slash-traditional and dress her as a pumpkin:

Mike would like to dress her as a Dalmatian (as in, put her in a white T-shirt covered in DRAWN-ON black spots). He thinks this would be hilarious. (His words: "a dog dressed as another dog! GET IT!") I think this will embarrass the poor thing even more than the pumpkin. HANDMADE? I'm just not sure our little girl has it in her to be so ... granola.

What do YOU think? Pumpkin? Dalmatian?

We also started our baby registry this weekend. When we registered for our wedding, we knocked it out all in one day, and this prompted roughly 65 separate fights. Since I am far more mature and patient these days, I decided baby registering was going to need to be a project with phases. Phase One: Register for Seven Items in Twenty Minutes Then Once the Novelty Has Worn Off Go Eat Chicken Express. Phases Two Through Four: To Come. We registered for one pack of bottles, a toy, some plain white onesies and a video monitor. We'll go back in another month or so once we find out what we're having.

But—and I'm asking for this advice so let it rip—what baby products did you love/hate/need/waste money on/etc? What do you wish someone would have told you about registering? I'll print out your comments and take them with me next time. This will give me something to do after Mike pries the registry gun from my hands and shouts OUT LOUD in the baby aisle, "I NOW HAVE ALL THE POWER!"

(Your suggestions will all be much appreciated, I promise, but we may blatantly ignore some of them and buy the changing table/bassinet/etc anyway, even if you swear we won't use it. We're sort of annoying like that.)

Finally, I, well, finally, uploaded pictures from my semi-recent trip to San Francisco. You'll notice I have four total pictures from BlogHer. I wasn't drinking, obviously, but I was apparently not documenting either. What was I doing? I'm not entirely sure. You can view all (FOUR!) of those pictures here, along with pictures from the rest of my visit. You can see much better BlogHer pictures on just about any other Flickr stream out there.

Now, off to work. It may be early Tuesday morning, but it sure feels like Monday. Three-day weekends: lovely except that just like two-day weekends, they end.

Comments

[moo]

#1 advice: don't register for toys. People will buy you toys anyway. You will take them back and exchange them for toys you like better. And then your baby will ignore all the toys in favor of your cell phone.

oh, and people don't buy off the registry. ESPECIALLY if you have a girl. So don't get too wrapped up in all the registering.

Put diapers on there ... an exersaucer ... pack n play ... stroller ... baby wipes (the BEST ONES EVER are the pampers sensitive. TRUST ME ON THIS) ... and take n' toss spoons, bowls, and cups ... baby medicine

DON'T register for blankets, clothes, or toys (as previously mentioned). Believe me, you will get a ton of these no matter what.

[Sarah]

Not necessary: it's true, bassinet, changing table. We didn't have either one, so that's good. We used a changing mat on top of the dresser at first, then on top of the bed, now on the floor. The diapers are in a box next to the dresser (in stark contrast to our neighbor who has everything perfectly coordinated!)
Apparently we also didn't need a crib, but that wasn't planned that way. And it's fun when they're recalled!
Didn't need a mobile (see above).
Didn't get an expensive bedding set.
We used the activity mat for about 1 second.
We used the free formula diaper bag.

Necessary: baby hangers (never even considered these till I received some!).
Onesies.
Eurotub with foamy insert
For when baby is a bit older: board books and wooden blocks.
Snap-n-go stroller frame (to use with infant carrier) - much better than the big travel systems. We now use a Kolcraft Contours stroller for neighborhood walks and Maclaren Volo for in the car.

But it's fun to register and plan all these things, so go for whatever you want!

Have fun!

[Rhi]

I'll just be sending you wine. Will that be on your registry?

[rebecca]

youw know, each kid is different, and there will be stuff you don't use at all, and stuff you have to rush out to buy. We hated the diaper genie, she didn't touch pacifiers or rattles, and her favourite toy the first year was a free-standing bouncer someone gave us secondhand.
so, basically, register for what you like, what makes you oooh. and ask for gift reciepts!

[Hillary]

The heavy-duty gerber burpcloths -- the ones that are seamed in thirds -- are wonderful. They offer you lots of protection, will sop up damn near anything and, for The Boy, often doubled as a toy. He could chew on them and and they were big enough to play peekaboo with. Bibs with waterproof backing also are great, practical things that I thought we had way too many of, but have now decided you can't have enough of.

[Zoo]

I can't help with the baby stuff, but I totally cracked up at the thought of dressing up your dog as another dog! That's hilarious.

[Erin]

Oh yay! I love giving assvice! Cloth diapers. Not for their intended purpose (unless you decide to go that route of course!) but for EVERYTHING else! Spit up, drool, snot, spilled formula. I used them for everything! Register for them, buy them, and when you think you have enough, go buy more! Seriously, they will save your life!
The Diaper Genie was the biggest waste of money EVER. Colin loved his boppy pillow, although now the new thing is apparently the Bumbo chair (I've heard awesome things about it). Oh! And! Instead of a regular high chair, I just got one that strapped to a normal chair. It was a lifesaver because he could eat in it at home AND when we went to a restaurant.
Ugh, I could go on and on about baby stuff all day, but I'll shut up for now! :) Have fun registering!

[Kristie]

Pumpkin. Sorry Mike.

I have lots of baby advice. But you knew that. Such as, cosleeping is a must. You know what happens when you don't cosleep.

[Jess]

I don't know! But I will come back to this post later! My god, I just need to basically reread your whole blog once I get pregnant, because you have so much useful info in here, both in your actual posts and in your comments.

[Rachel]

Noah loved the Bumbo chair...and it was great to use when he started eating solids. I used receiving blankets for spit up and stuff...the burp cloths never did it for me. I actually love the Seventh Generation wipes, but you will figure out what you like and what you don't. I think I mentioned before that I love the JJ Cole bundle bag that fits in the carseat and a stroller for when the baby is bigger.

[bethany actually]

I think Mike and I would get along just fine, because I laughed OUT LOUD at the idea of Molly dressing up as a Dalmatian. I think that is brilliant, and you should totally do it!

As for baby products, I agree with Rebecca that you never can tell what each kid will need or what you will love and hate till you're using it. So register for what you like, and get gift receipts as often as possible.

I strongly second the snap-and-go stroller frame for the infant carrier. I loved, loved, loved that thing and was sorry when Annalie outgrew the infant seat and we couldn't use it anymore. It's so much easier (and lighter!) to wrangle in and out of a trunk than the big bulky travel system strollers, it had a big ol' basket underneath for storage, and it wasn't too expensive.

Go ahead and register for diapers and wipes because you'll need them, of course, but I suggest you register for several different brands of both. It might seem strange to think that different diapers work better on different babies, but it's true! Their little bottoms are all different, and what works great on one baby might be leakage city on another. It might take some trial and error to find what you like, or all brands might work equally well. Don't be afraid of the store brands, either, as many of them are just as nice as the name brands but considerably cheaper! As for wipes, they probably all work equally well but I am opinionated and I have my favorites (Huggies Natural Care).

Also! I never used a wipes warmer, but I know several friends who have them and I kind of wish now that I had used one. I used to put cold wipes on my stomach for a few seconds to warm them up when Annalie was tiny, and YOW do those feel cold.

I'm starting to think I should have written you an email rather than a book in your comments. :-)

[Larissa]

Pumpkin, for sure. Dressing her up as a dalamation...that's just mean!

[Moose]

Last year, we put the dog in a cat costume. Best plan ever.

[Kim]

It's all about what works for YOUR preshus little baby... but here's what works for our little (6 mt old) rugrat:

LOVE: Pampers SENSITIVE wips, Desitin - some love Boudreaux Butt Paste, which we did get as a gift, but the brown color is a turnoff, the Boppy Pillow - if you plan to breastfeed this is a MUST (w/an extra cover), Bumbo chair, Activity Gym (so you can leave the room to PEE), Bouncer (soooo incredibly necessary), tons of bibs for when they start to POUR DROOL from every orifice of their body when they git 2 mts old, Baby Aveeno soap (Johnson & Johnson is crap for sensitive skin), cloth diapers to use as burp cloths, waterproof crib mattress pad, Dr Browns bottles, A MIRACLE BLANKET, white noise cd (we still use it 24/7), Ms Manicure nail files - found in the travel-size product section at Target - PERFECT for filing baby nails. Unless you aren't scared to risk blood with the clippers. :)

HAAAATE: Huggies (they should call them Leakies), Huggies WIPES (they crumble in your hands), fancy-schmancy socks that do not stay ON, sleepers that BUTTON (omg you want a zipper for the 60 times you get up per night), Johnson & Johnson products

[jodifur]

Miracle blanket. Helped Michael sleep through the night. Really is a miracle.

[biddy]

what ever you do, don't even waste a thought on a diaper warmer. they dry out your wipes and are a royal pain in the neck.

[Nicole]

We had an expensive highchair that I thought I needed, but I now would have preferred the highchair/booster seat that straps to an existing kitchen chair.. a good one that will recline, has a removable tray and can be used as a booster once they get older.

The bassinet was great to have, but if you can, borrow one from a friend. My sister received one as a gift and it has been used by 5 babies now.

[Mary]

Since I don't have any kids yet, I shouldn't be doling out advice. However, Amalah (amalah.com) has put up a list of what to buy when on her Zero to Forty page on AlphaMom.com, which is fun to read anyway. You may want to check that out

[Melissa]

1) Miracle blanket. All.the.way.

2) Cloth diapers...so much nicer than nasty disposibles! And a wipe warmer to go with it. Nothing like a cold wet wipe on a tiny ass at 2AM to really piss the LO's off!

3) A sling! Or better yet one of each style. Pouch, wrap, and mei tai.

4) A really good friend to come watch the baby during it's bewitching hour while you go grab a coffee...out of the house and away from the screaming!!

[Angella]

Diaper Genie! It keeps the poopy diaper stench contained.

[Lulu]

dalmatian. It's true, hilarious. i don't have any babies, so I can't comment :s

[KT]

Because of your blog, I wish to dress my beagle as a lobster this year. Just something about Molly's hang dog face in those pix. LOVE it!!
Our Diaper Genie, did NOT keep the diaper stench contained, and is the one thing I wouldn't buy again. But that was before they made "toddler film" to contain the diapers of "older" poopers. It just seems easier to walk to the outdoor trash can.
The Exersaucer was the contraption I could NOT have lived without. I started propping my boys in it around 5 mos. and took it when we traveled and used it as a high chair in the subsequent months. They loved being "upright" and it kept them contained ... Ours came w/o all the bells and whistles, but I think they require batteries now! GREAT piece of plastic, if you ask me.

[carrie]

Oh...please! Dress Molly up as a dalmatian...might be my warped sense of humor, but I think that would be so, crazy funny!

As for must haves - I LOVED the Baby Bjorn. Strap the girls on, and run around, do errands, vacuum when they were fussy, walk around the block, whatever needs to be done. And when they got older (and too heavy) I switched them to a sling, propped them on the hip and we were good to go. Always had one in the stroller for when they just couldn't take a minute more in the stroller and would allow for a few more minutes of getting carted around.

Baby Bjorn
Sling - I used one from http://www.sidecardesigns.com/ but apparently they are not in business right now?? Anyhow one of the ones that are all one piece of fabric, over the shoulder - no clips, ties, etc. Just fabulous fabric!

Good luck...

[Cheri DeLurker]

11 years ago when my daughter was a baby, we only had the SOUND baby monitors. My 30 year old sister has a 1 year old and they invested in a nice VIDEO baby monitor and WOW - it is amazing. It really cuts down on unnecessary "baby checks" when you hear noises, you can just look at the monitor and see that the baby's just fine, no need to unnecessarily wake him/her up to check on him/her for the 100th time. This is especially handy for the first 6 months, when any little sound that he/she makes causes you to immediately panic.

[Kristabella]

I like the Dalmatian costume. That's kind of funny. Admit it!

Also, I'm sure you read Amalah's Pregnancy Calendar at AlphaMom (I do and I'm not pregnant, what is wrong with me?) but she just wrote a whole thing about what you need NOW and what you can buy AFTER the baby is born and what you DO NOT need. Seemed helpful to a single woman with cats. :)

[listen2urhusband]

Don't dress molly up as a pumpkin, it will make her look fat and then she will have a complex. You know how she is about her weight.

I dont think you will use the video monitor as much as you think. We never had a use for it. Just a plain normal baby monitor is fine. Video monitors are not worth the money.
I really like the Seven Generation diapers, they are dye free and chlorine free and are way more biodegradable. Jakes little butt would get terrible rashes from the regular diapers, that is why we switched and he never had any problems after that. Another cool thing about them is if you order them on Amazon, they UPS them to your house and you can setup it to where they will mail them to you monthly. Does not get any easier than that. Dont get a Diaper Jennie, they are gross!!! Think about it, the bags for those things are huge and if you wait until the jennie is full to empty it out, it weights about 40 lbs. Think about how much poop and urine that is. When you open the lid, it smells to high heaven. And you know how bad Mike can smell, do you really need something else in your house to make it worse. Just throw the diapers in a trash can with a lid that closes and empty it everyday.

I don't know why you are registering away, you know your just going to come down to NB and get all of Jakes stuff any.

Peace....
Lux

[sensibly Sassy]

For a second I thought you said that Molly was an asshole for Halloween one year! But then I re-read and got it hehe

[K]

I like the Dalmation idea. Too funny!
Delilah has dressed up as a ladybug the last two Halloweens (her only two so far). The costume didn't really fit her the first year and was way better last year. She HATED it though. I wonder if there is a barktoberfest or something of that nature near me? That sounds like a blast!!
No kids here so I have no advice.

[Robert Mass]

I'm useless in the baby department, but an expert in the dog Halloween costume department. The Dalmation idea is way better than the pumpkin idea. Sorry.

For what it's worth, though, I can't think of anything for my dog to be. Maybe I should vote for your pumpkin idea so I can steal the Dalmation idea.

[Ellen]

Travel systems are SO helpful when you're going in and out of places in the early months and you don't want to wake them, up. I got a Graco one that is WAY streamlined (as in, the stroller folds down like an umbrella stroller, not one of those honkin' plastic things). You will like streamlined. The stroller is now great for travel and for the older baby.

Don't register for blankets, I have a box of ones I never even opened. And swings are amazing, though there are some babies who don't like them. Later, an exersaucer is awesome.

And register for older baby clothes because you'll get tons of them for tiny ones but when they start to move around the floor THAT is when you need tons of clothes because they're so dirty!

[Jennifer]

Diaper Genie - Waste of money.

[nonsoccermom]

Hee, I like the dalmatian idea!! I think it's funny.

I just kind of skimmed the previous comments, but I noticed several people said not to register for clothes. This is very true. You will have so many clothes and blankets, your child will NEVER EVER use them all. We have about a billion blankets and I have no idea what we're going to do with all of them.

Definitely register for a swing, those things can be a real lifesaver in the early days. Bouncy seats are a real plus too.

[Jenny]

We were advised (or maybe "assvised") against the Diaper Genie early on. I'm glad that we didn't buy into that gimmick. We just use a grocery bag, hung on her doorknob in which to put the dirty diapers, then each night, we toss the bag--using it first to clean litterboxes as well. Not the most environmentally-friendly way to dispose of the diapers and certainly not a look that you'll see in a Pottery Barn Kids catalog, but it works for us and keeps the odors at bay. Also, since the Diaper Genie is a big-ticket item, you don't want it to be your "big hostess" gift at a shower (assuming that you have one, and you probably will, being from Texas and all!). You need other, more pressing, useful big ticket items for that (i.e. stroller, car seat, swing, etc).

Be sure and register for receiving blankets. Like most everyone else has said above, you'll get tons of cute, thick, monogrammed, fancy blankets, but (especially in those first weeks) you'll really need just thin, cheap receiving blankets that are the best for swaddling and quick clean ups in case the baby barfs, pees, etc. We didn't get any prior to Anna being born and only had the one from the hospital. My mom had to make a flying trip to Target on the day we brought Anna home from the hospital for a package of receiving blankets.

Register for Onesies, jammies, etc in large sizes, like 6-12m; 12-18m; etc. It will be nice to pull those out and use them once all of the itty bitty, cutesy baby stuff doesn't fit anymore. Also do register for the toddler feeding supplies. It's nice to have those squirreled away and to be able to take them out in a pinch as needed--even though they seem even more foreign than the infant feeding stuff right now.

I never understood the whole 3-types of stroller thing and thought for sure that we only needed one. Wrong. If you can, register for an umbrella stroller and possibly a jogging stroller (love mine) in addition to your travel system or whatever. Different locales call for different stroller needs.

Last (yes, I'm almost done) but not least: Don't be afraid of used baby gear. Craigslist is my best friend. Most baby gear isn't used for long periods of time and, in my opinion, there are few germs that can't be eradicated with a little laundry detergent or Clorox cleanups.

Sorry for the novella. Hope that it helps a little though!

[Kerri Anne]

I'm all about dog costumes for Halloween. Chris is playing hard to get about them, but I'm convinced Iggy will make a great pirate. Or, um, something!

(Are you posting a link to your baby registry? Because that would be rad, if you want to, of course. I am such a fan of baby shopping.)

[Angela]

I can pretty much agree with all the advice above. Some things I'd do differently now though:

Nicky loved his swing, but it went thru batteries like crazy! Look for one that plugs into an outlet. That would have been awesome!

Monitor: we had just a sound one, and I was adamant about that. I figured the video would be just overkill. Well, as a baby I think I'm right, but I tell you, once he was a toddler and more mobile, I wished I'd had one! Especially when he figured out how to take his poopy diapers off on his own!

Changing table: We borrowed a handmedown one and used it for a good long time. It's nice for storage when they are too little to get into the shelves. But once they can scoot around, forget it. They'll pull the whole thing over on themselves easy. We now use the changing pad on his dresser. It still works and he's 2.5!

Diaper Genie: we knew we didn't want to do that. I can't stand the idea of having to buy their particular refills. But we did have the diaper champ. That worked very well for the first year or so. After that though they really don't fill it up fast enough and so it gets stinky from diapers sitting in there for like three days. We now do the grocery bag tie up like someone mentioned above and that works fine. With a dog in the house though, you might like some kind of secure diaper pail. Our dogs have gotten into dirty diapers too many times since we don't have the diaper champ anymore. Talk about GROSS!

Mostly, don't be too invested in your registry. We didn't really get much off it. Basically if we really wanted a particular thing (like our choice of pack and play) we just bought that ourselves.

It is so exciting though! Enjoy yourselves!

[La Petite Belle]

I think MOST baby products aren't necessary, in my opinion the most important thing a new mom needs if going back to work is a good, double electric breastpump like the pump in style. I also recommend a sling, especially for when they are teeny tiny, they make really cute ones now.

[NGS]

Totally dalmation. Hilarious!

Ummm...when I buy baby gifts, I totally ignore registries and just buy cute stuff at Baby Gap (with attached gift receipts, of course). So, go ahead and register, but don't be surprised if you don't get any of it!

[KJ]

Dalmation. Got to go with dressing a dog as a different type of dog.

[j]

i work in childcare with infants, and the products we couldn't live without are definitely the swing (the little fold up ones are great because you can move it around), the bumbo chair, and anything in the jumperoo family. they are like exersaucers but they can jump in them. they are FABULOUS and i haven't ever met a baby that didn't love it. YOU NEED ONE. my fav is the jungle one. entertainment for hours. seriously.

[Raven]

I didn't give you any advice because I figure if you have a question, you'll ask me :)

As far as Molly, I love the cat idea that someone mentioned above. I recommend a LION!

RAWR

[Leah]

We're setting up our registry this weekend, and we've already received so many hand-me-downs, I'm having a hard time finding things for people to buy us! If you can borrow baby gear, DO IT! Most of the tubs, bouncers, rockers, swings, and stroller bases are only used for six months or so, which means (1) that's a lot of money for not much use and (2) you have to store all that crap for Baby 2. Once we're done with all the used stuff, we're giving them back to our friends for their eventual Baby 2, and then they'll give stuff back to us when they're done with it. We've saved more than $1000, easy.

Also, I say don't register for blankets. We've already gotten six and I know of about six more that are being made. Oy.

Don't forget to register for little stuff, like a thermometer, pacifiers, hooded towels, socks, crib sheets. They're not the most fun things to shop for, but at least they're necessary and useful, which you can't say for a lot of the other stuff out there.

[Katie]

The favorite gift we got were the bigger size clothing. We favored onesies and sleepers those first few months anyway. But by the time the kids got to be 6-7 months old it was oh so fun to have a few NEW things (that we didn't have to pay for!) to pull out again. It helps break up the gap between the baby shower and the 1st birthday hehehe
Other than that lil piece of advice - I say CLICK AWAY!!! Registering is so fun!
Oh ok and don't be afraid to make returns! LOL

[Jane]

have you checked out babycheapskate.com -- she has a list compiled there.. I disagree on the shopping cart cover and the diaper genie/champ... I LOVE mine! Post here.