Well, we did it. It was overwhelming, stressful and exciting all at once but we’ve (almost finished) registering for our babe! Even before we ventured to the store, I had pretty much completed our registry online based off of tons and tons of mommy recommendations, consumer reports, Baby Bargains book, lots of online research, etc. and we were simply going in store to see it all in person. Of course, a “quick trip” to test drive strollers turned into two Saturday’s worth of shopping, testing out products and further researching items.
So although these are the items we think we are going to use, please note these are only my opinions and every baby is unique, which can completely change your needs!
STROLLERS: Between our parent friends, blog friends, baby bargains
book, consumer reports, etc. we knew we were going to be choosing between the Britax B-Ready stroller and the Baby Jogger City Select stroller. Important factors to us when deciding was that the stroller must 1. combine to a double for the future 2. collapse with one hand 3. rubber handle (instead of foam) for easy cleaning and durability 4. under $500 and of course, 5. must be easy to steer/drive with one hand. Both strollers have a lot of the same capabilities and would work, but we chose to go with the Baby Jogger City Select!
And as we painfully learned, pretty much all of the accessories are sold separate for strollers so we also added the Baby Jogger™ City Series Child Tray, Baby Jogger® Universal Parent Console, Baby Jogger™ Single Stroller Mounting Bracket Car Seat Adapter and Mighty Buggy Stroller Hook by Think King. Are we missing any other important accessories?
In addition to our main stroller, we registered for the Chicco® KeyFit Caddy Lightweight Aluminum Infant Car Seat Carrier Stroller for when we just need to snap in the car seat on the go. Plus this stroller is lightweight and compact so we plan to just keep it in the trunk of the car.
I’m not a runner, so hopefully we can get by with just 2 strollers (and maybe an inexpensive umbrella stroller if later necessary).
CAR SEAT: We decided on the Chicco® KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat in Romantic after most of our friends recommended it, we read the amazing safety reviews, it’s lightweight and the super helpful store associate told us this is the #1 seller for various reasons.
Again, all of the accessories are sold separately, so we picked up an additional Chicco® KeyFit and KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat Base for Matt’s truck, a Summer Infant DuoMat™ 2-in-1 Car Seat Mat,
Summer Infant® Deluxe PiddlePad™ Waterproof Seat Liner in Black, Boppy® Infant Seat Handle Cushion, Brica® Day & Nightlight Musical Mirror and Brica® Stay-on™ Window Sun Shade. If I’m missing any must-have accessories, let me know!
SWING: We are still undecided on the swing situation so as of right now we’ve registered for both the Fisher-Price® My Little Snugapuppy™ Cradle N’ Swing and the 4moms® mamaRoo® Plush Baby Swing in Silver until we make up our mind. We really don’t have any floor space for a full sized swing in our living room, so we’re leaning towards the mamaroo, but I’ve heard such mixed reviews – babies either love it or hate it and it’s such a gamble. Any advice on swings is welcomed!
SLEEPER: We also registered for the Fisher-Price® My Little Snugapuppy Deluxe Rock N’ Play Sleeper for Caroline to use while she sleeps in our room at first. The deluxe version vibrates, rocks and is super comfortable so we picked this one. It is also the #1 pediatrician recommended sleeper since the baby is positioned at an incline (good for after feeding).
BOUNCER: We selected the matching My Little Snugabunny Bouncer by Fisher-Price® for another activity when the babe is fussy.
CARRIERS: The most important thing to me when deciding on a carrier was back support. I am a small person so I need a carrier with optimal ergonomic positioning for both me and the baby. The most important factor for Matt was that he could carry the baby facing outwards in public “like the hangover.” Sooo, with both of those “important” factors in mind we decided on the Stokke® MyCarrier: 3-in-1 Multi-Use Baby Carrier in Cool Cream.
You can learn more about this carrier {here}.
I also knew I really wanted a Baby K’Tan® Small Baby Carrier in Black so we registered for one of those too. This is also the number one seller (with the least returns) at BBB.
PACK N’ PLAY: Will we really use this? And are they all the same? I’ve been told that the 4moms® Breeze Playard is great because it’s simple and super easy to assemble, but it is $200 more than the average pack n’ play that comes with lots of bells and whistles. So option #2 is Graco® Pack ‘n Play® Playard with Reversible Napper & Changer™ in Soho Square.
MONITORS: We registered for the Motorola® Digital Video Baby Monitor with 2.8-Inch Color LCD Screen but have also heard lots of great reviews from other mommies about the Summer Infant monitors. The Motorola monitor was the only one offered at BBB, had really great reviews, and offers the two-way communication feature which is important to us {so we can talk to Caroline as she gets older, and I can talk to Matt while he’s in her room looking for diapers in the middle of the night}.
So those are the BIG necessities that we registered for. Of course, we also registered for bath time supplies, diapers, nursing & feeding supplies, health & safety items, toys, clothes and nursery decor!
Would love your feedback on the swing, monitors and pack n‘ plays!
Thank you so much for writing this post! I am definitely going to bookmark it and reference it when we start our registery! Thank you thank you! Hope you're feeling well!
I'm no help in the baby registry department, but still so excited for you two!! Love that Matt wanted a carrier like in Hangover.. haha! Hopefully we'll need this info soon 🙂
We have the Mamaroo, and so far, my 9-day old loves it! I think the trick was putting her in it right when we got home from the hospital….now she naps for 3-4 hours daily in that thing! It is great. But I would just save all the packaging just in case yours doesn't like it. When I purchased ours, Buy Buy Baby told me I could exchange it for a different swing, no questions asked, if I had all of the original packaging. Good luck!! 🙂
Ooooh friend, I am going to be constantly refreshing this post all day long so that I can see all of the wonderful advice you get in the comments section!We, too, chose the Chicco Key Fit (slightly different model) and the coordinating stroller base. I had no idea what a rock + play sleeper was until I had lunch with a mama friend who RAVES about them and insisted that we own one for our babe!Matt just cracks me up x1000. We've gotta get these like-minded boys together soon 🙂
It's crazy how difficult registering can be! Fiance and I are currently working on our wedding registries, and you think it would be fun to just go in and go crazy with the scanner but NOPE… when you actually have to consider what you love/want versus need, it's a whole different ballgame! Such sweet choices for baby Caroline! And love that Matt made the connection to The Hangover– whatever gets them pumped about the gear, right? 🙂
Hi Christina! Love the blog 🙂 My husband and I just had our daughter in November. We love the City Select stroller – good choice! As far as swings and bouncers, we held off on those. It's obviously nice to get them as gifts, but you will most likely receive tons of gift cards as well. Get to know your baby first – she may not need a swing 🙂 My daughter does not (as of now, haha) and we don't have to worry about another huge piece of equipment laying around the apartment. The rock n play sleeper is amazing and she uses it all the time for naps (did sleep in it at night for 2.5 months and then I transitioned her into her pack n play). Go with your gut on the registry, however. People will always have opinions! I will say, however, babies do not need much. When I registered, at first, I went nuts with making sure she had EVERYTHING…and honestly, I don't use all of it at all. Good luck!
such an exciting time! we never had a mamma-roo, we had the snug-a-bunny and he loved it! literally lived in it for the first two months after we brought him home. love it all!
Yay for tackling registering! I remember it being so overwhelming at first! We have many of the items you registered for. We have and love the Baby Jogger City Select. It does not collapse with one hand though. In fact, I've spent plenty of time in parking lots cursing at it because I couldn't get it to collapse. You have to yank up on both sides at once to collapse it and it's tough sometimes to get the left side w/ my weaker hand. Just an FYI – I still really like it. We have the Snug-A-Bunny, which I'm sure is just like the Snug-A-Puppy and it was THE BEST. A lifesaver. I don't have any experience with the mama-roo but I'd make sure it plugs in, as well as has batteries. You'll burn up a lot of batteries on a swing and don't want to run out in the middle of the night when it's the only place the baby will sleep that night. 🙂 We also had that bunny seat but it wasn't super helpful. It was a good place to sit her just outside the shower but because it only vibrates and doesn't actually rock or bounce, it wasn't much of a hit. They had the Fisher Price Infant to Toddler Rocker at her daycare and she loved that. It vibrates and rocks/bounces. (it is obnoxiously bright with tacky patterns, which i tried to avoid with baby gear but for how much she liked it – I'd go back and buy it if i had it to do over). I've heard RAVE reviews of the Rock & Play sleeper but we went straight into the crib so we never had one. At the end of the day, babies are different and what works for some won't work for all so don't worry too much trying to find the perfect thing. You'll learn what your little girl loves. 🙂
you will love the chicco keyfit stroller base. I just stopped using ours and i dreaded it bc it was SO nice to transfer him from the car into a stroller when he was napping with out pulling him out and waking him up! good call on the rock and play- it is 100% amazing! we got the graco pack n play but the funny thing is, we didnt use the changing station etc at all. we just use as a basic pack n play and if he needs to be changed I would just keep him in the regular part of the pack n play. we didnt have enough room to have all those things sitting around on the floor! 🙂
Okay, love this post! I have a 3 1/2 month old so we just went through this! I was so overwhelmed when we registered, I started crying, haha! Anyway here is my 2 cents, for what it's worth :)swing: we have that exact snuggapuppy swing and Hadley LOVES it. It does look big, but it fits nicely in the corner, and doesn't take up that much room. I can send you a picture of our little corner if you'd like! But, I also am a nurse in the NICU and we use mamaroos in there, especially for our really inconsolable babies and it really seems to work for them. There are a bunch of different ways it moves. It really comes down to whether or not you want to pay the price. Hadley really liked the fast motion of the swing, though, so I'm not sure she would have liked the mamaroo.Monitor: We use the motorola digital video monitor and LOVE it. It has the ability to connect a second camera to the view screen which we love. Both of our families live in different states so when we travel, we take one camera with us for nap times. Will also come in handy when we have another child. It does have some bells and whistles that we don't use (it plays music and you can talk through it…which is weird to me.) And my one issue is in order to keep the screen on to view the baby at all times, it has to stay plugged in. So if I'm doing things around the house, I have to keep pressing the view button to see her, which bothers me. But, if you're sleeping at night and keep it plugged in, the screen will stay on. Pack N' Play: Definitely don't need anything crazy. We have one with a changing station set up in our room and this is what Hadley has slept in since she was born. Since I'm nursing her, I found it easier to have her in my room than running back and forth every couple hours. We also take it when we visit family for her to sleep in. So far, that's all we've used it for, but I have friends whose kids are now "on the move" and they use it to contain them while they shower. Sorry for the long post, but I hope you can find at least some of it a little helpful!! 🙂
Ahh the baby registry. Something that I've dedicated more reading and research time to than some of my college courses! hah There's just so much to learn, right?!? We've made many of the same selections as you guys for the oh-so-popular items, and I'm still coming across reviews and suggestions that are making me second guess some of my registry items! I've heard from so many mama friends not to stress over it too much- just keep receipts and see what works and exchange as needed once baby girl is here and you have a better feel for what's right for your family!
I've had two different friends that registered for the mamaRoo swing & their babies were not fans of it. The most recent one decided to keep that one & a less expensive/less gadget-y one just to see which the baby would like & of course, he liked the one that was less expensive/less gadget-y. They saved their receipts & everything for both so I think they are able to return the one to BBB. Just a little food for thought but, like you said, every baby is different & you just don't know what's going to work for them until they are actually here.
You picked some great items! I registered for almost the exact same things as you did as far as the swing, mamaroo, bouncy seat, and rock n play. One thing I will say, is that I could have done away with the bouncer. It is smaller than the rock n play, but we always just moved the rock n play in the living area of kitchen. It was nice at times, but we really didn't need it. You mentioned you didn't have as much floor space, so I figured I'd put my two cents in. Also, the mamaroo/swing can act as a bouncy seat, too. Another option is to register for the grace rock n play, and that one has the option of the vibrations which will kind of give you the all in one. I am about to make a registry "should have registered for" list haha. 9 months later, I am still learning 🙂
Lily will be 6m next week. We went with the B-Ready stroller and it was the best investment. I take it on walks with the dogs and I can easily control it with one hand. It folds up easily and has so much space underneath for my diaper bag or shopping purchases or sometimes groceries. The swing you chose is awesome. We did the snuggabunny swing and the first three months that's the only place she would nap. We didn't think we'd use the pack and play often but it turns out that while exclusively nursing every hour and a half that it was nice to have in our bedroom overnight for her to sleep in.If you do the britax stroller, try to register for other britax items too so you can get the next size up car seat for free. The program expires april 1 but I think you have 60 days after that to send in your upc. http://www.britaxusa.com/registryrewards/support
You did an awesome job!Go with the normal pack 'n play. I love having all the options and I'm shocked at how much we've used it. We have the Chicco in Romantic that matches our fabulous car seat.And our son loved the Mamaroo for about a week then it just wasn't cutting it. He needed more motion to be soothed. We went with the huge swing that takws up too much floor space and he loved it:)
The rock n play is amazing and will be your best friend in those early days/months! Also, I say get the cheaper pack n play. We have a two year old and have used ours maybe 3 times. BUT, we do need it for local vacations or when friends come to visit. I have also hears it can be a great option as a safe time out space (or place to park the babe while you shower). One item you might have registered for and not just mentioned but I wanted to share with you is "my breast friend". It was amazing for the early weeks of feeding and it much more sturdy than a boppy. Congratulations!
A few thoughts for you…. (just for reference I'm a Mom of 2 – my oldest is 4 and my youngest is 5m)I would not purchase the protective covers for your car seat. I'm actually a little surprised they are being sold! We had our car seat installed by a certified car seat tech and they highly recommend you do not use protective covers because it hinders the best installation of the seat. I'd highly recommend having your seat installed by a car seat tech! BRU brings them in once every couple of months. Swings: I don't have a MamaRoo but I regret not buying one for my second pregnancy! This is such a gamble. My first born HATED his swing, so much so that we sold it. Fast forward to our second, who loves the swing and will take amazing naps in it. I ended up buying a swing off Craigslist because I didn't want to spend money on something I'm not sure he'd love. The good news is that if you get a MamaRoo you will probably get most of your money back if you sell it. Same with the bouncy seat. My first loved it and my second screams if I try to put him in it. You just never know. For the pack and play, I'd go with the cheaper option. I've read some not so great reviews of the 4Moms that it is heavy and cumbersome. We went with a lower end PNP that didn't have all the extras and we've been very pleased with it. The baby slept in our room for about 3 moms in the elevated position, but we always took him out to change him so we wouldn't have used the bassinet. You will love your snap and go stroller. It's so nice for just quickly getting in and out of a store. I have a double stroller, and I never use it because it is so heavy. I also have a BJ City Mini. I will say the reviews of the car seat attachment for the City Mini are not favorable, but maybe that differs for the City Select. We have the same Motorola monitor and love it. I do with there was a way to mute the sound, but that is a small thing. Good luck with your choices.
We have the summer infant monitor & have no complaints! Our son is 1 yr old & it still works great. It also has a feature to talk to baby from another location. I have not heard good things about the Motorola monitors. We have the graco pack n play. Very convenient for travel & we keep it in our room so when I'm getting ready I can let him play & keep an eye on him. The k'tan is great when baby is tiny, but when they get heavier it KILLS your back. We have the Ergo & I absolutely love it! It is so comfortable, doesn't strain my back/shoulders, it has a pocket for cell, keys etc. But you can't carry baby facing out. Which isn't an issue for me. DH never wore our son. And I most def recommend the rock n play! We were at wits end trying to get DS to sleep as a newborn. We bought this with a gift card after my mommy friend raved about it & thankfully were able to get into a much better sleep schedule.
To be honest we really didn't use our Pack n Play too much until now (our son is 8 months). We can put him in there with a few toys while we are gathering our bags to leave the house, getting ready in the morning, etc..My parents bought a Graco Pack n Play for him to sleep in while we are visiting for the weekend but we discovered the mattress does not fit perfectly at the bottom – there is a couple inch gap all around, which worries me. We have the Chico Lullaby LX playard and the mattress fits great. We've never used the bassinet or the changing table – I would much rather go to the babies room but that's me. We don't have much space as well but the swing is soooo worth it!!! He spent the first few nights in there and then switched to the same rock n play you selected. Good luck! Oh and we said the same thing about no foam handles on the stroller 🙂
I have the same monitor you registered for and we love it! Also, we bought the Graco Pack n Play that you have pictured here and we love it too! Good choices!
In my opinion you will ABSOLUTELY use the pack N play. You might not use it right away–but if you have a 2 story (or more) house–and the nursery is on the second floor, it's a smart move to set up the fancier pack and play downstairs somewhere and use it as a secondary changing station. I assure you as a tired momma you will NOT want to trot upstairs with a screaming baby multiple times a day. Save your strength (and sanity) and spend the extra bucks. It also comes in handy when you are traveling–anywhere you stay in a hotel or are at a friend's house a pack and play is CRUCIAL. As for the swing–I think a standard swing would be just fine–but if you're limited on space–the mommaroo is definitely a good option for that sense.
The pack n play was a must for us, we still use it for her when we travel. As far as the bells and whistles, we got one just like that Graco and have never used the fancy stuff. We tried a few of them on our first trip with her, and she did better without. It's really not that big of a pain to put up either, don't know if it is worth the extra $200. We have the Summer Infant Monitor and I am obsessed with it. It is probably my favorite baby product. We are getting the second camera for Leighton and will probably use them until they are teenagers – ha!
Hi! The monitor you picked is the one we have and we LOVE it. YES, get the pack and play. We love ours and its a great idea to have it set up for when the baby comes downstairs, or even just in your room. When you have a little newborn you need places to "put" them while you make the bed, fold laundry etc. So its nice to have several options (one for each room in the house) and the pack and play makes a great option to free your hands up. We also use it when we travel, and as someone who HATES putting things together its super easy to do, and I don't even mind setting it up or breaking it down.As for the swing… I wish we had gotten one that plugged into the wall. So if either of those do buy the one that does. We go through so many batteries now its crazy. Everything from swings, to bouncers, to little toys requires them so stock up now. My husband put batteries in everything before the baby came and it was so nice to have everything ready to roll when he got here.And, my personal favorite things and my go-to baby shower gift is Aden & Anais Burpy Bibs. They are the softest burp cloths and also double as bibs. If you haven't registered for these DO…they are amazing. Really anything with the Aden & Anais label is fantastic. I mean the prince of England came home in one of their swaddles, so they are royally approved!
wow! so much to choose from. pinning this for the future, im sure it will be very helpful 🙂 xo
Snug a bunny swing is amazing and well worth the space it takes up! I would hold off on getting two strollers, especially if you plan on baby wearing. We have an 18 month old and have only used our stroller for running. Also, be very careful about wearing your baby facing out, it is terrible for their hips and groin. We have a Baby Hawk Mei Tai and my husband wears it too! For newborn baby wearing look into Solly Baby!
I agree with other comments. Reigistering was sooo overwhelming, everyone had a different opinion and you know nothing about anything and try to listen to everyone. We had the chicco keyfit 30 and LOVED it, as well as the snap and go stroller base. Our son grew out of it in 4 months though, but the 4 months we had it we loved it. I was super adamant about not getting a pack and play becuase our house was so small, why would I need it? Someone got it for us and we never returned it. We use it EVERY day. My son is now 18 months and we cant trust him around the house if I'm in the bathroom or kitchen, or we have to let the dogs out. We started puting him in it while we were eating dinner when he was younger, we take it outside if we are outside, take it to the beach, it goes everywhere with us. Also, if we go away on vacation we take it so he can sleep in something familiar. It works like a charm. We had a bouncy seat, but he never used it. He loved his swing and nap nanny (which they no longer sell). But every baby is different and everyone has different opinions. Keep the boxes to everything and you can return them whenever with no receipt for store credit.
Shopping for baby stuff is so fun!! That monitor is so hi-tech!! Love it! 🙂
I am not a mom yet, so I feel less qualified to give advice but I have heard that the motor goes out in the snug a bunny swing. It happened to our friends, but maybe the fixed the flaw the snug a puppy swing. I would say go with the mamaroo because you cam use your I pod or iPhone and put music through it. I've heard only good things about it.
We love our City Select Stroller! You will too!! But I have to weigh in on your carrier choice and pack n play. We got the Ergo with infant insert and it has been a lifesaver. At least once a day, my little Hunter takes a solid 2 plus hour nap in there while I'm out on a walk, shopping or just getting things done at home. It's my number one recommendation for new moms. And then I feel like I need to share my experience with the pack n play. We had originally registered for the same one you selected and upon receiving it and realizing how heavy it really is and what a hassle it is to assemble we quickly returned it and spent a little more on the BabyBjorn Travel Lite Crib. It weighs 11 pounds and pops up/down. Worth every penny! The number one regret I hear from my girlfriends is the purchase of the pack n play. Something to consider… Anyhow, I have enjoyed reading your weekly posts. You look beautiful and I wish you all the best as you enter your 3rd trimester! Enjoy!!
PS. We have the same monitor and LOVE it! Plus when baby #2 comes along, you can always add an additional camera! Excellent choice!
I say to add some cup holders for the stroller (for parents) and to te car seat for sippy cups later on. Around 10 months our baby girl could navigate a bottle or cup from her cup holder and it was super helpful.
I have the Graco pack and play and love it. I use it daily as a safe place for him to play while I get ready and just love that it folds up compact to take on vacation or to visit the grandparents. You should add the mommy hook to your stroller accessories. I didn't think I needed it and than got it as a gift and I use it all the time when I'm out shopping and need a place to hold some bags.I have a video monitor and love but it doesn't have the intercom capabilities. I had read an article years back on a couple who heard a stranger speaking to their daughter over the monitor. At the time it was easy for people to pick up interference. Not sure if that is still an issue but thought I would mention it since it freaked me out.
I am borrowing a swing from a friend for when baby arrives. Because I know storage is going to be a pain!
Looks like you guys did a great job researching and picking things you will definitely need and use! My little man is 9 months old, and we bought the Fisher Price swing and the Graco Pack-N-Play that you have listed. He LOVED the swing, and it was definitely not as big and bulky as I thought it would be, so don't worry about that. I love 4Moms products and think their designs are super innovative, however, when it comes to Pack-N-Plays, I would recommend saving your money and going with the more cost-effective Graco option. We loved the napper/changer section on ours (my son napped in it quite a bit when he was first born and I wanted him in whatever room I was in so that I could keep an eye on him). And to this day, he still sleeps and naps in it when we travel, so we have definitely gotten good use out of ours!
We have the fisher price snug a bunny swing and Hudson LOVED it. Sometimes the only way I could get him to nap was in the swing, so it was a life saver for us. But each baby is different. When it comes to pack-n-plays I say save your money and get a cheaper one….we hardly ever use ours. Hudson slept in it for the first 4 weeks and now we only use it when we travel. And we have that exact same motorolla monitor and LOVE it. It is one of my favorite purchases. Hudson even dunked the monitor in the bath tub (remember that from instagram?) and after drying out it still works perfectly!!!
p.s. we have that same baby jogger stroller and I still LOVE it. We got the snack tray, the adapter for the car seat and that's it….this spring I'll probably get the cup holder….so you are right on track girl!
Ahh what a fun time! So many choices but I'm sure whatever you end up with will be perfect 🙂
I have that same stroller, and now have 2 kids (5 and 2). We go to Orlando about 6 times a year, and it's great for the parks. We purchased the stepping board last year, and my oldest can stand of it while the younger one is pushed around. Too bad you don't live near D.C., because I am getting rid of the extra double seat.
I spent so much time researching stuff too and then sadly, much of it went out the window because my baby was different from other babies and their moms' recommendations, haha. I will say though, as far as our baby, most of the stuff you listed above DID work! He only liked his bouncy seat for a short time, though, and seemed to be over it within the first handful of weeks. (Though I'm thinking of dragging it back out to see if he is "into it" again.) We went with the swing on the left (Fisher Price, I believe) as a last minute attempt to bring him some comfort (we thought we had a colicky baby on our hands for awhile there, and we turned out to be wrong..) and he loves it. My husband wanted the mom-a-roo and I, like many other "wants", could not justify putting it on the list for other people to buy because of the price. However, in the end, I was glad I didn't because a private Facebook group I belong to of moms that all had their kids the same month I did said the mom-a-roo had three settings: slow, slower and slowest. (Unless maybe the one you have listed above is a deluxe/upgraded version?? Could be better!) Jackson sleeps in the same device you listed above (a different aesthetic design, but the same company/brand) and with the sleeper, his smuggler and white noise, he sleeps great! (Started sleeping through the night at 6 weeks!) I used that thing in the daytime, too, when he got his first little cold. And lastly, I have the same monitor and I love it!! We initially had another monitor that went haywire and when we went back to get this one (which was not in our Babies R Us here when we registered last Fall) we took the old one back. With the exchange/credit rate, we actually MADE 50 bucks and were able to buy some much needed supplies for our little one. Score!!Can't wait for all the updates coming up. So exciting since I can actually relate to ALL these posts!! Mothers definitely all have great commonalities, especially when we all have ones that are new. 🙂 Cheers,Samara
Oh my gosh I've loved reading this because we had so many of the same concerns and questions about baby gear when I was pregnant with our son who is now 2. First, we had the Summer Infant monitor for almost 2 years and it was awful from the start. It worked sometimes, but would always lose reception (our house isn't huge!) and needed to be charged all the time. For the last year it had to be plugged in to the wall if we wanted it to work, and then one day it just died. We bought the Motorola® Digital Video Baby Monitor and we love it! Never loses reception, we can talk to him when we're trying to calm him down to go back to sleep, we can move the camera around the room and it never once has lost reception. We have the My Little Snugabunny Bouncer by Fisher-Price® too and it was super useful in the first year. I used it to keep him in in the bathroom while I showered or on the counter while I cooked dinner and for his naps during the day when he was really little. One of my favorite baby gear items. The Rock and Play can probably be used for some of the same things though — all depends on your space etc. We have the Fisher-Price® My Little Snugapuppy™ Cradle N' Swing but rarely used it. It takes up a lot of space, which we don't have in the Family Room and my son never really felt comfortable in there. The Mama Rood sounds like it would have saved us in the first months though — it bounces like a mom would and has so many different motions. But honestly you'll never quite know what your baby likes until she's here! The snap and go stroller is awesome! Lightweight, easy to open and put away and has great storage!
I like how you went neutral with the colors instead of all girly because you never know if you'll have a little boy someday 😉
We loved the snug a bunny swing. I bought it for my sister as a shower gift knowing she would let me use it once I had a baby. We never had motor problems but we never used it for naps or night time sleeping. My daughter slept in the rock and play for the first two weeks. It was perfect for her. Be careful with the dog though, it tips easily. Our dog is very curious so we setup the rocker inside the pack and play. We called it her little fort. She went into her crib at 2 weeks because I wasn't sleeping well with her in the room with us. She transitioned without a problem!We have the super basic $50 graco pack and play. It takes me about 1 minute to set it up. I didn't feel the need for a changer or newborn napper. My mom, dad, and mother in law all have their own pack and plays so I don't really use it often. Why is baby stuff so overwhelming??? I remember having multiple near panic attack moments at BBB!
Wow, very helpful post and all of the comments are great too! We are about a week from finding out if our little nugget is a he or a she and then we are going to start the task of registering…I bookmarked this post to refer back to.
Thanks so much for sharing!! Did you register for a rocker/glider? I've been seeing a lot of the newer models that look like an actual chair rather than a rocking chair and was curious what you picked out (if either :D).
we have that Rock N' Play Sleeper for Amelia, and at ten days old, she loves it!
1. Look into a Tula baby carriers (can't face out but it is the best ergonomic carrier on the market)2. We used our pack-n-play a lot because we travel often, so it is perfect for weekend trips instead of using yucky hotel cribs once she out grows the rock-n-play (which we also used and loved)
Even back in the day when I and my siblings were little, I remember the Pack'n'play going with us all over the place. Of course, we were a family that did a lot of traveling and visiting and the littlest one always came along. They probably aren't as useful if you're not as transient. 🙂 My nephew has the Fisher Price swing and loves it.
I think a Pack n Play is a definite must–we use ours when we travel as a crib, for guests who come over who need a crib, and currently baby #2 is using it to sleep in while he's in our room. It's also a fantastic "parent station" when the baby isn't sleeping it! Since our changing table is in the children's shared room, I use the bassinet insert of the pack n play as a changing table for baby boy when his big sister is asleep. I definitely recommend it! We also have the snugabunny swing and bouncy and love them (although the swing is large). My only main advice (which you seem to be following already) is to register for gender neutral gear so that you don't need to rebuy for baby #2. I would also pick up a playmat for tummy time:)
I'm so glad I stumbled across your blog. I'm in Charlotte 🙂 Your pregnancy posts are super helpful as we will prayerfully be welcoming baby #1 in November (although still haven't told anyone). Congratulations on your lil' girl!
I must have scrolled through half your blog today. I stumbled onto this post looking for registry suggestions ( we are deciding between the same two strollers). I think that the stroller and car seat are the two most intimidating parts of the registry. I will be eager to read what you think once Sweet Caroline arrives.
Hello! I have a 3 month old baby boy named Brody and happen to have lots of the items you're hoping for feedback on. I am obsessed with baby items and love to chat about them and figure out what's the best :)1. We love the mamaroo…it's a splurge, but so worth it. The only thing is that it doesn't rock front to back, but it has some amazing settings and has been soo nice to have. There is a new Rockaroo that looks pretty cool if you want something that is more like a swing.2. Motorola Monitor: this is the one thing we have that I am not really loving. The two-way talking feature is nice, but we don't use it that often. What I don't love is that you can't block out the white noise (if you have a sound machine in the nursery) so it makes it hard to hear baby and you have to turn it up really loud. I also wish I could see the picture better at night, so I can tell if he's crying because he is out of his swaddle, etc. 3. Chicco Keyfit: overall I really like it, but it's heavy and it won't secure to shopping carts, so you have to put it in the main basket.4. We have both the fisher price bouncy chair and the rock n play sleeper. I pretty much have somewhere I can put him in every room. Like you I went for the neutral items, but I found now that he is older he loves the bright colored items. Basically, the uglier the item, the more he likes it 😉 He plays in this http://www.diapers.com/p/fisher-price-rainforest-bouncer-9322?site=CA&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc_D&utm_term=FS-120&utm_campaign=GooglePLA&CAWELAID=1338727958&utm_content=pla&ca_sku=FS-120&ca_gpa=pla&ca_kw={keyword} everyday.5. Graco pack n play: we didn't use ours very much as we put him in his crib after 2 weeks. I really wanted the 4moms, because of how easy it is. I say go for it!!6. I recommend Uppa Baby G-luxe for an umbrella stroller when the baby is older. This is all fresh in my mind, feel free to message me or check out my blog http://www.herecomeshappiness.blogspot.com
You can check this http://21streviews.com/graco-literider-classic-connect-stroller-review/
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