Highlights from our Baby Registry

The thank you notes are in the mail so I thought I'd share some of what we had on our registry and why. We chose to register at Target and Amazon. I'm not the biggest fan of babiesRus and while there is a new buybuybaby near where we used to live, I decided to keep it simple with target. I was surprised to see more people didn't take advantage of amazon, as that's my go-to for almost all things, but our target registry got hit hard, so I'll consider it a success.

I did all of my registering online as I was restrcited from shopping early on. The benefit was that I spent a lot of time reading reviews and comparing products. I had a handful of personalized recommendations from mom's I know, but for the most part I used my own research  (there are SO many newer products that my mommy friends had never heard of).

Here are a few things I'm really excited about!

1. Baby Bloom Bath- This is a soft, plush bath that keeps baby warm, rather than keeping them above the water in a sling type bath. It's perfect for the sink in the early weeks.  I also received a more traditional plastic bath at my shower and the bloom bath can be used in conjunction. It's easily washed and dried and can grow with the baby and be used in a bigger bath to provide comfort. The biggest plus is that is's adorable!

2. Snugabunny Rock n' Play Sleeper- We received the whole line of Snugabunny items at our shower. The swing, the bouncer and the sleeper. I'm super excited about the sleeper as it's portable and allows baby to sleep at a slight angle, which many babies prefer. I hear this is a life saver and many babies prefer it over a bassinet. We do have a pack n' play with a bassinet that we are planning on using, but I'll be curious to see what our little girl prefers. While the snugabunny line is not exactly my favorite design aesthetic, it comes highly recommended and is the more "deluxe" line of fischer price products and does look super cozy. I'm all about what works!

3. Baby Einstein Neptune Ocean Adventure Gym- Again, this is an example of a product that is not exactly my cup of tea visually BUT the reviews make sense. Babies are stimulated by bright, primary colors and this product is meant to stimulate and entertain. It converts to a tummy time play mat, with the whale being used as a booster under baby's chest. It also includes a mirror and and detachable toys. To me it seems extremely pricey, but we were lucky enough to receive this as a gift.

4. Aden + Anais muslin swaddlers- just about every single mom I know has recommended these blankets to me. We received 8 of these at the shower. They are huge, breathable an can be used as a nursing cover, car seat cover and of course a swaddler. They are so soft, too.

5. Comotomo Natural Feel bottles- I registered for three types of bottles. I'm not sure what our baby will prefer, but if she's anything like her mom she'll naturally gravitate towards these, pricey bottles. The reviews are great and when you see how these align in baby's mouth you really get the sense that they are as close to a breast as it gets. We did not receive these at the shower, but I plan on ordering them. While I plan on breastfeeding, I'll have to go back to work and will need a bottle our little girl will take to.

6. Ah Goo Baby changing mat- this was something I found while watching a "what's in my diaper bag" youtube video. I found it intrguging and the mom of three who was reviewing it said it was her favorite. I received it at the shower and while it's smaller than I would have guessed, the center is a soft memory foam which is pretty luxurious. It can be used as a play mat, tummy time mat or changing mat. It rolls up to be diaper bag friendly.

I went with my initial favorite diaper bag, the skip hop versa and so far I love it. We'll see how it does with a newborn.

Right now I'm still undecided on a stroller. Last year, I fell in love with the UppaBaby Vista, but when I went to look at it earlier this year, I wasn't as impressed. It's just so bulky and the seat seems so small. I'd love to have something we didn't have to replace after a year or so. Almost every mom I know has gone through several strollers and almost all of them have ended up with a B.O.B.. They all love their BOBs. Again, it's just too bulky for me. And believe you me-there will be no jogging for me.   While I was looking, I really liked the Bumbleride Indie, it's so much lighter than the bob and seems very well made, but I still wasn't totally sold. I've always been a fan of the maclaren strollers and will probably have a Triumph in addition to whatever stroller we end up with, if any at this point! For now I just have Maclaren's version of the snap n go with the car seat.