The Baby Registry

Look - it's the wall o'nipples!

Last Saturday, two very, very kind and generous friends offered to take me to Buy Buy Baby and help me with Baby Peanut's registry.  When I was trying to get pregnant, baby stores were akin to Chinese torture chambers.  Accordingly, until my friends offered to help, I viewed the entire registration process with a pretty heft amount of trepidation.  I can't begin to tell you how thrilled I was to have them both with me.

Sarah and Brittany reviewing sippy cups

I decided to register at Buy Buy Baby for several reasons.  First, the store is laid out much better than a Babies R Us.  Second, their return policy is extremely generous.  Third, the staff is nice and more importantly, knowledgeable.  Finally, they carry several lines BRU does not.

Having two friends with me meant that I got to absorb all of their knowledge and advice - and so did the staff.  Several times we caught employees listening to Brittany and Sarah explain things to me.  These girls know their stuff and the employees were just interested in hearing their opinions.    We were more than a little chatty, so the whole process took about three and half hours.  I owe them both big time.

A few things I picked up from Sarah and Brittany:

• Foldable cloth diapers also make good burp cloths for serious spit ups
• You don't know which kind of pacifier your baby will like, so register for a couple different brands.  
• Register for a couple of preemie outfits, just in case.  Sarah's little peanut stayed in preemie clothes for two weeks after his birth.
• Snaps on PJs can be annoying in the middle of the night, so both of them recommended zipper PJs or gowns to make diaper changing a snap (ha ha.  love a good pun).
• Waterproof crib pads - you need two: one to put on the bed while the other is washing.  
• The bottle and feeding aisle was easily the most confusing aisle to me.  Both of them preferred different bottle brands and I literally went eenie meenie miny mo to pick one.  Breastfeeding items?  They were both at a consensus, so I gunned everything they recommended.  Medela appears to be the universal pump choice.
• I registered for a few things the baby won't need right away, like bowls and baby spoons/forks.  Can't hurt to have them and put them away.
• Some of the things I registered for were to help me remember to buy them.  Like certain stroller accessories. 
• Boppy v. Brestfriend: comes down to personal preference.  
• Also: the hospital will give you all kinds of "freebies" that are included in health insurance.  I'm hoping they will write some of them down for me to share with y'all, because it was a lot of stuff.

I would love, love to know: what were your baby "must haves?"  What could you have done without?