First-time mamas! - Page 9 « Back to Group Discussions

[eleuthia]

We're not planning on getting a changing table. I do kind of question how much use the crib will get, but we may be able to sidecar it once the baby outgrows the cosleeper. And it will turn into a toddler bed, which might be useful for naps or at least as a sort of daybed/place to hang out when the kid is older even if we continue to bedshare at night. Otherwise... it'll be a good way to keep the piles of baby laundry off the floor! 

[LilyTiger]

We're definitely getting a crib because we won't be cosleeping past five or six months.  We'll have an AR cosleeper until then.  We're going to get an old dresser and do a shabby chic kind of thing with a crackle finish for the changing table.  I think the way we're decorating the nursery will mean that it will be very easy to transition to a toddler/little kid's room so we don't waste lots of money on "nursery specific" stuff.  We'll have to see if we have room for a glider (it's a tiny room), but if not we have an old rocking chair that I think will be nice, if not as comfortable.

[LilyTiger]

Ok, here is the rug for my dream nursery in grey and yellow.  We're doing the walls in Behr's "Pewter Mug" and then we're going to add awesome yellow details.  I ran across this rug again after falling in love with it a few years back.  It's so impractical, expensive, and generally silly, but this would definitely be in my dream nursery.

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/home-rugs/883098.jsp

Any of you have things that you won't buy but would LOVE to have if money and practicality were no object?

[justchanti]

Hey guys,

I've been dormant for a while, grad school and third graders have been keeping me busy, but I thought I'd share a couple things we're doing.  We plan on cosleeping for at least the first 6 months (we'll see after that) so we do not need a crib initially.  We also anticipate that we won't need a high chair for a while either.  With this in mind, we're just going to ask family who want to buy us gifts if they would be willing to gift us a gift certificate or voucher for those items for later down the road.  That way we will have money for them, but we won't need to buy them immediately.  (This is particularly important for us as dh is currently applying to jobs in Oregon in hopes of moving as soon as I graduate from my Master's program in June.  We don't want to have to worry about lugging heavy stuff around in the event that we move).  For now we won't be creating a nursery, though we have a second bedroom, but plan on buying a dresser for baby stuff, adding a changing pad on top and calling it good.  We're also going to purchase the uppababy stroller which comes with a bassinet that we will use for naps and such when we aren't in bed with babe.  Lastly we are registering for a convertible car seat (either a britax or radian) because it's the more expensive option and will buy an infant car seat after baby is here if we think it will make a big difference.  We're really only registering for those things, plus clothe diapers, as they seem to be the essentials.  The rest we can take care of on our own.  I would like a rocking chair though and maybe a simple (read: no moving parts or lights or sounds) bouncer, although I'm not sure how necessary they really are.  

[Knitting Mama]

Originally Posted by LilyTiger 

Ok, here is the rug for my dream nursery in grey and yellow.  We're doing the walls in Behr's "Pewter Mug" and then we're going to add awesome yellow details.  I ran across this rug again after falling in love with it a few years back.  It's so impractical, expensive, and generally silly, but this would definitely be in my dream nursery.

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/home-rugs/883098.jsp

Any of you have things that you won't buy but would LOVE to have if money and practicality were no object?

I would totally splurge on the small one! Unless you think it would be impossible to clean or something. 

Originally Posted by justchanti 

With this in mind, we're just going to ask family who want to buy us gifts if they would be willing to gift us a gift certificate or voucher for those items for later down the road.  That way we will have money for them, but we won't need to buy them immediately.  (This is particularly important for us as dh is currently applying to jobs in Oregon in hopes of moving as soon as I graduate from my Master's program in June.  We don't want to have to worry about lugging heavy stuff around in the event that we move). 

This is such a good idea for so many reasons, not the least of which are your possible moving situation. I found that some things I thought I couldn't live without were totally unnecessary and things that I never thought of were really missed. Trying friends' stuff totally helps, too.

[LeAnn A Doula]

Originally Posted by LilyTiger 

Ok, here is the rug for my dream nursery in grey and yellow.  We're doing the walls in Behr's "Pewter Mug" and then we're going to add awesome yellow details.  I ran across this rug again after falling in love with it a few years back.  It's so impractical, expensive, and generally silly, but this would definitely be in my dream nursery.

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/home-rugs/883098.jsp

Any of you have things that you won't buy but would LOVE to have if money and practicality were no object?

Yes! This rocker. I am in love! And that rug is fabulous.

http://freshouses.com/joya-rocker-modern-rocking-chair

[sallyrae17]

Originally Posted by justchanti 

 I would like a rocking chair though and maybe a simple (read: no moving parts or lights or sounds) bouncer, although I'm not sure how necessary they really are.  

Second time mom here, but I thought I'd chime in for a second. I had a bouncer that just vibrated and had no lights. It was a great thing for my son to sit in while we ate dinner. We just put it on the table so we could see him. 

You could do something like this and just remove the bar on top. I bought ours used on craigslist (it's not this one, but a similar design). I try to find everything used before I splurge on something new (unless it's a car seat...that's the only thing I buy new).

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4102335

P.S. I used my rocking chair a lot when my son was a baby!

[iixivboots]

Has anyone chosen a carseat?

We have been doing a ton of research and we'll end up with either the graco snugride 30 or 35. I wish the 30s came in lighter fabrics for the warm climate. But I like that it's about 2 lbs lighter.

Oh yeah we're getting a stroller frame for the bucket so that's another reason we're going for that instead of a convertible.

[LeAnn A Doula]

I think I've settled on the First Years Truefit Convertible unless it doesn't fit in the car. I really like that it has a removeable headrest, so it won't be this gargantuan seat w a teeny baby in it. We are going to hold off on getting a stroller for a while and just start out w a Beco Gemini and some wraps/slings for the first bit.

[monkeyscience]

Car seat and stroller decisions are the big ones we still need to make. dh okay'd my cosleeper pick last night, and the slings I put on my registry (Ergo, BabyHawk, and Lite-on-Shoulder - not really expecting to own them all.) He said he didn't care if the fabric was 'girly' on them, he would still wear them - and two out of three he doesn't think have 'girly' fabric, anyway. (This matters because I want dh to help with the baby carrying duties!) Anyway, since I think I have a couple of good, relatively fast sling options, I'm leaning more toward a convertible car seat and no stroller at all to begin with, but I still need to do more research and talk to dh more.

Anyone else start a registry? It was a somewhat fun, somewhat frustrating process, trying to find gender-neutral stuff on Amazon, since a.) we still don't know the baby's sex, b.) I'd like things that are reusable for future babies, and c.) I would like my baby to wear more than one or two colors! I'm guessing I will also do a registry at some sort of brick-and-mortar store, as not everyone will want to shop online, but I definitely want that to be a once-and-done thing, so that will wait till we know gender (or know that baby isn't cooperating and it will be a surprise!), and we make some more decisions about the big stuff. Oh, and cloth vs disposable is another big decision we need to make. I know diapers are a very popular baby gift, so if we're going to CD, I want to make sure people know so we don't end up with a bunch of disposables. But it's still up in the air enough that I don't want to register for cloth I won't use. (Plus I also have some books on EC coming via interlibrary loan, so there's that to think of, too - not that it will totally eliminate the need for diapers.) I already put a note on my Amazon registry asking people not to buy bottles and pacifiers, as we aren't planning on using them and will buy them ourselves if needed. I figure we will end up with some anyway, from people who either don't use the registry or simply think we're insane, so I figure I'll be good there, anyway.

Oh, and we finally scheduled our ultrasound!! It will be a week from tomorrow, on March 23rd. It's the same day as my grandma's surgery (she has gallbladder cancer and they're removing a little bit of her liver and some lymph nodes as a precaution), so I'm really hoping it's good news for both of us that day, or it's going to be rough. But that's what worked with dh's schedule, so that's what we're doing. Now I'm just debating if we should go see The Hunger Games movie that night, or wait until the next week.

Hope everyone is doing well, and I would love to hear about what baby gear you're getting.

[Knitting Mama]

We have two Radians side by side in our car, and I am thrilled to go without a bucket this time. It was so obnoxious and awkward for me to lug it last time. We don't have a double stroller and I'm not planning on getting one. Cecilia actually enjoys riding in our stroller, so I figure I can wear the baby and push her in the stroller if need be, or wear baby and have her in shopping cart, or wear baby and have her walking, etc.

[Waffler]

the carseat decision, as others have said, is still on my mind. right now, i'm leaning towards a britax convertible (the roundabout)...

cecilia's mom: one "issue" i came across with regard to the convertibles was that some are more straight up and down and have less of an incline, which is slightly problematic for a floppy newborn head. any thoughts on that? that's really the only thing that's keeping me from checking that decision off the list. for all the reasons mentioned, i don't think we'll go with a bucket. but then i get all confused about strollers...i plan to wear the baby as much as possible but was wondering about the restaurant/being out scenario where a bucket might be nice. 

which segues into....i had my eye on a baby jogger city mini that had been marked down to $150...but now is back up to $215 :(  i should have bought it when i had the chance but balked because i didn't know how a newborn would go in there...would  we need a bucket seat/converter anyway? ugh. i would love to just not buy a stroller but am wondering if we'd regret it. 

LeAnn, i saw this rocker that reminded me of the one you posted...not sure how much that one is but this one from west elm might be more affordable? http://www.westelm.com/products/ryder-rocking-chair-g530/?pkey=cliving-room-seating

haven't started a registry yet but have a mile long wish list on amazon. it makes me a laugh a little because i started reading negative waddling blanket reviews which recommend a different brand...so i go check out that brand and read those negative reviews which recommend yet a different brand...of course THAT brand leads me back to the original brand i checked out in the first place. the irony. guess there's always someone who'll have something negative to say. though it doesn't make deciding that much easier! maybe the answer is just to use a plain blanket :P

colleen

[monkeyscience]

Colleen - Yeah, reviews can be a blessing and a cursing, huh?? As far as the stroller thing, I figure I can always buy one later. That's my philosophy on a lot of stuff. I can always buy it later. Yes, it may be inconvenient not to have it, and maybe, in the end, I'll end up paying more for it than if I spent the next few months hunting sales, but for now, I'm saving on space (of which there simply is none, anyway, until we move) and money, of which there is relatively little. I am hoping we will actually have a little more money after the baby comes, because we won't be saving so much each month to make sure we can cover the birth expenses. And as long as I don't transfer to the hospital, we should have leftover money from our birth savings. Either way, I'll work it out!

Oh, and was it someone on this thread who mentioned their dh called their baby 'DragonBorn'? My dh thought it was hilarious, and wanted to know if he could do the same (he's also a geeky gamer who loves Skyrim). I told him on no uncertain terms that, no, he could NOT refer to our baby as DragonBorn!

[Knitting Mama]

Originally Posted by Waffler 

the carseat decision, as others have said, is still on my mind. right now, i'm leaning towards a britax convertible (the roundabout)...

cecilia's mom: one "issue" i came across with regard to the convertibles was that some are more straight up and down and have less of an incline, which is slightly problematic for a floppy newborn head. any thoughts on that? that's really the only thing that's keeping me from checking that decision off the list. for all the reasons mentioned, i don't think we'll go with a bucket. but then i get all confused about strollers...i plan to wear the baby as much as possible but was wondering about the restaurant/being out scenario where a bucket might be nice. 

The Radians we have come with a foot that has to be attached for rear facing that puts the seat at an angle for head support. It also has a head support cushion that is removable when the baby is older. When you have a rear-facing toddler like me, you can get a $10 angle adjustor that puts the seat more upright (because you still need to use that foot for rear facing, even if the kid is older and can be more upright).

[LeAnn A Doula]

Colleen - Thanks for the rocker suggestion! I'm still hunting. I just missed an awesome Restoration Hardware rocker on Craigs List. Boo! :( I've been looking at the baby jogger city elite, I'm trying to find it on sale as well, or used. I like that you can get a bassinet attachment and you can add a seat to convert it into a double and even a riding board for a third! That's a do-it-all piece of baby equipment! It's more of an investment but if I can buy one stroller that will work for any and all future kids, I think it's a smart buy. We are planning to wait to get it though. I just don't think we'll need it much initially. I was thinking of keeping a moses basket in my car for restaurant scenarios. 

I started a registry on BabyLi.st.com a while ago. But I don't think anyone will ask us for one, so it's become more of a shopping list. :) I change my mind about so many things as I do more research. I found a WAHM that sells the cutest woolie for CDing and they are so much less expensive then others I have seen. I have to go update my list. :) For swaddling blankets I love the aden + anais organic blankets. they are so soft and have great prints. I'm also a fan of sleep sacks.
 

[Waffler]

thanks for all the feedback! i love the idea of using a moses type basket while out...that's a great idea. 

LeAnn, i've been lusting after the a + a blankets as well...a tip i came across (you may already know) is that to make sure you get the ones that measure 47 x 47 (as opposed to 44 x 44). the bigger ones i guess are the "real" ones and are higher quality and the smaller ones are lines they developed for stores and such. at least that's what i've heard.

monkeyscience, thanks for the reassurance. i do not want a lot of STUFF either so it's nice to hear from others who aren't sucumbing to the pressure of "you NEED this or that."

cecilia's mama, i think you've sold me on the radian...as long as it fits in our car which is a honda fit.

[Veritas Vitae]

Originally Posted by monkeyscience 

Oh, and was it someone on this thread who mentioned their dh called their baby 'DragonBorn'? My dh thought it was hilarious, and wanted to know if he could do the same (he's also a geeky gamer who loves Skyrim). I told him on no uncertain terms that, no, he could NOT refer to our baby as DragonBorn!

Haha, that is my DP.  He even suggested Dovahkiin as a middle name if it is a boy.  "We can either call him Dovah or Kiin, they are both cool names."

[LilyTiger]

Waffler, we have a Honda Fit too.  DH also has a small hatchback (Mazda), so we're going to have to find carseats for small cars.  I'd like to see if we can fit two in at a time, since we'll probably have more than one bambino in a carseat at a time over the next few years.

[LeAnn A Doula]

LilyTiger - I've been thinking about the same thing, multiple car seats, which I have to admit scares the crap out of me. I still can't believe we're here, building a family, it's surreal! 

[monkeyscience]

Originally Posted by Veritas Vitae 



Haha, that is my DP.  He even suggested Dovahkiin as a middle name if it is a boy.  "We can either call him Dovah or Kiin, they are both cool names."

I'm not even going to tell my dh that - don't want him getting ideas!

As far as multiple car seats - hmm. Don't know. I have a Camry, so I'm guessing I can easily put two in there. dh has a Mazda 3, which I assume would also take 2. I am hoping to have kids that close together, but I am far from counting on it!

5 more days till ultrasound!!