Baby Registries 101

I have finally finished the daunting task of registering for baby London. Let me just say, if you aren't already overwhelmed by the whole aspect of having a baby, try registering for one and then you really feel like you have no idea what you are doing. It was the most time consuming and overwhelming task thus far. In fact, they should offer a class on it in college called Baby Registries 101 just so that you have a few years in between to let everything sink in. It honestly could take that long just to understand it all, get the hang of how stuff works and determine what you need to survive that first year with a newborn.

What cracks me up is all the gadgets and gizmos that are available to choose from these days. They never used to have all this stuff back when I was born and moms got by then so who's to say we need all this now. The answer is we probably don't but we feel better knowing it is there. It is kind of like a security blanket of baby accoutrements. If the swing isn't calming your kid, try the swaddling blanket...if that isn't working walk them in the stroller or jog them in the jogger or put them on the activity mat, or on the bouncer or in the exersaucer...I mean honestly...it is kind of ridiculous but there is this little devil in the back of your mind telling you to register for it all because when you are desperate for a solution to quiet your kid you want options.

So I started the registering process from home about a month ago because like my dad I am a shopper. I like to check out my options, read the reviews and find the best rated product for any particular item. I figured if I started on-line in the privacy of my home no one would harass me for spending as long as I knew it would take to decide what I wanted. Otherwise, I could have easily spent a week at Babies R Us and Goore's. Paul and I started with the bigger items because I knew he would want to have some input and then I began selecting all the small things. There are TONS of small things! From grooming supplies to medicines to burp cloths to bassinets and bathing supplies...and that is just the tip of the iceberg. You really have to consider so much and make so many decisions about what is best and what you like and what is reasonable...yada yada. Luckily I have some great friends who are willing to give me advice on what works for them and what products are good. Otherwise, I would have been lost in Baby Registry Land.

Paul and I also made a visit to Goore's Baby Store where we registered for half the items we needed. That was a whole other task...deciding what to register for at which store. Babies R Us and Goore's have some of the same products and also lots of different products so we had to determine which was best from the selection at both stores. I spent hours ahead of time clicking back and forth between websites to compare highchairs, car seats, slings and walkers. So when we finally made it to the store it did help take the pressure off and we had a fun time scanning all sorts of toys, blankets, and accessories that are all "must-have's" for Miss London. Aside from that, Paul had some of his own ideas about what he wanted and I couldn't be a bully so he picked a few things out that he thought were super cool too. All in all is was fun but we were exhausted when we finished.

Last week, two of my girlfriends graciously accompanied me to Babies R Us to help me finish the last of it. I had left all the hard stuff for them to help me with. Things I knew nothing about like breast feeding supplies, bottles, pacifiers, safety items, diapers, etc. I am so glad they had kids first because I would have been lost without them. The breast pump section alone left me having nightmares for the next couple days. Then there is the variety of bottles and nipples to choose from. Who would have thought there is 15 different ways to make a plastic bottle for milk? And diapers, plenty of options there...some are better for boys and some are better for girls...Wipes...do we need sensitive wipes or unscented wipes or both? How about pacifiers? There are different sizes and different shapes and then you need to remember the pacifier cleaners, the pods to store them in and the cute attachments that clip to the babies clothes so they don't fall off. I mean honestly it makes you dizzy just thinking about all this right? My brain sure felt dizzy leaving the store...of course I was hungry too so we made a pit stop at BJ's but in any event it is officially DONE! I have accomplished the monumental task of registering so now all I need to do is determine how everything works and hope that Paul and I don't kill each other figuring it out :-)Again, thank God for good friends who are just a phone call away and an ear full of knowledge because I would be lost otherwise. And to think, this is just the first of many exciting things I will have to figure out in the months ahead!