Registering for the little one

Everyone says registering for the baby is supposed to be this awesome fun time that every parent loves. Who decided that? Not only did I just want it over with, but it stressed me out beyond belief. Just thinking about the registry drove me absolutely crazy and would keep me up at night. I was so stressed that when I would go online to look at what all we needed, I would start crying. I'm still not sure why this happened. My husband and I are by no means rich, but we have been saving for quite some time and we can afford the necessities for our little girl. I wasn't worried about registering for every single little thing because I could always send someone to pick up the item or go grab it myself. So, why the stress? I think a lot of it was being overwhelmed by so many options. What type of crib do you need? What kind of play pen? What kind of bottles? What kind of clothes? Keep in mind, this is my first child and I will surely learn some lessons the hard way, but I have been there when my mother raised my last two siblings and she made sure I learned A TON.

First things first, pick what you like. For the bigger items do some research and register what you feel comfortable with. Target and Babies 'R' Us both offer reviews of the products they offer online along with little facts that are not mentioned in store. How much weight can your play pen hold? What makes this bottle different from that bottle? How easy is this stroller to fold?

Second, I recommend registering in store. A lot of people are going to get last minute gifts, not want to pay S&H, or not even know how to shop on the store website (shocking...I know). Plus, in store you get a better idea of what the product is really like. In Babies 'R' Us, you are encouraged to take the car seats off of the shelf and play with them, fold up the strollers, see what is easiest for you, and they will make sure you are entirely comfortable with the way it works. This was SUPER helpful since I went in with two travel systems in mind. My top pick was actually really difficult to fold up and unlatch the car seat from the base. The second one? AMAZING. It wasn't too heavy, it folded with the pull of one handle, and was really easy to unlatch from the base. I am so happy I messed around with them! I would have been struggling and fighting with a car seat and stroller for months just because it was cute.

Third, register for what you WANT not just what you NEED. Sure, its helpful when people get you what you need, but people are going to buy all of the cutesy stuff too. If you don't register for any, they will pick what they want and you may not like what you get.

Picking some things makes other things easier as well. Breastfeeding? Find a pump you like and most of the time the manufacturer also makes bottles and milk storage that fit best with that pump. Bam. Two birds, one stone.

I'm not going to give you a huge list of what you should register for. Simply walking through the store will take care of that. I did tons and tons of research on what to register for, but found that as soon as I walked into the store it was all right there. It was organized and right in front of me. I just had to walk down the aisle and by the time I walked out (without looking at my huge checklist) I had everything I needed, plus things my research hadn't shown me. These are just a few items I found at the store that I overlooked in all of the research.

• Orajel
• Grooming Kit
• Baby Wash
• Baby Lotion
• Towels
• Wash cloths
• Burp rags
• Receiving blankets
• Hats
• Bibs
• Diaper Genie (if someone else is buying it, why not?)
• Diaper bag
• DIAPERS a few newborn and a lot of size 1
• Wipes
• Breast pump
• Bottles
• Milk storage
• Supplies to make baby food (baby bullet, steamer, etc. Again, if someone else is buying it, having a baby bullet couldn't hurt)
• Nursing cover
• Lansinoh Soothies gel pads
• Bottle Nipples (one or two packs of different kinds and sizes...you don't know what your little one will like)
• Pacifiers
• Waterproof crib mattress covers

Honestly, I didn't register for many clothes. The biggest reason being I know people will buy tons of these anyways. Another reason is that my grandma works at a children's clothing store and has a discount. Which, she uses frequently for her great-grandchildren. Yet another, once my husband found out he was having a little "daddy's girl" I have had a very difficult time keeping him away from the clothes.