Even More Baby Registry Must Haves

Welcome back! Today I’m covering even more of our baby registry favorites! You can read part one of my baby registry must haves here where I share our nursery and on the go favorites. Then read part two where I share our baby essentials, such as clothes, bathing, and feeding. Today I’m sharing the items that are nice to have items and the items, but are not absolute necessities. I’m also sharing the items that we have learned about from friends and family that we had no idea we needed. Happy shopping registering!

So babies really aren’t that complicated, and don’t need much besides breast milk or formula, diapers, and clothes. Everything else we like to get makes life a little easier being that it’s baby sized (such as towels and blankets). Then there are the items that can be really nice to have, but at the end of the day really are kind of unnecessary, but they’re still definitely nice to have.

• Swing – these are great to have to give your little one a place to relax so you can free up your arms. I would highly encourage choosing one that has a power cord. A swing gets used so much that it’s great to have it plug into an outlet so you do not have to buy batteries all the time. We borrowed a swing from my sister-in-law, but this one looks like a great option if we had to pick our own. I love that this is a swing, and a bouncer so you’re not having to have multiple items in your house. We also borrowed a 4Moms mamaRoo, which was great for its small footprint. Our daughter preferred the standard swing, but 4Moms did come out with the rockaRoo which is more like a traditional baby swing like swing. I’m definitely inclined to try it out if/when we have another since we already have a bouncer.
• Bouncey Seat – we are happy with this one and like that it’s not just for infants, it grows with your child to be used as a toddler chair. Bouncey seats are nice to have stashed somewhere else in the house especially if you have more than one level.
• Seat Protector – be careful with getting one of these as many will void the warranty of your car seat. Some companies make one that you can use and that they recommend. Since we use a Britax seat, we’re good with this one that we have.
• Car Seat Mirror – we have one of these in my car and my husband’s car too. We love that we can if she’s in fact okay since she is still rear facing at 2+, or if she’s just yanking our chain. We also love that it has a light on it for at night to see the little one. I will caution that folks should be careful and only look when stopped.

• Toys are great to add to the registry too, because you will want some things to entertain your wee one. Here are some of our favorites:

  

  • These Little Rings are perfect for itty bitty babies and for many months afterwards. So many of the toys we had for our daughter as a newborn were way too heavy, but these were just right for her little hands and muscles. This was a favorite toy well past the first year.
  • This Snail Mirror has been a big hit with my niece and daughterand Hana. It’s great for when they discover mirrors and want to look at themselves. Plus it’s very responsive to the hits and motions of the baby playing with it. This was a favorite toy the entire first year.
  • This Activity Table is wonderful! It’s great for when they learn to pull up to standing, but also great before then too. When our daughter was itsy bitsy we removed a couple legs and propped with the other leg. Our little girl loved staring at the lights and listening to the music during tummy time. She did tummy time twice as long when we use this. It continued as a favorite when learning to sit up with the legs off and laid on the floor. This is still a favorite at two years old!
  • O’balls are another big favorite in our house. We had a couple including the football for our daughter (they’re not just for boys :D). They’re super light and the holes make it easy for itsy bitsies to hold. Highly recommend these. They even make rattles too!
  • These Blocks – were a hit in our house! When our daughter was little, they were  soft enough for her to chew on. As she got older they didn’t hurt when she stacked them and then toppled over. Favorite well into the second year when she graduated to big kid blocks.

Along the way trials and testing of our parenting sanity have come up, but thankfully other friends and family have shared their great discoveries. These items are still on the nice to have list, but I’d dare say, they’re worth adding to your must have list.

• Sleepy Baby Nail Clippers – some parents are great at cutting itsy bitsy baby nails, but I”m just not one of those parents. My poor daughter had a bleeding finger on mu
• NasalClear® Battery Operated Nasal Aspirator – the aspirator you get at the hospital works great and is worth getting multiples while you’re there. A time then comes that your baby gets all squirmy and angry about cleaning their nose. Now enters this battery operated one that works like a champ. Makes the whole process so much faster.
• Teething Necklace – was an on the go and baby wearing game changer. This would provide “entertainment” on the go, and was still fashionable. Had this aqua and almost bought it in several colors.
• Amber Necklace – when baby starts drooling ALL THE TIME and getting fussy over teeth, the need for this became apparent. I’m not convinced this worked, but I’m definitely not convinced it doesn’t work. There are days this has fallen off, and baby girl definitely seemed crankier. At just over two and still getting teeth, the necklace still stays on around the clock.

I hope you found this list helpful. It takes a village to figure out this whole parenting thing, especially since no instruction book comes with the arrival of the little bundles. And just remember, it’s not a one size fits all. What worked for us, may not for you. What works for another family, may not work for you. Or it may be some combo of it all. Just know that other mamas already love and support you, and that we’re here to help. Next Monday, I’ll share some of my important items and ways to care for the postpartum and breastfeeding mama.