Purchases for baby so far: PART 2

Since we first revealed we were pregnant, I promised myself I wasn't going to let this space turn into babyland, that I was going to do my best to keep up a balance of pregnancy posts and "normal" posts.  But, alas, the baby's impending arrival is pretty much all I can think about AND I still have so much to tell you!  So, it's looking like this is going to be babyland after all for the next couple months.  I also can't promise it won't continue to be all about our little one after she is born.  I'll try to sneak in content other than cute photos of her every once in a while.  : )

While we're on the topic of the baby (surprise!), how about I fill you in on the purchases we've made for her care and comfort since my last post on this subject FOREVER ago?  In that post, I explained how my original intention had been to build my registry through a site called Cricket's Circle, but that plan fell through because they stopped supporting the registry portion of their site.  However, their careful curation of the items they had available for registries helped me make most of my final decisions on everything for baby.  I ended up registering at Buy Buy Baby, and all's well that ends well!  Since then, we've been trying to buy baby things when we've had the financial wiggle room (and when Buy Buy Baby is offering 20% off and free shipping!).  Some of the items have been off of the registry and others have been things that I'd picked out that weren't available at Buy Buy Baby.

The HALO Bassinest Swivel Sleeper was the next item on our list after the last post, and it is now put together and all ready for baby - I just need to wash the fitted sheet that came with it. This bassinet is pretty cool because it functions as a co-sleeper with a flexible side, but we have the ability to swivel it off the bed if we get crowded or aren't comfortable with her sharing our sleeping space.  It's still hanging out in the Mister's office right now with the rest of the baby things.  My plan is to move it into our bedroom in the next week so that the dogs can start becoming used to its presence and we can get a better idea of how much room we're going to have.  As you can see, the "feet" of the bassinet are really long (for stability), which means we're going to have to put it between the wall and the bed on the far side of the room to prevent a tripping hazard right inside the doorway.

 

Our biggest investment so far is our infant car seat.  We decided on the Nuna PIPA for its serious safety features and ease of use - not to mention it's pretty sleek looking, too!  I'm by no means a car seat safety expert, but as I understand what makes this seat special is that its base has a stability leg that extends to the floorboard and that it has a "rigid LATCH system" (don't ask me exactly what that is, but it's supposed to make car seats super safe).  Here is a very in depth review I found online that goes into all the details about the Nuna PIPA if you're interested.  One base was provided with the seat so we bought one extra for Chris's truck so we wouldn't be constantly installing and uninstalling.  If we're ever in a tight spot and don't have a base, we can attach the car seat directly into a car with a seat belt.  While of course this isn't the preferred method, it's nice to know it's an option if we ever need it.  I think that's a feature that's aimed more toward city dwellers who are in and out of taxis a lot.  Another added bonus is the neato "dream drape" that can cover baby during nap time or walks in the sun, so we won't have to buy something extra to serve that purpose or deal with trying to keep a blanket over the top while moving the car seat around.

Most of the nursing pillows I've seen are the classic Boppy style, just a basic U-shaped pillow, but I decided to go with the "My Brest Friend" pillow instead (most awkard name ever, I know).  This pillow is a lot more substantial in size, has a backrest, and has a strap to keep the front piece from sliding around.  I know many moms like that the Boppy can also serve as a support for babies as they learn to sit up on their own, however we registered for a bebePod that will hopefully come in handy for that.  My parents gave me a Buy Buy Baby gift card for my birthday in September that covered the cost of the pillow, so I was especially excited that we didn't have to make this purchase out of pocket!  The pattern isn't my favorite - it's just what they had available at the store.  My Brest Friend sells solid colored covers I could switch to at some point, not that it really matters because nobody's ever really going to see it anyway!

For sleeping for the first few months, we bought our little one the "Miracle Blanket" swaddle in gray.  Even though this wasn't one of our more expensive buys, it's an important one because babies can't sleep with loose blankets until they're much older (and the Mister and I have no clue how to swaddle and this blanket is supposed to make the process fairly easy).  If she isn't a fan of swaddling, we'll have to buy her a tiny sleep sack, but we thought we'd try this first.

While we're on the subject of sleep sacks, I bought this one to use after she outgrows the swaddling stage (around 4 months old).  It's an Aden + Anais Sleeping Bag, and it's made out of the softest, most comfy-feeling muslin.  I kind of want one to sleep in!

 

One of the most fun purchases I've made so far was baby's bunting!  I can't resist any hoods/hats with ears.  Although I've seen lots of brands with versions of this particular style, I went with the Magnificent Baby Hooded Bear Pram because it's a little bit fancier with easy-to-use magnetic closures and unbelievably soft fleece.  I had a really hard time deciding what size to buy this in because I want her to be able to wear it through the cooler months, which could be all the way to May, but I also want her to be able to fit in it when she's brand new.  After consulting with my mom, I decided to go with the 6 month size, in case she grows really fast.  My mom pointed out that if she is teeny tiny, we can buy a cheaper bunting in more of a sack style to get her through this winter, and then hopefully she'll fit into the 6 month size in the fall.

 

The last big item we've purchased recently is our changing table.  At first, I didn't want to buy a traditional changing table - my plan was to secure her changing pad on top of a storage shelf with cubes I could put canvas bins in to store her clothes and other necessities (I've read that canvas bins are easier to navigate with a baby on your hip than dresser drawers).  I spent a lot of time searching for a shelf with a top that was wide enough for the changing pad we'd picked out but couldn't find a single one.  So, we went with plan b and ordered the Gulliver changing table from Ikea.  It has room for the bins like I pictured (I ended up buying those at Walmart with gift cards from my baby shower at work) and matches the style of furniture I'm hoping to eventually have in the nursery.  When we move, she'll have her own room, and I have my eye on a crib that is natural wood colored as well.  Right now, the changing table is in the only available corner we had in the house in Chris's office.  Please pardon the disorganization; I'm hoping to get everything settled in her little corner after the shower this weekend.

And that's it for now!  Once we see what our family and friends have been so kind and generous as to gift us with at our shower this weekend, we'll have a better idea of what our remaining list of items will be.  I know for sure I want to have our jogging stroller, changing pad, diaper pail, and travel crib ready before she arrives (and hopefully a bundle of nice cloth diapers, if I'm brave enough!).  After that, the crib will be next on the list, but it's not a necessity right now as we won't be using it until at least May when we move to Oklahoma.  Until then, we'll make due with the bassinet, a family heirloom cradle, and her travel crib if she outgrows those first two.

Lately I find myself in the office just staring at all of her baby things - I can't wait to actually see her little self in them!  I'm really looking forwarding to washing and readying everything over the next few weeks.  I can't believe we're almost down to a month and a half!  Sometime this weekend I'll pop in with my 32 week pregnancy update. : )