Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Baby Gear

I've been doing my research for quite a while on baby products. I want to at least know what we want so if we are matched with a baby we won't have to scurry around wondering what we want or what is the safest. We have our car seat and maybe the stroller picked out. I want to go with a 3 wheeled jogging type stroller because we are outdoorsy people and wanted something that can work on any type of ground. There are a couple I am deciding between right now.  We want to make sure our infant car seat will fit into it too so that is a consideration.  Do any of you have a jogging stroller that you would recommend?
I'm still trying to decide about high chairs. I love the look of the old wooden high chairs. That style goes so much better with our decor. ha! But, I like the convenience of the more modern high chairs. I like that you can adjust the height and that they also recline. Of course that's not something I will have to have the minute we bring our baby home. I'm just a planner. Any advice?

Bottles is something I'm checking into as well. So many choices. It can be a bit overwhelming. What are some of you using? Any thoughts on this subject would be great!

What are some of your must have baby items? What were some of the things you thought you had to have and turned out to be a total waste? I've got a pretty good list going, but of course it's great to hear from those of you who have BTDT!

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18 comments:

barbie said...

The new wooden high chairs from Babies R us are adjustable and recline. The trays and side controls are plastic with the legs, seat and back being made of wood. Check them out, it's what i also want when I get my call!

Courtney said...

Excited for y'all! Here are some of my favs:

Graco pack n play

Snap n go-stroller frame- we used this over and over for the first couple of months...it is a lightweight frame that you can keep in the trunk of your car that your infant seat snaps into.

Itzbeen- great for the early days when it is so hard to remember everything.

Diaper champ- we like this way more than diaper genie...you have to stick your hand in diaper genies (gross) and buy their expensive refills. You can just use regular trash bags or store bags, and it works great.

Bottles-I don't have a fav of these, but I would stay away from any that have lots of parts to them.

Infant bath tub- the plain cheap blue one with the sling for the early days worked great for us

Sound machine- I don't like the one we got from babiesrus (dexbaby?)...I would get a white noise maker like an air purifier

Pacis- we liked the mam pacis

Boppy pillow- not really a must have in my book, but it def can be used in a lot of different ways.

Bouncy seat- didn't like ours...look for one that looks super cozy...where the baby doesn't feel so exposed...same for a swing.

Baby einstien playmat was great and so was the baby einstein tunnel (not sure of the exact name)

As far as a high chair goes...I would get two if you want a wood one! The wood one will work great for baby food stage and toddler stage, but you will want a very easy to clean high chair for the finger foods stage (huge mess!). I would recommend a space saver (fisher price?) high chair for the finger foods stage because the tray is right next to baby. Many of the high chairs are really inclined, and there is this akward space between baby and tray that causes a big mess. Hope this helps!

Cape Girl said...

I'm just catching up on your blog. This is so exciting! I'm also glad that you are asking all these questions, because, I'm starting to look at stuff, too and it's great to hear what people think.

I hope you get that call really soon!!!

The Hopeful Elephant said...

In my humble opinion, don't do much until baby comes home. adoption is such a tricky thing...you are never guaranteed much. i know that's kind of negative, but it is the truth. We didn't buy a high chair---even until now! Car seat, yes. toys, yes. High chair, not so much.

Get a bumbo. seriously.

email me. We'll talk. :)

Faith said...

Well, I haven't BTDT, but I agree with the snap 'n go strollers. I have read many reviews and they have said they are the way to go. I found the COOLEST baby bath that flattens when it is not in use - it is AWESOME - it's at Babies R Us and called the Puj Tub. I hate bulky things that take up space. That said, I registered for a high chair that goes on top of a regular kitchen chair. Again, I hate more STUFF, so any way I can reduce my space usage, I'm all about it! Oh, and I've heard the Bumbo tray is really nice. I also know a lot of people who prefer the Dr. Brown's bottles, so that's what I registered for. But, take my suggestions with a grain of salt, because I have no baby to experiment with! OH, the one thing I HAVE used with my nieces is the Moby wrap - it is an awesome wrap and the baby is tucked in so close and warm against your heart, which I think is so important for their "fourth trimester." Ok, I'm done:).

~Rachel~ said...

First of all, let me say that I am THRILLED for you Jennifer! It is so exciting that you could be getting your call anytime now. :-)

I too am going to be looking for a jogging stroller because like you, my husband and I like to be active. So please drop me a line if you discover any great ones!

Ashlee G. said...

How exciting to be looking for all the stuff! Have fun!

Ashlee, ICLW #180

Andrea said...

I don't have anything to add in the way of what to buy, but I pray that you are shopping like mad for a little some body VERY SOON!

Lots of hugs, as I'm so so happy for you!

xxx

Saige said...

We use the bottles that come with liners and love them. The liners aren't that expensive, and we wash them out at least once and resue them. Its also great because the baby doesn't have to stop drinking to let air back into the bottle, and the flow stays constant throughout the feed. I highly recommend them. Plus there isn't much to clean besides the nipples and the occasional bag for reuse.

Tar.get sells some great baby baths that have what looks like a reclined seat and then a little pool for the bath water. I LOVED ours. It holds the baby up out of the water so you can bath them with both hands. We bought the one that came with a little canopy that you use for newborns when you don't want them sitting down in the water yet. I hope that all makes sense. Just remember canopy and baby butt seat. lol

We used Pamp.ers Swad.dlers up until our baby was in size 3 diapers. They were awesome and contained leaks well.

As for diaper rash cremes, I HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend Triple Paste. This stuff is incredible. We tried all of the other garbage and they all seemed to make her rashes worse, but Triple Paste clears stuff up so quickly its like magic.

There's a good start for you. :)

AnxiousMummyto3 said...

Baby Bjorn's are awesome, and mine also loved having a sleeping bag. Kept her snuggly and convinced her to sleep through the night. Also one of those baby manuals which has questions like "what do I do if there is a red dot behind ear?" answered in it, LOL.
Thanks for your comment!

Caitlin MidAtlantic said...

Bottles: I like the drop-ins during the day, and always have an avent bottle ready for middle of the night.

But if you go with avent, look for the ones that are yellow-ish plastic, rather than the clear plastic ones. Less parts!

The Playtex ventair bottles have too many parts AND leak. Blah.

I didn't even try Dr. Brown's. All those parts...

Definitely get a little basin for your sink for all the bottle washing - and a drying rack!!!

The First Years bottle warmer is a 3am life saver too. Ours is upstairs so there's minimal bleary-eyed work.

Britt said...

While I can't offer any real insight on baby gear I do suggest the book Baby Bargains! Loved it! Also, I wanted to offer my congratulations! Such an exciting time!!! Best of luck as you are waiting for that special phone call! Happy ICLW!

Deni said...

I'm praying all of this goes smoothly with your adoption! It's such a special time and can be so very trying! Let me know if you need anything.

As for the jogging stroller, I'm getting a BOB, you should just google it and look. Everyone who has recommended it LOVES it! At all my races, that is the most prominent stroller around! They have converters to put just about any carseat onto it!

I'm going with one of those highchair things that sits in a seat so it doesn't take up extra space in our house. I've been debating over and over about swings, and registered for one, but don't know if I'll love it. The other 'new' thing that I've heard is a MUST is the Nap Nanny. You can strap the baby in it, so you can safely leave them to go to the potty whatever you need!

Praying your wait is short and sweet!

the Provident Woman said...

We have had 6 different strollers in the last 7 years. The one we bought 2 years ago has and will be the last. It's a Phil & Ted jogging stoller. I recommend you check it out. We absolutely love it. It folds up small can have an additional seat.

daega99 said...

We're looking at the Stokke high chair - it grows with the child and can eventually be used as a regular chair.

ICLW
http://daega99-arewethereyet.blogspot.com/

Three Cats and a Baby said...

I like the wood high chairs too.

My husband and I are doing domestic infant adoption. We've been waiting 23 months so a lot of our stuff has been sitting in the nursery gathering dust.

I actually had a lot of luck finding stuff on craigslist over time. Swing, bouncy seat, etc. All look like new. I also got a lot of clothes from garage sales. Found some with tags still on them. It really is a great way to save money. The one advantage to having a long wait is that you have a long time to find deals :)

Browniris said...

Congratulations on the approval - that is so exciting! Hopefully you won't have to wait long to get your call.

We are just starting out in the adoption process. I am hoping that we will have our paperwork completed by the end of the week

GL!
ICLW

Anonymous said...

I love the wooden high chairs but I also like the thought of one that goes on the kitchen chair. I'm lost on much of the rest of it, so I'm looking forward to reading other responses!

Happy iclw!

 
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