Baby Shopping (aka I cannot BELIEVE I have two tweens and still need to ask this stuff!)

[wendykh]

1) I hate baby shopping. No really, I do. I don't know if it's the Jewish superstition about buying things in advance or what, but I get really panicky about it. I am super pleased to let others do it for us. Hence, I am thrilled with the bags of clothes MIL has bought so far! (cuuuuuuuute stuff too. And who knew my husband was such a fan of hats? he turns into such a mushy woo woo creature when he sees the tiny hats!)

2) That said, I know baby shopping must be done.

3) I have refused to buy clothes. MIL gets such joy from it (and it's cheap for others who want to enjoy) and it enables me to fixate on things I am Super Anal about (stroller, carseat, breast pump, bottles, cradle.. omg swing type seating device, I forgot that!) and let the rest go.

4) Pat, being all Preparation Pat and liking to have everything neat and in order and being notified of purchases in advance has asked me for a list of basically "Essential Crap We Must Buy."

5) We plan on using cloth diapers. Specifically, from this place. They use prefolds, so I get to buy covers if (yay! But where do I get those?! It's been almost a decade since I bought any!!!!!! ACK!) I want to or can get some from them I think. mmm cover buying!

6) While we don't "plan" on having the baby at home, we are preparing for this possibility and will be purchasing a birth kit. Bonus: I can use everything in it anyway no matter where I give birth.

SOOOOOOOOOO on my "stuff we gotta get, no compromising" I have:

A) Baby trekker
B) some sort of sling. What's awesome nowadays? Oh before anyone asks... baby trekkers are necessary for my long walks and hikes, but I'll go nuts wearing one indoors. So, I need a sling too. I like lightweight. And simple. And comfy. I don't have lower back drama.
C) Car seat. I am pretty set on this one, does anyone have any gripes?
D) Stroller. I'm getting the bugaboo frog. Period. End. Of Sentence. I've seen and dealt with enough and been a stroller snob for 12 years, I know good stuff when I see it and that's one area I am super comfy about. Frog it is.
E) Ikea sheepskin (mine always liked it).
F) A pump in style (yes, send the breastfeeding cops after me, I fully intend this time to pump and allow some bottles by loving grandparents and daddy this time, provided nursing is going well. No, I'm really not wavering on this. Yes, I realize I may totally waver on this once this wonderful little boy is in my arms. Because, tangentially related, people keep offering to babysit to give me some "personal time", and it's starting to piss me off, because I want to spend lots of "personal time" with HIM and getting to know HIM!).
G) HOLY SHIT BPA! omg bottles are expensive! I was looking at how much the "good bottles" I remember from back in the day, and some funky new ones cost, and HOT DAMN those things are up in price or is it just me? Am I missing on some magical awesome breastfeeding compatible bottles out there?
H) Swing. yes I know this is not a necessity. But I'd like to have an option.
I) aforementioned diapers and covers.
J) Cradle (we're getting the amby baby one, space constraints + my paranoia of having another Kay Klingon baby and trying to avoid that!)

OKAY so is there anything HUGE I am missing? I know this sounds silly but I really feel petrified I am forgetting something major (Expos onsie, done, Nordiques snow suit, FOUND!) and I just am paranoid I am going to mess up entirely (helllooooooooooooo non-custodial mother issues anyone?) and becoming a neurotic mess.

And I don't want one of those freaky scary play pen/park things with like a bed and radio and mobile and WTF IS THAT installed on it. They scare me. And Kay too.

Kay. Kay would be *brilliant* at all of this. Remember, she's the one who for my wedding declared herself wedding planner. "You will need a nice dress. And a cake. Not from a box, from a nice place. And some flowers." Yes, yes, Kay would be brills here. However, I cannot spaz on her until next Saturday (when we get our 3-D ultrasound omg that's freaking me OUT! Those pics are like PHOTOS and so CLEAR!) so, please help a mama-to-be out.

danke.

Comments

[raccoonbonapart.livejournal.com]

Baby Auric brings you diaper covers too.

[tygre.livejournal.com]

I hear Mei Tei slings are awesome. I used Maya Wraps with mine but uh...L is 8.5. LOL.

[wendykh.livejournal.com]

I hear you on the age thing... I sat there the other day and realized I had absolutely no idea what kind of baby stuff is all the rage these days!

[zukppr.livejournal.com]

Boy??

[wendykh.livejournal.com]

Boy! He is Charles!

[primaflora.livejournal.com]

That's my dad's anglicised name. Real name Karoly. Would have used it for one of my boys but my sister got there first.

No idea on all the baby crap.

[wendykh.livejournal.com]

You know I don't get why on earth Pat is set on a daughter named charles and daughter named elisabeth (and I had to fight for the s!) but wtf shouldn't someone revoke his quebecois card? srsly...

[primaflora.livejournal.com]

A daughter named Charles?

Different.

;)

[wendykh.livejournal.com]

omg LOL I meant a son :-P

[zukppr.livejournal.com]

Don't know how I missed that!

I love the name Charles :)

Mazel Tov!!

[sourdick.livejournal.com]

That is seriously one of the most awesome names. Charlie!

[mom4safe.livejournal.com]

I'm using cheap newborn covers, but I hear that Thirsties are great. I have a Thirsties brand all in one and it rocks, other than that it has velcro. I'm also lazy and using pocket diapers, ftmp, so I'm not real picky about the occasional prefold that we are using. BUT OMG, this child went through 16 diapers yesterday. It was amazing.

I know you said you weren't buying clothes, but I am really liking the swaddleme blanket. LO continues to get her arms out of the sleeper underneath the blanket, but she stays in the swaddle position. Oh, and sleeps 3.5 hours at a stretch at night. So, I can't complain.

Instead of the Trekker, you might like the Ergo. It's pretty popular. Or a Mei Tai. I really like those. For newborns, a lot of people are using wraps. I haven't tried one, though. I am starting to like the non-ring sling. I have a peanut shell that I got cheap at Target (it must have been a return), but others really like Hotslings and Zoey something or other. As always, the Maya is popular, but it's not padded. That may be cumbersome.

Sounds like your plans are coming together. :)

[mom4safe.livejournal.com]

I hate it when I misremember something. I'm using prorap covers. They are working really well.

[wendykh.livejournal.com]

YOU my dear have an excuse to misremember! :-D

[alohamelly.livejournal.com]

Hotslings.com. Those are my favorite slings. Back when Daisy was a baby, I used OTSBH and I have one this time around too but have hardly used it. IN fact, I have a whole bunch of slings including the Maya, but Hotsling is the one I use more than anything. Other than pouch style carriers, Mobys are really popular around here.

That is a good carseat and gets lots of good reviews on all my parenting boards.

Bugaboo Frog is super nice! I would have gotten one if I had $500 to spare. :p

Don't know about bottles, but we have a FP Rainforest swing that came in handy. I plan on pulling it out again for the next baby.

Had the Amby baby for Elliott and it took up more space than I expected it would. We ended up not using it.

[wendykh.livejournal.com]

did you just sleep with him then or use a different sort of bed? I figure I might change my mind, but I'm still so traumatized from Kay's non-stop Klingon routine I am hoping and praying for a non-co-sleeping solution. I don't mind the kid BY me but ooooh the idea of months on end of co-sleeping is just... anxiety inducing!

The thing with the Frog is... I know it's pricey, but I also walk a ton, and I also know me well enough to know if I don't get it, I will go through two or three others finding one I like, spending just as much money, and possibly ending up with the Frog in the end anyway :-P

[alohamelly.livejournal.com]

See, I don't mind co-sleeping. I mostly got the Amby to appease the inlaws. They were worried about Elliott sleeping in bed with Daisy and I. We did try out the Amby a few times, but he hated it. Of course, all he did was cry during those early months so I don't know if it was the bed or what. He's been in bed with me all along nonw.

IKWYM about the strollers. I should have just bought one good one. Instead, I have 5 strollers that cost way more than the Frog combined! Of course, each stroller serves a different purpose and I have yet to see a stroller that serves them all (for me).

[raccoonbonapart.livejournal.com]

Oh! Have to tell you something about car seats. We got a graco infant car seat because it's compatible with the bugaboo frog. There's a special attachment that you have to buy so you can put it on the stroller frame but I imagine it would be very handy if you were taking the stroller somewhere in the car. The bassinet is more of a pain to lug around in the car and better for walking around in the neighbourhood.

[wendykh.livejournal.com]

*Takes Notes*

Pat is somewhat horrified that the stroller costs more than our car.

[raccoonbonapart.livejournal.com]

lol

I think it's worth more than anything else in my apartment, including my identity. (Seriously, if anyone steals my identity the joke's on them.)