registering for baby

(image source)

Registering for your first baby is one of the most clueless activities in which you'll ever participate.  At least it was for me.  Colt and I exchanged many looks meaning various things from "Maybe we should scan this?  It looks ... interesting." to "What does this do?" to "I don't think I can be a mom.  I don't know anything!"

It just catches you off guard.  I had no idea where to start.  I asked a couple friends to send me lists of things that are MUST haves and things that seemed unnecessary.  But even after those lists and constantly texting my friend Megan ... we still felt lost.

I was lucky to have previously spent a lot of time with little Coop man (Megan's son).  For a lot of things, I would say to Colt, "Oh!  Cooper had this!  Let's get it."  But for everything else ... what were we supposed to do?

So, based on what I registered for, what I got, what we use, and what we don't use, here is my list for baby registry items.  You may agree or disagree, but for those of you trying to figure out where to start, this may help.

Crib Things 
Bumper 
Crib
Crib Sheets
Mattress
Mattress Protector

Things Baby Sits/Lies In/On
Car Seat (You may want to register for an extra car seat base if you have 2 cars.  Colt and I each have a base in our car, so it's one less thing we have to hassle with.)
Carrier or Sling (We registered for both a Baby Bjorn and an Ergo Baby.  We figured that way, we'd at least probably get one.)
Boppy
Bouncer (This is a great place for Duke to play because his head is elevated, which is good for his reflux.  He also just really likes it.)
Bumbo
Pack 'N Play
Playmat (We have a Baby Einstein one with all of the fun things hanging down for him to look at and grab.  But also, we have a really thick, soft monkey playmat that is good to use for his tummy time.)
Stroller (Because we have a BOB, we also needed an infant car seat adapter so that our car seat would fit into the stroller.  So, if you're wanting to go that route, register for the infant car seat adapter too.)
Swing (We don't use this a ton, but if Duke randomly wakes up early from a nap and it's not really time to eat, it's a nice place for him to be.  Most of the time, he'll fall right back asleep.)

Things That Keep Baby Healthy and Clean
Baby Bath
Body Wash/Shampoo
Brush
First Aid Kit (Okay, so it's not really a first aid kit, but I'm not sure what else to call it.  Basically, it was something that contained a thermometer, nose suction thing, etc.) 
Lotion

Things That Deal With Baby's Bottom
Changing Pad
Diapers (Whether you're doing cloth or disposable, go ahead and register for some disposable diapers.  Cloth people, you probably won't want to deal with it at the beginning.)
Desitin (or some kind of diaper rash ointment)
Diaper Genie (Remember, even if you're doing cloth diapers, you may do disposable ones in the beginning.)
Diaper Genie Refills
Wipes
Wipe Warmer (Colt used to say, "He doesn't need warm wipes.  He's a man!"  And now he loves it.  Just sayin'.)

Mom Things and Feeding Things (after all, it kind of is the same thing ...)
Bottles (Either get different sizes or get big ones so when your baby is eating 8 oz., you won't need to buy new ones.  Also you may want to make sure they are dishwasher safe ... that makes it easy.  We got the Medela brand.)
Bottle Dryer Rack(Even if your bottles can go in the dishwasher, they may not be completely dry when you take them out.  Ours usually still have droplets in them, so we stick them on the dryer rack.)
Bottle Tote (If you're going out and using bottles, you can keep your bottles in this.)
Diaper Bag
Hooter Hider (Some kind of nursing cover is good to have.  Although they can sometimes be a hassle, I've found them to be a lot more convenient than trying to use a blanket in public.)
Lanolin (2-3 tubes should do.  You probably won't need it after that point.)
Nursing Pads (LOTS!  My favorite brands are Medela and Lansinoh.)
Nursing Bras (Make sure you've got the size right.  Think big.)
Pump (Depending on how often you think you'll pump, you'll want to research which kind to get.  I have the Medela Single Deluxe Pump.)
Pump and Save Bags (After you pump, you can put your milk in these bags, label them with the date, and freeze them.)
Travel Changing Pads (Ours is just a flat little thing we can fold up and put in the diaper bag.  I'll lay it down and change him on it when we're not in our own home.)
Travel Wipe Container (to keep wipes in your diaper bag)

Things That Make Baby Happy
Blankets
Burp Cloths (Maybe, oh, a million of these would be nice ... especially if you're baby happens to be a spitter like our little guy.)
Pacifiers
Swaddle Me Wraps (SO glorious for swaddling)
Teething Toys

Other Furniture Things
Changing Table
Chair (preferably one that can do some sort of movement)
Dresser

Things That Don't Fit Into One of My Categories (and that really drives me crazy)
Baby Clothes Hangers

Things Baby Will Use Later (added on August 8th)
Bibs
Bowls w/ Lids (This is mainly for traveling with food.  Small-sized tupperware would be fine also.)

Fresh Food Feeder (Duke loves to eat oranges and grapes in this thing.)

High Chair (It's nice to have one at home and a cheapy plastic one like this that you can take to friends' houses if needed.)

Jumperoo (We actually registered for and got a Doorway Jumper.  Duke isn't too fond of it though.  However, he loved being in a Fisher-Price Jumperoo at our friends' house.  So, next time, we may get one of those.)

Sippy Cups

Spoons
Step 'N Play Piano (or something your baby can stand and play in)

My wise mom friends told me not to register for any clothes and that people would just buy them for me.  So far, we've been pretty set in that category.

And just FYI, we registered at Target, Babies R Us, and Amazon.

I think I thought of everything, but comment if you think of any other must-haves that I might have left off!  Happy registering!