31 Weeks

Nursery Part 1

A couple of weeks ago my in laws painted the nursery and hubby and I finally finished putting together the crib and the dresser.  It's so wonderful to see everything starting to come together.

You can check out the furniture that we picked out here.  

How to Babysit Grandparents

If you're looking for a good gift for soon-to-be grandparents, my hubby and I bought these for our parents and they were a huge hit!

For each soon-to-be grandmother we got How to Babysit a Grandma and for each soon to be grandfather, How to Babysit a Grandpa.

30 Weeks - Only 10 to Go!!

29 Weeks

Registry: Extra Baby Gear

My final set of registry items are some baby gear extras.  While you don't need any of these items, they make make life with baby a little easier.  They are listed below in no particular order.

• Graco Pack 'n Play Sketch Safari:  In my opinion, this is a MUST!  Instead of buying a basinet which will only be used for a few months, we have opted to keep the pack n' play in our room for the baby to sleep in until we transition him to the crib.  After baby has moved to the crib, the pack 'n play will still have many uses:  it's great for traveling or for taking baby outside while doing some yard work.  There are so many models, that you'll want to check them all out and see which best fits your needs. 

• Fisher-Price Rock 'N Play Sleeper:  this has been the #1 recommended item by other moms.  Its a nice spot to put baby down while vacuuming or cleaning a few dishes.  It has also been used by many parents as their baby's primary sleeping spot when nothing else worked.  

•  Skip Hop Moonlight and Melodies Nightlight Soother:  a great addition to any nursery (especially for those late night feedings and changes).  It acts as a nightlight, it projects stars onto the ceiling to entertain your little one and plays relaxing sounds and lullabies to soothe baby to sleep.  A timer also allows you to set it to turn off after 15, 30, or 60 minutes.  

• Bumbo Floor Seat and Play Tray:  this popular seat allows babies to sit upright early on and, made of plastic, it is easily cleanable.  

• Graco DuetSoothe Infant Swing + Rocker:  this baby swing does it all!  It is a little expensive, but it's the only swing you'll need!  It can rock baby both back and forth and from side to side with 6 swing speeds.  Or if your baby prefers vibrations, it has 2 options for that as well.  For your baby's entertainment, there is a mobile and the swing plays various soothing sounds and songs.  The swing can be removed to function as a bouncer or to carry baby around the house with you.  

• Fisher-Price Rainforest Music and Lights Deluxe Gym Set:  this mat will encourage baby to love tummy-time.  It has everything you could want and more!  

• ExerSaucer Jump and Learn Jumper Jungle Quest Activity Center:  this activity center allows baby to rock, swing, and jump encouraging them to build and strengthen their gross motor skills.  

Registry: Safety

Baby Monitors

Though not everyone may agree, my husband and I agreed that a baby monitor is absolutely necessary.  The issue is that there are way to many options to pick from.  Some things to consider are:

• Do you want video and audio?  Or just audio?
• Do you want to be able to connect your phone to the system?
• Do you want one parent unit or two?
• How far of a range do you need?
• What is the battery life of the unit?
• Does the unit also have the option to be plugged in?
• Do you want the monitor to be sound activated?
• Are there reported issues of interference?

After doing our research, my husband and I settled on the Infant Optics DXR-8 Video Monitor.  The monitor has over 7,000 reviews on Amazon and still has a 4.3 out of 5 stars.  The only negative comment is that some people experience interference issues, but we wouldn't know until we tried it out.  I am hoping we don't have that issue because otherwise it seems perfect!

Movement Monitor

Not everyone is a fan of movement monitors.  As first time parents (and with the lurking fear of SIDS), my husband and I decided that we wanted one.  The two most popular units are the Owlet and the Snuza HERO - you can read about both options here.  Ultimately, the Snuza seemed more portable, was reliable and was a much more reasonable price, so that is what we've registered for.    

  

Registry: Bathing and Infant Care

Bathing

First, you will need a bathtub for baby.  If you haven't noticed yet, my husband and I are fans of gear that grows with baby.  That's why we opted for the First Years Newborn-to-Toddler Tub.

You'll also want some hooded towels and washcloths for baby.  A few different mothers recommended Carter's towels and washcloths.  Another brand that came highly recommended was JJ Cole's towels and washcloths.  In total, we've registered for 4 towels and 4 washcloth sets.

Finally, you'll need something to wash baby with - we've went the traditional route and registered for Johnson & Johnson Head-to-Toe Baby Wash.

Infant Care

In order to keep baby nice and healthy, you'll need a few things.  Below is what we've registered for so far:

• Safety 1st Sleepy Baby Nail Clippers (2 pairs - one for at home and one for the diaper bag)
• Exergen Original Temporal Thermometer 
• Little Martin's Nasal Aspirator
• Guard Master Infant Banana Training Toothbrush  
• Crane Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
• Little Remedies Gas Relief Drops 
• Little Fevers Infant Fever & Pain Relief

Daycare

Here is my advice regarding daycare - start looking as early as possible!  We started looking last week (at 26 weeks pregnant) and were lucky enough to get the last spot at the daycare we wanted.  Our little one will be starting at the end of next August, which means that we had to sign-up for a spot about 9 months in advance.

Some things to consider about the daycare:

• Who will be dropping off/picking up your baby and is it conveniently located for them?

• What are their hours?

• What are their rates and what do they cover?

• If you go away on a week long vacation do you still pay them?

• What is the security for the building?

• Are employees certified in pediatric first aid and CPR?

• What is their staff to children ratio?

• What is their policy regarding a sick child?

• Is there a system in place if your child will be fed breastmilk?

• What is their curriculum?

• What is their behavior policy/parenting style?

27 Weeks