Nursery Part 2

I'm excited to share how our nursery is coming along.  I love the 8-Cube Organizer Shelves that we were registered for at Target.  I got an awesome deal on them after the holidays!  

Here are some of the other additions to the nursery:

• Turquoise and Gray Fabric bins from Amazon.  These were much better quality than the ones sold at Target in my opinion.  Some reviews said they may be a little too large for the the shelves, but they fit perfectly.  

• I also purchased two of these Striped Fabric Bins from Target.  You can see one near the glider to hold all of my breastfeeding supplies.  The other is on the dresser with our diapering necessities.  

• I found this adorable elephant at Hobby Lobby that matched the nursery decor perfectly!

• The blanket on the glider is part of our nursery bedding set from Babies 'R Us. 

• We've also purchased this adorable elephant decal to go over the crib - I can't wait for it to arrive.  

Registry: Bedding, Linens, Sleepwear, Etc.

The Essentials

First, let's talk about what you need for the crib.  Our first line of defense will be these protective waterproof covers for the mattress (registered for 2).   Next we will have a fitted quilted pad (again, registered for 2) you will need fitted sheets for the crib.  Finally, there is just the regular fitted sheet.  We are registered for 4 of these - I don't want to have to do laundry just because baby had a blow-out in the middle of the night and we are out of sheets.

You do NOT need the whole cute bed set, no matter how tempted you are to buy it.  Everything else in the set is purely decorative.  The only other thing that you need for the crib is a bumper, but that adorable bumper that comes with your bedding set is considered to increase the risk of SIDS.  Instead, they now recommend a mesh bumper like this one.

Next, you will need a changing pad.  I prefer the contoured pad that helps to keep the baby in place.  And of course, you then need changing pad covers.  Most covers are soft and fluffy and decorated in all sorts of cute patterns.  However, I think that these wipeable covers are the way to go (we're registered for 2).  Most of the cover is a wipeable material, so depending on what accidents occur you don't necessary have to take the whole pad off and wash it.

The Extras

I didn't register for changing pad liners, but I picked up 2 packs of them because I found them for $2 a pack on clearance.   Their intended purpose is to place one on top of your changing pad cover to avoid having to wash the whole thing, but with the wipeable changing pad these won't really be necessary.  However, I like the idea of having these to throw down on the floor or the couch or on a diaper changing station for a quick diaper change.

We are not registering for burp clothes, I have heard from so many mothers that say these are a waste of money.  Instead, we are registered for these Gerber cloth diapers.  Many experienced mothers recommend at least two packages of these and say that they serve a variety of purposes:  burp clothes, cleaning up spills, cleaning babies face, etc.

Many moms also rave about the Aden and Anais swaddle blankets.  Again, they use them for a variety of purposes, but they are definitely a lot more expensive than the cloth diapers above.  I did register for one set just to try them out.

Finally, since blankets aren't allowed in cribs (because of the risk of SIDS) your little one will need something to keep them warm.  There are so many options here which I've researched thoroughly.  Unfortunately, it sounds like each baby has their own preference.  However, there were 2 top contenders:  the HALO SleepSack and the SwaddleMes.  Both options come in a variety of sizes and weights (for the various seasons).  I have registered for a small and medium in each and plan to go from there.

Registry: Furniture

Now that I've covered where we're registered, I'll move on to what we've registered for.  I will organize this by category and will try to include the essentials and the extras that we are planning on getting.  We'll start with the most expensive pieces - the nursery furniture.

The Essentials
In my opinion, the essentials are a crib, a dresser and a changing table.  However, I believe that stand-alone changing tables are a waste of money and space.  Instead, we are going to get a dresser that has a changing table attachment.  Then, when you no longer need to a changing table, you can take the attachment off and you're left with just the dresser.

On another note, I need everything to match, so we are opting to get all of our furniture from the same collection.  However, this is definitely not necessary.  The set we are getting is the Delta Bennington Collection from Babies 'R Us and includes a crib, a dresser, and a changing table topper.  

Something to keep in mind is that most every crib we looked at was convertible.  That meant that they can grow with your child.  However, you will need to buy the extra pieces in order to convert the crib.  If you plan to do this, you should buy them at the same time as the crib.  You never know when they will discontinue that particular model and then the additional pieces will become unavailable.  

The Extras

One extra, though I am considering it an essential for me, is a chair for the nursery.  I will be spending a lot of time in their breastfeeding and I want somewhere comfortable to sit.  There are a lot of options when it comes to these, but we finally settled on this glider/recliner from Buy Buy Baby.  This is an item that I strongly suggest that you go try out - don't just try to read reviews online.  Everyone has their own opinion on what is comfortable, etc.  I'd also suggest that you read this buying guide to get you started.  

The other extra that I want are these 8-Cube Organizer Shelves from Target.  I like them because they can be used for whatever you want.  You can use them just as shelves for books and/or decorations or you can buy the fabric bins that fit in them to use as storage.