Officially overwhelmed

[phoenix_arose]

I have been trying slowly over the last couple weeks to get the baby registry done. A couple things to note:1-i am a serious minimalist my "worst" hording thing is books 2- i don't want a bunch of stuff I'm going to have to [store/move/box/sell/return/goodwill].

I am not sure how much stuff a one pound(right now) piglet really will need in 4 months or the next year or the year after that.

I need diapers i know the kind i want to use(gdiapers:www.gdiapers.com)  but i don't know how many in what sizes  to register for an i know that i might need some swaddlers which will  have to be disposable but that really depends on how big he is when he gets here my bother and i were 8 lbs-ish, so i might not need them. I'm sure some disposable ones will get used but by far i what to do the gdiapers.

Clothes: Seriously the cute or unique ones are REALLY REALLY expensive, and while I'm sure he won't bee more than a few of those cute ones(i think they are mostly for the parents anyway), but how many in what size should i register for in oneisies ? will he really need pants? Jackets(he's a winter arrival)? what ever

All i really want is  the big expensive things like  the pack and play, the car seat, stroller,  and books

Books are easy, they cost lot and are really in important IMHO.Yes some of them will be over  the level of the kid to read for some years but that does not mean we should not have them or that We can't read them to him sooner.

Crib sheets: how many of those?, baby cds: do i really need these?

i could use a day of pampering at the spa - is it completely selfish to want to register for that ?

Toys: oh god please don't' get me started on toys

 on top of this materialistic quandary we still need to pick a pediatrician, i need to preregister at the hospital, take a birth class and basic baby care class(CPR and what not), decide about circumcision(fun since we don't agree on  the issue), and there is work and school and bills and prenatal testing

Comments

[voluptuousvi.livejournal.com]

yes, you need pants and a jacket. at least a light jacket.

2-3 sheets.

swing? bouncy seat? yes they will SAVE you.

register for every size onsies and return the ones that you won't need. you will have a size idea prior to you giving birth so you can always return the ones that you won't use. and remember, no matter what they will look HUGE on him when he comes out. it just happens.

g-diapers you can get at whole foods. yet again, register for every size. then you just have to go pick up the size that you need once you run out. they also came out with cloth inserts btw....

and no matter what you will end up with crap. babies are good at getting people to give crap.

[perfect-drug.livejournal.com]

i am so trying to minimize the crap, but this is the 1st grand baby so I'm sure I'll be up to my eye balls in it, I'll just be returning it to the store for more useful stuff(hopefully)

i have a swing on there and bouncy thing,
i keep thinking about the cloth inserts i might get a few and see how they work out for us the other ones I'm fine with b/c they are not going to sit in a landfill till doomday

[voluptuousvi.livejournal.com]

you just have to make sure that flushing that amount of paper down your pipes won't hurt the pipes. we can't use them here because even the flushable wipes cause everything to get stuck.

[perfect-drug.livejournal.com]

the pipes here amazing=) except at my mom's house(she has a tree root in her pipes) my house i brand new and the i have 4 room mates and no clogged toilets yet this year(*crosses her fingers*)

If we can't flush them then I'll compost the wet ones and just have to toss the other ones

[voluptuousvi.livejournal.com]

nature babycare makes disposables that have zero oil in them so they are completely disposable. diapers.com has them. they are what we use for the boys at night.

[perfect-drug.livejournal.com]

i'll check in to those too =) thanks!

[raingoddess0826.livejournal.com]

If you are going to use G-diapers check online for bulk prices. You can get them a whole lot cheaper than at Whole Foods that way. I believe Amazon carries them.

[perfect-drug.livejournal.com]

Amazon does and i think the company has a discount program as well i'll be checking it out, i saw HEB and babies r us have them too, will be bargain hunting

[silversaff.livejournal.com]

Breathe.

Make a list. Prioritize as to what's most important to be done ASAP. (Before Born, After Born, Next Year, etc.)

Then start one step at a time.

You *will* accumulate crap. It's just part and parcel to it. I usually cleaned out excess twice a year. Once during Spring (around his birthday) and once before or after Christmas. That was the easiest way to keep the clutter lower, and keep my sanity. Books are okay, but really, you don't need to read too much you can't find on the internet generally these days.

Lastly, most babies are around 8 pounds. That's 'average'.

As for diapers, start with two large boxes (Sam's size) of preeme. Around 4 boxes of wipes. 12 bottles or 6 if you're breastfeeding. You need them to chill pumped breast milk. (Meaning you'll need a pump/warmer if you you'd like to do that.) 10 baby blankets (as they clean up spills/messes as well as warm baby), 3 sheet/blanket sets. (They get thrown up on, drooled on, diaper leaks, etc. You'll want to change them without having to do laundry to do it.) 1 diaper bag, 1 bottle bag. You probably should have a set of bath stuff and a set of diaper bag stuff (creams/lotions/teething pain/neosporin/benedryl) to start off with too. You might not use it yet, but you will. 5 teethers (two for the fridge, two normal, one that you keep safe in case you lose any of the other four), 3 pacifiers (if you intend to use them)-and strings to tie those things to you with. (They come with clips generally, so I clipped it to the diaper bag). Also carry a washcloth in the diaper bag you can wet down and use in a pinch.

A stroller's an okay thing, not really necessary, but don't worry about it, go to consignment, get one, and sell it back when you're done. You'll need a playpen and a swing. Expect those to get serious work. You can also consider a walker. But all of that is really necessary around 6 months old. Before that, it's all sitting around waiting to be used.

As for onesies, at a year, a baby is usually around 20-30 pounds. So if you start with 8 and get to 30... try to plan for 2 or so a piece per bump in poundage. Meaning you should end up with around 12 different sizes, if you're getting two a bump. Don't get jackets yet. At newborn and small, you won't need them, just blankets to use to keep them warm. People tend to overly dress babies and they overheat and get rashes for it. They do have to be warmer than us, but not that much. Remember, most cats are around 5-8 pounds, think of when your cat's ears get cold. That's when baby needs dressed. And if you're giving birth in summer, you'll need a bottle of sun-screen. If it's winter, do consider getting a cover for the baby carrier, otherwise, carry a blanket, and have like.. -a- set of sweats with a hat. Inside they won't need it.

Just remember, everything should be as washable as possible. Burps, drools, toss ups, etc, are allllllllllll possible and you'll need a spare set of clothes/blankets in the diaper bag.

[perfect-drug.livejournal.com]

thanks =)

[7changeling.livejournal.com]

working at a daycare taught me that everything gets used eventually. don't worry about clothes being too big, babies only really get to wear their cloths for about a month or so...
before they can move around they also get bored pretty fast (reliant entirely on things within a foot of them for entertainment) so plan on just switching sets of toys in and out (box in closet, box in nursery, swith every other month or so). check out the bombo chair; it is a sqishy, form chair that lets them sit up before they can on their own, along with stand alone tow arches that you can hang dangling toys from.

it you want, maybe check out a daycare (not necessarily for use, but just to tour the facility and see what they use) good daycares will have good workers who know what to do with little ones. they are a wealth of information about diapers, clothes, formula (if needed), and cheap ways to entertain your baby. (shaving cream with food die, homemade play dough, magazines for ripping apart, BUBBLES...)

also, some baby music is useful, since toddlers will like to dance to something upbeat and cheerful. "they might be giants does the abc's" is a good one.

[perfect-drug.livejournal.com]

thanks yeah I've been told pick music i like the kiddo will probably like it too (he's bern listening to it since he could hear)

i think i will walk thru a day care and see what they have. that a great idea

[7changeling.livejournal.com]

i worked at the the UT child developement center with a woman named nasreen. they are fantastic! i learned so much from her, like how to chill out and enjoy the kids. the great thing too about long time childcare workers is that they are relaxed and have a good context for when things are an actual emergency and when they are just surprising/alarming/inconvienent and how to deal quickly and effectively. also, they are good sources for parenting/cpr/emegency response classes and workshops.

[perfect-drug.livejournal.com]

=)