So I’ve been MIA from the blogosphere for the last six months. If you’d like to know why, take a look at my last post and you’ll get the idea. I may have mentioned once or a hundred times that pregnancy ain’t easy for me, and it wasn’t any easier with a toddler to care for. I managed to get through Michael’s birthday party in July (which I really hope to write about one day!), but was pretty much an invalid for the rest of the pregnancy. I was exhausted, moody, in pain, moody, sick, and did I mention all the moodiness? I had the energy and mental wherewithal to do only the bare minimum, which included caring for my firstborn, very basic grooming, and complaining about how sick and tired I was. The bare minimum did not include blogging or housework, which was a shame because every corner of my house contained a crisis of cleanliness.
But then, on September 26th, this happened:
Garrett and I (and of course our firstborn, Michael) welcomed 8 lb 10 oz of pure adorable into our family. We named him Cruz Joseph, and he is most definitely a blessing!
I really hope to write his birth story some day when I’m ready to relive the drama of birthing baby Cruz. (And the pain. OH DEAR GOD, THE PAIN.)
But today isn’t that day.
Today I’m requesting your input on BABY GEAR because one of my sisters, Julissa, is expecting her own bundle of joy in the spring.

(Photo by Yamilette Arana)
Aren’t they cute? This is one of their engagement pictures.
Julissa needs to create the all-important baby registry. She asked for product recommendations, so I thought I might as well blog about it. Because here’s the thing: a product that one mother couldn’t live without is a waste of money to another mother. Every baby/family/situation is different. So I want to get advice from other moms.
For the next few days, I’ll dedicate each day to a particular category of products (see list below) and share the products I’ve found to be helpful (along with some general advice), but I would also love it if y’all would chime in and give your own recommendations in the comments section at the end of each post. Please, share your thoughts with us! Moms, this is a great way to be Titus 2 women and “teach what is good”! But even if you’re not a mom and have had a mom tell you, “Product XYZ changed my life,” I want to hear about it!
I would love for these posts to be super-helpful to Julissa and anybody else that is seeking baby registry advice, so please limit your comments each day to the particular topic for that day. And Facebook friends, please write your comment on the blog and not on Facebook so that everyone can see it and be helped by your advice.
(Also: consider this week’s posts a re-write of the list I made when Michael was a baby. Like I said, every baby is different!)
Today (Sunday): Stores with baby registries
Monday: Feeding
Tuesday: Sleeping
Wednesday: Diapering/Hygiene
Thursday: Products to make leaving the house easier
Friday: Playtime
Today’s topic: Stores with baby registries
When I was pregnant with Michael, I was working at an extremely demanding job, felt sick much of the time, and was just trying to get through each day. I looked forward to setting up the baby registry, but when the time came I felt overwhelmed. I did some research online, hoping to find the killer list of baby products, but didn’t see much consensus. I also felt weird about asking for gifts, which is the way I saw the registry. And on top of all that I just didn’t have much time to devote to it. So I ended up with a baby registry of random “stuff” without some of the things that really would have helped me out.
I wish I had devoted more time to setting up the baby registry because, at the very least, I would have had a list for myself of things I might need in the future. Of course, “need” is a relative term. All a baby really needs is food and a safe place to sleep (and a car seat or they won’t let you leave the hospital with the baby). But there are some smart people out there that have come up with products that can make life easier.
I ended up registering at Target and/or Walmart. I really can’t remember. What I do remember is that it seemed like those weren’t the best choices. I thought it would be easier for everyone since most people can get to one of those stores pretty easily. What I didn’t take into consideration is that you can buy many products online but not in the store. So I think people ended up feeling frustrated when they went shopping for a gift. I felt pretty bad about it. Then again, I was pretty moody. Did I mention that?
If I had it to do over again (which I won’t, because now that I have two beautiful boys the factory is CLOSED), I would have registered at Babies R Us because you can find just about everything there.
Do you have a suggestion for a store with a baby registry?
8 thoughts on “Do you have thoughts and opinions about baby products? Come on, I know you do.”
I would just pick one store that has both and in-store and on-line registry. If you can do the registry from home and have it show up at both the store and on-line that would be ideal! Then, in the middle of the night, when you have ANOTHER calf-cramp and you are up waiting for your muscles to RELAX so you can go back to your fitful sleep, you can be hit wilth a brilliant idea…go to your computer…and register for that item. To have to drag yourself back down to the stare…well, that just won’t work. So…..I would suggest Babies-R-Us as well. I think they fit that profile, they are nation-wide, they have MANY products. If you DON’T have one locally, you can order on-line or you can look at the registry , get some ideas, and go buy somewhere else.
Back and pelvis pain is what used to wake me up. Or maybe it was my screams from the pain.
babies r’us was great for us! Pottery Barn is nice because you can buy and ship online for out of town family! I’m sooo excited for you guys!
We love looking at Pottery Barn Kids for decorating ideas.
Yeah! And congratulations!
I think these posts are a fantastic idea.
I registered at just babies r us because walmart is so limited in options and target’s return policy is HORRIBLE! Has gotten even worse I gather. Babies r us has by far the best selection and not bad prices if bought on sale or with coupons. Good return policy if you change your mind. Also get a 20% off coupon of all left on registry when baby has been born. (I think target does the same). Had I known about amazon’s registry, I might have done that since it is great for out of town guests and most often the best prices around, not to mention great selection. It will be too overwhelming though unless you know up front what you want. Babies rus has great reviews on their products online that really helped me decide on items with D. Can also add to their registry online easily- just be aware not all online items will not be available in store.
That’s a great point about the return policy. And I didn’t know about the coupon! Amazon has good reviews, too. I usually look at Amazon reviews before buying anything, even if I don’t order it from there.
I would recommend babies r us for sure. They have everything you can think of. Target is also a good one to have. They gave me a “new mommy” kit with coupons, samples and a cute bag. I think babies r us did too. Target is good to have for the people who are already in the store shopping and don’t have to make a special trip to crazy baby world during the weekend!
Hope this helps.
Lulu
It’s amazing how much free stuff new moms can get. I even got a new mommy kit from my obstetrician’s office with samples. And the coupons are usually pretty good.