Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Beginning the Search

Since I have been feeling our little guy move around quite a bit lately, I have become more comfortable with starting to plan for his arrival.  Ashley and I have been talking quite a bit about names for our little boy.  I never knew it could be so difficult!  We generally agree on most names one of us comes up with, but there are just so many.  Some days we have 5 top boy names and then the next we have 15.  There are still a few that have stayed at the top of the list, but making a commitment to that one name is so hard, especially because the next day we usually come up with another name we like.  We even try calling our baby a certain name and wait a little bit to see if he will start kicking, thinking maybe it will give us a clue.  I know that is silly, but we just can't make up our minds knowing that this name will stick with him for the rest of his life.  We are certain we will use one of two middle names that have meaning in our life, so a lot of our discussion is in conjunction with what first name sounds good with one of those two middle names.

Ashley and I also spent some time the other night looking at baby stuff.  There are so many types of things out there and I have no clue where to start.  What type of cloth diapers do people suggest?  What is the best type of car seat/stroller?  What are must buys and what items are unnecessary?  Any mothers out there who want to give me input, feel free to, its a little overwhelming.  Thanks!

6 comments:

  1. I am doing cloth diapers! Even though I haven't gotten to use my yet. I have about 4 weeks left before our baby girl gets here. I have purchased Gro Via's and Bumgenius 4.0. I have a good friend who has used cloth diapers for over a year and those were her favs! I just went to the cloth diaper store today to pick pick up 6 more!
    As far as a carseat stroller deal I read up on all the brands.... it can make you crazy! We went with the Chicco KeyFit 30 carseat and matching stroller. But you will know what is best for you and Ashley. It is so fun to start shopping for baby but so many hard choices out there! Take your time picking everything out!

    Good Luck with a name... I know ya'll will come up with a perfect name for you baby boy!

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  2. I'm going to be doing a post soon on the products that got us through the 1st year. Like Amanda said, car seat/stroller system you will know what's right for you. here are some top products though: medela breast pump (double electric), jogging stroller (was able to train for a 1/2 thanks to it), Dr Brown's bottles.

    good luck it's a lot to take in

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  3. A FABulous brand of cloth diapers is RagaBabe. They were created by my college roommate Joy Yoder (a Bethel grad!) and are seriously the best ones I've ever tried. They're a little pricey, but let me tell you, they hold up remarkably well and you don't have to use as many as other brands because they just don't leak! Check them out at RagaBabe.com. A cheaper option is gDiapers (gDiapers.com), which I also like.

    Other than that, I don't really have any favorite brands of baby things. Keep in mind as you're registering for stuff and building your repertoire of baby-stuff that babies really don't need all that much, especially at the beginning. It's so easy to go way overboard in all the excitement and end up with a bunch of crap you really don't need and don't even use!

    Have fun!!!

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  4. I'm not a mom but I'm an expert aunt and, athough i don't know much of anything about cloth diapers, i do know that a few things that got us through with casi & paige both were the following:
    divided formula and cereal dispenser - even if you're not using powdered formula all the time it's nice to have as a backup and you can use it for cereal
    pacifier with a thermometer in it (pretty self explanatory but a really good basic thing to have)
    vibrating bounch seat - my nieces loved the gentle buzz and because it let them snuggle in they didn't need to be held quite as much

    i hope that helps a little bit :) congrats again on the baby boy, you guys are going to be amazing parents!

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  5. I'm pretty much a minimalist mom, and this is what has worked pretty well for us. Of course ignore at your choice.

    We love the diaper service. Pretty cheap $15/week compared to disposables, and you don't need to wash diapers, big plus!

    NOTE: Make sure to get larger sizes of clothes with cloth diapers, they make your little boy wear at least one size up than expected. So newborn size won't get worn, and 3 months, probably only a week or so with the Swanson genes.

    Don't get a wipe warmer, they're unnecessary.

    We love white noise machines, if you have an easy baby, no need, otherwise a lifesaver. Of course good swaddling blankets, not the velcro ones, baby gets out of those fast, and you're a swaddling pro, so you don't need the cheat.

    Baby bjorn; they really hurt my back, but it's the only baby carrier I could get Jacob to wear. I like the Ellaroo wrap, you can do bunches of different ties.

    I don't know if you'll co-sleep. If so, a little baby sleep positioner thing is awesome. It's two triangle cushions that attach to a velcro strap the baby lays on, and keeps him from rolling away.

    The stroller/car seat combinations are wonderful. Though you'll probably have the same issue we have, baby boy will grow out of it before he can be forward facing. So if you can find an increased length/weight combo seat, that's a great idea so you don't need to get a second system before a year.

    Wow, didn't realize I'd have so many opinions.

    No matter what, I'm positive you will do no wrong as a mom, and I can't wait to see you in action.

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  6. Hi Steph - blind leading blind here but I will share what stuff I registered for because other moms have told me it would be necessary.

    Diapers - I just registered at the Orange Tree for the Gro Via cloth Diapers.
    baby carrier - I noticed that Megan shared that the Baby Bjorn hurt her back, I went and tried on carriers and quickly realized that the baby bjorn would hurt my back too. I ended up going with the Cybex because it distributes all the weight onto your hips. I would love for you to try it on if you want. The Baby Bjorn and some other brands distribute the weight onto your back and shoulders which might be more painful for us tall girls.

    Jogging stroller - Everyone says its a must :) - I am actually going to use the jogging stroller as my all purpose stroller, but I don't think that is the best choice for everyone. The best thing I have noticed about regular strollers is all the storage space under the stroller, I am sure I will be missing out on that option!

    Wipe warmer - I have been encouraged to forgo this cool contraption because what happens in public when your babys butt has to experience a cold cloth??? Most have said a waste of money, its a nice idea but your baby might get spoiled at home and then not be so happy on the go when you wipe with a cold cloth.

    See you swimming - I just ordered a maternity suit online and can't wait to get it!

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