My thoughts....

Things that I like	Things that I don't like	Reasoning	Suggestion
Portable Booster seat	High chair	Unnecessary -- there are booster type chairs that you can use that are portable and cheap. High chairs take up a large area and are expensive.	http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2626212
Baby Sponge	Baby Tub	Not a separate tub for bathing, but a cushion for bathing. Extra space and expense not needed.	http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2390251
Baby Monitor		Necessity -- like the ones with lights and sound, plus non-battery operated receivers	http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=2002&e=product&pid=44289
Pack n Play	Basinet	Good for travel and/or camping if you want to try having a baby in the master bedroom; not a fan of the basinet simply because they grow out of it so quickly
Amazon.com		Diapers can be bought in bulk, slightly cheaper than from the store, plus free shipping. so, even if you don't save money, they "magically" arrive at the house
	Receiving blankets	Most of them are too, too small to swaddle -- okay for burp cloths. You will end up with way more than you will use... HOWEVER, there is an exception: see link (notice dimensions) -- love these!	http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=/qid=/ref=br_1_br_1_11/601-6199570-4629748?ie=UTF8&node=13698611&frombrowse=1&asin=B000GG0A9O&rh=&page=1
Bumbo		great little chair - can use for feeding but also getting the baby a different view; we never bought one because the daycare had one, but our daughter loved it	http://www.amazon.com/Bumbo-Baby-Sitter-%252d-Blue/dp/B0010SZZJC/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1223002726&sr=8-4
	Bouncer	Doesn't do anything for the baby except serve as an alternative to a crib	http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2749879
Boppy		Useful when baby gets bigger -- helps with hands-free feeding and to teach them to sit up
Swing		MUST HAVE! change of scenery -- easy for baby to fall asleep in when fussy and easy for you when baby is getting fussy	http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=2002&e=product&pid=44276
	Pacifiers	Unnecessary -- you can soothe you baby in other ways; besides, I feel like if you use a pacifier, then the baby doesn't learn to self-soothe (my two cents)
	Bedding sets	Overpriced and unnecessary; Cannot change the sheets easily anyway. blanket is un-useable and is the bumper (or you're not supposed to use one), but i like them because it gives the baby a more cocoon like atmosphere
Towels	Burp Clothes	Thicker than blankets, super-good for spit/throw ups, blow-outs, etc.
	Diaper Bag	you can get away with something way smaller than what was out there; plus, you can use bags that aren't "diaper bags;" my favorite was the free one that we got in the mail from Similac
Double pump		timesaver and super-useful (store up before daycare AND helps force your milk in, otherwise, very painful); I used a single and a double but prefer the double	http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=sc_pgc_r_12_1_1038590/601-6199570-4629748?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B0011E5LYE
Dr. Brown's BPA free bottles		sturdy and easy for my baby to transition back and forth, even in the early, early days
Play Mat		great for the early months when you want to stimulate baby but either need a break or are unsure of what to do, plus, it folds up easily and you can store it out of site	http://www.tinylove.com/toy.aspx?toyId=46
Exersaucer	Exersaucer (non-compactable)	Fun, but baby has to be in the mood, and it takes up a lot of space. they might say that they are compactable but not really	http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2693384&sourceid=1500000000000003260330&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=2693384
Cheap, good clothes		The Children's Place is the best value for new clothes -- I bought stuff last year for this year's Halloween, xmas, etc. Target is good for staple clothing and Macy’s is good for special clothes, and there is always a sale. Buy up now while you can pace yourself and get GREAT deals	http://www.childrensplace.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Home?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001
College Saving - Upromise		Enter your CC and shopper card information and you earn cash back, especially on internet purchases, to go towards college expenses only. Can open before baby! same as a 529 plan (Google 529 Colorado)	www.upromise.com, http://www.forbes.com/2005/02/10/cx_sr_0210collegesavings.html, or www.collegeinvest.org
Robeez		expensive shoes but really helpful in keeping socks on as they get older -- not that necessary in the beginning but once you start going out often, a must have; can get them cheaper on Amazon.com
Itzbeen timer		great clock and tracking tool when you have no idea when you last feed the baby or how long they slept -- downside: can't record amounts of food or types of diapers	http://shop.mbeans.com/istar.asp?a=6&id=WD68-GREEN!ITZBE
Book: Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads		Awesome. Practical. Fun. cute read for mom and dad
Book: Belly Laughs		by Jenny McCarthy -- fun and you'll need a laugh while pregnant (most days) – nothing about autism

Baby Shower Gift Suggestions

As everyone knows, baby showers, even with a registry, can be quite difficult to show for. Below are a couple of easy suggestions that I did not register for, but loved nevertheless.


$10 - Carter's Sleep Sack - super easy pajamas for the infant baby; works especially well while changing diapers and clothes (cheaper in stores than online)
http://bestbabyshower.stores.yahoo.net/carter-s-holiday-sleep-sack-bags---pink---blue.html

$25 - Itzbeen - electronic timer easily helps you track sleeping, eating, pooping, and medicating. I loved this when I was sleep deprived and could not think straight, but I could press a button!
http://www.amazon.com/Coast-Innovations-Itzbeen-Baby-Timer/dp/B000MEB3GE

$25 - HUGE receiving blanket - these are expensive but totally worth it (they work really well). I've never had any baby de-swaddle themselves.
http://www.amazon.com/SwaddleDesigns-Ultimate-Receiving-Blanket-Polka/dp/B000A7S52S

$30 - Fleece Weather protector for infant car seat -- really useful if they will spend a lot of time outdoors and you don't want to bundle the baby up. And by useful, I mean you will be using it in any season, not just for winter.
http://www.amazon.com/Kiddopotamus-PoshPouch-Premium-Carrier-Graphite/dp/B000TVTBP0/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1227221965&sr=1-12

Always carry around a white t-shirt

If I were you, I would always have an extra white t-shirt hanging around -- in the diaper bag, in the car, in his car, at your mother's house, etc. Why? Having a sister with two kids, you might already know but it's the "just in case shirt."

Just in case your baby spits up:
- a simple white t-shirt goes with anything (for mom or dad).
- you have an extra burp rag.
- you have a simple, albeit big, dress for baby (in case you forgot to put extra clothes in the diaper bag).

Just in case it gets cold, you have an extra blanket - it always gets cold when you least expect it.

Just in case it gets sunny, you have a light, cool sun shade.

Just in case your baby blows out her diaper and you forgot to re-stock the diaper bag = emergency diaper (along with a sock for a little extra leak protection).

I am sure that there are many more uses, but these are just several of my favorites. Add your own!

Why I Don't Like the Diaper Genie

1. You have to buy the special bags.
2. The spinning of the "special" bags does not produce "sausage links" but a big mess instead.
3. You have to use two hands.

The Diaper Champ is WAY cooler.

Why? Because I have one. Ha ha. So, I chose the Diaper Champ because:
1. You do not have to buy special bags -- I found that Target's bags worked the best because they have a little big a stretch versus the traditional plastic grocery bag. (And, you can recycle!)
2. It holds about one to one and half week's worth of diapers and they are easy to get out of the cylinder.
3. You can use one hand.
4. You have two colors to choose from - I chose blue simply because it was more gender neutral.

Con:
Sometimes it gets a little stuck SOMETIMES when flipping over the lid part - you'll see what
I mean - so you have to be careful when it comes to packaging up the diaper. I prefer to put all wipes, etc. into the diaper and then wrap in up in a tight package: prevents leakage, smell, and is portable. If you do not pre-package your diaper or try to dispose of a single wipe, it will get stuck... Hence, all the complaints on Amazon.com.

If you don't put up a fight,
and wind your diaper up tight,
you just might,
end up with a fright(ful mess).

Summary?
There are going to be problems no matter what method of disposal you use, unless you take each and every wipe and diaper to the trash can in the garage. I promise that it will be better than a regular pail and the Diaper Genie, if only for the simple fact that you can recycle your grocery bags.

TIP: Lemon and coffee are natural deodorizers.

Pacifiers

Pacifiers.  Okay, what does the name imply? -Noun- Person or thing who brings or restores peace. It does not have to be a little rubber thing on which baby sucks. Babies calm themselves down by sucking. My daughter has taken to occasionally sucking on her hands or giraffe instead of a pacifier. Why didn't we use one? It didn't seem necessary. Since we never started, we used alternative methods to calm her down. And, since you will be a stay at home mom, I cannot imagine a reason why a pacifier would need to be use a pacifier since you will be the pacifier. Anyway, I just always imagine the worse case scenario when it comes to pacifier use and that's why I never started. I guess the moral of this story is: do what makes you comfortable. 

Snap n Go

We chose the Baby Trend infant car seat. With that, we also got the snap-n-go stroller component. A MUST HAVE! It is super light, easy to use, and very convenient for quick trips out. And, trust me, you'll want to get out. Despite its' lightness, you can still feel comfortable pushing it around your neighborhood or mall without it fall apart. I love it! 

Rob recommends it because it has two cup holders and a little compartment for keys.

Diapers: Part I - Disposable

Tushies are gel-free, latex-free, and perfume-free. They are made of 100% non-chlorine bleached woodpulp blended with cotton.
Chlorine-free Seventh Generation diapers are fragrance and latex-free. These are the diapers that I chose to use because you can get them easily at organic food stores or Babies R Us, however, to save even more money, I order them from Amazon and use free shipping. It saves about $12/case (4 packages).

Word on the street is that the chemicals, that these diapers avoid, would only cause cancer if the baby were exposed in high doses. However, for roughly the same price and ease of use in terms of leak protection, I figure why risk it?

Breastfeeding

So, you're probably thinking to yourself, "TMI, Megan!, TMI! Stop!" but here it goes.

As most normal, intelligent, people can recognize, breast milk is best for your baby. The practicality of pumping and then giving it to your little one, via a bottle, 100% of the time sounds O' SO tempting, do not do it. At first, you'll probably think, "this is great!" and "Matt will be able to help." All this might be true, but by hour twenty, you're ready to kill yourself will all the cleaning that you'll have to do (bottles and pumps have many parts that require attention to detail) and how frequently it will occur. But, alas, there is a solution. Breastfeeding. Yup, no messy clean-up, except on the baby and maybe your shirt. But, more on that later.

Personally, I had a difficult time feeding my baby in the beginning. The tricky part, that the lovely lactation specialists DON'T tell you is that your milk is not in before you leave the hospital. So, Isabel and I were doing fantastic before leaving the hospital but when we arrived home, we started to have "issues." By day three, she could not eat because my breasts were so engorged (read hard, heavy, painful, etc.). If you need a visual, which I'm sure you're thinking that you don't, it's like getting breast implants that haven't softened or dropped yet: a very, very, weird sight.

Anyway, she couldn't eat, I was getting mucho frustrated, so I ended up renting a pump and feeding her, with a bottle of breast milk, for the next three days. BTW: This ended up great for us because my poor nipples needed a break and she easily got her food.*

To wrap up, although it might suck in the beginning, you will have no problems by the time that your baby is one month old. I guarantee that. When you are getting frustrated (and you will), just remember that it won't last more than a couple of weeks. Any soreness in your boobs or nipples will be gone and it will mostly be an enjoyable experience. You will learn to type with one hand and even feed her without much propping.  Good luck! You'll be great.

* My lactation specialists recommended Dr. Brown's bottles if you want to use one this early. The babies showed no problems of switching between breast and bottle -AND- they come in BPA-free and glass bottle options. 

www.handi-craft.com

Gerber onesies run small

Gerber onesies run small. I have my 25 inch long, 12 pound daughter in 3-6 month onesies and they are small on her. She is 3 months and 4 weeks old. Other than that, they are great.
They are affordable, durable, and come in a variety of colors.


www.gerberchildrenswear.com

Diapers: Part I - Washables

Oh, how I love the environment, let me count the ways: I recycle, I used aluminum canteens instead of bottled water, I buy and sell used clothing, and I throw out diapers. 

What, what, whaaat?

Yes, I had every intention of using washable diapers ... before the baby was born. I bought inserts and special all-in-one diapers so that the transition would be seamless and great. I tried the all-in-ones. Well, they didn't fit her legs. I got the ones with elastic at the waist and legs, but still lots of leaks and stains (with breast milk poop!). Then, I tried some semi-environmentally safe diapers. They were called G-diapers and have cloth outsides with a disposable (flushable) insert. I thought, "fantastic!" These will solve my problems. Except, these could not hold anything. I used them for a day and I was changing her diaper every hour or so because she was fussy over the mess in her drawers! My daughter is not fussy so I said, "screw that!"

In my experience, washable diapers don't fit but a small number of babies and therefore do not work well. Additionally, you have to wash them twice to prevent stains and reduce detergent residue. The flushable/washable ones might work for you but they did not for me. 

Sleepwear: Part II

Nightgowns. Don't do it. Step away.

My problem with the nightgowns - the ones with the elasticized opening at th bottom - is that they are way too cumbersome to deal with. Why? They are so cute, what could possibly be the problem?

When they are big enough to cover his or her feet, while changing their diaper, it creates a big bunch of cotton up their back, which is cumbersome. And/Or, the possibility of poop on the sleepwear is extremely high. Finally, when it is big enough whereas it does not create a big bunch of clothe, then it does not cover their feet, which means socks. And, I am not a fan of socks at night because they are often tight and look uncomfortable.

Sleepwear

So, everyone loves those sleep sacks that are sleeveless and zip from the neck down. I don't. Here's why:

(1) If it's cold enough to put them in a sleep sack, then why make them sleeveless? It means that when I have to change a diaper in the middle of the night, that I'm removing, at least, partially, two articles of clothing. Sigh. My time is precious. Correction. My time sleeping is precious.

(2) Initially, you would think that a zipper from the neck down makes a lot of sense, right? And, it works well, except when the zipper pull comes of the track. Imagine this; it's late at night, you are trying to quickly change your little one's diaper, before feeding them, and keep them as mello as possible. You unzip the sack and try to keep it together, but, alas, it comes apart. This means that you are then going to try to, very quietly, put the zipper pull back on track. Where is it located? RIGHT NEXT TO YOUR SLEEPY BABY'S CHIN. No thanks. Next?

For the cold nights, I recommend a sleep sack but those with sleeves and a zipper that ends at the chin. The zipping process is much easier. I had no problems changing diapers with this choice as I just let my babe sleep on top of the unzipped sack.
For warmer nights, I would just use a onesie and a light flannel blanket.

If you baby likes swaddling, go for it. You will know within two weeks of birth if you child likes it or not. My baby, for instance, did not like it because she was restless and like to move her arms. So, I stopped it for a while but once she was two months old, I would still swaddle her on occasion if she got fussy and could not calm down enough to sleep. I would only still do this if I could tell that she was tired. Otherwise, she just got even more fussy trying to get out of the blanket burrito that I put her into.

Finally, just use a blanket to swaddle your little one. Those inventions with the velcro is pretty neat but they are just an extra burden to deal with; it is much quicker to swaddle them in a blanket and there's no velcro on the blanket. Why does this matter? Velcro is a bitch to wash and/or pack away in a drawer.