Strollers, Slings, and Car Seats oh my...continued...

I posted my top 5 items before.  I have my other five to complete the top 10, but realized that some ESSENTIALS are off of these top 10.  They almost seem too obvious though: furniture! HA!  Obviously, a crib and a dresser of some sort are really important and I figured I would just talk briefly about my recommednations with that.  First: no drop side cribs.  That's a duh...they're all recalled anyway.  Second: don't get a dresser with a separate area for the changing pads.  Just get a dresser flat up top and buy the changing pad.  This way, that kid can use the dresser for years to come as opposed to just when they're getting diapers changed.  I'm sure you'll think "well, I'll just use that for the other babies," but even then, dressers last for YEARS and YEARS.  I plan on keeping Liliana's dresser for at least 15 years...I DO NOT plan on having kids for the next fifteen years.  No thank you.

OK, back to completing the other 5 items:

6. Activity Item:  I learned about this the hard way.  I registered for a swinger that was cute and on the cheaper side.  Done right?  Well, my Mom, the pediatrician, told me she thought it looked flimsy and I should register for one that was not $100, but the $150 lamb one.  I got upset, shrugged it off, and kept trucking through the store.  Three weeks later, I got an email from Babies R Us (note: by the way, Babies R Us automatically lets you know when you get recalls on items on your registry...Target DOES NOT do this!) and mine got recalled for...well...dang it...being too flimsy and falling over!  Guess which one we're registered for now? She'll look SO cute in this...     ; )

7. Play Pen: This one's for the parents.  Yes, I'm excited for Liliana's arrival, but NO, I don't want to hold her full time!  GET A PLAY PEN.  Lots of people don't register for them because they're rather pricey if you want a nicer one.  Ours is about $100.  It was the second thing to come off the registry after the above.  Now, you can make them $150 if you want a separate item where you can change the baby on top.  To me, this wasn't that important.  In our home, I can just walk 3 steps over and change her in her nursery.  When I'm at someone else's home, I'll have a changing pad with me.  But, if you want the bassinet or changing section anyway, go for it.

8. Diaper Genie: I don't have much to say about this one.  I think everybody knows they need it.  The only suggestion I have: register for the refills too!  You know you'll need them, so let somebody else pay for the first few.  I also registered for a "Diaper Fresh Dispenser" which is basically little baggies with arm and hammer to help with the smell!!  You clip the device in your diaper bag and it's only $4.  Well worth the embarrassment when you're shopping around and people wonder who pooped their pants.

9. Changing Pad: Again, not too much to say about this one.  But, you will need the pad and the covers that go over it.  Make sure to register for multiple pads cause they'll get...well...DIRTY.  I had registered for 2 and my Mom even told me to bump that up to three.  Three pads it is!

10. High Chair: While at Babies R Us, I registered for the cutest wood high chair.  That's totally the only reason I should register for one right?  Wrong.  When I got home, I started reading my handy dandy reviews and realized I had made a pretty big mistake.  Ours didn't have wheels on it, which would by nice on our tile kitchen floor, AND, it folds.  I like things that fold away.  I'm aware that soon our home will be full of baby stuff, but I want the ability to fold things away when I do feel like having "adult" time.  So yes, they all have different levels depending on the age of the child, but try and think of other things to ease your life.  It was only $8 more than the other one I had registered for and the ability to fold and the ability to roll seemed worth the $8 to me.  Oh yeah, and I didn't pay for those $8 anyway...that already came off the registry too!  I told you, I have such a supportive family.

They love us...all three of us (note: Evan, Cristina, and Liliana.  NO, it's not suddenly twins!  You think I would have just written about registry items and not freaking out? C'mon, you know me better than that.  One surprise is enough, thank you.)