More shopping tips

The stroller collection needs some clarification. For the BIG stroller I suggest the 3-wheel jogger type. I am not actually a jogger; however, I do walk a lot and these babies are so smooth. They also have a nifty feature...the hand break. I didn't understand this at first. Its use immediately became clear when pushing multiple kids DOWN a hill. The stroller was running away from me. AHA! "Squeeze the break," I though. Voila...babies saved. If you think you can just use this one for multi-purpose...WRONG. Take one of those big hog-daddies off the shelf at Target and try to maneuver it through, ummm, the crowded sale area of the women's department. Now imagine doing that with a grabby 2 year old in the stroller. Quick maneuverability (such as with an umbrella stroller) is necessary here.

Additional gear needed...

Pack-n-Play These are the 20-21st century answer to the play pen. I am not sure what was wrong with the play pen, but Pack-n-Play is where it's at. Get the most simple form of the P-N-P. You don't need the upgrades...changing table attached, bassinet option, dome lid, whatever. You need a place for Branee to sleep when not in her own bed. Red the instructions carefully, then ask someone who knows for a tutorial. I nearly killed someone my first time out. The set-up is counter-intuitive. FRUSTRATING!!! I'll give you a demo when you are here. You also need sheets for the P-N-P.

Although babies don't run and play, they do need to be cleaned. We tended wash our babies too often (scolded by the pediatrician at LJ's appointment). Anyway, the best method for washing babied is the giant baby sponge. This is a sponge the baby lays on in the tub. Don't waste your $$ with mini-bathtubs. You won't be able to use it for long. You just fill your tub with water (to the top of the sponge). Branee can lay on the sponge and stay warm. I loved these things. You need a good supply of baby towels. They hooded jobs. We used these for at least a year. The cheap ones are thin and stretchy. The expensive ones are just like regular towels. I like the expensive ones. Land's End (LL Bean?) makes some cuties that can have the name put one it. Hey, come to think of it, I bought one as a gift from Gymboree and never gave the gift. It's pink...you can have it.

Blankets This is not bedding I am talking about. You need blankets to wrap Branee in. Babies (newborn ones) like to be wrapped tightly...like an egg roll or enchilada. You can but pack of flannel receiving blankets. The are pretty cheap. You will only use these for a while b/c they are small. Flannel is good b/c it is hard for the babies to bust out of. The BEST blanket for the long haul are the two-sided jobbers from Gymboree. They are soft and hold up well. Louis still sleeps with one that I got when TRAVIS was born. That would make it almost 8 years old. The tag says do not dry, but, if course, I do. They aren't so good for the baby eggroll b/c they are bigger than receiving blankets, but they'll do. Here is the low-down on Gymboree. It was cheap when Travis was a baby. Now it is stylish and expensive. T had lots of it...L only hand-me-downs. They do, however, have great sales. Go straight to the back sales rack. Don't be tempted to buy what is cute in front of the store. It will be in back in about two weeks. Go there now and buy some sale blankets. (www.gymboree.com) By they way...they have girl dog stuff ("Best in Show"). IT IS NEW. Be patient. It will go on sale soon. Did I say you need lots of blankets? You do...Branee will boot on many per day.

Car Seat I am not sure if the laws are federal or state but in MI kids have to be in a seat to 4 years AND 40 lbs. Babies need a bucket type. Don't get the convertible type. Just resign yourself to spending lots of money on certain items...car seat are worth it. They buckets have a base that stays in the car. Babies have to ride backwards until 1 year AND 20 lbs. This sucked for Louis b/c he was 20 lbs by week 2. Some of these buckest came with 2 bases...one for mom's car and one for dad's car. THIS IS A MUST. Putting in a car seat is the WORST parenting job. Keep in mind that like 95% of car seats are NOT installed the right way. Put it in...have it checked...leave it these until baby outgrows the bucket. When I say have it checked, there should be someone on staff ot the hospital that does that. This is really important. Read you car's owner's manual; you might have a tether or some kind of locking contraption in the seat cracks. The buckets are heavy and are somewhat of a mixed blessing. When Branee is young, she will fall asleep in the car and stay asleep while you run errands. In a convertible seat, you have to take her out. When she gets bigger, the bi-otch of a seat will get really heavy. Around 6 months or so, you gave leave the bucket in that car and put Branee in the grocery cart or stroller or whatever.

Bouncy Seat Gotta have one. It is somewhat of an unknown...she might not like it. She also will not stay in it for very long. They are cheap, though, and can sit on a counter-top. Don't get the vibrating one...that is just weird.

Swing I had a glider for the boys. It was open at the top and had the same shape as the bucket car seat, so they could use it right away. I had to ditch it when Louis was a baby. It was possessed by the ghost that haunted our house. It sat in our basement unused you years. When LJ was born I spiffed it up for him. It turned on a rocked at will. I got scared and sold it.

Exersaucer You won't need this contraption for several months (6ish). These are great. I don't know a kids who didn't like it. It is like a walker. The child safety folks (the ones who recall everything http://www.cpsc.gov/) don't like walkers b/c babies end up walking down steps. Since you don't have steps...either would be good.

High Chairs Peg Perego is the way to go. It reclines, it locks, it goes up and down, it folds easily, it slices, it dices, it julliennes Need I say more? You can have our old one as a spare...maybe to take to work.

Back/Front Packs Front packs. I had a Baby Bjorn. It is goofy to get one but once it is there I likes it. Sean used to wear it and do the dishes with Travis. We have a backpack you can have. It is a good one and in good shape. Backpacks can't be used until 6ish months.

Feeling poor yet? Don't worry, that is what showers and rummage sales are for. ;)

Ignore everyone else...Listen to me.

I couldn't decide to blog about shopping or breast feeding. Since shopping is about 100x more fun, let's go with that. I understand you have recently had a traumatic shopping experience. Breathe deeply. There is no such thing as a trauma when shopping is involved. You don't have to wrestle with your frugle side...the want vs need battle. YOU NEED IT ALL. That makes life easy. The question is which one of those needs is really a cleverly disguised WANT. I am here to set the record straight. If I am to disclose this information you must do as the title dictates...ignore everyone else and listen to me. Here is why. I know everything. The HONEST everything that some other people are too afraid to disclose. I harbor the "How to make my life cheap yet easy" information you are after. Got it? OK. Now...let's shop.

In the Room
* Crib (get a nice one that you will love for many years. Hopefully Branee will sleep in it until she is 12...when baby 2 moves in. It needs to be high quality with a GOOD -read expensive- mattress. Don't get sucked into the "converts to a toddle bed" trap. When the crib is OUT then just get a twin bed. Buy a crib that is safe and above all CUTE).
* Bedding (Sheets galore. Branee will barf on your last clean sheet at least ten times. So, have eleven. Mattress pad. WATERPROOF. She won't be wetting the bed...yet; however, Travis had an uncanny ability for peeing out if his armpit (or so it seemed). Babies also slobber, and you don't want Branee getting a chaffed cheek. Bumper. IMPORTANT! Buy a really good one. Mine was custom made and was really expensive. It was pretty firm and about 1" thick. Some of the cheap thin ones are floppy and could pose a hazard. The downside to the kind I had was that it served as a step stool when the boys got older. Eventually they have to go. Blankets. Babies are not supposed to have covers. They wear warm jammies. Having said that, make sure Nana makes Branee a light weight fleece blanket the size of the crib...Like Louis' moon cover. It is a good fit and works perfectly).
*Rocking chair (It makes no difference if it is soft nd upholstered or wood and hard. It must be two things...comfortable and QUIET).
*Changing table (you expressed some confusion over this. Get the kind that is really just a dresser that you can snap a changing pad to. They are usually pretty expensive. Louis will use it until he eats all the knobs off...only a couple more to go. Anyway...they sell pads that snap onto just about anything. The pads need covers. You can get by with about three).
*Garbage Can (not Genie-ish contraption. Lifetime supply of poop bags - discussed in an earlier blog).
*10 Watt light bulb
*diapers and wipes...I can't recall howmany times I had to shout to anyone who could hear, "I need a diaper!" Naturally, no one brough one. Do NOT get a wipe warmer. The produce a condensation nightmare. I guarantee that a cold wipe wont be the worst thing that happens in her life.

Overwhelmed? Let's talk clothes.

* "Onesies" This is a brand name. Any brand will do. Buy TONS. Really, like 20 per size. You can go through 5 in a day. They provided added warmth and serve as a diaper lock for nudist babies.
* Carters one piece terry cloth jammies. Even though they look like PJs, you can take her out to Target in one.
* Bags. You can buy "bags" for Branee to sleep in. They are like blanket sleepers with no legs, just bags. It makes for rapid fire late night changing.
*Clothes. Well, since you are having a girl anything cute will do. And to answer your question, no. You can't buy girl clothes with puppies on them. Girls get flowers and butterflies. Boys get trucks and dogs. It is just that way...gender specific from birth. Just so you know, I will only be sending things that are pink. Don't feel too sorry for yourself...baby girl clothes are damn cute.
*Socks. HA! They don't make a sock thay will stay on a babies foot. They a re for pictures only...otherwise stick to footy clothes if you want warm toes.

Feeding
For breastfeeding, well, you already own the equipment. If you go down that road for the laong haul, you will need a really good pump. This is a freakish thing. Get over it, though, because it is necessary at any level of nursing. Since I didn't do it for that long, I could get by with...let's talk about this later.

Bottles. Only Branee knows what she will like. Travis liked the cheap Evenflo (silicon) and Louis liked the expensive Avent. You can buy a couple of each to have one had for testing sessions.

Bottle Warmer. Do not waste you money. You will pull your hair out waiting while Branee is screaming. I used a microwave. They don't recommed it because you can get hotspots. They same reason as when you that butter in the microwave one spot menlt and the other is hard. Well, it does not take Einstine to figure out that if you shake the bottle, VOILA, hotspot is gone. You really doa have to be careful. After your first 50 bottles or so you will know exactly how many second to heat the bottle.

Stroller. Bad news here. You need three. Stroller 1 is a sturdy expensive jogger type. Stroller 2 is a cheapish ($35ish) folding stroller with storage and reclining feature. This is for shopping...you can haul goods and baby can recline and sleep. Joggers are too big to take into stores. Stroller 3 is the "umbrella" stroller. Very cheap (under $10). This is for permanent storage in your car. You'll need it in a pinch...trust me.

This only scratches the surface but I have to go be a mother now.

Did somebody say diaper bag? ARGH!