Day 4: What Is REALLY Needed for Baby

(Day 4, a day late - my computer was acting up last night when I went to post.)

Babies are tiny. They don't take up much room the first year and their stuff doesn't have to either. After you've had a baby or 2, you realize that you just don't need as much stuff as you got at your first shower. Do you need 15 towels and 23 blankets? My answer: No. Do you really need a crib, bassinet and a pack 'n play? My answer: No. Do you need a baby hair brush & comb? My answer: No. Even if baby has hair, it doesn't get tangled. Just smooth it down or spike it up with your hands.  :)

During our remodel, new Baby Bean will have to stay in our room for the first few months until his room is ready. Most new parents do this anyway. It's not really my cup of tea after the first month or so, but we'll make it work. I like my sleep and sweet little baby gurggles keep me awake, worrying. Then I have to remind myslf that that's just what baby's do in their sleep and they're ok. I end up wide-eyed, listening all night regardless of what I tell myself.

We have a pack 'n play set up in our room. It has the bassinet in it. I think everyone should have one of these multipurpose wonders. Separate bassinets are pretty, but you don't need one. Just like you don't need a bouncy seat, a vibrating seat, a swing and a travel swing. Pick the one you'll use the most and go with that. You'll just end up tripping over all the other ones. And they really don't use any of these after the first year. Save your money for diapers. You'll definately need those.

There are so many things we got rid of after babies 1 and 2. Ok, I did go a little overboard getting rid of things after baby 2, but I must have just been in the mood to purge. I knew some things I'd want new for baby 3 anyway.

Things I knew I had to have for baby 3:

*swing

*infant carrier car seat

*Moby wrap (never tried before, but very interested this time)

*pacifiers

*bottles

*Dreft detergent (love)

*Johnson & Johnson's lavender baby lotion and baby bath (love, but don't need a lot. Remember, babies are small)

*a handful of receiving blankets & burp cloths

Things we already had:

*clothes

*crib & room furniture

*crib sheets, mattress pads

*double stroller

*baby toys

*other randoms

Of course we wanted some new clothes for the little guy. But really not much else. We like to keep it as simple as possible.

Everybody has their own preference for baby items. Ex: I never used the Boppy pillow, others can't live without it. But some of the things at the baby stores now are just not necessary. While they are trying to convince us that all these things will make it so much easier on us, we end up wasting money and accumulating extra clutter.

Stepping down off of my soapbox now. Until next time.