This weekend we conquered, or at least started the process of conquering, our baby registry. Getting that started has been on the top of our baby list for the last couple of weeks. Don't get me wrong, registering for anything is so much fun! This particular registry just required more research and more preparation that I would have ever anticipated.
Adam has spent weeks doing online research in an attempt to figure out all of the safety recommendations, the different types of products, and what we can even fit in our apartment. I compiled quite a few "must-have" registry lists into one five page list to try to keep us from missing things that we need. It also turned into googling items that I have never heard of and had (or have) no idea what purpose they serve. While we would never ask our friends and family to buy us present at all and do not expect or want people to go overboard, the registry is helping us to organize. We now have a better grasp of what is a necessity, what people suggest, and what is a luxury when it comes to taking care of a baby.
If you haven't had the opportunity to register for anything in your life, I would recommend that you do it! It is so much fun, no matter what the occasion! On your next birthday or celebration or Tuesday, go to your favorite store and ask them to register. They give you a little zappy scanner gun and you can go to town. Rather than being overwhelmed, you'll most likely find yourself zapping everything in sight that looks fun or handy or different. Do it.
This time around, for our first child, Adam and I decided to register at Target, Babies-R-Us, and Pottery Barn Kids. Target and Babies-R-Us are the two main registries, while Pottery Barn only has a few of the luxury items that we liked. We started at Babies-R-Us on Saturday morning. When we first arrived, there was no one else there. We got the prime Expectant Mother parking (an awesome perk of pregnancy) and sat down with an associate to begin our registry. Our best move of the entire experience was starting fairly early in the morning. The longer we were there, the more couples came in to join us. As we walked down the aisles, we overheard more and more arguments over strollers or outfits or bedding than I expected. With the sheer volume of stuff, I should have been more prepared. We tackled our glider first, then knocked off the other bigger items that we planned on choosing from Babies-R-Us. That made it much easier to enjoy zapping all of the smaller things, once the bigger things were off our backs. There's no way to know what type of product our little girl will prefer, so we tried to get a variety of things. After nearly two hours, we had to take a break for lunch and so, we took a quick Chick-Fil-A break, then headed back to finish up. One more hour at Babies-R-Us, and we came to the realization that we had done the best we could and would have to do whatever was left online. Thank goodness for the internet! We can updated and change anything on any registry at any time from home.
On Sunday, we hit both Pottery Barn Kids and Target. The experience was fairly similar at both of these places. However, Pottery Barn Kids has a much larger selection online than they do in store. So, basically, while we were there, we started the registry and left the store with a list of things we would have to add online. Our Target trip was to fill in the holes of the things we hadn't registered for at Babies-R-Us or Pottery Barn; and to register for those things we just wanted from Target. Honestly, I don't know what we did in life before Target.
Those of you who have kids will laugh at me after I admit to this, but maybe those of you who don't will share in my surprise; I had no idea how much paraphernalia that one little baby needs. You can't just get a crib sheet, you have to get several; three bottles won't do it, you need 4oz, 8oz, etc, etc; it goes on and on. This was just the planning part. We haven't actually gotten any of the stuff we need yet. It's a blessing that pregnancy lasts for forty weeks; how else would we get all of it done?
It's been such an exciting weekend; things are started to happen. We have made it to the fun part. Instead of just biding our time between doctor's appointments, we have made it to the part where we get to start planning, making decisions, and putting it all together for our little girl. We have seventeen weeks left; at some moments that feels like forever, at others, it feels unbelievably soon. Right now, I think we have a good handle on what we should be working on right now. Are we ready for her? Not even close...but can you really ever be completely ready?
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