Monday, September 22, 2008

I'm twenty-one weeks and people are finally starting to notice that I am expecting and not just expanding. The problem is we still don't know what is in that belly bump! Well I have passes the weird "Is she prego or not?" phase but now I am in the "Why don't my pants fit?" phase. I am having a hard time with that one, as I am sure everyone has. My pants are very uncomfortable, even with the hair tie trick, but the maternity pants are so weird and big. I know I'll grow into them, but right now they are very strange! Any suggestions on that one?
Oh yes I am also taking suggestions on what to register for. There is so much baby stuff out there!
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2 comments:

Lil Lancaster Fam said...

What a cute bump! Well my best luck was when I finally went to an outlet mall myself and got maternity clothes that fit me at that weird in between stage. the clothes actually fit me for the majority of the time pregnant or not since the but and legs are same fit but belly just has the elastic. I myself am at the I am to huge all my shirts are becoming belly shirts stage. I hope this baby comes in a week or two. I really do not want to go over! Mainly because I will not be in the comfort of my own home!

Susie said...

Those under-the-belly band pants worked the best for that stage, because you can just pull them up and they're like elastic-waist pants. Except they fall down.
I was trying to make-do with what I had because I didn't want to spend too much money, but I didn't realize how I'd need those clothes for afterwards. So go ahead and buy a few pair of elastic-waist pants, if you can find some, that fit you right now. You'll be happy to have them post-partum!
As for registry--the things I think are indispensible are:
contoured changing pad and 2 covers
onesies in the first three sizes
2 crib sheets
baby wash, lotion, comb/brush
baby bathtub (mine folds up to fit under the counter)
car seat/stroller (be aware that some strollers are much lighter and fold smaller than others, and don't cost that much more)
If you think you'll be traveling to somewhere other than your parents' house, you'll probably want a pack 'n play. I wouldn't get a mini one--my kids need them longer than they fit in the regular ones! Of course, your kids probably won't be a gihugic as mine. If you can find one with a basinette, that would be great (I think--I haven't tried them out) because basinettes are awesome for the first few months, but they're expensive and you have to store them afterward.
High chair (wheels are nice on those--don't get the cheapest ones, the extra features are definitely worth it!) (oh, and a booster seat just doesn't cut it. I tried that with Jared and they're just not comfortable for a 4 month old)
Baby swing. My babies' favorite was the Fisher Price travel swing with fish and lights. I got mine at Other Mothers for $25, then I got another one at a yard sale for $5 in better shape! Hmmm...I wonder how much it would cost to ship our extra one to you?
Bouncer or Bumbo (I really want a Bumbo!)

Stuff you DON'T need:
Diaper bag. The ones from the hospital are awesome. They're not cute, but they're black and unobtrusive. And they are waterproof. The other ones aren't. Oh, and Bryce won't look gay carrying it around like if you got some cute number with pink polka dots :)
Diaper pail system. We bought 2 covered garbage cans from Walmart for $7 each. One was for a dirty clothes hamper, and the other was for diapers. The newborn diapers don't stink much, and the lid really kept in the smell. Nothing stunk until you opened the lid. After solids, the poop really stinks. So we put wet diapers in a grocery bag and let them accumulate until there's a poopy one. Then tie the bag closed and take it outside to the dumpster. There's no other way to keep the nursery from stinking! (the expensive diaper genie things don't work!)

Since you're doing the college thing like we did, you ought to be able to find a crib (with mattress), high chair, rocker/glider, and swing pretty cheap on Craig's List, yard sales, or at a second-hand stores. Just try them out to make sure they work. We bought one swing that looked great, and hadn't been used hardly, but they'd left the batteries in it and one had exploded and the acid ate away some stuff inside. It never worked right.
And something I didn't learn for a while is that you want the baby stuff to match your house. As much as it can, anyway. And don't buy a rocker and plan to paint it. I did. It sucked! And my friend bought a crib and wanted to refinish it to change the color. Uh, bad idea! She sanded off a few square inches of the original finish and gave up, so she totally ruined an otherwise okay crib! They're just too intricate.

All righty, then! That ought to be enough for now :)