Making Baby A, Week 14: First Baby Purchase

Hubs and I went to a consignment sale entirely dedicated to baby/kids merchandise this weekend. We didn't find out about the event until a couple of hours prior so we went on a whim, without a clue of what we were looking for. Even though I had been researching baby products a bit, I was nowhere near buying anything. Besides, I am only 14 weeks along - buying anything right now is premature. Still, we decided to check it out.

Inside a high school cafeteria, besides hundreds of people, we saw almost anything imaginable for infants and kids: cribs, toddler beds, bassinets, gliders, pack-n-plays, strollers, high chairs, booster seats, swings, bouncy seats, bath toys, bottles, utensils, bibs, linens, nursing accessories, safety items, gates, potty training items, infant carriers/back packs, diaper bags, books, dvds, and CLOTHES!

Hubs and I were overwhelmed by all the STUFF! So we went a more familiar territory - the onesies section - and start digging through the boxes. We found a few new-ish looking onesies packaged in zip-lock bags and threw them in our shopping bag. Not knowing the sex of the baby yet, we looked for gender-neutral pieces, but most were either blue or pink. We ended up with several blue onesies - girls can still wear blue, but boys can't wear pink, right? We also bought some caps and a swaddler.

I was surprised at how organized the event was - helpers all around and despite the heavy crowd, check-out was a breeze.

We came home and I decided to do research on the MOST BASIC NECESSITIES NEEDED FOR THE FIRST 6 WEEKS. I found the lists (see them here and here), but narrowed them down even further. I think this is probably what hubs and I will need to buy before next March:

Feeding
Nursing pillow: Boppy or My Brest Friend
Bibs (4)
Breast pump: rent or buy?
Formula: just in case breastfeeding doesn't work out
Bottles and nipples

Diapering
Diapers
Diaper wipes
Diaper cream or petroleum jelly

Sleeping
I don't think we will buy a crib immediately - hopefully we can find a cheap bassinet off Craigslist. If not, maybe we will just buy a playard that comes with a changing table and bassinet.

Bathtime
Plastic bathtub
Hooded terrycloth towels

Getting around
Front pack or sling
Car seat

Accessories
Receiving blankets (4)
Pacifiers

Clothes
One-piece outfits (4-7)
One-piece pajamas or wearable blankets (4-7)
Socks and booties (4-7)
Cap or bonnet (1-3)

I will have to run this list by a couple of experienced mothers (ie. friends with babies) and see what they think. I really want to avoid buying too much, but I also don't want to not cover the most basic.

So much to think about...

{written on 9/20/09, published on 9/23/09}