Most of my knowledge about taking care of a child has been acquired from my mom, having younger siblings, babysitting, being a nanny and my friends who are already moms. I feel that I have learned a great amount of valuable tricks and tips from these sources and never thought twice that I was "missing" information. I didn't discover I had missed anything until John started talking to his coworkers, which are a bunch of dads in their early thirties (and one mom). I've actually started to yearn for more information from these people because they bring a viewpoint that I don't regularly encounter. We have used some of their knowledge to help us register and decide what products we actually needed to spend money on. It has honestly provided a side to parenting that I really appreciate.
1. Immersion Blender vs. Baby Bullet: Now I'll start off by saying that I am very excited about making homemade baby food. We're already going to try cloth diapers/wipes and breastfeeding, so this seemed like a logical step for me. I was excited about the Baby Bullet that I always saw at Kohls because it had everything from the blender to storage to a recipe book. I was concerned though that the Baby Bullet is plastic and although it's BPA free studies are still out about whether what replaced BPA is actually safe. Skipping the Baby Bullet and using an Immersion Blender was the first piece of guy advice offered to John. We already have an immersion blender that we received as a wedding gift, so if he says it works just as well or better I guess I won't buy the cute little Baby Bullet that has a smiley face on it. I also saved up glass baby food jars from my last nanny family, so we have great storage. As for the recipe book, I wasn't able to stop myself and put this fun book on our amazon.com registry.
2. Glider/Rocker vs. No Chair in the Baby's Room: Our nursery is somewhat small, not tiny, but not huge. We currently have a crib, dresser and bookshelf in there. The bookshelf doesn't match, so I'm unsure if I want to keep it in there. I know I will want a third shelf for storage of toys and books though. All of the gliders I've seen are relatively expensive to crazy expensive. The last nanny family didn't have one until their daughter was five months and they didn't use it very often and the current family uses one regularly. I never had much use for them because I wasn't getting up with the baby at night. I can definitely see the positives in having a nice one, but couldn't justify asking someone else to buy it or buying it ourselves. Enter the man advice, we NEEDED a glider/rocker. It was a necessity because it was a place we would spend lots of time rocking/feeding/cuddling/sleeping with our babe. I think John's coworkers sold him on it, but I was not ready to spend the money. We tried one out at Slumberland and with the ottoman it was still almost $300. Towards the end of their conversation about this must-have baby product one of the dads who's girls are grown up offered to sell his chair to us. I think we may be taking him up on his offer.
3. Diaper Bags: I have been eyeing the Petunia Pickle Bottom Carryall Bags, but they are SO expensive. Both nanny families have one and my friend who just had a baby has one. They all LOVE their bags! The only complaint I've heard it that the Velcro is loud, which they have zippered options so I could easily avoid that. They come in cute patterns and I just love them. This was a topic I actually asked John to bring up at work. I was honestly curious what they would have to say. Unanimously the diaper bag is overrated. It's just a bag and any old bag that will fit what we need to bring with us will work. One coworker even said they used grocery bags for a while because it was just what was most convenient. I told John I am not ready to use a grocery bag, but I will stop ogling Petunia Pickle Bottom. (My sister Hannah said she wants to get us our diaper bag, so I'm sure I'll still be carrying around something cute!)
4. Childbirth Classes: Going into this pregnancy I wanted to do a childbirth classes and a breastfeeding class. I asked all the mommas I knew what they thought. I had one that did The Bradley Method classes and they enjoyed them. Another couple just read The Bradley Method book and they said that was just fine instead of doing the 12 weeks of classes. Another couple did nothing and said they didn't feel they were missing out on anything. Since I couldn't get a consensus from my momma friends I asked John to ask his coworkers. Their feedback was that there were a few cool, yet not necessary facts they learned. They also said that the most valuable part was the tour of the hospital. (We can tour our birth center without a class, so that's not an issue for us.) After all that imput we decided to save money and not do a class. We found that babycenter.com has an online childbirth class, so I think we're going to do that. I'll update after we finish the class.
5. Vacationing with a Baby: I went on vacation to Mexico last July with my last nanny family. We had a blast! It taught me a lot and John got a lot of information from his coworkers. John and I love to travel, so we do not want to lose that after this little guy comes. On our trip to Mexico there was so much that they had to pack! John and I usually only pack carry-on luggage, so bringing a babe will be more, much more. I was discouraged by how much we had to bring (diapers, baby food, formula, pack-n-play, clothes, blankets, carseat, stroller, etc.), but John's coworker went to Kauai and he rented baby equiptment. Now I'd be a little wary of rentals, but the lady in Hawaii just worked out of her home. If we could rent a crib/pack-n-play all we would have to bring is a clean sheet and blankets. We'll see what happens when we decide to embark on our first family vacation :) Sidenote: I would also bring an extra person so John and I could get some time alone.
With that said, sometimes valuable advice comes from places I would least expect it.
Showing posts with label Registry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Registry. Show all posts
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Pregnancy and Registering
Sidenote to my
pregnancy posts: As I post I plan to be completely honest about
my feelings and thoughts as we ride this rollercoaster into
parenthood. I plan to use this blog as a way for me to process
this journey. Thanks for taking the time to read.
After an extensive amount of reading online it sounded like couples don't start
registering until after 12 weeks. We waited until the day after :)
It was definitely me jumping the gun. It was snowing a lot outside, but that didn't squelch my need to get out of the house. I asked John if we
could just go and look at Babies R Us. He was up for it, so we went.
While I was looking for a brochure a lady asked if we wanted to
start our registry. We said sure and I filled out a piece of paper (not time consuming at all),
they gave us a scanner and registry guide and sent us off. The registry "guide" was an 8x11.5 sheet of paper with very small print. They claimed we needed LOTS of stuff for our new tiny human. Even having the
little bit of experience with what I want because of being a nanny
for two infants Babies R Us was overwhelming! John kept telling
me to calm down, but I honestly couldn't take it all in. I was
trying to decide on what bottles to register for but it seemed like
there was a bazillion choices. There were also a bazillion choices
for strollers, carseats, jumpers, bouncers, pack-n-plays, nail
clippers, bibs, breast pumps and diapers. Holy buckets! Babies R Us
also seemed expensive. I'd searched around online for products I
knew I'd want to register for so I had a general idea of prices. It
was hard for me to register for a product when it was so much money.
We left after registering for only 12 baby products, none of which I
was sure about. We did get a great gift bag with coupons and samples
after turning in our scanner though!
Fast
forward a week and we were at Target to start our registry. I saw
online that Target also offered a “gift bag” for new parents who
open a one, so of course I was excited about that. I love free
samples and coupons! We had to fill out some information on the registry computers and the guest service lady supplied us with a scanner gun. John thought Target would be a waste of
time because their baby section is so small. We honestly had so much fun
doing this registry. Neither of us felt overwhelmed, just excited.
Instead of being crabby with one another because we couldn't make a
choice we were both taking turns with the scanner. Next to their big
purchases (Pack-n-plays, Strollers and Carseats) they had “packages”
that showed what matched with that product. It allowed us to easily
find the stroller, carseat and diaper bag that matched our
pack-n-play. They also had a matching swing, but I already registered for the one both my nanny families have. Not that matching products were necessary, but I enjoy
having a gender neutral “theme” for the big items so we can use
them for all our babies, boy or girl. Hopefully we'll be able to
pass them onto someone else who needs them after we're done too. We
ended up with almost fifty items after our scanner ran out of juice.
We returned it and went home happy after purchasing a belly band :)
After
returning home I told John I was going to check out Amazon.com's Baby
Registry. I looked around for a mere 10 minutes and decided we could
get everything we needed from Amazon or Target. I went to Babies R
Us online and transferred everything to whichever registry had the
product we wanted. There was a swing that both nanny families have
that was $180 at Babies R Us, but only $100 on Amazon. One hundred
dollars even seems like a lot to ask of people when one nanny baby loved it
and one didn't really use it. Babies are complicated sometimes.
The prices seemed like a big enough difference for me to switch over
to Target and Amazon. Both places were worth going to the store just
to get the “gift bag” with valuable information, coupons and
freebies. Here's what each bag included from the stores we visited:
They both came is nice reusable bags.
Babies
R Us:
Packet
of Valuable information about what to register for, info about baby
and having a healthy pregnancy.
Coupons
for various baby products
One
American Baby and One Baby Talk magazines
Full
A+D Ointment: This is what my mom used for us, so it should be good
for our babies
Two
Huggies newborn diapers
2
Lansinoh Nursing Pads
Target:
Packet
of Valuable information about what to register for, info about baby
and having a healthy pregnancy.
Coupons
for various baby products
$20
gift card for Shutterfly that doesn't expire until next year, so I
might use it for baby announcements
Tommee
Tippee 5oz bottle
Two
Huggies newborn diapers
Lansinoh
Breastmilk Storage Bags
2
Lansinoh Nursing Pads
A
small Aquaphor sample
*This blogger got the same samples I got and she posted a photo
http://www.frugalityisfree.com/2013/02/target-baby-registry-gift-bag.html. She has a great 2013 Baby Guide for more information!
If I had to give a newly pregnant friend advice about registering I'd just tell them to relax and enjoy the experience. All these places have the opportunity to change/delete/add products via sign in on the internet. The registry process doesn't have to be only one day either. I've been adding/changing/deleting products since we started. I'm hoping John and I have some time this weekend to go through what I've added, sometimes he's picky. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions about registering! Thanks for reading.
If you want to see some fun photos from our registry adventures at http://thehammarfamily.shutterfly.com/pictures/4451
Monday, February 25, 2013
Top Five Products I Love from Nannying
Sidenote to my
pregnancy posts: As I post I plan to be completely honest about
my feelings and thoughts as we ride this rollercoaster into
parenthood. I plan to use this blog as a way for me to process
this journey. Thanks for taking the time to read.
It
has truly been a blessing to be a nanny for two infants prior to
having our own. God really looked out for me on this one! The only
detail that could've made it better is if I had one boy and one girl
(both are girls). It has given me the opportunity to give a great
amount of infant products a test run before registering or buying
them for our family. Since there is such a vast amount of products
to choose from I am thankful for any kind of direction about what we might
need.
It
has been interesting to compare which products each family has that
are similar and different. It has actually shown me if it worked for
both families it's a good place to start for ours, or if they have
different products I can choose the one I liked working with the
best. It's honestly an experience that would benefit all first time
parents :)
Drying Rack: http://www.target.com/p/boon-grass-countertop-drying-rack/-/A-12190250
Flower: http://www.target.com/p/boon-stem-countertop-drying-rack-accessory/-/A-14296784#prodSlot=medium_1_32&term=boon+flower+drying+rack
Tree: http://www.target.com/p/boon-twig-countertop-drying-rack-accessory/-/A-14296752#prodSlot=medium_1_1&term=boon+twig+drying+rack+
2. Cloud b Sleep Sheep, aka the Sleepy Sheep: Both families have one of these. My current family has the full size and the last one had the travel size. As far as I've read and used both versions the only difference is the size. Each have four sound settings: Mother's Heartbeat, Spring Showers, Ocean Surf and Whale Songs. Both families regularly use the Ocean Surf setting and none of the others. I think the Mother's Heartbeat and Spring Showers are also okay, but the Whale Songs is a little silly. They both have Velcro straps so they can be attached to a crib, carseat or stroller. The sound box can also be removed for easy cleaning of the stuffed animal or for even a small noise machine for travel. Since both seem to have the same volume settings, the same two time settings which is automatically turns off after (23 and 45 minutes), the same four sounds I registered for the smaller travel size. John and I like to travel and still hope to get out and about with the babe so it seemed like the obvious choice for us.
Regular Size: http://www.amazon.com/Cloud-Sound-Machine-Soother-Sleep/dp/B000GKWA66/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361806268&sr=8-1&keywords=sleepy+sheep
On the Go Size: http://www.amazon.com/Cloud-Travel-Machine-Soothing-Sounds/dp/B000J6CDY6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1361806268&sr=8-2&keywords=sleepy+sheep
The Sheep Sounds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81oqpfW_yc0
They also have a Giraffe Version, but I wasn't as much of a fan of those noises. It can also be found on Amazon.com. Here's a YouTube on that if you want to hear them (skip to 45 seconds): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvnvJi_hiEI
3. Baby Bjorn or some kind of comfortable sling/carrier: I'm not sure what version of the Baby Bjorn carrier the first family had but I loved it. The family I'm currently with has an ErgoBaby carrier that I'm excited to try out. I understand that there are times for a stroller and times for a carrier, but I'm more fond of a carrier. It was especially useful for walks. With the first family I got to bring my dog to work and they also had a dog. I could strap Miss H to my body and have one leash in each hand. It was much simpler than trying to maneuver a stroller and the two dogs. Miss H loved the carrier too. She didn't like being strapped into it, but the second we were moving around she was fine. John and I received a Original Baby Bjorn as a hand-me-down and I just washed it last week, so we're set. I'm still considering putting an ErgoBaby on our registry though. I've heard so many raves about it.
Original Baby Bjorn: http://www.amazon.com/BABYBJORN-Baby-Carrier-Original-Classic/dp/B0009JOSNM/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1361807583&sr=1-1&keywords=baby+bjorn
ErgoBaby: http://www.amazon.com/Ergo-Carrier-Black-Camel-Lining/dp/B0010PW3A4/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1361807874&sr=1-1&keywords=ergo+baby+carrier
4. Fisher-Price My Little Snugabunny Bouncer: For the first family and me in the first few months I worked there this baby was a lifesaver. Miss B at my second home has a different chair that doesn't bounce but she loves it. Miss H needed to be bounced at all times. This bouncer was where she often slept for the first few months. It was really easy to just rest a foot on the bottom and bounce it. It didn't take much effort at all, but I would notice that my calves were sore at the end of the day. This bouncer also has sounds and vibration, but I rarely used those because the bouncing seemed to be enough for her. The bouncer that Miss B has also has sounds and vibration and I find myself using it because the seat doesn't bounce. I guess the seat will end up being our babe's personal preference, but hopefully he/she likes the one we picked out.
Fisher-Price My Little Snugabunny Bouncer: http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-My-Little-Snugabunny-Bouncer/dp/B0042D69XS/ref=br_it_dp_o_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1JVSUH6YJMY5N&coliid=I36ZJ8P4XKKFTK
Fisher-Price Baby Papasan: This is the one my current family has, but I couldn't find it online.
5. Halo Sleepsack Swaddle: Both babes have one of these and they are a lifesaver for naps. I could always get both little ladies to go to sleep, but they would startle themselves and wake up with their flailing arms. This great sack keeps their arms by their sides can helps them to stay sleeping for their nap time. Miss B is on a nap schedule, so when she's supposed to wake up I just quietly unstrap her swaddle and she naturally wakes up. I think it's a great system.
Halo Sleepsack Swaddle: http://www.amazon.com/SleepSack-Cotton-Swaddle-Cream-Small/dp/B003E6OBMA/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1361809123&sr=1-1&keywords=halo+sleepsack+swaddle
I was planning to post my top ten, but because this post got so long I'll just stick to my top five. I'm sure there will be other posts about how helpful being a nanny has been. I have loved it and I'll be sad to let it go. I probably won't have much time to be bummed about it though since I'll have my own little bundle of joy. Thanks for reading!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)