I have been meaning to do this for a while now but the urgency crept in when I now know several people that are pregnant or trying. I had no idea what I needed to put on my registry. I had verbally told my sisters that I wanted a ton of books and they supplied me with most of Hue’s books for his first year! I also didn’t really want to ask for presents. I really just wanted to celebrate Hue coming into the world. I am so glad my family and friends urged me otherwise because I used 99% of the gifts I received at my shower. I searched the internet for lists on what to get your baby for baby showers. I was a little lost to be honest – not totally sure what I needed so this post is going to be a two-parter. Today is the actual list and what I thought of each product. The second part will be what I think you really need, the basics, what I ended up needing that was not on my list and what I was looking for but didn’t really understand what I was looking for…. Also, some suggestions of things that I didn’t buy because they were pretty new on the baby market and crazy expensive. Basically the perfect baby registry list in retrospect.
So for the first part. Here is my baby registry and my thoughts on each product! I used an amazon gift registry link. I found a couple of ways to do it. One of the baby sites (Can’t fully remember but I think the bump.com or something similar) can combine your list for you if you are getting items from many different places but I just wanted to make it easy and picked everything from Amazon.
STROLLER + STROLLER PARTS/ACCESSORIES
Baby Stroller carriage part. I wanted to be able to grab Hue’s carseat and bring to and from the car to the house without disturbing Hue and his many naps. There are so many out there (I got this one) and if you already have a regular stroller or baby carseat most company’s sell an attachment so that you can do this and are not married to one company. I liked the price of this one and saw it sold a lot as a whole package. But I listed it separately so many people could buy parts of it. I was very concerned about things being really expensive and asking people to buy expensive things.
My thoughts on this are I absolutely loved it. It was definitely a necessary item. I’m glad I didn’t buy a super expensive one because Hue grew out of his baby car seat by month 6 or 7 so I feel like we got our money’s worth. It was just so easy to take out the car seat and pop it on the stroller part. Oh and the cup holder situation was on point. It had two cupholders built in. Great for coffee which is essential at this stage as well. (Most cupholders come as accessories to the stroller and are extra $$$.) Lots and lots of coffee!
Would I buy again now? Yes!
Baby Car Seat This is the car seat that pops onto the baby stroller carriage part. When it’s in the car it pops onto a separate base that is buckled into the car at all times. So it makes it super easy to take in and out of the car.
My thoughts. It was a great carseat. Hue is super tall and grew out of it by month 6 or 7 but it did the job well! Style wise it’s a little dated in my opinion but it got the job done for a great price. There are also many different options of baby carseats that work with the stroller and base. I wanted all black but I don’t think it was available at the time. It looks like this exact baby carseat is out of stock but there are a lot of different styles to choose from. They probably have updated a version of this style by now.
Would I buy again now? Yes! (But I would try for all black without the turquoise piping and pops of color.)
Baby Car Seat Base This is a must. You have to have it in order to have the carseat sit in your car.
My thoughts. We got two! One for my car and one for my husband’s car. It was great because we didn’t have to change the base when we switched cars. One less thing to worry about and when they are that little you are already carrying so many things around with you! It just made our lives a little easier.
Would I buy again now? Yes! (x’s two!)
Car Seat Cover I got this to protect Hue from the light + sun while napping. A lot of people thought is was an old t-shirt but it just like a really long and big tube top that stretches around the open part of the car seat.
My thoughts. I used this every single day. Sometimes I just wanted him to have a little privacy and this worked for that too. I left it on the car seat and just pulled it up or down. The car seat did have a shade lid but it didn’t cover him completely.This cover did. I left a little opening at the top so he had some fresh air.
Would I buy again now? Yes!
Stroller I put this stroller on the list for when Hue was a little bit older. I liked that it turned from a bassinet to a stroller. Love a two-in-one situation. I cannot find this on the list (I know I put it on there!) so here is a similar one.
My thoughts. I didn’t use it until Hue grew out of the baby stroller/car seat/ base situation. I loved it. The bassinet part was great when we were out but Hue was sleeping. He slept in that at many different homes, in the park, when we were out and about. It converted into a stroller to which I thought looked a little funny and we straight up used it wrong the first time we took him out in public for a stroll. I got used to the design and was fine with the way the stroller part looked. It was a great transition from the baby stroller. Hue is very tall so he grew out of this around two. He started to climb out of it while I was walking with him in it so I had to get something that was meant for a very busy, fast toddler. (I will share on my part-two list) This is great 2-in-1 stroller for when your child is past the infant stage but still a baby. I really loved the travel bassinet part. I think this came with a coffee holder but only one and it fell off at one point and then I was without a spot for my coffee!
Would I buy again now? Yes!
NURSERY FURNITURE
Crib This crib was stylistically what I wanted for Hue’s nursery. It was perfect with the light natural wood tone with the white legs. It was adjustable in height depending the age of your baby. We bought the toddler converter which we only used for a couple of months before buying a big boy bed. Hue climbed out of his bed a couple of months before he turned two which is when we switched the front panel to the toddler rail. Once your child can climb out of the crib it’s kind of time to move on to a bed.
My thoughts. I absolutely loved this crib. It’s stylistically beautiful in my opinion. I wanted something a little more modern looking. It was sturdy. My husband and cat hung out in the crib many times! It even has a toddler bed converter (it was out of stock when we were looking) but we weren’t sure how sturdy that would be which is why we opted for a bed. It’s more on the pricier side but totally worth it! If you want the same look but don’t want to spend the money I think this Ikea option is great and it’s under $100.
Would I buy again now? Yes!
Rocker Chair My parents got this for me. It’s a chair, it’s a rocker, it swivels, it has a built-in foot rest and it turns into a fully reclined position kind of like a very skinny bed. Not as comfy as your bed but great on a rough night. We actually feel like we need to move on from ours because it is taking up some major real-estate in the bedroom but we still rely on it big time.
My thoughts. I was looking for a modern looking rocker chair that didn’t have a ridiculous price tag. My parents were buying this for us and I didn’t want anything too expensive. I love this chair. At 2.5 years old we still use it every day. I have slept many hours and have soothed many tears in this chair. My friend is expecting in a couple of months and the plan is to give it to her so we are trying to wean ourselves out of using it. We are transitioning to falling asleep in Hue’s bed instead of the chair. It’s a hard transition! Also, I didn’t realize how much this chair did at first too. It has a built in foot rest but I bought a little ottoman to put my feet up at first. That maybe lasted a couple of months and then I used the recliner and gave the ottoman to my mom!
Would I buy again now? Yes!
Dresser I had a really hard time picking out a dresser. I felt it was either going to make or break the room. I wanted something that would grow with Hue. I wasn’t sure about the color or the style. It’s really hard making these decisions while pregnant because you have an idea of how you want everything to look but I also just wasn’t sure on what I wanted. I knew I wanted a dresser so that I could create an amazing diaper station. The top drawer would be all diapers + diaper accessories. I would use the top part of the dresser with a diaper changing pad. I did all those things and used this set-up for over 2 years. In the last 6 months we have moved the changing pad to the garage, made an epic changing basket in the living room because Hue is so tall that picking him up to put him at my height became impossible to do. So, I literally change him on the floor and now he just transitioned to pull-ups so I’m sure his diaper set-up will evolve again soon.
My thoughts. I like the dresser. It’s sturdy. Not too big. Not too small. I can always paint it or switch out the knobs if Hue wants a different look later on. The style is classic. I’m into it!
Would I buy again now? Yes!
Bassinet I actually got a travel crib by accident and Hue slept in this for the first four months of his life! I didn’t mean to get a travel crib but I either wasn’t using the right words when searching or the selection is just kind of slim. We ended up with two which was actually very efficient. I brought the second one out in the living room or to my parents house it was very convenient and travelled well! I also gave it to my friend and she asked if I had the mattress for it. I never knew it needed a mattress so Hue slept on it mattress-less because I didn’t know better. It also turned into a rocker bassinet by a simple change of the legs. We never really made it rock but it was a cool extra feature.
My thoughts. It did the job well. Style wise it is super dated with the chevron pattern but I covered it up with small crib fitted sheets and the chevron could be seen no longer!
Would I buy again now? I don’t think so for my main bassinet but for a travel crib – Yes! I would probably go for something more like this or this.
BATHROOM + GROOMING ACCESSORIES
Baby Bath Part 1 There is nothing cuter than a baby bath. Of course I wanted a giant farm sink just to bathe my gorgeous baby but well I live in a condo with a pretty standard sink so that is what I used. I accidentally put two baby baths on my registry. (Remember, I had no idea what I was doing and it shows here!) I put this one on because I had seen it a lot before. Confession – I never used it. Not once. It was really meant for the bath and I really wanted to bathe Hue in the sink. Wasn’t clear to myself on those needs until I went to give him a bath. It’s okay because I have given this wonderful unused baby bath to a friend who is expecting. I thought I would need it for when he was little to give him baths in the bathtub but by the time we switched from sink to bath tub he was able to sit up on his own. Also, this kind of stuff will be different for everyone. Hue was a super tall baby so he outgrew things pretty fast. He was also sitting up early on and walking by 8 months. Not typical but he was slower when it came to speech so it’s all a give and take, right?
Would I buy again now? No. (It wasn’t necessary for me!)
Baby Bath Part 2 The baby bath I used and loved is this one. I love that it’s stored flat. You could hang it or slide it behind something. I think we hanged ours or laid it up against the bathroom wall. It folded up into a bath that fit into the sink. It was soft and cushiony – almost foam like so I felt Hue was getting the protection from the sinks hard surfaces. It was also super moldable to his body. Loved the “small space” function of this bath. Our home is under 1000 sq ft so we need all the space saving solutions possible. Especially baby stuff because your home suddenly because inundated with ALL the baby things.
Would I buy again now? Yes!
Bath Towel. We still use this bath towel 2.5 years later. Hue loves it. It is a part of bath time. We have back-ups but this is our main baby bath towel we use. It’s soft, hooded and a good length for Hue.
Would I buy again now? Yes!
Baby Oil. You know for after the bath. I actually just started to use this 2.5 years later. It is messy but great for dry skin. I really like this brand.
Would I buy again now? No. I would buy it if I needed it but it wasn’t a necessity.
Shampoo + Body Wash. We are still using this 2.5 years later. We were told when he was a baby to use bath soap sparingly and we still do. So, one bottle has lasted us 2.5 years! Hue doesn’t love when we wash his hair in general so I don’t know if it’s the soap we use or he just doesn’t like getting soap in his eyes. I like this brand because all the ingredients are meant to be safe for babies and kids.
Would I buy again now? Yes!
Bathtime Gift Set. I put this on my registry and then read an article when he was a newborn that baby boys should stay away from lavender. So I stored it in my bathroom for myself or I gave it away. I can’t remember.
Would I buy again now? No. Only because that article scared me a bit. Nothing wrong with the product.
Complete Nursery Care Set I was like this is a whole grooming set. Yes! Let’s put this on the list. I found a lot of the individual pieces were so cheap that they fell apart. So I would advise to buy what you need as you need it. Like nail clippers, a good thermometer, (glass + digital – digital isn’t as accurate and during a fever you want accuracy!) We ended up getting a little nail grooming set for Hue. It’s a battery operated buffer that feels super safe with little hands.
Would I buy again now? No. Buy individually when needed.
Hair Brush Set I think my registry was just a brush but my friend was smart and got this setset instead. It was a great set but we were kind of accidentally harsh with it so we could actually reorder this. I like it! It Hk feels classic and special because it comes in a nice box!
Would I buy again now? Yes. In fact I think we are due for another set!
CRIB ACCESSORIES
Crib Mattress I think we got this mattress. Not a 100% sure but it has the same scalloped pattern on it and it’s the same brand as the crib (Babyletto) so I am pretty sure we didn’t stray too far when ordering the mattress for the crib. This crib was great. We had no problems with it. We still used it under Hue’s twin bed as a soft place to land in case he falls out of bed.
Would I buy again now? Yes.
Crib Mattress Cover It’s not the most glamorous of accessories but it is a necessary accessory for your crib. It just is. I think we might have even had two. A crib mattress cover just makes the mattress live it’s longest life.
Would I buy again now? Yes. Without hesitation.
Crib Fitted Sheets Loved these sheets! They are great. They are 100% cotton fitted sheets. They come in a ton of different designs. I had the grey thin striped and the buffalo plaid which they named fog. We only had these two and they are still in great condition and Hue used them straight for just under two years.
Would I buy again now? Yes.
Baby Monitor This wireless baby monitor seems to be pretty standard in the baby monitor world. It did what we needed it to do which was watch Hue while not disturbing him or his sleep. Especially when we were teaching him how to soothe himself to sleep – I was glued to that monitor sometimes with tears streaming down my face. (Parenting is HARD.) Once we had Hue and then hung out with friends with littles I learned more about baby monitors. There are ones that can connect to your phone. There are some that can rotate/move the camera around the room so you can spot your child and there are some that sound an alarm if they detect something wrong (usually the child has left the crib when the alarm goes off) but I was super close to investing in one because there is nothing more scary than the thought of something going wrong while they are in the crib. It is terrifying. I still use this baby monitor today. I use it way less but it lives next to my bed and if I hear a noise in the middle of the night I can see if it was the cat (usually it’s the cat) or if Hue is up and needs me.
Would I buy again now? Yes. But… I would probably upgrade to one that monitors my baby’s heart beat or breathing while they sleep and also rotates on it’s own so you can see more. If this upgrade also connects the camera to my iphone that would be pretty cool too!
Night Light I got this for late night feedings so I could see what we were doing in the dark. We used it SO much that I pressed it one night the cover just came flying off. We received this at our baby shower that replaced the night light but broke a couple of months later so we stopped messing around and finally bought one of these!
Would I buy again now? No. Just get this instead.
DIAPERS, CHANGING PAD, ACCESSORIES
Diapers We put these on our registry. We flew through diapers in the beginning. When we left the hospital when Hue was born and we were like “You’re letting us leave with this new baby?” A nurse told us to go down the checklist. Hungry? Diaper Change? Sleep? We literally used that list every time Hue cried so we went through a TON of diapers. As you get more comfortable you will let your baby go a little longer between changes. I knew I wasn’t a cloth diaper type so disposable diapers were it for me. As time moved on, we bounced around to different brands depending on Hue’s needs. (Size, crawling, walking, absorption, night-time needs – there is a diaper for everything!)
Would I buy again now? Yes. A must.
Wipes I put these on our registry but I at some point switched to these. They are mostly water which I found to be more sensitive against there skin. Diaper rash can be caused by so many things so I wanted something gentle.
Would I buy again now? No. I would buy the one’s I ended up switching to.
Changing Pad I used and loved this one. I saw my sister like 15+ years ago use this method of just laying the pad on top of a dresser so I copied. No need for a fancy changing table – they are expensive and not necessary. We used this until Hue got too heavy and big to change on top of the dresser but we used this for almost two years. I like changing a diaper while standing. Now it’s wherever we happen to be but it was a nice system when he was still little. The bottom have rubber “feet” on them to keep from sliding and it also had a buckle strap which we never used.
Would I buy again now? Yes
Changing Pad Fitted Sheets If you go with the method of using a changing pad then you will need fitted sheets like these. There are a ton of different styles and we bought another two-pack because the same size worked for the travel bassinet. They are great and we used them daily + we washed them a lot.
Would I buy again now? Yes
Diaper Cream There are so many diaper creams! We got this one but I don’t remember using it. We have used just about every brand out there. We like this spray the best now! We like that it sprays an even coat. For a really big rash we still grab the cream. You will always need it and nearby so there is one in our diaper bag, one in Hue’s room and one in the living room diaper basket.
Would I buy again now? Yes (We use a lot of different brands now like this one or this one though we aren’t married to just one brand.)
Diaper Bag I picked this diaper bag for it’s unisex aesthetic and I liked the way it looked. (I really wanted this one but pretty sure Jake wasn’t going to carry this around.) It also came with a lot of great accessories. We used this for over a year until I switched to a backpack when Hue got more mobile which we still use. The backpack is easier to run around with and chase your little one than a big, full side bag. I saw some back packs that come with straps that work with a stroller which is pretty cool because most stroller baskets are too small for any diaper bag!
Would I buy again now? No. Only because I would just buy a back pack diaper bag instead. It’s a great bag but I found a backpack to be more mobile and versatile.
BABY HOLDERS
Tummy Time Gym This play gym is amazing. It was out and on the floor for like the first year of Hue’s life. He would do tummy time, lay on his back and stare up at all the hanging things. There were crunchy noise makers and fun mirrors. So many things for a baby to do and learn with! It also comes with a cover to make a baby tent. It was an awesome baby gym and aesthetically pleasing too! Love this brand and all the things they make.
Would I buy again now? Yes
Bouncer I didn’t use this as much as I thought. I think because Hue was so tall that he kind of out grew a lot of the baby stuff pretty quickly! It did calm him down right away usually so if you have a fussy baby this could be a dream come true!
Would I buy again now? No. Just because I didn’t use it that often.
Boppy I used this the most. It’s a breast feeding pillow but I used it kind of like a cushion to prop Hue up so I could feed him a bottle or we would just hang out. I had it always in the corner of the sectional so it felt really safe and he wasn’t going anywhere. I think I used it like you would use a dockatot -these were still kind of new when I was gathering my registry list and I could not understand the amount of money they were charging for a cushion with sides. I even took little naps with Hue and rested my head on one of the sides of the Boppy. So, basically I used it not the way it was intended but it was one of my most valuable tools I used.
Would I buy again now? Yes!!!
Bumbo I loved the idea of this! But Hue was too tall and when I went to use this at like four months. He was so squished and it was super hard to put him in there and he started to cry so we didn’t really use it because he outgrew it before we could! I put this tray that attaches to the base but it was one of the few things people didn’t buy and it’s good because I didn’t need it!
Would I buy again now? No
Baby Bjorn This was a must. I used this until Hue got to the max weight or he was just too heavy which was somewhere around 20 pounds or 1 year. It was very easy to put on and attach Hue. Plus, he was super happy in it. I was super sad when Hue outgrew this.
Would I buy again now? Yes!!!
Baby Wrap I saw my sister use a similar one to this one. I got a second one from a friend. I found these to be super cumbersome. If you want to teach yourself how to use this with a real newborn then I suggest you have someone there to help you the first couple of times. I never got over the learning curve because Hue would cry and I was trying to figure it out and would get frustrated. I found the baby bjorn much easier and quicker.
Would I buy again now? No
BREAST FEEDING + BOTTLES
Nursing Pads + Nipple Cream I didn’t end up nursing. I tried pumping when nursing proved to difficult and I gave that up after a month or two. I ordered these nursing pads but never used them. I also didn’t need this nipple cream either. Ended up giving this all to an expecting mom. These are things I would purchase on a as-needed basis.
Would I buy again now? No
Baby Bottles Loved these bottles! Used them for about 2+ years and they are great! We just replaced the nipple if Hue chewed it. We had a friend who also gave us some so we had A LOT on hand and they were used all the time! We would pre-make the bottles with formula so they were ready to go.
Would I buy again now? Yes
Pacifiers Hue didn’t love these. He loved the hospital issued ones and we could not find them anywhere. Hue never became a big pacifier baby. We have some now in the freezer for teething but we don’t use them a ton.
Would I buy again now? No
Bottle Cleaning Brush I never used this. Ever.
Would I buy again now? No
Bibs These were great for the early stages when milk is abundant and everywhere but I switched to a similar catch-all bib by the time he was eating solids.
Would I buy again now? Yes but a burb cloth under the chin is fine too.
Burp Cloths I got these. I still use these sometimes if Hue throws up or we need to clean up a baby related mess. But I used them all the time in Hue’s first year. They came in the diaper bag and were in every room of the house. It wouldn’t hurt to keep one in my diaper bag now too. I think about it but then I forget. It would be helpful when we are out and about.
Would I buy again now? Yes
Receiving Blankets I originally got these for swaddling but they weren’t big enough. I really like these better for swaddling. But I kept these because they came in super handy. They were like little blankets for changing his diaper away from home, or like a non-disposable paper towel when he made a mess or spit up. I bring them now from time to time just for messes or the occasional diaper change.
Would I buy again now? Yes
Breast Pump This is not what I put on my registry but it’s the closest thing I could find to what I received. After trying to breast feed, I tried to pump for about two months but it was so much work and I ended up giving up around the end of month two. Wow… just looking for the pump I had was difficult, this area has really improved/escalated dramatically in the last 2.5 years. They have some super cool but very pricey alternatives that are wireless and fit in your bra so you can walk around and do whatever you need to do. That was the hard part about pumping is you were kind of stuck and couldn’t really move. I think the bra would have helped but it was still a lot of work.
Would I buy again now? No but there is no way to tell how/if/how long your breast feeding journey will be and you kind of need it right away so if I were to go back in time I would buy this one.
Dishwasher Basket For Bottle Parts We ended up with two! And at one point used two but you only really need one and we used it for about 2 years. It just stayed in the dishwasher like it lived there. Once we got rid of traditional bottles with all the parts and used less pacifiers we didn’t really need it anymore.
Would I buy again now? Yes
ACCESSORIES
Pacifier Clips We didn’t really use these because Hue was not a very big pacifier user.
Would I buy again now? No
Onesies You go through SO. MANY. OUTFIT. CHANGES. when your little one is a baby. Take all the onesies that come your way!
Would I buy again now? Yes
Rainbow Stacker This and the tray for the Bumbo were the only two things not bought on my registry. I ended up purchasing this later on for way cheaper through a different company.
Would I buy again now? Yes but Hue has broken them and I have super-glued them back together. He likes to stand on them. We have a mini natural wood one too. I just like these a lot for the play room/nursery vibe they bring.
I found that my original registry was missing things so I apologize if you are reading this and bought me something from my registry and it didn’t appear here. I think most of it is here. It’s a bit fuzzy what we bought vs what we got since my registry was over 57 items and everything but two items were purchased.
One thing that isn’t appearing on my registry now but i feel like was on it was a:
Diaper Genie It’s a place where all diapers go. I’ve seen people keep it in the bathroom but we keep it in Hue’s room. We take it out when it’s full or when it’s super stinky. We get these bags that go with it.
Would I buy again now? 100% Yes
