A couple months ago I realized I should probably start a baby registry. Since we buy everything else on Amazon I figured that was a good place to start. I set up the registry with our information and then searched "baby essentials". The results produced over 20 pages and I was immediately overwhelmed. I halfheartedly clicked through some things and added about 30 items to the registry before calling it quits. I'll do this some other time, I thought.
At Thanksgiving I talked to Alex's sister and sister-in-law about the woes of registering and they gave me a few tips. Emily offered to send me a list she made for a friend of items you absolutely want to register for. I said "YES PLEASE!" a little too enthusiastically. I needed help. She emailed me the list and in the body of her email she suggested I go to an actual brick and mortar store to try out some of the items. That sounded like a good idea. My friend, Katherine, was in town the second week of December. We planned to meet up for dinner. I asked if she'd go to BuyBuy Baby with me and get this thing started. I think she was more excited than I was.
We caught up over dinner and then headed over to BuyBuy Baby. I parked in an 'expectant mothers' parking spot. That made me feel cool. We got my registry set up. The registry clerk was very nice and overly excited when I told her I was having twins. She asked what the nursery theme was so she could put a note in the registry for the people viewing it. I told her "llamas". Later when I reviewed the registry from home I noted she spelled it "lamas". She was young. I won't hold it against her.
Katherine and I spent 2.5 hours walking around the massive store like little lost ducklings looking for their mom. The employees were very knowledgeable and helped us pick out the nursery furniture, stroller, car seats, mattresses and other essentials. Every time we walked to a new section I would just stand there, like how the heck am I supposed to choose the 'right' thing when there are 50 of almost everything to choose from? An employee would find me and look into my desperate eyes and just start telling me about the various features of the items I was starring at until I felt like I was somewhat knowledgeable enough to make a choice.
We got all the big stuff taken care of and then walked through clothes and picked out way too many cute little girl outfits. I showed restraint. I didn't buy anything.
When I got home I opened the gift bag the registry clerk gave me. I expected there to be some wipes or samples, maybe some coupons, but this little bag was jam packed full of cool stuff. - Stuff I've never heard of and didn't know I needed - like boogie wipes. Who knew those existed? (trick question - probably actual moms know they exist. I'm basically a wannabe mom for the next 4 months until I'm forced to actually become a mom with two little humans expecting me to mother them.)
At Thanksgiving I talked to Alex's sister and sister-in-law about the woes of registering and they gave me a few tips. Emily offered to send me a list she made for a friend of items you absolutely want to register for. I said "YES PLEASE!" a little too enthusiastically. I needed help. She emailed me the list and in the body of her email she suggested I go to an actual brick and mortar store to try out some of the items. That sounded like a good idea. My friend, Katherine, was in town the second week of December. We planned to meet up for dinner. I asked if she'd go to BuyBuy Baby with me and get this thing started. I think she was more excited than I was.
We caught up over dinner and then headed over to BuyBuy Baby. I parked in an 'expectant mothers' parking spot. That made me feel cool. We got my registry set up. The registry clerk was very nice and overly excited when I told her I was having twins. She asked what the nursery theme was so she could put a note in the registry for the people viewing it. I told her "llamas". Later when I reviewed the registry from home I noted she spelled it "lamas". She was young. I won't hold it against her.
Katherine and I spent 2.5 hours walking around the massive store like little lost ducklings looking for their mom. The employees were very knowledgeable and helped us pick out the nursery furniture, stroller, car seats, mattresses and other essentials. Every time we walked to a new section I would just stand there, like how the heck am I supposed to choose the 'right' thing when there are 50 of almost everything to choose from? An employee would find me and look into my desperate eyes and just start telling me about the various features of the items I was starring at until I felt like I was somewhat knowledgeable enough to make a choice.
We got all the big stuff taken care of and then walked through clothes and picked out way too many cute little girl outfits. I showed restraint. I didn't buy anything.
When I got home I opened the gift bag the registry clerk gave me. I expected there to be some wipes or samples, maybe some coupons, but this little bag was jam packed full of cool stuff. - Stuff I've never heard of and didn't know I needed - like boogie wipes. Who knew those existed? (trick question - probably actual moms know they exist. I'm basically a wannabe mom for the next 4 months until I'm forced to actually become a mom with two little humans expecting me to mother them.)
I went back to BuyBuy Baby with my mom a few days later. I figured there was no one better to help me get the rest of the stuff I needed than my actual mother. She helped me pick out stuff that has worked well for my sister and fill in the "small stuff" like bath essentials, toys, swaddlers, nursery essentials, diaper bags, etc.
Today I looked at my two registries side by side. I removed a bunch of stuff from BuyBuy baby and added it to the Amazon one because Amazon was cheaper or they had different varieties and colors of stuff than what I saw in store so I could customize it a little more. I now have over 300 items on both lists combined and it feels excessive. I don't think my kids need 300+ things. I struggle to buy things for myself because I just see dollar signs and think I'd rather save that money. Because of that I sometimes struggle receiving gifts because I feel like people shouldn't spend their money on me. It was hard to build these registries. It was hard to say, yes I want 2 of that overpriced item. And it will be hard to accept these gifts at my showers.
But I am learned to be a gracious receiver of gifts. People get excited when you are expecting. So I will share in their excitement and accept the things they pick out for me. Building a registry is not for the faint of heart. There are so many options. I just wanted someone to tell me which one to choose, which is partly why I was so thankful for the BuyBuy Baby employees. Maybe they didn't give me the best advice, but I'll never know that. They helped me make decisions when I felt completely inadequate to do so.
I feel so accomplished now. My next big hurtle is the nursery itself. We bought a rocking reclining chair on a Black Friday sale. That is the only piece of furniture in the nursery at present. My parents are buying the cribs and changing table and mattresses/bedding because they are awesome. My dad has also offered to paint so I have to decide on colors. I think I'll feel less anxious, more settled, once the walls are painted and the furniture is in place. Sometimes it still doesn't feel real, but then I feel a jab or a kick and I remember this is quite real. In less than 4 months I'll have two live little humans. Lots to do before then!
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