May
14
2013

Nobody Needs A Wipe Warmer (And Other Things I Hope You'll Tell Me)

A few weekends ago, I sat down to make a baby registry. Wait, let me just rephrase that sentence: a few weekends ago, I sat down to make a baby registry and did not get up. For the entire 48 hours. Call it anxious first-timer nerves, call it "generally unable to purchase anything, eat anywhere, or make any other kind of decision for myself without first reading seven hundred reviews from other people," but I found the idea of making a baby registry more than a little daunting. (I also found it a little uncomfortable—hey, here's a list of things I'd like you to buy me!—but a couple of kind relatives on Sean's side had been asking, so I figured, if nothing else, it was a way to get my thoughts in order and make a list of things for us that we'll eventually need to acquire.) 

We live in a pretty small house and I don't want a ton of extra stuff—plus, if there's one piece of advice I've read over and over again, it's to buy only the basics and wait until the baby arrives to get the rest (weird as it seems to me now, I do realize that Amazon will still be operating after my due date)—but it was still helpful to me to research (and research and research and research) some of the bigger purchases, and to jot down some of the smaller things I hadn't even realized I'd need (baby snotsucker, whaaat?

Since you have all given me such wonderful advice over the past few months—thanks to your comments, I am now a) buying a carseat and stroller frame instead of an actual stroller, b) investing in the Fisher Price Rock n' Play sleeper, which is apparently made of straight-up miracles, c) putting the baby in our room at first for easier middle-of-the-night access, and d) slightly addicted to the Baby Bargains book for my aforementioned research—I thought I'd ask you for one final favor as I slowly go about accumulating the flotsam and jetsam of the infant years. 

Despite my friend Court's sage advice that "all you need is a bed and boobs"—I feel like I should get this tattooed or embroidered somewhere—the first-timer, pre-planner, can't-leave-the-house-until-I've-checked-three-times-that-the-stove-is-off arrangment-maker in me needs to know that I've struck the perfect balance between having the essentials and not having so many essentials that I'm in danger of turning into a one-woman episode of Hoarders: Baby Junk Edition. While I want to feel capable and prepared for doing something I've never done before—oh, you know, just keeping another human being alive, NBD—I don't want to buy anything I don't need. I especially don't want to buy anything I don't need and then have to to go through the complicated rigmarole of returning it while covered in baby spit-up and operating on two hours of sleep. 

And so I'm wondering, if you don't mind weighing in: what's the one thing you couldn't have lived without in the first year of having a baby? More importantly, perhaps, what's the one thing you absolutely didn't need? 

Recent Posts

May
06
2013

27 Weeks

At 27 weeks, my pointy belly and I went down to San Diego to see my parents. (Also, I dyed my hair, as you may have noticed by the faintly Elvira-ish shade it seems to have turned since the last weekly photo. Apparently, L'Oreal and I have very different definitions of "dark brown.")

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Apr
29
2013

26 Weeks

First of all, thank you so much for your lovely, kind words on my last post. I hope it doesn't sound too cheesy to say this, but each one of your comments meant so much to me and really did go such a long way to helping me feel better. I'm trying to write back to everyone properly to say thank you for your thoughts and condolences, so if I haven't got to you yet, rest assured that I will. 

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Apr
18
2013

This Is How You Dance

Last week, my friend Anna emailed me to tell me that her parents were cleaning out their house in Hong Kong and had sent her two large boxes of her stuff to sort out. Because I have known Anna since 1987—which is the longest I have known any of my friends and, actually, anyone who is not technically a family member—I was fairly sure I knew where she was going with this, and I was right. 

"Pretty much everything in those boxes," she said, "is a letter from you." 

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Apr
04
2013

23 Weeks

Twenty three weeks, as far as I can remember—it happened a whole week ago, which means my new and fuzzy pregnancy brain has little to no memory of it—was fairly unmomentous. The twentysomething weeks, in fact, are whizzing by super quickly in a blur of super-quickness, much like my actual twenties, although I don't even have alcohol as an excuse for it this time. 

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Apr
03
2013

Five Things I Like Right Now

I feel like we've got to the point where a person can't write a post about the things she likes without someone wondering if it's a sponsored product review, so I just want to say before I begin that this is not sponsored, or a product review, or a sponsored product review. I'm not trying to sell you anything here, I just miss the days when you could read about something you liked on a blog and think "ooh, I think I'd like that thing too!" and maybe go out and buy it, and neither party would feel a little weird about it.

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Random Flashbacks

Jul
26
2012

We Need To Talk About Zumba

Look, I don't often get excited about physical activity, but have you ever done Zumba? I LOVE IT. I love it! And yes, I think that's probably about as cool as admitting I love fannypacks—"bumbags" for my British readers, who've probably just spat out their tea in shock (Americans, I'll let you google the VERY DIFFERENT MEANING that doesn't seem to have crossed the pond)—but I don't care. I am obsessed with Zumba. It is my New Thing. Well, if by New Thing we're allowing that I've only done it twice. But I did it twice with passion. 

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May
05
2007

When "Better Late Than Never" Probably Doesn't Cut It

Oh, my chickens, you have been so patient. So, so, patient! In fact, it's sort of sweet how patient you've been when one thinks about the absolute rubbish you're waiting to hear about. But thank you for being so patient! And to the people who emailed me things like "WHERE IS THE BACHELOR POST? WRITE IT NOW!", well, thank you as well. It's sort of bizarrely flattering to be chased in such a way. I almost want to give each and every one of you a rose.

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Mar
12
2007

Reason #736293 We're A Match Made In Heaven: A Mutual Appreciation Of Linguistic Oneupmanship, As Discovered In The Car On The W

"Hey Hol, did you know that both 'indexes' and 'indices' are correct?"

"Uh, yes. Actually, I think I did know that."

"Well, don't you think that's kind of unfair?"

"Unfair? What do you mean, unfair?"

"Well, say you use 'indices' in conversation. Then people know that you know a little something, right?"

"Right."

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Feb
20
2006

The Kindness of (Almost) Strangers

I don't often get homesick because, quite frankly, I'm not really sure where to call home. Technically, home at the moment is Charleston---which is where my apartment and my job and my boyfriend and, more importantly, my pink Kitchenaid mixer are---but my family lives 30,000 miles away in Singapore. Moreover, I spent my childhood all over the place---France, Holland, Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi, Connecticut----which sort of confuses the matter.

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Apr
13
2011

The Diabetic Wonder Cat Report

Thank you so much, all of you, for your kind concern about Charlie last week. It's a weird thing to have a critically ill pet: on the one hand, it's horrible and upsetting and---insult to injury!---costing you a whole bunch of money that was earmarked for much more enjoyable things. On the other hand, there's a creeping feeling that your reaction is out of proportion to the situation at hand: it's not a person, is it? It could be so much worse.

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Recent Comments

Ivy
May 18, 2013
We didn't have a white noise machine (per se). We had an oscillating desktop fan in her room instead. Set on low, it kept the air circulating, made a little noise and she would sleep. On the few days she was sniffly, we skipped the fan and ran a humidifier for noise/help. something we didn't need? the wipe warmer. she didn't care if the wipes were warm or cold. So long as you cleaned her up quickly, she was happy.

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mary
May 18, 2013
Wow, thanks for sharing, I have learned so much here on your site, thought I’d let you know your efforts are appreciated. From Prada Tessuto Gauffre Nylon Tote Bags BR4674 Blue

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Tara
May 17, 2013
My son is now 3 years old, and I still regret going out & buying a swing while I was still pregnant. He hated it. It was only used when I put him in there to sneak in a 5 minute shower...that is all I got because after those minutes were up, he would scream his little head off like it was a torture device. And I have to give some more defence to the poor, endlessly bagged-on wipe warmer. My husband likes a cold house, and that makes for cold wipes. I didn't even want to handle them. I actually wish I had put this on my registry. The absolute must-have for me was a QUALITY breast pump. I registered & received a mid-level one...and it was horrible, uncooperative, noisy, & took forever. I was at Babies R Us the first chance I got to get the top-of-the-line model. Best investment I ever made. EVER.

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Tara
May 17, 2013
My son is now 3 years old, and I still regret going out & buying a swing while I was still pregnant. He hated it. It was only used when I put him in there to sneak in a 5 minute shower...that is all I got because after those minutes were up, he would scream his little head off like it was a torture device. And I have to give some more defence to the poor, endlessly bagged-on wipe warmer. My husband likes a cold house, and that makes for cold wipes. I didn't even want to handle them. I actually wish I had put this on my registry. The absolute must-have for me was a QUALITY breast pump. I registered & received a mid-level one...and it was horrible, uncooperative, noisy, & took forever. I was at Babies R Us the first chance I got to get the top-of-the-line model. Best investment I ever made. EVER.

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Theresa
May 17, 2013
Baby gowns - perfect for easy diaper changes in those first weeks!

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バーバリー 通販
May 17, 2013
これは、ウェブサイト ほとんどである | - によってのためにすべて全体情報あなた望んだこのとはdidnについて抰誰が聞いて知っている。垣間見るここ、し抣L 積極 発見それを。

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バーバリー 新作
May 17, 2013
私は抦感動、私がしなければならないと言う。 実は にしないことが多い私は遭遇しないんブログその抯各 あなたは可能性がありますは頭の上に釘を打っている可能性があります。ではない十分 人がある |は一つ何か ;あなたの思想 優れた傑出ですスピーキング話。 私は非常に喜ぶ私がつまずいたその1 | これに関して|を参照|に係るもの} {。

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私は発見 サイト Googleでと確認あなたのあなたのいくつ初期の記事。アップ続ける 維持するために維持する 優秀が動作します。 I 単に 余分な |リーダー私のMSN インフォメーションニュースにあなたのRSSフィードまで。 をお探しの検索 前進から読書 もっと!あなたその後から?

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Salvatore Ferragamo
May 17, 2013
非常に素敵な 提出、私は確かに間違いなく実際にこの愛それ 、に運ぶ続ける

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agirlandaboy
May 17, 2013
I can't live without the ExerSaucer, big and loud and plastic and junky as it is. I'm already sad to see it go. I also wouldn't function well without some kind of baby carrier; I like a cheap homemade Moby until 5 months and then the Ergo until they get too heavy to carry, which is somewhere around 2.5 years old. It's a must for air travel, grocery shopping, and housework. We didn't end up with a bunch of stuff we didn't need (and things that didn't work for W mysteriously became necessities for F), so I'd say just ask yourself if your mother or grandmother had X or Y, and that will usually help weed out the crap.

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Erin
May 17, 2013
This style onesie was a lifesaver for my big ole headed boy. Mine came from JC Penney, but years ago. http://tinyurl.com/ann6qjk

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Fiona
May 17, 2013
When it comes to swings, bouncy chairs, bumbos and play mats EVERY child is different. My daughter HATED the play mat and loved her bouncy chair. For this child I bought the bouncy chair second hand and I'm forgetting about the play mat. If she hates the bouncy at least I didn't pay full price! lol Never used: Scratch mitts, pack and play (the baby slept in the pushchair or carseat at people's houses) but maybe see how things go and decide on that later or borrow one. Crib mobile, totally useless. Pacifier/ soother clips... never worked. High chair... a travel booster was SO much easier. Iffy: People mentioned the changing table. I agree, a with a top a kitchen counter height with a mat on it works perfectly, although you CAN get changing tables withe "changer" part that is removable ie converting to a dresser. Must have: A nursing cover up if breastfeeding. They didn't have those when my first was born and she was forever exposing me in public when I used a shawl. Got one for this go 'round!

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Kelly
May 17, 2013
I did this for my Mother for her 60th birthday. I just did it a little different I made it into a book and read them to her and made her guess who said what. She guess almost all of them right. My Dad is turning 60 in the next month and we are doing it for him as well. I am thinking for CHristmas this year I will turn them into a hardback book so they are all together and can be easy to read whenever they want. I am still recieveing memories for my Mom so I will be able to add to what she already has too!

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Lauren
May 16, 2013
Holy suggestion overload! :) Definitely have plenty of the basics, but I agree to wait and see with the rest (easier said than done though!). My Boppy pillow had every day use while both my girls are babies and we went thru lots of light blankets, both receiving blankets (for both of my spit up queens) and Aden & Anais ones for swaddling, to lay on the floor, car seat covers, etc. And if you decide to get a swing sometime down the line, buy one that plugs in!! I made that mistake with our first baby, who loved the swing so much that we used it until it died. That's a lot of C batteries, believe me. :) Good luck!!

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Erin
May 16, 2013
This is awesome. Since my husband and I moved to the California desert, I've been trying to be crafty (homemade bread!) and one of the things on my list is salted caramels (for real, I'll show you if you need you proof.) Thanks for this -- fun to find your blog and more fun to read your snarkiness. Erin

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ter
May 16, 2013
I loved the Rock n' Play sleeper, it was the only thing that my son would sleep in for a long, long time. That said, the back is a little hard for your baby's soft head (you may have noticed that many Amazon reviewers pointed this out)... so I combined it with the Boppy Noggin Nest Head Support. This cushion has a lot more support than the one that comes with the sleeper.

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Kate
May 16, 2013
I've got an almost 7 week old, and I'm finding what I can't live without changes from week to week. She initially took well to swaddling (we used the A&A blankets), but has suddenly decided swaddling isn't her cup of tea (quite vehemently). For awhile the snugabunny swing would lull her to sleep, now it can be hit or miss. I'm finding the moby or Boba baby carrier helpful to get her to sleep, and laying on top of me to keep her asleep. If you're going to breastfeed, bottle feed a few times a week a few weeks before you go back to work to make sure the baby will take a bottle - ours was fine for a bit and then we hit a rough patch. I have both the Boppy and Brest Friend, and prefer the Boppy - the BF is a pain to get on in the middle of the night when the little one just wants to eat NOW. Nursing bras that aren't fiddly are great too - nothing like trying to frantically unclip yourself in the middle of the night! Things we haven't really used: We have a wipe warmer that never gets used, and when you're out and about you won't be able to warm the wipes unless you get a portable one. We have an Angelcare monitor which I just finally took out of the box, and may be taking back because it seems to just transmit static.

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andrea
May 16, 2013
Forget the baby bathtub. The kitchen sink is your best friend! I found it helpful to invest in a good breastfeeding pillow/support for my first baby. Yes, you can make-do without it but it really does help - especially with the first one.

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Beth
May 16, 2013
Sleepy wrap (just like a moby wrap) for the first few months I have two little boys and they like the Bjorn not the ergo b/c they want to face out and feel like they are "walking". Ipod w/ white noise swaddles (swaddle me or miracle blanket) My breast friend pillow ( if you are breastfeeding, terrible name but a LIFESAVER for the early days of breastfeeding!) cloth diapers to use as burp cloths washcloths for washing and for protecting you from getting peed on at diaper changes Ps Boys are so much fun!!

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Lisa
May 16, 2013
Three things that escaped my attention but were SO important: 1. Thick curtains to block out the sunlight when baby sleeps. Darkness is needed to release serotonin - the feel good hormone. 2. Tylenol for babies to keep that fever under control. When he gets a high temperature it's important to have that in the house. 3. Humidifier to help clear out the nasal passages when your babe is sick.

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