I have to agree the baby swing is the best!

I was looking at cousin's nursery the other day & realized how much is useless. Poor girl got some much stuff from the shower, it's all shoved in a room & she won't be able to use half of it cuz she won't find it when it's needed!!!

Must haves: Smaller travel swing: worked wonders for fussy newborns and you can move it from room to room! I didn't use the big one much at all. As a matter of fact, I think I'm going to take it to the consignmnet shop even though DS is 7mths

Fisher Price Healthy Booster Seat:Awesome!!! We now have 2: at home for 2yr old and in car to take into restraunts for 7mth old. It is worth the slight hassle to take it in. You know the seat is clean and it holds you child in better than those wooden or plastic highchairs. I would even consider not buying thr big high chair if I had it to do over!!

Floppy Seat/Cart Cover: This is something I would not have bought but I just love. I tried the cheaper versions and didn't like them as well. The Floppy Seat brand is worth the extra money and they now are sold at Walmart for alot less than mine cost at Babies R Us!

Don't buy alot of toys to start, put some money aside and buy them as your baby develops.

Also, be carefull buying clothes too far in advance! It was OK with DD, but 7mth old DS jumped from 6-9mth to 18mth in a matter of weeks!!!! (If you need any summer clothes I will be listing a bunch on Ebay real soon!)

We used the diaper genie with DD, but for baby on the way, we're going to opt for the trash can for dirty diapers. We spent way too much money on the genie bags, and to be honest, they really didn't even mask the odor that well. I have my parents saving me the plastic bags their newspaper comes in and will use them (esp for poopy diapers). I having been using them with my neice, and they work just fine.

Other regrets would be the bottle warmer (just microwave water, instead) and wipes warmer. DD had no problems drinking her milk cold or even room temp, and did not ever complain about cold wipes on her butt, not even in the winter.

Definite must haves are the mattress toppers (can't remember the exact name). Much easier to change than the whole set of sheets, and I didn't have to wash the sheets as often since I bought 2-3 of them. Plastic bibs are definitely much better for feedings than cloth bibs...easier clean up. And if you are planning on making your own baby food, Super Baby Foods, is a really great must have. I somehow lost my copy so I will definitely be getting another copy.

My diaper champ. I love them just bought a new one, they made it even better! You can use regular bags and they are great odor controllers as long as the bags are inserted properly. The best diaper pail me and even my friends have ever used.

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* Let it not be said that no one cared, that no one objected once it's realized that our liberties and wealth are in jeopardy.

~Ron Paul

"If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy."
- James Madison

These are awesome too. Forget buying a high chair you don't even need to spend the money.

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* Let it not be said that no one cared, that no one objected once it's realized that our liberties and wealth are in jeopardy.

~Ron Paul

"If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy."
- James Madison

The Pack N Play was good money spent for me. I used that thing like crazy (and still have it for guest with small kids). I use to always just keep it in my car to have it wherever I went. Also, the swing and the bouncy seat were great as well.

WOW, thanks for all the advice. Keep it coming! I will update my registry items with all this insight!

What are matress toppers? Do they go on top of the sheets? Does Babies R Us have these?

Thanks!

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Mom to Kaylee (10/2006)
Waiting on our second bundle of joy to arrive January 2009!

My must have is a Baby Einstein video. My 2 1/2 year old still watches them, they've gotten us through many rough nights (he used to get those night terrors frequently)

I agree that the nursery bedding is kinda a waste. The set for my son's room theme was over $300 and since you're not supposed to use the comforter and the sheet may get stained up I just got the bumper from the theme and got solid colored sheets and dust ruffle from babies R us to match.

I keep a big diaper bag in the car, it has everything in it (mom in law bought it so I only take it in to her house) and only bring a little one (the free one from the hospital) with the basics in with me to the mall/restaurants

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Amanda
Mommy to Zack & Emily

We used the diaper pail for ds. But now with 2 in diapers it is just easier to put them in plastic bags and take them to the trash.

For us the must have was the bouncy/vibrating seat. Also the exersauser - it was the only way I could get ready and keep track of ds until he was 18 mo!!!

The crib mattress cover things are a terry cloth pad with strings you tie on the crib slats. If baby spits up in bed, all you have to do is remove or change that pad, not the whole crib. They are great. And yes, Babies R Us has 'em.

We couldn't have survived with out the bouncy seat. My kids never really cared for the swing, but loved the bouncy seat.

Baby Mozart videos, allowed me to shower or return calls for 20 min. DD watched these from 3 mo. on.

The exersaucer after she was too big for the bouncy seat.

I'm expecting #3 and our high chair pad got ripped (plastic) and got moldy inside so I tossed it. I think I'll check out the F.P. booster you are all suggesting.

I also loved the powdered formula container!

Could have done w/o the Diaper Genie, and the bags gave off an overpowering fragrance. I just tossed 'em in a grocery sack and took the trash out a lot!

OH! Gerber makes a 3 compartment feeding dish, you put hot water into and tighten lid, then it sticks to table. Keeps baby's food warm. My firstborn was a very slow eater, and we'd warm her dinner on average, 3 times!

Don't forget Goodnight Moon, and Love You Forever books. If you haven't read the latter, it'll make ya cry! I do everytime!