A couple weeks ago J and I decided to go ahead and start the registry for the baby. It was just a normal saturday and since we had nothing to do, and since my mother-in-law had been bugging me about starting a registry, I asked J if he wanted to head over to babies r us and create one. "Sure, he said. So before we left I put out a post on facebook and asked some of my mommy friends for recommendations. Almost immediately I got plenty of responses. I was so excited and thankful for my helpful friends. However, one thing I didn't realize I was, was nieve! Oh My God, how stupid I was for thinking that registering would be easy peasy and quick! I was SO WRONG!!!! It was not easy, and definitely not quick! J and I were in babies r us for 3 HOURS!!!!!
Now if you are a mom to be and haven't registered yet, don't let me scare you. It wasn't THAT bad...but it was bad only because I wasn't prepared. I thought that printing out a list from the internet and having the list they give you at babies r us would be enough! Well...I was wrong for so many reasons!
Having those 2 lists were helpful for sure, but there was just a lot to find in the store. I honestly didn't realize how much stuff a baby needs. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't that stupid and thought that I only needed like 2 things. I knew a baby required a lot, but I didn't know just how much. Plus there are just soo many choices for one object. For example, a baby carrier. There are like 10 different types and brands of baby carriers and if you go in blindly like me, you have no idea what to get and you beg your husband to read the boxes and make a decision.
So if I had any tips for you moms to be who are going to create a registry:
- Do your research!
- This is my biggest regret! If I had done by research, I wouldn't have felt so overwhelmed by all the different choices. I recommend narrowing each item you need down to a couple that you really want to see in store and then make your decision.
- Ask other mom friends!
- I can't tell you how helpful my facebook post was! If I had never posted my question and asked my friends who were moms for recommendations, I would have been up a creek! Seriously! They helped me tremendously, especially with strollers!
- Get comfy!
- I wore comfy clothes and toms and I was still dead tired by the end of 3 hours! I literally sat down in the middle of the aisle looking at swaddles and telling my husband which ones to scan! LOL it was a sad sight, but I was an exhausted pregnant woman and didn't care. But in all seriousness, wear comfy clothes and shoes. I don't know how I would have survived if I wore heels and a dress!
- Don't feel pressured to get it all done in one day!
- I honestly thought that I would get everything registered and done by the end of our times at babies r us. WRONG! Once I realized how long it was taking, I quickly talked myself into just getting the "big" things done. By "big", I mean things that I felt I needed to see in store such as stroller, car seat, high chair, pack and play, swing, etc. Smaller things like bibs and pacifiers can be picked out on the store's website.
- Do register at more than one place.
- If you told me that before I registered I would have told you no way! But the next day after the babies r us fiasco, I created another registry at Target. We didn't go to target, I just did it online. So much easier! But the reason I think people should register at more than one place is because of options. At babies r us for example, I didn't see many bibs I liked. But on target.com I saw a ton! So it's basically to have a variety!
Creating a registry can be a fun thing...I promise! I have since checked out and edited our registries several times since we created them. Plus think of all the fun things your friends and family will get you for the baby!
