What Baby Needs vs What Baby Already Has (as of January 22, 2015)

Our Graco Pack 'n Play On The Go Travel Playard in Go Green. We opted for the simple one since this playard "grows" with the baby  -  there's no need to have a separate playard and a separate bassinet. The hanging layer you see serves as a bassinet for baby's first few months. This entire thing is slim enough to fit beside our bed. Once he's a little older and heavier, he can move to a proper crib. And when he's finally ready to prop himself up and play, the bassinet is lowered to serve as his playard mat. And, no. We don't want the ones that come with a portable changing station. We want an actual wooden changing table that can double as shelves/storage.

I was almost tempted to add "What Mommy Wants". But in keeping with the idea of "jumpstarting the life of a new human being", I'll stick to the title above. :)

In my efforts of keeping our two baby registries that also serve as our personal guideline/checklist (one at Target and one at Babies R'Us  -  both under Precious or Sergio Prieto, in case you are interested) neat, compact, fun and functional, the obsessive compulsive in me feels the need to document the things we need versus the things we already have.

The two registries we have will tell you the brands we have chosen for our little boy. Our choices are mostly based on price and review ratings. For organizational purposes, I'll skip the brand mentioning part in this blog save for a few (it's on our online registries, anyway) and just present here the CHECKLIST Babies R'Us has with some additional essentials from Target:

NURSERY
furniture
crib ____
crib mattress ____
changing station ____
glider & ottoman ____
dresser or chest ____
nightstand ____
bassinet & bedside sleeper  -  It's on the "Good-To-Have" checklist at Babies R'Us but Target considers it just as essential. On that note, let's consider this FULFILLED as our Graco Playard has it integrated. :)
bedding
crib bedding set ____
fitted crib sheets (4-6) ____
mattress pads & waterproof pads (2-4) ____
sheet savers (2) ____
changing table pad ____
changing table pad covers (4) ____
receiving blankets (4-8) ____
crib blankets (4)  -  We have one! Still need three.
swaddling blankets (2-4) ____
wearable blankets (2-4) ____
security blanket ____
sound & light soothers ____
accessories
hampers ____
hangers ____
crib mobile ____
diaper stacker ____
wall decor ____
closet organization ____
storage baskets/bins ____

ON THE GO
car seats
infant car seat  -  Not applicable as we are eyeing a travel system stroller.
convertible car seat ____
strollers & carriers
travel system or traditional stroller ____
infant carrier ____
diaper bag (2) ____
stroller toys ____

PLAYTIME
infant swing ____
bouncer  -  FULFILLED!
playard  -  FULFILLED! See photo above.
playard sheets (2-3)  -  We have one! Still need two.
play mat or baby gym ____
infant toys (5)  -  Do plush toys count? Those we definitely have. Other kinds are appreciated. :)
jumper ____
stationary entertainer ____
books (3)  -  We have one! Still need two.
dvds (3)  -  What are YouTube and iTunes for? :)
music (3)  -  The above statement applies.
early development toys ____
interactive toys ____
riding toys ____

CLOTHING <---- Where it starts to get a little complicated
bodysuits (10-12)  -  We have...
    1 short-sleeved bodysuit for 0-1 month
    10 short-sleeved bodysuits for the newborn size  -  FULFILLED
    3 short-sleeved bodysuits for 0-3 months
    1 long-sleeved bodysuit for the newborn size
    1 long-sleeved bodysuit for 6-12 months
sleep & play (6-8)  -  We have...
    3 for the newborn size
side-snap shirts (4-6) ____
pull-on pants (6-8)  -  We have...
    1 pull-on pants for 0-1 month
    1 pull-on pants for the newborn size
    1 pull-on pants for 4-6 months
caps (2-4)  -  ALL FOUR FULFILLED for at least baby boy's first six months!
mittens (2-4)  -  We have...
    4 pairs for the newborn size  -  FULFILLED
    1 pair for 0-3 months
booties (2-4)  -  ALL FOUR FULFILLED for at least baby boy's first six months!
socks (6-8)  -  We have...
    6 white pairs for the newborn size
    6 lightly colored (white, light blue, etc.) pairs for 3-12 months
baby shoes  -  We have a pair for 1-2 months.

SAFETY
monitor ____
baby gates (2) ____
outlet covers & plugs ____
cabinet & drawer locks ____
first aid kid ____

FEEDING
breast pump ____
nursing pads (1 multi-pack) ____
breast milk storage containers or bags (2) ____
nursing covers (2)  -  FULFILLED!
nursing pillow ____
baby support pillow ____
bottles starter set _____
bottles 4- or 5-oz (6-10)  -  We have...
    1 4-oz Philips Avent Natural Bottle
bottles 8-, 9- or 11-oz (6-10) _____
slow-flow nipples (8-10) ____
medium-flow nipples (8-10) ____
fast-flow nipples (8-10) ____
bibs (8-12)  -  We have two! Still need a "few" more. ;)
burping cloths (6-12) ____
pacifiers (6-8) ____
pacifier holders ____
teethers (3-4)  -  We have a three-in-one. Still need one more for good measure. :)
high chair ____
bottle warmers & sterilizers ____
baby food prep & storage ____
baby plates & bowls ____
sippy cups ____
skin-to-skin shirt ____

INFANT CARE
diapering
diapers, up to 8 lbs (4 value boxes) ____

diapers, 8 to 14 lbs (5 value boxes) ____

baby wipes (4 value boxes) ____

diaper cream & ointment ____

diaper pail  -  FULFILLED!

diaper pail refills  -  FULFILLED or have at least three refills! 

wipes warmers & dispensers ____

portable changing pads & sets ____

hand sanitizer ____

bathing

baby bathtub ____

baby bath towels (6-8)  -  We have two! Still need a "few" more. ;)

wash cloths (10-12)  -  We have six! Still need a "few" more. ;)

shampoo & body wash ____

baby lotion ____

bath toys & storage ____

baby bathrobes ____

dental care ____

health

grooming kit (brush, nail clippers, etc.) ____
thermometer ____
humidifier  -  FULFILLED!
air purifier ____
aspirator ____
laundry detergent ____

__________________

And beyond all these, all I can say is "WHEW!!!" When I first held the Babies R'Us gun scanner and the checklist, I found (and still find) it so overwhelming and so unbelievable that a new human being could need this much! I was pretty much like, "Just how many kinds of blankets are there?!" Don't even get me started on the different clothing sizes or on the number of bibs a baby is supposed to need! As such, we now know we truly need a baby registry otherwise we won't be able to catch up mentally on the things baby needs.

All these I either got free from baby samples or I bought, myself, simply because I can't wait. :)

Mommies-to-be, friends and loved ones, like what I said when I shared information and the link to our baby registries on Facebook, announcing what baby needs is a huge leap for me. One that I would not have done even for our own gift registry when we got married almost five years ago. Getting closer and closer to holding the little wiggling one in me has gotten me inside-out and upside-down over my perspectives on things. Be it sharing one's baby registry or organizing one's own baby shower (which I don't see us doing as we're so busy), it's really nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about. In the end, it's not so much about begging or appearing desperate, it's really just all about asking for help in making the little one in you feel loved and welcomed.