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The monitor can be good for when you are not sleeping too. Like when the baby is in bed upstairs and you are still downstairs watching TV, or the baby is napping and you are in another part of the house.
Oh and I forgot (sorry to keep posting lol) those little bouncer seats with the toy bar hanging over them and they vibrate and play music. I sit her in that when Im in the shower or cooking or something and she loves it. She hates the swing though. I found that strange.
Another vote for the Boppy. We got a lot of use out of that with both babies. I don't know what I would have done without a good quality baby carrier like the Ergo or the Mei Tai. Lap pads for diaper changes were useful. Lightweight umbrella stroller that folds up small with storage was handy with my second because I could carry all of my older dd's stuff. Convertible car seat. Onesies.
Things I did not use much: Baby bathtub, I found it was easier just to use the sink or take a bath with baby until they were sitting up and able to use the tub. The crib became the cat's bed. The pack and play became laundry storage. I didn't end up using the breast pump or the bottles. The baby towels and washcloths were cute but I just used whatever towel or washcloth was on hand so I think they are a waste to purchase. Receiving blankets are okay but it seems like I ended up with a lot more then I needed.
Swing was handy at times but not all babies like them, same for the bouncy seat. Baby monitors can be useful depending on the layout of the house.
Oh and I forgot (sorry to keep posting lol) those little bouncer seats with the toy bar hanging over them and they vibrate and play music. I sit her in that when Im in the shower or cooking or something and she loves it. She hates the swing though. I found that strange.
My DS loved the fish swing at my inlaws, hated the duck swing at our house (same swing different animals, lol), hated the bouncy seat.
My DD1 loved the duck swing at our house, hated the fish swing at my inlaws, hated the bouncy seat.
My DD2 hated the duck swing at our house, hated the fish swing at my inlaws, LOVED the bouncy seat.
My DS loved the fish swing at my inlaws, hated the duck swing at our house (same swing different animals, lol), hated the bouncy seat.
My DD1 loved the duck swing at our house, hated the fish swing at my inlaws, hated the bouncy seat.
My DD2 hated the duck swing at our house, hated the fish swing at my inlaws, LOVED the bouncy seat.
They're all different:
For dd#1 baby proofing devices worked like a charm. For dd#2, they were puzzles to solve...we were much better off just moving things out of her reach and teaching her to go up and down stairs early.
The most useful thing I had for my dd's was a toy bear who sat in the front seat when they were in their car seat and in their car seat when it was empty. Before getting him, I once drove all the way to work and got out of my car before I remembered dd#1 was in the back seat. It was July... It is so easy to get on auto pilot. Normally dh dropped her off at day care. That day, I did. I turned left out of the sub, like I normally do, to go to work, instead of right to go to the day care center, and almost forgot she was in the car.
Things I found useless were the Baby Bjorn and a couple of other slings I tried...don't bother...I never used the umbrella stroller (I had one that the car seat fit into that I used). We never used a bouncy seat or a boppy.
Things I found useful, were the swing and a diaper bag that had a changing pad built in to the outside.
I've given this book (and a few like it) as gifts - it's a great guide to taking "good" baby pictures. It's something I've never seen someone receive as a gift at a shower but have been told is wonderful by the parents...
It's really hard to take great shots of newborns without getting that "bug pinned in a specium case" look! And they grow up so fast, I took alot of pictures and still looking back think I could have taken more....
The BEST gift I got this Christmas was after husband downloaded video of BabyGirl discovering her new playkitchen, i realized that there were a dozen or so clips on there from when we first brought her home that I didn't even know he had shot!
I also give gift certificates for photo studios ....
the answer seems to be "it depends" and you really won't know until you try an item if it is going to work for you and the baby or not. The bouncy seat was a must for us, so was the baby Bjorn. Buy something from their registry. They can't blame you for purchasing an item that they asked for!
Oh, and the best of all purchase for me was my Baby Jogger City Mini stroller. It folds in half by pulling on a handle and it lays flat for a sleeping baby. I *love* it.
This is interesting! Either they didn't have these "Boppy" things 24 years ago (the age of my youngest) or I just never saw one. Anyway, I breast fed two kids for 20 and 23 months, respectively, w/o one. Not to say I wouldn't have used it if I'd had one. What is it, anyway? (Not to highjack, mind you!)
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It is so easy to get on auto pilot. Normally dh dropped her off at day care. That day, I did. I turned left out of the sub, like I normally do, to go to work, instead of right to go to the day care center, and almost forgot she was in the car.
