On Becoming a Mother...: Baby gear

I'm finally done picking out all of the "big" stuff that we need for the baby! I feel so accomplished. :) I'm listing the names of the items, links to the websites, and pictures below, along with our reasons for choosing them, in case you're interested.

Furniture:

Canton by Delta Children's Products, available at Target

-We are getting the 4-in-1 convertible crib, dresser, and glider with ottoman.

*I love the look of a sleigh bed, and we definitely wanted a crib that was convertible to a toddler bed and then a child bed. The wood floors in the nursery are cherry colored, along with the cabinetry in the built-in desk unit. We're using the desk as a changing table, so we don't need one of those.

Bedding:

Banana Fish Confetti Boys Collection, available at Target

-See previous post for additional items.

*I'm not one much for themes. I like the look of patterns in certain colors much better. That's why I chose the blue and green colors in the polka dot and striped pattern.

Carseat/stroller:

Graco Snug Ride Infant Seat and Graco Metrolite Stroller in Platinum, available at Baby Supermarket

*This was the one big area of compromise for DH and I. He said that he didn't care how I decorated the nursery or dressed our child, as long as the carseat and stroller were neutral and were black or gray. A friend suggested the Graco Snug Ride carseat and Metrolite stroller to me, primarily because of how light and easy to transport they were, which was a major concern of mine, so that's why we chose these.

Swing:

Fisher-Price Lil' Lamb Dream Swing, available at Target

*I wanted a neutral swing that could be used for a boy or a girl, in case we have a girl in the future. Also, as I mentioned, I'm not big into the baby patterns or themes, so I really wanted something neutral that would blend in with our house decor, and not stand out too much. I love that this swing has both a back and forth and side to side motion!

Bouncy Seat:

Bright Starts By Your Side Infant Seat, available at Babies 'R Us

*Again, I wanted something gender neutral, and I also wanted something neutral to blend in with our house decor. My cousin has this seat for her 3 month old boy and absolutely loves it. I visited her recently and really liked this seat. The baby sits at the same level as you if you are on the couch, and there is a basket underneath for toys and books. It also vibrates.

Play yard:

Graco Pack 'N Play in Utopia, available at Babies 'R Us

*Again, I wanted something gender neutral. Plus, teal and brown are my absolute favorite colors (as you can tell from the blog design)! These were actually our wedding colors. Originally, this was the carseat/stroller design that I wanted before DH and I decided on the black/gray set. I looked at a few designs that were neutral, but ultimately, these colors were just very appealing to me! This has a changing table, diaper caddy, bassinet, canopy, vibration mode, and music that can play. It has everything!

Highchair:

Fisher-Price Space Saver High Chair, available at Target

*While we have plenty of room in our house, I still liked the idea of not having an additional free standing item taking up space and having to store it out of the way somewhere. We have a dining room table with 6 chairs and a breakfast nook table with 4 chairs, so we always have plenty of seating, so it's fine that this will pretty much be permanently attached to one of them. I liked that this piece is gender neutral and the colors are neutral to match our house. It reclines to feed an infant and transitions to a booster seat for an older child.

Activity Center/Exersaucer:

Bright Starts Bounce-a-Bout Activity Center, available at Target

*I looked through a lot of them, and they were all "themey", like rainforest, farm, underwater, etc. I just liked how this one was simpler. And I liked the bar with hanging toys too. The colors were more appealing to me than the others I saw.