Items for Baby I Def Didn’t Anticipate Needing, Including a Play Mat, Activity Table, and…Yup. Baby Jail.
Almost nine months into this mom-ing situation, I’ve been reflecting a lot on what’s happened thus far and how we’ve gotten where we’ve gotten. Often, it’s a giant blur, but blogging actually helps me slow down and think about what we’ve learned — and are still learning — in more detail.
Here’s the registry I wish I’d had — this includes all the things I’d now include — or NOT include — as baby hindsight is 20/20.
I also wrote about some things I definitely wasn’t at all prepared for as a new mom.
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And now, thanks mostly to conversations with friends who are currently pregnant, I realize that there are several items — from activity table to baby jail to play mat — that, although an investment, have made our lives with baby girl (who’s now on the MOVE) much easier.
Five Helpful Baby Items:
One
- Floor Tile Play Mat
- We freakin love this thing
- A *stylish* baby item — YAY!
- The style options/pattern choices seem to change frequently
- Perfect if you have hardwood floors (or hardwoods with area rugs, like we do) & suddenly have a crawling baby who cares not about how hard she wipes out
- Holds up, easy to wipe clean
- Not the cushiest mat I’ve ever felt but soft enough to fend off overly ambitious crawling maneuvers and babe’s knees
- If you’re looking for black and white, this one gets great reviews on Target!
Two
- A Really Good Baby Gate…or Two
- Def overlooked that we’d need more than one of these…whoops
- Great for extra-wide doorways
- They also make an extra tall version
- Easy to install; easy to keep baby out of (or inside) certain rooms
Three
- Skip Hop Activity Table
- So cute (YAY FOR WHITES & GRAYS :D)
- PRACTICAL: this starts as something that helps baby stand, then turns into a play table, and finally can live on as an art table (all the toys pop off)
- Easy to clean (the seat part is easy to unhook/throw in washer when there’s suddenly poop in the seat…have already done this at five times)
Four
- Car Seat Cover
- Like a blanket, but another blanket also fits well underneath when really cold
- Works perfectly with most carseats (we have a SnugRide ClickConnect by Graco and it fits like a charm)
- Perfect for winter and rain/snow resistant (probably not great for like…intense snow or rain, but to/from the car in the elements, works great
Five
- Baby Jail…JK ‘Versatile Enclosed Play Space’
- So it’s actually really nice, portable (we brought it to the beach and frequently bring it outside)
- Gray!
- Can make full enclosure or unlock one of the doors and use more as a large gate
- If you’re looking for cream colored, this one gets great reviews!
- P loves when we play here together…CHEERS. 😀
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What other baby items did you not think to purchase before baby but have been super helpful since baby’s arrival? Comment below!
