Hellobee Boards

@pregnantbee: I canNOT seem to let aesthetics go! So sorry, I'm vain!

@LCTBQE: I hear you on all the baby-gear anxiety! I laughed out loud at your pack-and-play description as a "tiny prison with the netting on the sides". My sister insists that I need one with a bassinet and changer on top and it makes me sick to my stomach thinking about where it would go in my house. I really don't like clutter at all. Someone was kind enough to give us some kind of gliding swing that their new baby didn't like. My husband brought it into the house and I was ashamed that I felt horrified. He plopped it on the living room floor in the one space where I think any kind of baby item could go. I've asked him to dismantle it or put it upstairs or something but he's so sweet and he says it makes him happy to see it when he gets home from work. Its just gray plastic and I can't stand it. I don't like anything that looks gray and plastic. Ungrateful rant over. (These are true feelings but I say them laughing and with a smile on my face.)

@agold: @LCTBQE: We never once used our pack and play to change a diaper with the special thing on top. We also never took it on an airplane. We did, however, use it like a baby jail when DS got too big for the bouncy seat. So it was useful in that way. I feel like it wasn't a necessity, though, because we used it for such a short time. Actually, it was great to hold clean folded clothes before I could put them away!

@agold: The baby gear phase only lasts so long. We were done with the swing by 6 months I got a lot of use out of the PnP, but we used it as a bassinet, then I used it as a baby container while I showered until maybe 1.5 at most. We hated the changing table on it, it was so short it hurt our backs. For reference I'm 5'7 and DH is 5'10.

By 2 years old our baby gear was long, long put away. You'll be happy if the swing soothes the baby and let's you put them down for a while, no matter how gray and plastic

@ShootingStar: @agold: Yes! Sleep trumps aesthetics for sure!

@pregnantbee: I can absolutely agree that sleep will trump aesthetics. Sleep trumps most everything in my life right now.

@LCTBQE: I would try out a bunch of wraps/carriers and see which you like best. DH had a Gemini that he used from birth and he like it a lot. I realized I wasn't a fan of buckle carriers, or least not the Soleil I had, because the buckles got uncomfortable after a while. But tons of people love their SSCs. I also tried wrapping, but the amount of material was overwhelming to me. My personal favorite is my wrap conversion mei two with a ring waist. It's like the perfect compromise between the convenience of an SSC and flexibility and comfort of a wrap. Everyone's preferences are different .

I think if baby wearing in the city is probably a good idea most of the time, so you don't have the hassle of a stroller. But it can get awkward when you stop, like to eat, and have nowhere to put baby down. But then it's not like most NYC restaurants have room to drag the stroller in either.

OMG - just went through so many clothes with my mom. Got it down to one bin for 0-6m and one larger bin for 6m-3t. It feels like SO many clothes and my mom was calling me a hoarder. But when I look at each size, there really is only 3-5 outfits and 3-5 sleepers. We only do laundry once a week so with a baby that's not enough. Good news I have a box of boys clothes to get rid of! I'm going to break it up in batches by size and try to sell for cheap.

@ShootingStar: I hear people love ring slings--sounds like I won't be able to tell until I put it into practice. have also heard people say on HB that their particular baby hated being worn and would only tolerate a stroller, or loved facing out, etc. can't wait to find out what ours likes it would be nice to avoid stroller parking lots if possible.

@pwnstar: this is great to know about the gemini, thank you. my friend told me about a store where you can go try them all on and suggested I do it before I get a real bump, so I'm going to go see what all the different buckles and stuff feel like. PS I owe you a letter!

how is everyone feeling this week? I'm finding the end of first tri/beginning of second tri to be a weird, semi-eerie quiet zone.

@LCTBQE: i do carry the vista up and down the front steps all the time at our house now, with a 20+ lb child in it, and it's not a big deal. But 3 full flights would be a no go. And yea, the basket is huge! I guess it just depends on your area, and how beat up your stroller will get!

@LCTBQE: we love our Bjorn bouncer! Best thing ever!

I don't understand sheepskin. It is a cute photo prop but I feel like on a daily basis would get so gross and dirty

@JoJoGirl: I've heard really good things about the Lillebaby too, and it doesn't need an insert either. I thought the Gemini was ok, I'm just not a buckle fan.

@JoJoGirl: we loved our boba 3G, a friend had a Gemini and also loved it. Can't go wrong, i say!

@T.H.O.U.: I have a long haired one that can be hard to keep clean. We wash it every now and then in the bath tub, and have a special brush for it. It's kind of a pain. But the shorn ones stay pretty clean, generally. You can wash them with wool wash. They do get dingy over time, I guess.

@LCTBQE: Yes, we will find out gender as long as baby cooperates! With my first, she refused to show us anything and we ended up having to be team green. It was a great surprise to have, but I'd really like to know this time!

@Silva: Haha, I totally thought you meant you had a fake one, like from Ikea. It never occurred to me that you'd have an actual sheepskin for the baby!

@T.H.O.U.: DS never really spit up all that much, even during tummy time. He was much more of a drooler. Maybe her LO is the same. Though I definitely stay away from things needing hand washing .

@LCTBQE: Definitely a bit concerned about too much "stuff"! We already have hoarding tendencies, lol. I tend to do a lot of purging every time we move. Our apartment is bigger than what we had up north, but still not large. We do have a loft, but I think the baby will sleep in our bedroom because the loft doesn't have a door. I want to be able to shut the cats out if necessary. Plus I don't love the idea of trudging up and down the stairs all night long But yes, I do think we'll try to hold off on buying too many large items until we move. I'm really hoping we can think about buying a house not too long after the baby arrives!

I'm also hoping to do a lot of babywearing. Seems easier than lugging a stroller around. I remember looking at people with strollers in the subway and thinking, "Ugh, that looks exhausting!" haha. I guess we'll have to cross our fingers the baby likes it.

Feeling pretty good this week, although I've been more tired and more hungry...maybe the baby is having a growth spurt? I'm super excited and super nervous about our US this Saturday. Excited to hopefully find out the gender and nervous because with not much bump and not feeling movement yet, I just want to see the baby again and make sure all is OK.

@Pirouette: That's what I've been thinking -- they shouldn't need much in the beginning! Hopefully by the time more gear/play things are necessary we'll have moved into a bigger space. I have one friend who sent me her list of baby "necessities" and it was sooooo long. It was stressing me out, but then another friend (who is much more laid-back haha) was like, "Don't look at that list, I'll send the minimalist list!" So I think I'm going to lean more towards that end of the spectrum at first. I know the baby won't care. Setting up a nursery sounds like a fun project for me, but I'm also lazy So maybe not a bad thing that we don't really have the space right now?

@LCTBQE: Oooooh, you're a graphic/product designer/illustrator? That's so cool. I'm obsessed with fonts and vector graphics. Is there anywhere I can see your work?

Yes, DS was a good size. Funnily enough for the kid of 2 short parents, but for a long time he was "tall" on the curve. Now he's about 50% for height and weight. BUT I have no idea who they make toddler pants for, since almost all pants in the right length are way too big in the waist! It's kind of ridiculous.

@silva: There's no way I could have done a sheepskin rug, fake or otherwise, for my son. He was a fountain. Spit up all the time all over everything. I literally had to put a burp cloth under his head at all times when doing tummy time or holding him. I'm really, really hoping baby girl doesn't spit up as much.

@JoJoGirl: Good luck at your appointment! Let us know how it goes

@pregnantbee: I'm totally open about the fact that aside from being an awful sleeper for the first 18 months of life, I have the easiest baby and now kid ever. My best friend keeps telling me I'm in for a rude awakening...

We used the changing station on our pack and play for the first 8 months or so but we also have a two story house so walking up stairs to the changing table in the baby's room was unrealistic for us. We never used the pack and play as a bed or baby jail because we have our living room as a giant playroom gated closed.

Baby items are so hard because you never know what will work or not work for your baby until the get here. DS1 loved the bombo and SD2 couldn't stand it. We have a giant swing nice swing and both didn't like. We loved and used the Rock and play all day Everyday. Kids are all so different is hard to know what will work with each kid.

@pregnantbee: my LO's entire existence has revolved around things from Amazon, seriously. we registered there, and we bought literally everything she needed there! especially since we didn't have a car and couldn't go buy things in person and lug them home.

@Silva: I feel the same way. Sleep and eating were a little tough because my LO was so small and needed to eat constantly the first year, but she was SUCH an easy going baby and is an easy kid now. I feel like i'm due for a rough time!

@Aandmklover: very true. we were lucky in that our LO was so easy going, she probably would've liked anything at all. so the few things we happened to buy were more than enough for her. she was an amazing napper from birth, so we never needed any sleep crutches or anything. Things could be very different with this baby and we may need to buy things we never needed the first time!