The Perfect Cheer...I mean Baby Registry

I'm going to just pretend my last blog entry wasn't more than a year ago. When I learned I was pregnant last June (yes, of 2010) I thought it would be cool to blog about my experience being pregnant. Then, when I had my wonderful daughter March 4, 2011, I thought it would be cool to blog about being a mom.

So, hello (late) July 2011. Fancy you sneaking up on me. Something I have thought about since having my baby girl (actually, since about April because the first month was a euphoric, painful, glorious, sleepless blur) is the perfect baby registry. There are many alarming and scary things during pregnancy. These include, but are not limited to: cups full of urine, ultrasounds, unpasteurized cheese and the baby registry. How are you supposed to know what your baby needs when a) you have never owned a baby and b) you don't know what your baby will like?

Now that I'm nearly five months into the mom business I would feel a little more comfortable walking into a baby store armed with the registry gun. And below are a few of the must-haves I would ring up. Hopefully, this list gives some other new moms one less thing to be nervous about.

My Perfect Baby Registry:
The Ultimate Crib Sheet (2) - go ahead, buy your cute sheet set, but get two of these (so one can be in the wash and one on the bed) to put on top of your nice sheet and protect it from the poop, pee and spit up that is sure to come. And it will save you from changing a crib sheet, one of the hardest things to do, in the middle of the night.

Boppy Pillow and 3 Covers - you need one on the pillow, one in the wash and one as backup. Even if you're not breastfeeding, these pillows are awesome.

Rocking Chair - they are all inherently ugly, but you have to have one. I fought it because I couldn't find one I thought was pretty enough...then picture me hunched over a feeding baby at 1 a.m....2:30 a.m....4 a.m....you get the point.

Convertible Night Gowns - your baby just had a bath and is wet, cold, possibly hungry and just mad. Now, you have to pull a nightgown over his/her head. Not cool. These convertible gowns button up the front and they can snap around the legs to make it a onesie "outfit" in case you don't have time to put on real clothes in the morning. This only happened to me once, but it was worth it.

Bottle Drying Rack - bottles and their accessories don't dry quickly, so get a rack and set up an area of your kitchen counter for bottle "stuff."

Good Burp Cloths - the best ones are old-school cloth diapers. Trust me. Get them.

Vibrating Chair - so, after baby eats, he/she needs to be upright for a little while so they don't burp/puke a lot. Mine loves the laid back chair that vibrates and can even nap there sometimes.

Diapers and Wipes - you can't have too many of these, so if someone asks you "what do you need" always say diapers or wipes.

Drugs - have baby Tylenol and Vitamin D on hand right away.

Changing Pad Covers (3) - you'll go through these puppies quick. And I've heard boys are even worse about it. We actually put a spare plastic changing pad on top that came with a diaper bag and throw an old blanket from the hospital on top. That way, you have an extra layer when those accidents happen. In the middle of the night. Or when you only have one hand free to deal with it, which is all the time.

Breast Pump - if you plan to breastfeed and it works out, you don't need a pump right away. Don't freak if you haven't purchased one when baby arrives. Or even a few weeks after. Just enjoy breastfeeding without the pump, bottles and all the mess that comes with them.

Good Nursing Bras (3) - if I did it all over again, I'd actually go to a maternity store and get fitted by a pro. But, I guess Target came through just fine.