The Skinny on Baby Gear

Baby gear... oh baby gear. Lately, I've started biting the bullet and purchasing some of the bigger items on our list. Holy Cow is it stressful. First of all you are spending chunks of money on products you can't even use yet and just praying that it works for you and your baby.

I've researched products constantly for the past few months as I've built up our baby registry and want list. I can say that Amazon reviews have been my saving grace and the only reason I haven't totally given up.

Here are a few items we've purchased and my thoughts pre-baby, I will be sure to do a follow up post-baby.

1) Bugaboo Bee Stroller -- I've wanted this since I saw it on a few blogs and in person. It's pretty pricey, but is a great investment. I see myself using this for all our kids and I love that you can change the canopy colors inexpensively. I'm hoping it's as easy to fold up as it promises.

2) Keekaroo High Chair -- I know we are a ways off from needing a high chair, but we found this one 60% off at a local store and had to swipe it. It was very easy to put together, we were even missing a piece and the company sent us a replacement no questions asked. The high chair adjusts as the baby grows which I like and it also doesn't look cheap. I also like that the tray attachment came with a plastic cover for easy clean up after meals.

3) BabyHome Dream Cot -- I'm pretty sure I thought Elise Joy was a genius when I saw this on her blog. I hadn't even thought about the early months of round the clock feedings and not wanting to have the baby in his crib. I knew this was going to be a big chunk of our budget, but I liked that it could fold up and travel easily to the grandparents house. I actually found this 80% off last week in the color we wanted and swiped it up. It was too easy to put together and I'm in love with it so far.

4) Bumbo Seat -- These seem to be a right of passage for babies these days. My sweet neighbor passed hers down to us to use. They aren't really plastic, more like a very sturdy plush foam. I'm interested to see at what month baby boy can actually sit up in this or if he even likes it.

5) Medula Breast Pump -- I've been told I can't live without this by almost every mom I know. I'm wishing our Tricare health insurance covered it, but they cover 99% of everything else, so I can't complain. I'm hoping to either grab one on sale or craigslist and just buy new attachments and hoses. I can't really review much more of this one until post baby.

6) Bumgenius Cloth Diapers -- Another Elise Joy recommended product. I knew I wanted to cloth diaper, especially since I will be at home and not going to work anytime soon after the baby's arrival. I feel like I've researched cloth diapers till my eyes burned and these seem to be the best ones for us. I'm interested to see how they work out and I do plan to use newborn disposable diapers the first few weeks.

7) Britax Chaperone Carseat -- Britax seems to be the carseat to buy if you are into safety, which Rob and I are. I loved the cow print and bought it before we knew the gender. I feel like this pattern can go either way. It's kinda heavy and I feel like my biceps are going to be benefitting from me carting around little bit. It was extremely easy to install into our car, however, we still need to have it looked at to make sure I did it correctly.

Other gear I haven't decided on yet, suggestions welcome // bottles, baby swing, bugaboo stroller accessories, crib mattress,