Obsessed: Little Registry Must Haves

When I found out I was pregnant for the first time, one of the things I was most excited for was registering. I know that might sound slightly superficial, but, in any case, I love presents. After starting my registry, this changed entirely. Sure, I was still stoked at the idea of having all kinds of new stuff, but when it came to figuring of what stuff to ask for, I was clueless.

I put out a post on facebook, asking my mom friends what items were registry must-haves. I got lots of responses, registered for the majority of them, and found that other moms really are the best source of information for registry building, especially when it comes to smaller, less-reviewed items.

Here are five of my favorite small, but mighty baby gifts:

1. Sophie the Giraffe. I know, I know, it’s a little pricey for a baby chew toy, but there’s something about this damn giraffe that babies love. We received two different Sophie’s as gifts--the original and a smaller, easy grip version. Chace enjoyed both, but he LOVED the smaller one.

2. Aden and Anais swaddle blankets. Aren’t all swaddle blankets created equally? The answer to this question is no. There is something about these damn blankets that make them the best. It could be the material, it could be the size, but add them to the list. You’ll be glad you registered for them.

3. The Mommy Hook. If you plan to take your baby shopping in his/her stroller, definitely get a mommy hook. It looks like a piece of outdoorsy equipment, but functions as a shopping bag holder that hooks right on to the stroller, leaving the under stroller storage for the diaper bag. Not only does the hook safely hold and protect your purchases while you shop, but it also makes it easy to carry all of your bags into the house.

4. Snack Trap. These little snack cups are awesome for older babies who are just starting to self-feed. I could put some yogurt drops or snack puffs into the cup and not have to worry about a huge mess, especially in the car. I was a bit skeptical at first that the tops of the cups would make it too difficult for Chace to get his hand in there, but he got the hang of it really quickly. He’s now two, and we still use these for afternoon snacks.

5. Swaddle Me. It is true that not every baby likes to be swaddled, but mine did. And, if yours does, you might want to register for a swaddle me or two. I used this at bedtime to help Chace fall asleep faster and sleep for longer stretches of time. It’s great for babies who startle themselves awake with their arms at night. I found that no swaddle blanket could withstand the nighttime wiggles past the first six-eight weeks or so, so this worked magic for us.