Need vs. Want for New Baby

My apologies to all friends and family out there that had to sift through the chapter book that was my firstborn’s baby registry. Being new to parenthood, I figured it was a better bet to be over-prepared than under for Baby’s arrival. Our son was well taken care of between three showers but our small home was busting at the seams which made me wonder what was worth it. In a matter of time it was a no-brainer. Diapers? You betcha! Wipes warmer? Eh, not so much. Diaper ointment? Sure. Ten tubes of Boudreaux’s Butt Paste? Overkill!

For the sake of time, money, and space it became essential to define the have-to’s from the want-to’s as baby grew. Sure, it was fun to deck my firstborn out to the nines in boutique ensembles, but all it took was a blow-out or learning to crawl to ruin what I hoped would one day be “heirloom items”. Oops. As our second son entered the scene, I wised up and stuck to basics like Carter’s onesies and easy layering pieces and took it easy on the custom made outfits (which we reserved mainly for holidays and birthdays). Baby #2 was none the wiser, and honestly, was probably much happier since he could move around freely without Mama freaking out about his outfit. Baby equipment serves its purpose, too, but in our particular situation (living in under 900 square feet) we realized floor space was a more precious commodity than baby apparatus. We quickly sold the unused baby swing and donated the excess newborn clothing collection that my 9-lb plus babies never fit into anyway and haven’t looked back since.

Everyone’s opinion of baby essentials looks different to some degree, but I think we all can agree that a tiny tot does not really need all that mainstream media would have us believe he needs. Our family continues to grow, but my list of must-haves dwindles. I tried my hand at cloth diapers, but found in our particular season I use disposables out of convenience. It’s time to say adios to those Bum Genius, as cute as they are. With less clutter, fluff, and stuff it means less time cleaning, less time fretting, and more time doing what I love most… bonding with my baby.

If you were registering for a new baby today, what are the TOP THREE THINGS that would have to make the list; you know, the things you wouldn't have thought of before becoming a mom and can't imagine life without now?