Not only that, but we got it for free.
You read that right--FREE. Here's how it happened: Nick's old desk had a bunch of stuff piled up on it. (Over the past couple of months, we cleaned it off, broke it down, and sold it on Craigslist. Sweet.) The week of Nick's final exam for his last grad school class, I (being the sweet wife that I am) cleaned the desk off and made it all nice and study-worthy.
Lo and behold, I uncovered a small stack of unused gift cards from stores we do not frequent often. (i.e. Not Target. Ha.) They had been given to us many moons ago during wedding shower season and had been misplaced over the years. In the stack of gift cards were two for Wal-Mart. Nick called to see if they had a balance. Yes, was the short answer. Totaling $150 was the longer answer!
After researching cribs and pouring over the ole' Baby Bargain book, I had found one I liked on Target.com. Met all three of my personal requirements: safe, well-reputable company, and low-priced. So I moseyed on over to Walmart.com to see what I could see. Not only was the SAME EXACT CRIB on their site, it was $30 less, thus making it well within our gift card limit.
That's how it's done, son.
(Thank you, generous wedding shower gifters, who have provided a lovely sleeping haven for Baby Faris.)
Ok, so it has begun. We have the crib. WHAT ELSE could your baby NOT live without? (Especially including the small things that aren't on the normal "must have" list.)
Designate: Gotta Have, Could Live Without, and Definitely Borrow. Let me have it, mothers!
14 comments:
Jesse, That's awesome! We did the same thing with cribs... Found it first at Target, and then found it cheaper and freer shipping at Walmart. Gotta love that "ship to store" or whatever they call it.
Our other must have in those first months was a swing/bouncy seat thingy. She napped in there all the time, and I took it wherever I was. You probably remember from last year.
Counting down with y'all! YAY, Baby Faris!
I am not a mother, so I have no advice, but I just wanted to say yay! Can't wait to see it in the house (with a baby in it).
:)
crib=big deal.
xoxo Bebe
Could live without: BabyBjorn, sleep positioner, backseat mirror, those visor roll-up things that are supposed to keep the sun out of their eyes in the car
Must haves: Target brand wipes, bottle brush, baby sling or wrap, teething tablets, Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child book (sanity saver...trust me), lullaby cd's, BIBS...LOTS OF BIBS, and burp cloths...do not return these because you think you have enough. You can never have enough bibs and burps...can you tell I had a reflux baby???
those are the things off the top of my head.
what an exciting rite of passage! and FREE=BEST.
NEVER BUY: the worthless investment also known as a wipes warmer. You won't use it. trust me. sleep positioner: im with tesney. we freaked out and used it with aiden at first. don't need.
ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE: a nice camera. In all the moolah you will save snapping pics yourself...vs. paying a photog time and time again...you will be SO Glad. request as a gift from the rents. seriously. my favorite posession.
Can't live without (the bigger investments): baby sling (you need the RIGHT one though..one that won't cut into your shoulder and is made of one piece. I've owned four before I found the right one.) (serena and lily market sling=super cute!) swing that actually switches direction-babies prefer to be swung from side to side at first, (laying down, you can put them in it right away) and then front to back later..this investment is PRICELESS. We had the other kind with our first two, and then ditched it for another when we had Malone and it was so worth it. a GOOD rocking chair for all the nights you will be up. a boppy. even if you aren't breastfeeding. Miracle blanket is absolutely wonderful at first, but we lost ours and learned how to swaddle. KNOW HOW TO SWADDLE!!!
do yourself a favor and do NOT go splurge on the expensive diapers. Parent's choice are just as good and like ten bucks cheaper. also, purchase in bulk at a sams or costco. you'll be thanking me later for that one...
regarding reflux: if you DO have a majorly fussy baby, and a refluxy one, GO AHEAD AND BUY the NAP NANNY. they didn't have it when Emerson was born. just came out. we took the dive (150) for Malone and it has totally been worth it. Still using it, especially now that he had rsv this last week. its a great peace of mind, and you can sell it back later on ebay for close to the same price.
purchased items: keep all the tags, info, containers, etc. and SELL IT BACK on Craigslist when you are done with the babies. You'll thank me later for this one. I am a craigslist master. we've made hundreds of dollars back to feed our children!!! (consignment sales take too much moolah IMO)
I could go on and on..but wouldn't want to seem like a total know it all. ;)
I'm so excited for ya'll!
Seeing a crib set up in your house definitely makes it more of a reality that you are bringing a baby home. I am excited for you! Must haves for baby here: crib, Pack n Play, swaddler, booster seat (we used as a high chair for almost 3 years, great deal for $20ish dollars... well, actually a shower gift but still...), a great camera with rechargeable batteries, extra burp clothes/cloth dipes to use as burp clothes...and diapers of course. And this amazing CD http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Slumbers-Fathers-Dave-Koz/dp/B00006785T/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top .
Gotta Have:
1.Pack and Play (we still use it if I take him to a friend's house, on vacation, and even at the grandparents. Mine is huge and hard to put together and frustrating, but I think it's a must have.
2.Bouncy seat-C slept in this all night for about 5 months, no kidding. He wouldn't sleep anywhere else. It was also nice when I was taking a shower to put him in it and be able to see him.
3. High chair-either a regular high chair or the cheaper portable chair-either one, but you have to have one or the other.
4. Bibs and blankets to swaddle. I personally did not need burp clothes. Man, I received a TON of personalized ones and I just loved them, but C NEVER spit up. Not once. It was weird, but good, I guess? So, I ended up with a drawer full of monogrammed burp clothes and never used a one.
5. Diaper bag-I used mine till C was about 2 years old and then switched to a smaller kids backpack. But, the first two years, I took everything with me when we went out, so a sturdy cute diaper bag WAS my purse. Ha~sad, but true. So, I would say a cute, sturdy, wipeable bag.
Could live without: Diaper genie, diaper warmer, backseat mirror. I agree with the other girls. We spent so much money at first on expensive diapers and formula and realized after a few months that we were just wasting money. My pediatrician told me the store brand formula was the same and was just fine. (unless, of course, your baby needs a certain special kind of formula. Soy free, etc.) I would ask your ped. about this first, but for us, we were just wasting money.
Borrow:
I borrowed as much as I could and am planning to this time too. I borrowed a swing and C never ever liked it, but I am borrowing one this time around again, because P may love it? I also borrowed the Johnny Jump Up (for the doorway) and C loved it. Also, the bumbo seat and the bjorn. Those are all things that some kids like, some don't and you don't use any of them for THAT long, so I think it's wise to just borrow.
Good luck! I can't believe it about your FREE crib! Way to go! Can't wait to see it!
Congrats! That's so exciting! And I'll keep my advice simple. There were only two things that I can't imagine having lived without...
1. Baby Mozart DVD
2. Video Monitor
Oooo, this is good info--keep it comin!
I do need to mention that Baby Faris could be 0-12 months at time of referral (3-15 months possibility at the time we meet). So think non-newborn when making your recommendations.
Also, my biggest surprise--no one needed the car mirror. Why? Doesn't it freak you out that you can't see your baby when you're driving (when they're faced towards the back)?
My #1 baby must have that I still use with Avery (she is 22 months) is our video monitor. Makes me sleep so much better always being able to look at the screen and see her.
I had the car mirror but it always slid down where I couldn't see Avery's face anyways.
Love reading your updates about the adoption!!
We didn't get the car mirror because during our car seat check inspection the "safety expert" told us they do not recommend them. I think they can fly off during an accident? Not sure about that, but she scared me enough to not get one. It would be nice to see baby though...
Being you don't know exactly what age your baby will be, I wouldn't buy an infant carrier, but go straight to the convertable car seat. And invest in one that has a good safety rating. They are usually from 5lbs to 40-50lbs and will face the back too. A good stroller that's not too heavy and easy to get in and out of the car is a great investment. One that lays all the way back is great for a sleepy baby. Target brand diapers, wipes and formula are all we are using for Kerrington. They are just as good as the name brand and MUCH less expensive!
Hey Jesse,
This is crazy. My friends who live in Athens, GA. Just got their little girl from Hannah's Hope in Ethiopia. They posted their journey on their website. What a crazy small world. I am excited for you guys. By the way, how is this book-The Connected Child? Jeff's cousin Casey is 11 and has been living with us the past year. We are beginning the process of legally adopting her now. Let me know. Will be praying for you guys.
I LOVE my car mirror. I've become a pro at looking in my rear view mirror, spotting the pacifier, and sticking it back in Katie Grace's mouth (I'm usually at a red light while doing this, but not all the time oops!). Mine seems to stay in place pretty well. I also like it because there have been times when she would be choking and I could look in the mirror to see if she was ok or not. Yes, they told me that it could fly off during a wreck and be a "projectile" object, but so can your purse, water bottle, etc. but you don't stop putting those in your car. I agree with the advice of not buying an infant carrier. Katie Grace is 5 months old and already growing out of hers. Another have to have of mine is a bouncy seat. I still put her in it in the bathroom while a take a shower or for her to watch a video while I clean or prepare dinner.
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