Baby's Stuff {part 1}: The Gear

I have been receiving all sorts of e-mails regarding our baby registry, ask and you shall receive.
You all were such a huge help in helping me figure out what I needed and wanted, so I thought I'd share what we chose to help you future mamas out there who need to register too! 

Keep in mind that my baby is not yet born and therefore I haven't used a single one of these items, so I really can't stand behind them yet. But know that I did a ton of research (you know how Type-A I am!) and talked to a lot of mamas who have used this stuff and recommend it. 

With that, here is what we chose in the way of Baby Gear. 

When searching for a stroller, I really wanted to do a travel system. I think the convenience of getting a car seat and stroller that work as a team is a MAJOR bonus. I was pumped when I found a stroller that was not only ALL black, but had received fabulous reviews AND was a part of a travel system. So it was a no-brainer for us that we wanted the Britax B-Agile Stroller, in black, obviously. 

My favorite feature is that it folds down with just a pull of a strap, so you can collapse it with one hand! Pretty important when you're lugging around a nugget! 

Imagine my excitement when I saw that the car seat that went along with this stroller was this 

Brtiax B-Safe Infant Car Seat.

Obviously, the most important factor for us was safety but I wanted something cute too and preferably something gender neutral so we can use this for future babies AND icing on the cake would be something that is NOT super ugly...like so many of them are. When it comes down to it, this car seat is my dream. It passed safety ratings with flying colors, it's ADORABLE and it's black and grey! HELLO! Does this scream "Kristin" or what?

Along with our stroller and car seat we registered for some of the essential extras:
the Britax Stroller Organizer (for mama's lattes), the Britax Child Stroller Tray (for when Nugget's older), an extra Infant Carrier Base (for Jason's car), a JJ Cole Bundle Me Carrier Cover (since baby will be born during a MN winter), a Brica Day & Night Musical Mirror (so I can check on baby without turning around) and a couple of Summer Infant DuoMat Car Mats (to protect our seats).

Most mamas deemed this Bumpo Seat as a must have. This puppy will be great for when baby girl can sit up on her own. It'll be a great food & play chair and will be easy to lug around to grandparents' houses.
We also registered for the Bumpo Play Tray to go along with it. 

I'm not a huge fan of bassinets, they are adorable and I think it's wonderful to have the baby in the room with you for the first however long they stay in the room with you. But, I wasn't a fan of the idea of spending $150 or more on a bed that our baby would use for just a month or two. So, we decided on the Fisher Price My Little Lamb Platinum Edition Rock N Play Sleeper. I have been seeing A TON of great reviews all over the place, and it seems like mamas are going bananas over this bad boy. PLUS, look how stinkin' cute it is!

This will be perfect for right next to our bed AND since it's light weight and folds we can bring it downstairs with us during the day and we can still use it after her "rooming-in" days are gone. 

We debated between a movement monitor and a video monitor and eventually decided on the Angelcare Deluxe Movement Monitor. We opted for movement over video because our place isn't that big, so we sort of thought it was unnecessary, plus this monitor seems to be getting the best reviews. 

I've been debating between a bouncer or a swing, because to me it feels unnecessary to have both, so initially we registered for neither and decided we could just figure it out down the road. But then after talking to some mama friends, they suggested registering for both. Some babies love to bounce, some love to swing and some love to do both, so why not be prepared? Plus both serve different purposes. So, I gave in. I fell so in love with my Rock N Play Sleeper that I stuck with the Fisher Price My Little Sung-a-Bunny Bouncer and the Fisher Price My Little Lamb Platinum Edition Cradle N Swing. 

Finally, in the gear department we have the Graco Pack N Play Travel Yard with Newborn Napper Station. This bad boy will be PERFECT for days and nights with the grandparents and for any traveling we may do. I love that it comes with a little "newborn napper" so that we won't have to cart around the "bassinet" and it has an attached changing station. It folds up nice and tight in to a little travel bag, so hopefully it will be easy to bring from place to place. And, I love the neutral colors so we can use this for future babies if we are so lucky.

So there you have it. Baby Girl's Gear! 

I have no idea where we are going to put all of this stuff, but I am succumbing to the idea that my house is most likely going to be a disaster zone for the next several years. 

What baby gear items are your "can't live withouts"?