Now that I am about to have my second child I feel like I have the experience to do a little registry guide. When I was registering for my first born, it felt very stressful, the fun stuff is easy, but what do you really need? And where do you go to get it? I have a very specific taste when it comes to baby things, and I found myself building a wishlist from small shops like Anthropologie and Etsy but they didn’t have an accessible baby registry that was easy to find. Living in St. Thomas the big box stores like Target and Babies R Us don’t ship to me (moment of silence for Target), so I was having a lot of trouble. That’s when I found MyRegistry. It is amazing, and I highly reccomend it for any type of registry. The greatest part about it is you can add from any shop you’d like and it all appears in one place. So when you tell your loved ones where you are registered they can see everything you want, and you can even favorite your favorite things! Plus they have an easy button on your phone, so when you’re constantly online “shopping” you can put things in your registry with a click of a button!

It worked perfect for me having the big baby shower with Denver, and the second time around it was just a great place to keep myself organized with exactly what I wanted and needed. If anyone asked I had a place to send them if they wanted to spoil baby number two (which so many people have, we are lucky ladies).

Okay, so now that you have a site to add all your goodies, the big question is what do you fill it with? I’ve broken it down into sections of all the favorite baby things I’ve either had with Denver, excited to use with baby girl, or are still on my wishlist. Again, I love to shop small, but when in doubt Amazon has almost EVERYTHING. (Also now is the time to become a prime member, get everything with free shipping and you can even continue using it to have diapers delivered every week if you need it – here’s to not leaving the house with a newborn).

Clothes

Onesies. You’ll have tons of them, you’ll get them as gifts, shower party favors, etc. When I was about to have Denver all I had was 0-3 months or higher, I didn’t have many newborn sized things (some babies are never small enough for NB sizes), but I regretted it. Denver was born 8lbs 3oz so she was tiny for the first couple weeks, and nothing I had fit her.  This time around I’ve chosen some cute coveralls, knotted gowns and tiny onesies. My favorite knotted gowns are from Candy Kirby Designs. The knot makes changing a diaper a breeze, and no more losing tiny socks, the baby’s feet are warm inside the gown. I’m also obsessed with the upgrade she gave her gowns by adding mittens. Newborns scratch up their faces like crazy and mittens are just as pesky as socks! I also got some cute onesies and coveralls from Old Navy and adorable snap overalls from l’oved baby. Of course Carters has great sleep gowns and zip PJs, and for a great price.

Mittens & Socks. Both are must haves from the moment babe is born. I love these solid white mittens from amazon because they go with everything and you can bleach them. Socks on the other hand, you can have more fun with, Old Navy and Gap has super cute ones. I also love the booties from June & January – their saturated color palette is to die for and the Velcro on the booties prevent them from falling off.

Shoes. Honestly as cute as little, tiny baby shoes are, I really passed on getting these in super small sizes. In the Caribbean, baby doesn’t need many layers so I waited to buy shoes until Denver was walking. She walked really early at eight months so her first shoes were a size 3. I love Freshly Picked moccasins, they were the best for her to learn because the sole is so soft, she was basically learning barefoot. FP is a little pricy which is why I waited to get them for D, I wanted her to use them, but they are a fantastic investment and SO cute. Now, if you have to have tiny baby shoes to put in the nursery and stare at, (which, lets face it, you kinda do) Gap for the win!

Hats & Bonnets. Most shops that sell baby gear will have hats to match onesies and blankets. I really love the colors and sets at Lou Lou & Company, and the hats at June & January which you can mix and match with their receiving blankets. KB Cute Designs has adorable sets for newbies as well. For baby girl I am super excited to put her in the tiny baby bonnet from Hanna Andersson, and depending on how obsessed I am with the look of bonnets on baby, I will go for Briar Handmade bonnets. If you are in cold weather their fall/ winter collections are always off the charts, and I love the brimmed bonnets for babes in the sun!

Sleep & Soothe

Bassinet. We decided to for go the bassinet and just get a Pack ‘n’ Play. We got the one that has the sleeping and changing attachments and it worked perfectly. It will act as a bassinet in our bedroom when baby girl comes home, then can grow with her and move into the living room when I need to contain her. Denver actually used hers for a long time (It became a fort with pillows and toys). Something on my lust list is a basket from Plum + Sparrow. I just think a baby in a basket does not get cuter- and they have attachments to make it a bassinet and it can go anywhere in the house with ease!

Crib & Bedding. I found a simple white crib at Kmart (my only option) for Denver, and it will be passed along for baby. It works perfectly, I prefer something clean and simple, plus in converts to a toddler bed and can become the headboard for a full size bed. I love ANYTHING that can grow with your child. Now, if I wanted to spend a little (or a lot) more, I am lusting over this acrylic crib from Land Of Nod, purely to stalk baby and watch her sleep from every angle!  Another item I’ve always loved is the Dock a Tot. It makes putting baby in her crib very doable right off the bat, this way she won’t roll anywhere and can have that surrounded comfort- plus if babe is sleeping with you it gives you the perfect separation and you won’t have to worry about squishing baby! As for bedding, all white is my thing, not only do I like a clean slate to add pillows and pops of color, but it’s BLEACHABLE! So any accidents are no big deal. For Denver I ordered simple sheets from Amazon, and got a new set of Aden & Anais for baby girl.

Wraps & Swaddles. I had a Solly Baby Wrap with Denver and I loved it, so I got another one for baby girl. I think with a baby and a toddler to chase I’ll be wearing baby girl A LOT more than I wore Denver. I also really want this wrap from Etsy, it’s made of mesh so it’s airy and waterproof, perfect for St. Thomas. For blankets, we don’t need many here in the islands, but they are so cute, I can’t stop collecting them. Little Unicorn has the best prints and they are mostly muslin which is really light and cool for baby. I also love Modern Burlap, they are really graphic you can even use them as nursery decor.

Mattress. Another Kmart find. But here’s the same Sealy from Amazon, and it has held up great!

Glider. This was the piece I had the most trouble with when I was shopping for Denver’s nursery. I really wanted this one and this one, but NO ONE would ship to me. I really think it’s such a statement piece in the room and it sets the tone. Then, I happened to find this outdoor hammock chair at a local thrift store (similar here) and fell in love with it. Hubby painted it white and added a cushion, it fits so well in our little island home and I can’t imagine having anything else. I paired it with a pouf from the Land of Nod, which I covered with a different fabric for the girls room makeover – its such a fun statement piece.

Peace Keepers.   This sound machine goes on every night and Denver loves listening to the ocean and rain sounds. I finally got a 4moms swing, I always wanted one with Denver and found a great deal for baby girl- I’m very excited about it, it sways the way you would sway the baby, makes calming sounds, plus you can control it with your phone. We never used pacifiers, but I like Avent and Natursutten– we’ll keep them on deck just in case.

Play

Lounge. This boppy lounger is EVERYTHING. It was the first place Denver went when she came home from the hospital, it sat in the bathroom while I showered and she sits in it still to watch cartoons – we even got a second one for baby girl so D doesn’t have to share.

Bounce. Speaking of showering, this door hanging bouncer is the only reason I could shower everyday. I also have this play bouncer to contain babe when I’m doing laundry or anything I need her distracted for 5 min!

Activities. This young, babies aren’t doing much besides eating, sleeping and pooping, but there’s always time to play & learn. For tummy time I love this activity mat from Land Of Nod. I like a couple rattles as well, ones that don’t look too babyish. The wooden rattles from Bannor Toys are amazing, plus you engrave them and customize their colors. The state rattle is my favorite, although I’ve only bought them as gifts because they don’t make St. Thomas 😞. I also love these knit rattles from Estella the pretzel was Denver’s favorite.

Stuffed Animals. I have tried to refrain from buying stuffed animals, it’s always something that is gifted and I found we were maxed out quickly. Although I can’t turn down a flamingo so I got this one for baby girl. If you want to pick some special animals for your babe I love Cuddle + Kind, (especially this Mermaid) they donate 10 meals to kids in need with every doll purchased, can’t go wrong there!

Feed

Breast Feeding. I breast fed Denver for 13 months (until I found out about baby girl number 2). I feel so blessed to have done it for that long with ease, and plan to do it again  (plus it’s the best diet for mama ever). Number one necessity, the Boppy, can’t live without it! I also got this gorgeous blush linen boppy cover from Madly Wish, which I’m in love with. I also got a breast pump, which you absolutely need, but only used it if Denver slept through the nights or I wanted a couple glasses of wine 😉. The Medela is the breast pump I chose and it came with bottles, which happened to be the only bottles Denver ended up using. When I did pump, I used these storage bags, and these ice cube trays. The trays were perfect if you only pump out a little bit, plus it keeps the bottles cold if you travel with them. While I was breast feeding I wore nursing pads 24/7 and could not live without them. At the beginning I was feeling like I was throwing away a lot of ‘leaked’ milk so I found these milk catchers to wear around the house and collect as much as I could.

Nursing Cover. I talked about a nursing cover in this post. It’s a must to have when you’re out and about for privacy, great to travel with and this one converts to cover your car seat & shopping cart. I got this one.

Burp Cloths. I love these from Amazon, they are absorbent & bleachable of course!

Bottles. Like I said Denver loved her Medela bottles the best, but I see these being used a lot, so maybe they are great. This is another’s item everyone buys for you so collect, and use whatever works! To clean all the bottles, I got a sterilizer which is also awesome to clean all the tiny parts of your pump. And a Boon drying rack, ’cause it looks cute on the counter and works like a charm.

Baby Food. We started Denver on ‘solids’ at about six months old. I was that mom and made her food to start. That ended quickly and we stardted using these pouches. The Happy Baby pouches are my favorite, I love the fruits and veggies that are used and they grow with the stages of your babe. Denver still eats them and she can do it on her own which is great for car rides and the grocery store. We got this high chair from Stokke, which I am in love with it. It looks great in our home and it converts to a desk chair for the girls when they are older. I love these bibs and these spoons for a little extra feeding swag.

Poop

Changing Table. I really didn’t want a standard changing table, it’s really not that practical. Instead we got a full size dresser and added a changing mat. I got one with small drawers to hold diapers and wipes and the rest of the space was used for all her tiny clothes. I chose this contoured changing mat and this plush cover. The cover is so soft and white for easy stain removal. A couple must haves to have on your changing table is a light for late night diaper changes and hand sanitizer!

Diapers & Wipes. After trying every brand, Pampers is our favorite. Swaddlers when the babe is small and cruisers for when they are up and about. Don’t forget the wipes! Another must have is ButtPaste for that diaper rash that is bound to happen, it works like a charm. And I tell you what, every time I put it on Denver, I wish I had this buttpaste applicator. For a diaper pail I had two credentials- it has to take normal garbage bags, and hold in the stink! I found this Ubbi pale which not only did all those things, it comes in tons for gorgeous colors & has a lock when your toddler starts messing with everything.

Wash & Care

Bath time. Unfortunately we do not have a bathtub, but we got this awesome Whale Tub and still use it. I love these organic bamboo washcloths for babes sensitive skin and we use Cetaphill wash to help with eczema, plus it smells so good! For tub toys we got these odd ducks from Boon, I love the way they look, plus they can’t get water inside so they won’t mold.

Care. A few things to have on deck for baby- this Nose Frida it is AMAZING for any congestion, don’t worry it’s not as gross as it seems. It’s also a must to have a care kit & infant Tylonal for those two month shots.

Go

Stoller & Car seat. We got this jogger stroller and car seat set. I wanted to be able to take the stroller on the beach, and work out with it. It’s fantastic, plus the wheels are so big they need air from a gas station, which cracks me up. We got an umbrella stroller as well for those quick errands and traveling. Keep in mind when traveling with babies, you can check any gear for FREE!

Car Swag. You have to have the mirror to keep an eye on the babe without turning around, and shades for the windows to protect from the sun. I love the ones that retract so we can roll them up if babes are not in the car (which is hardly the case).

Diaper Bag. I wrote a little bit about my new diaper bag here. I have fallen in love with Fawn Design. It has tons of pockets, it wipes clean, and lets face it, it’s gorgeous. I use Batz Kids stroller straps to connect my diaper bag and have easy access when I use it with the stroller. I also got this Tote Savvy mini insert to go inside for extra organization. It comes with an insulted pocket, a ring for your keys and a changing mat. I am, however, lusting after this Gather changing mat, that will roll right up and fit perfect. (check out all their mats for playtime, and food time- seems like they make clean up beautiful and easy!)

Very lengthy post, I know, but hopefully this is a good registry go to!

XO, Kelsey