Sunday, July 19, 2009

Top 10 Baby Items You Never Knew You Would Need

Several nights ago, I was tired and wandering aimlessly around the house looking for a missing baby sock. Where was that blasted thing? It had been missing for over two weeks, and I had no clue where to even start looking.

It was not in the laundry, not hidden in any other clothes, and nowhere near any of our baby 'areas'. So that left the only possibility of it being carried away and hidden by one of our pets.

My search ended in vain, and I was ready to give up on the sock. The very next night, my wife and I were moving furniture around, and what do you know, there was the sock hiding under our love seat in the corner of our study. I immediately knew who the culprit was, the cat. He drags his 'toys' to areas where he can play with them, and it just so happens he more than likely batted the sock under the loveseat.

That whole scenario got me thinking about the baby items I have had to buy more of, because I did not anticipate how much I would need them. Being a first time parent, I assumed I would need things like diapers, baby shampoo, and the like, which I absolutely did. But there were several items that I found myself buying, and buying often. These are the items that caught me a little off guard.

So, without further adieu, here is my list of 10 baby items you'll find yourself buying more of than you thought, ages zero to six months.

1. Batteries

Oh my, the batteries we go through. I had no idea how many toys we have would require so many batteries. And it just seems like we burn through them. Every time I replace batteries in one toy, another one goes bust and I have to buy more batteries for that one.

2. Socks

The inspiration for this post. Missing socks is a daily theme it seems. There are always one or two socks missing. It is now common knowledge that the Sock Fairy stops by our home every one or two days to collect her bounty.

Not only do we end up losing socks, but we also are buying more than we thought. When we had our baby showers, we got tons and tons of socks. It was not until we were actually using them I realized that, although they were very cute, many of the socks were impractical. They would fall off her feet, or she could kick them off too easily. I think of the 25 or so pairs we originally had, I was using maybe six. So, I continually find myself still buying more to keep up with our frequent usage.

3. Shout

Had I known how much I would use this stain remover, I would have bought stock in it. With all the spit up and diaper messes, I am nuking stains with Shout just about every day or two.

4. Laundry Detergent

This goes hand in hand with the Shout. I knew I would need baby laundry detergent, but I did not realize how much I would be using. I do on average two loads of baby laundry a week, not counting the additional loads when I have to wash fresh diaper stains out.

5. Breast Milk Storage Containers

Our baby is 100% breastfed, so we store as much milk as we can. We started out with 12 or so storage containers, and now have no less than 30. We had to purchase more due to the amount of milk we were saving, in addition to the occasional container that would break or crack.

I run the containers through the dishwasher, and I can easily have 15 to 20 (one or two days worth) being washed at one time. So we had to have extra for my wife to take to work and for me to use for feedings.

6. Pacifiers

Pacifiers are here for a couple unique reasons. One, we had plenty of pacifiers before she was born, but she has been very particular about the ones she likes. So, we bought more of the types we knew she would take.

Also, due to the fact we realized we were losing pacifiers by taking them from place to place, we decided to keep pacifiers in all the baby areas. We have one in each diaper bag, two in our bedroom, two or three in her room, one in her play room, and one or two downstairs. Then we have all our extras in case we misplace any of these.

7. Onesies

Baby clothes can be the cutest things in the world, but in all honesty, since we have tried to keep our baby inside as much as possible, especially it having been winter, we rarely use anything but onesies. Well, onesies and pants!

We have probably tripled our number of onesies over the course of the last six months. Not only has she outgrown many of them, but I can use up to three different ones a day, depending on if we have any diaper explosions, spit up messes, or drool covered outfits.

To keep up with demand, we definitely ended up buying more than we originally thought we would need.

8. Burp Cloths

Burp cloths serve so many functions, from the obvious burping, to spit up cleaners, and being used as a protective cover. These are one of those items that we keep all over the house due to the frequency of use.

9. Lanolin

For you breastfeeding moms, you know how important this is. Lanolin is a topical cream for cracked and sore nipples. My wife used this daily, and we were glad she had it!

Lanolin is one of those items I never thought about, because it is not something I really have been exposed too that much. Nevertheless, with as often as my wife used it, it definitely belongs on this list.

10. Nipples

When we first brought our baby home, I had five different types of nipples to use when I had to bottle feed my baby girl. Little did I realize that every nipple has a different flow rate, making some easier to drink from that others. My daughter has a preference of one specific type of nipple at first, and that has broadened to three different types.

After discovering which type worked best for her, I had to go and get more of those specific nipples. It surprised me because I was not really expecting to have to go buy more, when I already had a decent supply.

So ends my list. Now, the gears have started turning again in my head, and I am thinking about items we have but never used. Actually, there are a bunch of ideas spinning around in my head. I guess I will start writing them down for a later post!

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