As Baby G is quickly approaching the 1-year milestone, I have been putting away all the infant gear that we have but do not need for her anymore. I am being reminded again, of how much stuff a baby can need. So, here is probably a partial list of the things we have and how much we actually use it with each kid. Now mind you I am just putting it all away in storage so that if/when the next bundle of delight comes I will be ready. And let’s face it baby stuff is expensive. I think I could have bought a small country with all the money spent by others and myself on all the baby gear we have.
The bassinet. - I love my bassinet we have had it since the Big Boy was born 8 years ago. This one I have actually disassembled and reassembled for each kid. It has been a very important piece of furniture in our house. They only use it for about 3 months but for those first 3 months, we use it all the time.
The front pack. - Okay, I have never found a front pack that I can say I absolutely can’t’ live without. I own 3 and none of them are great only because my babies come out the size of many 1 month olds and I am small framed. I was given a wrap to try with Baby G like a Mei Tai that I found to like a lot.
The Bumbo - I love this thing! It was recently recalled because parents did not use common sense and did not read the warning that said very clearly not to use on a raised surface. Ours stayed on the floor and we used it until just recently. I highly recommend this to every parent.
The floor mat that has an activity bar. - This is only used for such a short time that an expensive one is not worth it at all. I took the toys off the activity bar so she could play with them longer than the mat that she stopped liking as soon as she could roll and scoot around.
The bouncy seat. - I love the bouncy seat! This is so useful for the first 4-6 moths. As soon as babies can sit, by themselves, it is not a good idea to use anymore but it is a great invention with the vibrations and as long as the activity bar is detachable and does not have too much going on, it is a great item. All of my kids loved the bouncy seat.
The activity gym/seat thing. - Okay for all the other kids we had this really cool bouncing car but after Hannah, it was so worn out that we had to get rid of it. The older kids all used it until they were almost 2. This time we had to get a new one. We got the jumperoo that is like a Johnny Jump-up without the doorframe. Unfortunately, Baby G has decided she no longer likes to be in it so I am going to disassemble it also.
Our swing - Believe it or not, but I am still using my swing with Baby G. She loves the swing so much still and because she is still under 20 pounds, I can still use it with her. So that will stay out for a while.
We still use the pack and play, the changing table, and the high chair of course so those will stay out. We also have a portable swing, but we stopped using that with Baby G a while ago because she would climb out of it even with the strap on. Oh and of course, don’t forget about the crib. But, that of course is in use for at least another year.
