What's in Your Nursery?

TWINS UPDATE: I am 33 weeks and 5 days. We will be going Tuesday for an ultrasound to determine their size and position. Other than some heartburn, I am feeling great and really appreciate your kind words and prayers! Another belly pic may be coming...

I have been out of the baby gear purchasing phase for quite some time. Of course I went through the typical research phase with my first pregnancy and collected all of those "must haves" for Robbie. Being Miss Practical, most of my larger purchases were in a pattern that would work well for a girl or boy. So when I was pregnant with Eveley, I simply added a few girly items. When Caleb arrived, I again pulled out the boy items from Robbie, and we were set.

It has been several years since I have made any significant purchases for a baby's arrival. But the addition of the twins is necessitating some new items. My dilemma is deciphering what is truly needed given the fact that we are quickly outgrowing our house and don't want to add unnecessary clutter.

And with my sisters both going through their first pregnancies, I am racking my brain to help them come up with that list of true "must haves" to help them prepare for their new arrivals.

Here are a few things that really helped me.

My sweet friend Jenna, who was an experienced mom, sent me a great gift of goodies for Robbie. It was a basket containing all of the necessary items for a baby boy AND it was accompanied by an instruction sheet! It included everything I would need for grooming, teething, bathing, caring for his circumcision, nursing, fevers, and a notebook to record our breastfeeding schedule. It was a lifesaver to have her words guide me through the little things that just seemed so overwhelming during those first months.

The car seat is obvious. And there are tons of cute and safe ones to choose from.

But the most important part of the infant stage, to me, is having a stroller that the car seat can be fastened into. This is such a huge time saver and helps keep those little ones sleeping. When I first had to purchase one of these, I had the Graco system that weighed a ton and felt like you were pushing a truck.


These new snap n go frames are awesome, and they seem to be the perfect solution for that first infant stage.

After baby grows up a little, an umbrella stroller is a must have. My favorite is the Maclaren stroller. It is easy to collapse and store. But the main reason I prefer it is because of the height of the handles. It is great for us tall moms (so this doesn't apply to you, Carrianna) and it keeps me from stepping on the back wheels. I have always opted for the one that has a reclining seat to allow for easier napping.

We have also used air purifiers (or noise machines) in our kids' rooms. This is really more about settling me down than them. But it does help me relax about other noise in the house.

I have not had a video baby monitor but think one would be awesome! We did have an audio monitor with Robbie, but I found that it did nothing more that totally stress me out during those first weeks. I could never sleep as I was listening to all the little gurgles and sounds. So we ended up turning it off at nights and just keeping the doors open.

I think a video monitor would allow me to look in on the little one to reassure myself that he/she was covered and sleeping well without having to wonder what all the noises meant. This seems to be especially important this go around as the twins will most likely be sleeping together for the first part, and I will want to make sure baby girl is not continuing to torture her brother like she is doing in the womb.

I love the boppy! (so did Robbie)


It has a million uses. For the first 2 weeks, I sat on it. But then was able to use it for nursing and propping baby up during the day. And it gives great support when they are learning how to sit up.

I also think a pac-n-play is essential, especially if you live in a multi-level house. It enables you to have a diaper changing station, place for naps, and place for safe and confined play. Great investment!

I also think that a play mat and jumperoo (for a doorway) were wonderful things to have.

Can't you tell how much Caleb was loving it!

You can't have enough gowns to start out with. They make diaper changes much easier than trying to fasten all of those snaps on a full sleeper in the middle of the night.

Things that made my "you've got to be kidding" list included: wipes warmer (unless you live in a cabin in Alaska), diaper genie, and a co-sleeper.

Sorry, but we have never had babies sleeping in our room. It isn't due to some high parenting calling. Rather, I CANNOT sleep with a baby in my room. It is pure torture.

So... what's in your nursery??
I would LOVE to hear any of your comments or suggestions.