Update on Baby Stuff

First some addendum to make:

1. The cheapest way to buy diapers is an Amazon subscription. Pampers has the best deal. Basically you get 30% off by subscribing, meaning they ship them to your house, no shipping fees, at any interval you wish. They email you before they ship them so you can change the size and you can cancel at any time. Target's brand, which people seem to love, is around the same price depending on the size. However, the Target is 20 min from my house and my front door is two steps, 10 if I am upstairs. Gas is about 4.00/gallon these days so I like those numbers. Wipes are about the same deal. Target brand is about the same price as the subscription but we have determined I am lazy and want to save on gas.

2. Formula is hella expensive. Too bad I can't breast feed but I can't so there is no use in crying over spilt milk (no pun intended Super Pat). The word is that store brand is exactly the same as the name brand. Target, Walmart, and Costco all run about $0.50/oz (for powder and it takes one scoops of powder to make 2 oz of milk) and the name brands are $1/oz. Holy crap that is a big difference. They say you can get a ton of coupons for the name brands but if you don't have one...seems like a no brainer. I'd prefer to use Costco's. You can buy it in bulk in the store and the store is 5 min away. But reviews say it is foamy when you first mix it and have to let it settle. Sounds like a lot of work to me. Wal-Mart's brand has mostly really good reviews, but a few people say it smells, stains clothes, and sometimes the powders is chunky. But Wal-Mart is so close and we have a Super Wal-Mart and that is where we grocery shop. Maybe I'll ask Pat what he thinks about it (novel idea, no?). I know lots of people who use Target's and they all seem fine. But again it is 20 min away and I don't go there often. You can buy it online in bulk with free shipping. But Target has a terrible return policy. Not that I plan on doing a lot of returning in the formula department but formula is one of those things that some babies have problems with certain brands. Target's is supposed to be the same as Enfamil and Wal-Mart is supposed to be the same as Similac. So maybe I will buy a few of the individual cans at Target and if it is a problem I will return them and try Wal-Marts...or maybe I should do it the other way around. Oh and one more thing, it does not pay to buy formula in bulk. No Amazon subscription. Which leads one to believe that formula is very expensive to make and the profit margin is not very large. Alas.

3. Trip says he likes the diaper warmer. He has like a two week old and says cold bottoms at 3 Am are not cool (again with the pun). But I am not convinced.

4. I checked out my friend's Graco Meal Time High Chair. She seems to like it and the tray does not seem too difficult to get on and off. But she def puts him in and pulls him out without removing the tray. She likes it becuase the cover is machine washable and it folds up nicely. However, the seat is in permanently reclined back slightly, good younger babies, bad for older ones. Its also $70, $60 less then the one I chose. I could almost buy two for that price, but it only comes in brown, green, baby blue, and pink. I still like the Joovy better.

Now some updates on my baby stuff acquisitions:

I have been hitting up the yard sales pretty hard. If any one knows of some coming up, holler. I have acquired the following: 3 baby bouncers ranging from $5-15 in price, a glider for $25 (the padding has taken a beating and the fabric is worn but these retail at $150, so at $25 it is both extraordinarily comfortable and pretty), two jersey sheets for $5, 3 receiving blankets for $4, a brand new Dr. Brown's microwave sterilizer with two bottles for $5!!!, formula mixing pitcher for $3, a car bottle warmer (none of these work well so I am glad I got one cheap) for $3, and a bunch of clothes...oh the clothes.

When I got the test results back that she didn't have a major genetic disorder I went shopping. It was therapeutic and made me feel excited to be pregnant for the first time. I got a bunch of cute outfits from the Carter's outlet. Big mistake. At yard sales you can get basically all baby clothes for $0.25 a piece. Little babies only wear clothes for such a short period of time that they don't destroy them. Now I have too many and have to skip over this fabulous part of yard sales. Consignment stores and big Mom2Mom sales have clothes ranging from $4-8. Not a great deal but I admit I have bought some of these too. Early on I also bought some used clothes on ebay. Why did I do this? They averaged out to be about $1 each, including shipping and handling but I threw out 3 or 4 becuase of the condition. That is what you get for not seeing the product first. In addition to the clothes I bought. Mike gave me a huge box of hand-me-downs he got from some friend of his. In a million years she could not wear all of them. BTW all of these clothes are 0-6. That could conceivably only last 3 months. I'm hoping to get some more hand-me-downs in the larger sizes. Oh and I will surely get more tiny clothes at my shower.

I have also gotten some cool toys. I don't want a million toys. I have one closet and two storage cubs she can keep them in. Any more then that will go straight to grandmas. I bought this cool dinosaur ball thing for $10. I don't really know how to explain it. You put a ball in one of the holes it lights up, makes noises and then rolls down its neck or tail or through the leg. Sounds kind of creepy but it is really cool. My pekingese agrees. I also got this cool vtech toy, which retail for ridiculous prices, that has 3 parts. First its got this piano/car dashboard (weird combo right?) that makes noises and has buttons and leavers. The baby can play with this on the floor. Then when she is bigger it has a stand so she can stand up and play with it. Finally that stand has wheels so she can push it around. Another $10. Good stuff. She now needs no more toys.

I have also "won" some stuff on ebay (I am including shipping prices). A breathable bumper for $20 which retails at $30. I found out the next week I could have borrowed a friends. I got an itzbeen for $15, retails for $25-30, a Dr. Brown's bottle warmer for $20, retails $40, a boppy for $10, and a softer cover for $10, together retail would be $40+. Ugh I admit I got into a bidding war today for 3 8oz Playtex Drop-In bottles, two new (no box) and 1 used. I paid $11.95, new 12.99. What a shame. I have tried several times to get a Moby wrap but I am only willing to go up to $30 since they retail for $40. I keep loosing to people who seem to be willing to go up to $35 plus shipping...?

Once Upon a Time is a great second hand store with two locations near me. I got a really nice Carter's Swing for $55, retails at $175. It is in perfect condition. I also got one of those leapfrog interactive tables for like $15 which the kids at church seem to love so that is exciting. They also have a lot of new clothes at discount prices. I also got a swaddle me, its pink leopard print. Pat rolled his eyes.

One day I was managing my registry and noticed that Amazon had a Rainforest Activity Mat for $35, plus $8 shipping. I immediately bought it since they retail at $70. After I bought it I realized the vendor had a terrible rating. Upon investigating this person was reviewed as selling not new items. Sure enough mine came in this terrible packaging, without the original box and it was slightly stained, one of the leaves won't come off and had fur on it. I contacted the seller. I got no response. I filed a claim. Yay Amazon, they refunded all of my money. I'd have been really pissed if they hadn't though. When one buys a new item from Amazon they expect it to be new. They seem to know this. Upon rating the seller (Paradise Yardie, DO NOT BUY). She emailed me saying if you thought the thing was so terrible why didn't you return it. Well for one she never contacted me saying to return it and two it would have cost me $30 to ship it back properly. So all in all I am pleased. I got the thing for free.

So far I have gotten a bathtub and a walker lent to me. I still think I am going to get a bumbo, a Bjorn, and a bassinet lent to me as well. We are making great progress.