I’ll be honest, this whole baby registry thing totally made my head spin. After church, one Sunday, we finally went to register and it’s a shame pregnant women can’t enjoy wine because I certainly needed a glass as we were trying to field our way through the millions of products, contraptions, and cute little onesies. We’d been warned by far too many people that “You don’t need half the things people tell you that you do” so then we were left staring down the bright colored aisles wondering if we were being punked.

The overwhelm coupled with the fact that we had dreamed about this moment for so long let us both feeling like we had no clue where to begin. So we scanned a few items and called it a day, promising to go home and do our research. I scoured blog posts, texted friends, and asked about the BEST pieces to invest into (because I had no clue how to decipher what was worth it and what was a total waste!)

Now, let me tell you: we registered for a lot of LITTLE stuff but I wanted to share the 11 must have things that we’re going to buy for baby and what we were most excited about after all the research (seriously, we did a lot of research!)

1. ErgoBaby Omni 360 Carrier: This was one of the first things we registered for, mostly because Drew’s looked forward to wearing our baby probably more than anything else! Seriously, this guy can’t wait to strap the baby to him! We asked around a lot and this one got the best reviews, plus it can grow with us (up to a 45lb kiddo!) We also registered for a Moby Wrap because I wanted something a little less intense for those earlier days!
2.  Boppy Breast Feeding Pillow: I knew I needed one of these and the fun thing is, you can get the “naked” one and then buy cute little covers but so many people recommended this for breastfeeding the baby! I’m already imagining sitting in our glider, feeding the baby, and having this pillow be my new BFF!
3. Portable Baby Cocoon or a DockaTot: I remember when one of my friends came over with her newborn and she brought in this contraption that was a sweet little mattress and he just chilled in it on the countertop while we prepared dinner together. I knew I needed something like it! Not only is it a great way to keep baby comfy when they aren’t mobile but it can be a portable bed for when you’re on the go! Win, win!
4. Bloom Coco Bouncer: now this is just pretty, I’m not going to lie… I was drawn to the minimalistic design but also the reviews. A lot of people had good things to say about this cute bouncer and it was easy for me to visualize it in my home. I know, I know, I won’t be able to live that minimal life forever, but this was something I had to order. You can remove the cushion to toss it in the wash and it’s functional and chic.
5. Ubbi Diaper Pail: we were torn between this and the Diaper Genie and truth be told, we got both! Since we want one on each floor, the Ubbi is in our nursery and   it is sleek enough to leave out with the ability to hopefully keep the smells contained (oof, in for a rude awakening, am I right?) Since we were working on a minimalistic design for the nursery, we opted for the Ubbi and then we are keeping the Diaper Genie downstairs!
6. Moses Basket: isn’t this the cutest thing in all the land? I know, I know, it might not be the most functional in the world but after years of waiting for this babe, I knew I wanted one of these. The best part is, there’s a sweet little mattress in it, so when the baby is tiny, we can let it hang, nap, and lay in here! The day I got mine, I brought it up to our nursery and I cried because it really made it feel real for us!
7. SNOO Happiest Baby: this was our BIGGEST splurge ever. Let me tell you, we did a LOT of research on this one. This bassinet claims to help your baby sleep better and for me, buying back an hour of sleep each night is a no-brainer. It gently rocks the baby and adjusts white noise while your baby sleeps to make sure they get to sleep and stay asleep and the reviews were what sold me (plus, it’s easy on the eyes!)
8. Nanit Sleep System: the whole monitor thing was super overwhelming and we weren’t sure what would be worth it or what we really needed. So many people used different things that worked for them, but when I saw someone post about the Nanit Sleep System, I knew that I wanted that one. Not only is it easy to see your baby but it also tracks your baby’s sleep patterns and makes it easy to take with you on the go!
9. UPPAbaby MESA Car Seat: I almost went crazy researching car seats but then my friend told me about having a whole “travel system” and it clicked (literally and figuratively!) When I researched UPPAbaby I knew this would become a must-have because not only does it have incredible reviews and safety rating but it will help us to travel a lot smoother because the car seat works with the stroller and beyond! We also got the car seat travel bag since we plan to fly with baby and want to protect it!
10. UPPAbaby VISTA Stroller: This was our MUST-have!  The UPPAbaby VISTA stroller is not just gorgeous, but it adapts to your growing family allowing for multiple configurations to transport up to three children, all while strolling like a single. We knew we wanted to invest here and since it works with our car seat, it will make traveling a lot easier (and functional!) We also got the travel bag to protect our stroller since we plan to fly it with us to Hawaii!
11. 4Moms Breeze Playard: I’m not going to lie, I was drawn to this because of it’s simplicity but when I dug into it more, it was more than just an aesthetically pleasing “play yard” and something can grow with our baby from newborn to toddler! While most pack and plays have cutesy prints, this one functions the same and had great reviews (without monkey prints on the outside!)

Alright, so there you have it! These were our big purchase items, the must-haves, and the things that we researched for hours on end! We wanted to keep things as minimal and neutral as possible (I know, I know) while also investing in pieces that can follow us as our baby (and family) continues to grow! We opted for fewer but nicer things and these top 11 are the ones that we had to get and are so excited to put to use when baby Kutcher comes into this world. It’s been such a journey for us and while we are still in the dark of how much our lives are about to change, seeing all of these items is making it feel SO real.

I want to know, what is the ONE baby item you can’t live without?