Registered: Food-grade, BPA-free silicone teethers shaped like garden veggies
My Baby Wanted: The corner of the varnished piano leg
Registered: Wooden Montessori toys, developmentally appropriate and encourage STEM learning
My Baby Wanted: The cardboard packaging that the toys arrived in
Registered: A brand new crib with a breathable, hypoallergenic mattress
My Baby Wanted: Our dog’s bed, full of dog hair and slobbery toys
Registered: A wide assortment of 100% organic cotton bodysuits in rainbow hues
My Baby Wanted: Food pouches in assorted flavors, to dump all over her outfits and the carpet
Registered: Extra-absorbent burp cloths that can clean spit up and also dry my tears as she starts to grow out of her newborn clothes
My Baby Wanted: My entire wardrobe for spit-up target practice
Registered: Floral headbands to adorn my baby’s sweet face
My Baby Wanted: An air vent to stick her face against and make silly noises
Registered: A pop-up playpen with a UV-resistant shade that keeps out the sun and bugs
My Baby Wanted: A stick she found laying in direct sunlight, crawling with ants and a bug I can’t identify and don’t dare to Google
Registered: A kick-and-play activity gym with music and colorful lights, carefully chosen as it's free of PVC and phthalates
My Baby Wanted: Our ceiling fan that makes her giggle when a dust bunny lands in her face
Registered: Breast-shaped bottles and pacifiers to prevent nipple confusion that could cause my baby to go on a nursing strike and refuse to eat
My Baby Wanted: All things nipple shaped: dad’s nose, our dog’s teat, a stranger’s finger
Registered: A smartphone-operated sound machine featuring a dozen soothing tracks and a night light in case she inherited my fear of the dark
My Baby Wanted: A live performance of her grandfather singing “The Wheels on the Bus” ad nauseam—the only way she’ll fall asleep
Registered: Swaddles with Velcro closures for safe sleep, even though I’ll still want to check every five minutes that she is still breathing
My Baby Wanted: My old baby blanket, torn and tattered, definitely a choking hazard and most likely biohazardous
Registered: A baby bouncer to keep her happily occupied and– Oh no, I should check recalls and make sure I wasn’t given one that is harmful because it… I don’t know, acts like a mini catapult?
My Baby Wanted: The warning label on the baby bouncer
Registered: A snug-fitting baby carrier, approved by pediatric orthopedic doctors to promote healthy hip development because her tiny bones are fragile and sometimes I wonder if I should just keep her in a bubble to make sure she’s always safe
My Baby Wanted: To roll off of the couch
Registered: A travel system that adheres to AAP guidelines for car seat and stroller safety
My Baby Wanted: To explore the outdoors with her hands, feet, and mouth
Registered: Bubble wrap to cover everything in my home because there are just as many potential hazards inside as there are outside.
My Baby Wanted: Ooh! Bubble wrap!