As I mentioned several months ago, I have been diligently putting off selecting baby gear. It seemed too daunting.

I finally got around to it and was pleasantly surprised that it turned out to be pretty fun.

But that’s owing to the fact that I was researched and prepared. I’d asked friends for advice and stalked their registries for ideas. I’d borrowed a “Baby Bargains” book from my sister-in-law (that was already highlighted and sticky-tabbed — sweet!) to read up on safety and value ratings. And I showed up at the baby super store with 3 important things:
-a list of my pre-selected “biggie” items like car seat and stroller
-and 2 veterans: my mom and my sister. (Thanks again for sacrificing your day to this cause.)

I resisted the advice of the clerk who handed me the scanner gun and said: “Have fun. Just scan everything.”

I purposefully did NOT scan everything that looked cute. Then, I’d end up with a ton of cute things, but perhaps not so many useful things. And pink-pink-pink can get pretty tiresome pretty fast — so I had to mix in some greens and blues for my own sanity.

And nary a piece of clothing did I scan. It’s almost irresistible to buy clothes for babies, especially girls. And this baby is already getting hand-me-downs from her cousin that will start her off with a larger wardrobe than Luke and I combined. (Another big thanks to Keara and Cammie!)

Lessons learned:

-Compare prices at the various baby stores, their websites and other online outlets. You’ll find that prices and deals on the exact same item can vary hugely.

-Keep tabs on coupon mailers and email coupons for deals. But don’t be tempted to go out and buy everything all at once. These coupons come frequently.

-Don’t expect knowledgeable customer service. Seriously. If you encounter it, let it be a pleasant surprise.

Case in point: It took me 3 trips, 2 phone calls and 7 sales associates at 2 different baby super store locations to order the glider-rocker that I wanted. No one seemed to know how to do a custom order (despite large displays saying “More choices! 40 fabrics and six finishes. See an associate for details.”) or particularly care about making a sale on a rather pricey furniture item. I would have abandoned the mission had it not been for a pesky big-discount coupon. Said glider has not yet arrived so I’m still skeptical if the correct thing was indeed ordered.