So, Tom and I are having a baby in August and I recognize that there is a culture of gifting around these kinds of events. As a result, I decided not only to register somewhere where useful items can be purchased, (kidbean.com) but also to make a list here of some of the other things that would be helpful that are not available through that website. More importantly, as I was creating the registry I was noticing that I do not want the birth of our baby, (nicknamed 'the dino') to be cause for our comsumption habits to change significantly. More to the point, I would like to encourage people who want to gift our newly growing family to consider the following.

Firstly, babies only use baby stuff while they are babies. As a result, used baby items are endlessly available. Giving these items another life by buying used items and passing on hand-me downs is not only more thrifty but does not support the throw-away culture that we live in. Instead of selecting exactly what I would like our baby to wear, I prefer to have the babies wardrobe be a produt of the serendipity of thrifting. If thrifting and freeboxing are your thing, keep the dino in mind and help support our family without overcomsuming.

Additionally, even within the realm of used items, we would prefer to avoid clothing and toys that depict recognizable cartoon characters. I recognize that babies and kids love animals, but small people do not know the difference between Mickey and any other mouse. As a result, the dino can be kept happy without becoming a living adverstisement for disney, warner bros or whomever.

Also, we are planning to co-sleep, so we will not be needing any crib accessories.
We already have a breastpump and an infant car seat.

Thanks for getting through all of that. Here is a list of some of the things that would be most useful to us that we do not yet have.

Diaper Service: We plan to use Tidee Didee in Portland Oregon. We would love to have at least 6-8 months of diaper service, which costs about 18 bucks per week. I believe that Tidee Didee sells gift certificates, but I also think that my friend Julie is taking up a collection, (julie@birthattendants.org)

Waterproof Matress Cover: For a queen size bed.

baby blankets
cute hats
socks
shoes of various sizes
wooden non-toxic toys
random cute clothes
a carseat for a baby over 28 inches

More than anything, the dino needs to be raised by loving community. I am excited for you all to be involved in the life of our baby. Please don't feel obligated to give us anything material at all, especially if doing so would create any hardship for you. What means the most to us right now and always is your love and support.

I plan to update this periodically with pictures and updates on how things are developing, so I encourage you to check back.