Please help me "fill out" this baby shower gift

[Anonymous]

I'm sending a friend a baby shower gift. Her registry is pretty much gone, so I thought I'd send her a basket of random little things that are more helpful for later in the first year than just newborn stuff. Like...

Mesh feeders (for teething/early eating experiences)
Tinydiner portable placemat
Those strappy things you can attach one end to a stroller/high chair and the other to a sippy cup/bottle/toy

Any other ideas?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

The pacifier pocket to hold the paci in your purse or diaper bag; I know you said no newborn stuff but I was astonished how many burp cloths you go through, and those are so useful...

[southgatedr]

How about some cds. My son loved listening to music as a newborn. Picture frames are great as well.

[Anonymous]

Some sippy cups
Baby forks and spoons
Plastic cups with lids for holding snacks

[michellelsauve]

How about fabric books and books for the bath. Bath toys.

[Anonymous]

those little bags for poopy diapers for the diaper bag, disposable changing pads, disposable placemats,

[Anonymous]

also a newborn thing but Gripe Water made by Babys Bliss is a lifesaver and hard to find (locally usually at Buybuy). Also those gel pads for sore bbs when nursing - not the pads for leaking - the other ones. Tell her to put them in the fridge before using and cut one in half for 2bbs. You cant imagine how great these feel!

[Anonymous]

we have a baby food travel spoon by BOON - it's orange and has a bulb reservior that you fill with baby food and then just take it with you in the diaper bag. Really not necessary but it always gets "comments" when we are out. It was about $7 and I love it. I got mine at BuyBuyBaby and they have them at Target online. I also loved the plastic bibs by Bjorn that have the catchy flap.

[Anonymous]

Snack Traps. I love those things.

[Anonymous]

A couple of books, like the black and white ones by Tana Hoban. I got tons of gifts, but no books. My baby loves looking at them.

[Anonymous]

It's hard to know where to fill in without knowing what was on the registry, but how about:

A little medicine kit with items like Infant Tylenol, Motrin and the one I always include with whatever I'm giving - Pedialyte. Another mom led me to that idea when she had none on hand in the middle of the night around 6 months when DD couldn't keep anything down. One of those things a new mom likely doesn't think to have.

Car seat strap covers. My DD loved and still loves hers. Keeps the straps from digging into their necks and shoulders.

A vinyl high chair cover. Fisher Price makes a good one. So much better then trying to use the smart shopper on a high chair.

Will friend's DC be going to day care? Love the custom, resuable labels from inchbug.com for sippy cups.

[Anonymous]

A friend did something similar for me and included stuff that i'd need a little later on -- a sippy cup that didn't leak, a good toothbrush, etc.

[Anonymous]

baby nail clippers - lots of them, we always lose them!

[Anonymous]

Not to be mean and I know you have really good intentions, but the items you listed are sorta "miscellaneous baby junk" - at least for us.

Don't take it the wrong way, but those mesh feeders don't work and are super messy and cutting up fruit (especially the soft fruits like banannas, blueberries, etc.) is much more effective (plus it encourages hand-eye-picking-things-up skills). The placemat is an ok idea, but most high chairs come with a washable tray so it is a little redundant to have a placemat (unless you are thinking using a place mat when the child is sitting at the table when he/she is 2 years old). The tethers to keep cups/bowls in place is kinda a silly invention. Do people actually buy those things?

How about things like baby utensils, a variety of sippy cups (since we all know transition from boob/bottle can be trial and error), Sterilite snack containers, puffs, bath toys, sidewalk chalk, (interactive) books, balls (!), sunglasses, piggy bank, fun sing-along cds?

[Anonymous]

newborn mittens, cloth diapers to be used as the best burp cloths ever, pacifiers, ... honestly i would just walk around babies r us and pick things up.