Baby Stores "R" Overwhelming

I can't believe we're at grapefruit week already! Given the heft of this sizable citrus fruit, all signs point to one of the outstanding items on the So Your Pregnant? checklist – starting a baby registry.

BethAnn the sherpa

We had a feeling registering was not going to be easy but we had no idea it would be so overwhelming. Did you know there are over a dozen brands of baby bottles – all with different features? And that's just one aspect of feeding the little one, there's so much more to think about!

I didn't expect to be an expert when it comes to this stuff – let's face it, up to this point my expertise lays in the realm of dog gear, not baby gear – but I thought prepping for the arrival of a baby would be a little more intuitive. Yeah, it's not.

BethAnn was our savior—or should I say, our sherpa—leading us effortlessly through the dizzying aisles of Babies R Us. I seriously can't imagine doing this without her.

She would bring us to a section, present the item, tell us about the different brands available and give us her opinion on what's worked for her, and in some cases, what's worked best for TJ, Sara or Jack's needs. She even tweaked her advice knowing we need city-sized gear and like to equip ourselves at smart but minimal levels. She was efficient, organized (no surprise there), and had the stamina (and then some) for our 4.5 hour expedition. In retrospect, BethAnn, you should contract out your skills, I'll make your business cards.

A word of advice: if you're thinking about having a baby and plan on registering, don't go it alone, bring an expert. Also, keep well-hydrated.