I usually held off on buying gender specific or child specific things. (I also didn't want to 'jinx' anything.
Plus, I didn't want to get something that wouldn't fit or was the wrong color, etc.) I did get generic child stuff; games on clearance, sheets, etc. Friends held showers for the arrrival of each of my kids so we were given a good start once our kids came home. We usually aquired items slowly...something that was really, really, really difficult for me to make myself do! I wanted to run out and get whole wardrobes and enough toys to outfit small town the second we had confirmation that our family was chosen.