My husband and I are adopting our first child later this year (our homestudy is in progress now!)

My mother wants to give us a shower as soon as we find our child. I have no idea what to ask for! I started a wish list at Amazon and loaded it with books, DVD's and some games. I also added a safety gate and outlet plates. What else should I ask for? We're going to be adopting a child age 2-6.

thanks in advance for your help!

[reneetaylor]

Remember diapers and baby wipes for a toddler, clothes, educational toys, possibly a booster seat for your kitchen table and a car seat or booster seat for your car. A baby seat to put on your bicycle (for a child under 40 lbs), or a bike/tricycle/big wheel/scooter, etc for an older child. Don't forget a helmet and knee/elbow pads! And also don't forget a special blanket or stuffed animal.

I know you are exicited! Keep us all posted on how things are going.

Renee

[SomeBunniesMom]

Oh how exciting! My best to you and your family.

Look for a car seat that covers a range of weights -- for instance some are good for 20 - 80 lbs and then can convert to a booster.

I have 2 year old twins. Their favorite things are videotapes of Teletubbies, Wiggles, Bob the Bulilder, Elmo (and any Sesame Street), and bear in the Big Blue House. They enjoy books with the same characters, although they really love all kinds of books. If your child is younger, I would stick with board books - the ones with the thick cardboard pages as opposed to the paper pages until the child learns about turning pages, etc. Otherwise, your paper pages will be torn crinkled and missing in the blink of an eye! (kids books are expensive too!!)

Kids love character sheets for their beds, so that would be a good thing to ask for.

You may not need baby bottles, but you may want to have a few sippy cups on hand. There are a couple of brands that can grow with a child, such as replacing the sippy top with one that has a drinking straw or you can buy a ring to screw on the top of the cup to give it a smooth rim for drinking.

A friend gave me a diaperbag that is a back pack (Eddie Bauer, I think). it looks nothing like a baby's diaper bag, and I am usuing it to tote snacks and drinks and changes of clothes for when we go on car trips. It doesn't look too "girly" for my husband to carry, but it also has some great compartments that would easily replace my purse if I wanted it to. This is something that will serve us well for many years to come.

Even if your child is no longer wearing diapers, you would still have lots of use for the moist baby wipes. I have a small plastic case I keep in my purse and we use it to wipe up yucky tables in restaurants, clean sticky hands, messy mouths, runny noses (not as abrasive to the skin as tissues) and for the traditional use -- poopy butts!

Another very welcome gift around here is giftcertificates! -- a lot of places use gift cards now but it's the same principle. Great places to have gift cards from are, Home Depot (excellent selection of child safety devices, or wallpaper for decorating a special child's room), Toys r us, Walmart, McDonald's, Friendly's (or any kid friendly food place), Target. My girls like to pick out their own toys and clothes sometimes. It's also great to be able to pick something up that I need for them when I am short of cash -- the gift certifs are a godsend most of the time!

That's all I can think of for the moment. I wouldn't stock up too much on toys. i would go for a few basics -- blocks, ball, teddybear -- and then let the child pick out a few toys. After you get to know your child's personality, you will have a better sense of what kinds of toys would be best.

My only other suggestion is I would look for furniture that will grow with a child.

I did add a car seat to my list. I have a practical, 4 door car, but my DH drives an Audi TT, which has a TINY backseat, the carseat will be ideal.

I also asked for a sandbox, life jacket (our family has a cottage on the lake) water wings, a picnic table, scooter, helmet, red wagon for park visits, and TONS of books. I love to read to children, and I want to have a wide selection on hand.

thanks again for the suggestions and advice and keep the ideas coming!

[mckenna]

i too am adopting a toddler and my friends want to throw a baby shower. i am looking at what many of my friends (who had infants) registrered for and then finding things similar for the toddler age. for example instead of the infant car seat/stroller system, i registered for an umbrella stroller and a toddler car seat/booster seat. instead of bottles, sippy cups. instead of a high chair, 2 booster seats (one for at home and one i can take places). it has been quite fun!

[alicia hunter]

Oven and refridgerator locks are a must for my two year old. Building blocks and puzzles are great too. Maybe you could suggest gift cards for clothing since it will be a little older child.