Shopping weekend!!!

I said we were going to start shopping for Isabella and shop we did!!! Our bank account is crying but we are happy! We started shopping on Friday morning, and we never felt so excited about spending money! It was the first time that D bought anything for Izzy so he was on a roll and at one stage he said he needs to go shopping on his own one of these days as I was slowing his spending spree down! It's not my fault I am a slow shopper and think 100 times before buying.. it's in my genes!!

The first purchase was a bathtub and as my brother recommended we bought a sponge to go inside it so that Izzy rests on it and it'll be easier to wash her. We also got her this cute and soft changing pad for nappy changing purpuses! My brother has a similar one and it's so easy to carry around the house depending on where his girls are.

The second big buy was the bottles steriliser which I had researched and found that steam sterilisers are more reliable and better all around than all others kind. So we went for the Philips Avent electric steam steriliser. It fits up to 6 bottles and breast bumps accessories and the cleaning cycle takes only 8 minutes. Its design is also sleek and not too bulky which is important in our not so big kitchen and we don't need a bigger one as I plan to breastfeed until I can.

D also bought a thermometer to measure Izzy when she has a possible fever. He actually wanted to buy the whole first aid section of the shop! I told him I had not researched ear thermometers and he gave me a look that said: "have you lost your mind??!?" so I kept quiet. We also got some night lights with Winnie the Pooh on it and some flowers ones too.

We then moved to the next shop where we saw they had baby swimsuits on sale so we got Izzy her first and also a cute little outfit that we could not resist!


D also got me to look at maternity clothes that were also on sale and I got 2 dresses (one to show off my new cleavage!) and 1 trouser for work and 1 pair of shorts! D also saw a playmat we have been buying for all our friends' kids and he said that after we bought it for everyone it was time we got it for ourselves! It's Izzy first game and as it's coming from daddy, it's even more special! It's super colourful and has music and lots of other fun things for her to discover.



We also looked at all the cots we are currently considering. We have 3 running favourites but cannot make our minds up on which to get. They are all white but they are all different models and they are all beautiful in their own right, they all convert into junior beds for when Isabella is big enough. Here they are, if you like one of them over the other let me know.

Number one on the list is the Celine from Mamas & Papas .We love the design of this one but we are not convinced about the paint they used to make it look antique white:


Number two is Humphrey's Corner cot bed. They don't sell the model that is all white here in the Emirates but they sell one with a wooden tip. It still looks super cute but if it was Winnie the Pooh we would have bought it but as we don't know Humphrey's Corner much it feels strange to buy Izzy a bed with this theme on it.

The last choice is a very simple design cot/junior bed by Mamas and Papas called the Coastline. We like it cause it's simple and white and it ticks all the boxes we look for in terms of safety but it does not have that extra factor that make you go "wow".

You might think that our shopping was over but we were ready for more the next day! We went to a new shopping center in Dubai that has a lot of brands that are not generally sold in the UAE. Our first buy of the day was the baby monitor. I have been researching it for a while now and found that the Philips Avent digital ones are reliable and clear. I wanted to go for one model as I had researched it but the only they had was this one and after much internal debate we went for the one they had (after i got home I read up on it and the one we got is the latest model so was super happy with our choice! ) We tested it and it covers all of our house. From the parents' control you can talk to the baby, activate the lullabies options or even turn on the night light. It also shows the temperature in the baby's room and the humidity level. Super happy with it!
Then D literally dragged me into a maternity shop. I thought it was all going to be clothes but they had other stuff that was on my list including the breast pump I wanted, the Medela Swing and the portable changing pad from Skip Hop. D said I need some shopping training because I definitely don't know how to shop! My mom used to tell me the same thing and I have to admit to it.. I am not a good shopper!

We then went into Borders and I got the Dr. Spock's book I have been looking forward to reading and What to Expect in the First Year because I love this series. I also got some for the stencil project I have in mind for Izzy's room. (I'll write more about that another time). We then went into Pottery Barns for kids and they have such lovely and bright things for babies! We bought some bath towels, one that will make Izzy look like a little lamb and the other, D's pick, we are having personalised with Isabella written on the hood. We also got lots of fitted sheets for the cot (that we don't own yet!) and 2 cot skirts, just because they looked so cute!! We then saw this cute painting of a fairy and we bought loved it so much that we got it for her room.

That was the last shop we went into that day. We felt really good about all our purchases so far and we are looking forward to the next set... cannot wait! D has been sick with a bad cold and cough since Saturday....the price you pay for too much shopping! LOL