Onesies: Gerber vs. Carters - and the whole design in general.
Almost any mother you talk to will tell you that onesies are a must for any expecting parents. I'll admit that when Jude came home hooked up to his billi-blanket, they were a heaven-sent. I could easily slide the light up the bottom of the onesie and he was good to go. Also, since he didn't quite fit in his clothes, they kept him from looking like he was swimming. When he got past his jaundice though, they really weren't the first thing I'd grab for. Personally I preferred outfits and rompers (see below) over the onesie.
The one onesies I did use regularly (and still do) were my plain white Calvin Klein's (not to say you have to have CK - but the plain white are great). They were/are perfect for layering.
If I were to suggest a certain onesie though, it would without a doubt be Carter's. When shopping the BRU floor I'm pretty certain you're faced with two brands Gerber or Carter's. I'm sure depending on the build of your child your preference may vary. Jude is not "tall" by any stretch of the imagination, but he's not 'husky' either. The Carter onesies that I've used had a much slimmer cut and a much clingier material.
Gerber on the other hand seemed to have a much shorter/fuller cut. The material didn't seem to have as much stretch or give and so pretty much 'hung' off of Jude.
The Romper:
It didn't take me very long as a mother to realize I LOVE the romper. For those of you who don't know, a romper is basically a onesie with legs (pant length for cooler weather and short length for the summer). During the summer these were my go-to items for Jude. They were light weight and easy to get in and out of for diaper changes. I've used a number of different brands in these (from Gap to Carter's) and all have been equally wonderful. I would without a doubt recommend these to any mother during the summer months.
Pajamas:
For the majority of the summer we tried to get by without the A/C on. As a result, the little bit of use we got out of our onesies were during the night. However, on the cool nights anything with legs works. My favorite brands thus far are "first moments" footsie pajamas.
First moments come with a zipper instead of the typical snaps which makes getting baby in and out of his pajamas much more simple. In addition the over-all cut is very nice (as I said though, I think Jude's a longer/slimmer baby than some).
Some other notes on clothing retailers:
Some might consider me a bit 'snobby' in my taste for clothes. Typically when I go shopping for Jude, I don't go straight for BRU. I head for the mall and hit stores like baby Gap and Gymboree. These stores are notorious for being high-priced, but I just love them. I have found that the best time to shop these stores is mid-season. As with most retailers, they're always at least a season ahead, so the clearance racks are stacked with items for the current season. Specifically, when Ryan and I needed to go out and buy Jude a few items to get him through the rest of the summer in the middle of July, there was quite a bit to chose from at 40-50% off. Even when shopping more recently for fall clothes, there was quite a bit to chose from in the discounted section.
More recently I've acquired a love for Children's Place. They have adorable/stylish clothes at (typically) reasonable prices. In my experience you have to watch it though as some items are over priced and it's not hard to think you're getting a good deal simply based off of where you're shopping (if that makes sense?). The biggest down side to Children's Place is I had a hard time finding anything in the newborn, 0-3 and 3-6 section. It seems very small and minimal. However, most of the clothes are available in 6-9 so we had no problem finding him plenty for this fall.
I also recently found the Children's Place outlet in Rehobeth and would advise any local mother that if they're in the market for a whole new season wardrobe, to make the trip to the beach. I went recently and stocked up on a number of polos and t-shirts for $1.99 (a week later I saw the same shirts in the mall's CP for 5.99+). Obviously this wouldn't be a smart option for an outfit or two, but to make a whole day out of it and get a lot of what you need, it's a great deal considering they have the same stuff as the mall store at lower prices.
Finally, as far as retailers, Old Navy has had it's on and it's off days for me. Being owned by/run by the same company as Gap, they often times have similar styles at a fraction of the price. Again, watch getting caught in the "it's from Old Navy, so it has to be cheap" trap. The most frustrating part about Old Navy is that sometimes it seems like they have a larger children's section and other times I can barely find it (again, hit or miss)
And a note on oufits:
Up until just recently I loved outfits that came with onesies as shirts. I liked that they stayed tucked in/pulled down. More recently though, I've noticed my preference going toward normal shirts (no bottom snaps). I've been putting Jude in more and more jeans and so the added layer to get through to get to his diaper was just getting annoying. I'm sure this is something everyone has their own opinions on though - just see what works best for you.
Finally, I'm moving more and more away from pre-packaged outfits. By pre-packaged I mean anything that come on a hanger with both pants and shirt and are intended for you to wear those two items together. I'm more a fan of buying shirts and pants separately. I noticed that during the summer months I put the same items on Jude over and over again because there was one thing or another I didn't like about specific sets. By buying everything in pieces I was able to make sure I liked each piece separately to insure everything gets used (but also - buying in sets seems to be cheaper - so it's another personal choice). I'm sorry to admit though that there were plenty of items put into storage recently unworn... (I will add that outfits are beneficial when dad is dressing baby!)
Obviously these are my personal opinions... I hope it helped!
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