Photos from a pretty exceptional brunch last weekend: at the seasonal restaurant Goat Town in Alphabet City, we split the Pork Belly Ranchero with poached eggs, white beans, and tomatillo salsa, and the buckwheat ricotta pancake with drizzled honey. Capital-D Delicious. As you can see, we were the only ones there for brunch at 10am which (while not very cool) suited us just fine. It was beautiful inside, and I didn’t worry about disturbing when Hudson screamed now and then. Besides, when your six-month-old is routinely waking up at 4am, waiting until 10 to eat feels like an eternity!

Yes, you read that right: 4am. We’re not quite sure what is going on, but we’re in the midst of a major sleep regression and it’s not pretty. Yesterday our little rooster felt that the day should begin at 3am and would not fall back asleep for two hours. Maybe it’s because he’s making moves toward crawling (so exciting and clearly hard work), maybe it’s because he’s starting to teethe (I do believe his gums have some new ridges), or maybe we’re just responding completely wrong–but I think he’s essentially jet-lagged now. I’m hoping we can make some strides very quickly because we’re going on a little vacation in a few days and I was really hoping to sleep in a little (’til 5:30 at least!) Fingers crossed.

Anyway, I have so many things I’ve been meaning to post, but I think I should focus on sleeping whenever I get the chance! Is it really Monday already?

I originally posted our registry list on Baby Mine and find myself linking back to it in emails. So I hope you don’t mind if I re-post it here on Hither & Thither. I may do this with a few favorite Baby Mine posts from time to time… Thanks!

Many of you have asked about our registry, and the items we have found most valuable thus far. So with the giant caveat that we’re only a few months in on this whole “Oh my goodness, we have a son!” bit, here’s my list…

Crib: Remember the closet that became the nursery? Only this crib would fit. So we were so grateful to get one used, with lots of the accessories (you need a mattress, 1-2 mattress pads, and 2-3 fitted sheets), at a bargain. That said, we only started using it recently. After a few nights home, we rushed out to buy the Summer Infant Sleeper; he slept in it, between us, for a couple of months. We also used the co-sleeper on trips in lieu of a travel crib (though this Nest Bedwas what we had originally planned to get for that purpose).

Swaddle Blankets: We chose Aden+Anais (these beautiful ones) and have loved using them… for most things besides swaddling. For that we use the Miracle Blanket. Hudson was like Houdini with everything else and slept twice as long as usual on the first night we tried it. We bought a second one immediately.

Stroller: Bugaboo Bee (along with the Maxi Cosi car seat adapter, infant cocoon, Think King hooks, and Cup Holder). I feel like coming to a decision on a stroller is a post in itself. More to come.

Car Seat: We borrowed a Maxi Cosi infant car seat from friends. I especially like how easily the Maxi Cosi car seat adapters attach to (and detach from) the Bugaboo Bee Base. That said, some friends have mentioned that other car seats have easier buckle mechanisms. I can’t say we tried any others after learning we could borrow this one. (Also for the car: Sunshades and a rear view mirror; and for the car seat on the stroller: UppaBaby cabana )

Carriers: Ergo Baby Carrier (with infant insert), and Sakura Bloom Ring Sling in Linen. Hudson was born in July and it was was over 100 degrees in the shade on the day of his first pediatrician appointment, so we were really happy to have the linen sling those first few weeks. I would alternate between the stroller and the sling, but often found wearing Hudson to be easier than pushing him on crowded New York sidewalks (and you can nurse discreetly in the sling–even while walking!). Once he got heavier and the days grew cooler, I found myself using the Ergo more often. It keeps the weight on my hips and can be used on the front or back once he’s older (though he can’t face out). I especially appreciate that it has zipper pockets for me and a little hood for shading him.

Bouncy Chair: We borrowed the Oeuf Bouncy chair. I think the Bjorn Balance or the Maclaren would also be good options. At first, I wasn’t sure this would be very useful (he couldn’t make it bounce and it was too upright for him)–but now he uses it all the time. He loves to sit in the center of the action and look around from his chair and I love knowing that he’s safely strapped in.

Swing: This is a gray area. We thought we were firmly in the no-swing camp (especially since we have no space). But a few nights of Aron swinging the car seat back and forth to calm Hudson down sent us scurrying to the store for a small, slightly hideous swing. It had none of the calming effects of the dad’s car seat swing, but it did distract him for a while. Still, we ditched it last week after only a handful of uses. Who knows if a larger swing would have been the answer or whether a rocking chair would have been a great addition–I did inflate the birthing ball for some bouncing on occasion–but we just don’t have the space (and have luckily moved out of the need-to-be-bounced-to-sleep stage).

First Aid: We registered for the Safety 1st Healthcare and Grooming Kit. I use the nail clippers all the time, always while he’s eating. It takes forever to clip his nails because he flexes his hand constantly, but I love holding his fingers around my thumb and being his salon. We have Infant Tylenol on hand for vaccinations and Vitamin D supplements (as recommended by our pediatrician). We also have a humidifier and a Nosefrida–both yet to be used.

Bath: We borrowed the Puj Tub from a friend. I can see why people love this easy-to-fold, easy-to-store tub, but the truth is–Hudson didn’t love it. We think he got too cold being so out of the water. Instead, I get in the tub with him and we have bathtime together. I also don’t bathe him that often and I think his skin looks great. We have two super-cute robes and some great Mustela bath products, but sometimes I just use Cetaphil and a bath towel. And one day, when he’s in the bath on his own, I’d like this kneeling pad.

Diapers: We were glad we had a box of Newborn diapers waiting for us at home, even though we still needed to place an order with diapers.com almost immediately (you fly through these). We use free & clear wipes and Aquaphor.

Breast Pump: I have the Simplisse Double Electric Pump, but find that I generally prefer to use my small, Medela Manual Breast Pump on occasions when I want to express. I’m sure I would feel differently if I needed to be apart from Hudson more often.

Bottles: We have the Born Free bottles with air vents for gas. I’d love to get some of the glass ones.

Pacifiers: Not all babies like pacifiers, but Hudson used to need them to get to sleep (and still likes them when napping on-the-go); we have liked GumDrop Newborn. Confession–we tried Mommy’s Bliss Gripe Water to see if they’d ease his gassy tummy and found them to mostly useful for causing him to suck harder on his pacifier (very soothing). The combination of a few drops of Gripe water and a pacifier was a lifesaver on our road trip, helping him to fall asleep in the dreaded car seat.

White Noise: Joanna recommended the Marpac SleepMate . I like that it stays on all night and makes us feel more comfortable moving around the apartment after he’s asleep.

Fan: We didn’t move Hudson into his crib until we had one. Good circulation reduces the risk of SIDS.

Baby Timer: There’s the Itzbeen , or–if you have a smartphone–there are half a dozen apps. We use Baby Connect on the iPhone and I’m hooked. I no longer need to keep so close an eye on his feedings or diaper changes, but I am obsessed with tracking his sleep patterns. It’s great to have something like this for when the pediatrician asks you about details.

Toys: Skip Hop Activity Mat, Activity Mirror, and Sophie the Giraffe. He loves his activity mat (even the crazy, ugly squirrel), and I’ve loved watching him bat at, then grab for the little dangling “friends” above. He has some other toys (we put him to sleep with Mr. Scrapopulous, and of course there’s Mr. Elephant), but we have tried to keep toys at a minimum–especially since he doesn’t take much interest in the ones he has yet, and we have zero space left in our apartment. In theory, I would love for him to have only beautiful knit and wood toys, but we found ourselves in Babies R Us buying the most hideous butterfly with dayglow and rings and black and white stripes and mirrors and… all kinds of stimulating devices… not too long ago.

Books for Hudson: We didn’t register for any books, but I was still surprised that Hudson didn’t get very many. I wish he’d gotten more books and fewer clothes, but I’m not sure how one influences such things. I went out and got him The Very Hungry Caterpillar board book recently and he seems to really like it–especially because he can turn the thick pages. Our neighbor got us Goodnight Moon and we read it before bed every night. I can’t imagine our bedtime routine without it. So far the baby books we have are my favorite toys.

Books for us: Like most new parents these days, we are big fans of The Happiest Baby on the Block. We also have about half-a-dozen books on sleep that we read/skimmed trying to figure out where we stood on the whole parent-led/baby-led sleep issue (Ferber’s descriptions of sleep associations were most helpful in getting our bedtime routine down). We’ve also like Jo Frost’s book and the What to Expect the First Year (both gifts), and I would recommend a book on breastfeeding if that’s your plan. I’m often skimming books at Barnes & Noble or looking at AAP or Mayo Clinic or Baby Center online regarding milestones and care guidelines.

Burp Cloths: It seems we can never have too many of these. Cloth diapers work great, but we also have these super-soft ones from Giggle and a set from Aden + Anais that can become bibs when he’s older. They are my favorite–big and very absorbent–but the cloth diapers are more cost efficient.

Clothes: We didn’t register for any and still got a ton of clothes–far more than we needed for the summer. Most folks can’t resist picking out cute outfits for babies, and who can blame them? The only thing I might do differently? I might keep the sex of the baby a secret until after the shower. You might feel totally differently, but I’m not big on extra-gendered clothes (and actually love it most when babies wear white onesies). Hudson got a lot of shirts declaring him a “little slugger.” I was especially happy to have some kimono-style shirts on hand for times I didn’t want to tug something over his head (like these Giggle Better Basics short sleeve onesies).

Diaper Bag: See here.

Breastfeeding pillow: I can’t imagine doing without the My Brest Friend pillow, lent to me by a friend. It made things so much easier. Now Hudson sits on my lap or lays beside me, but I used that pillow non-stop in the first few months.

Memory keeping: We have been enjoying using this box. I also bought myself the 5 Year Diary which has small boxes for daily entries; I figured the limited lines would take some of the pressure off and make it easy to jot down simple notes like “Found toes!”

Tech: A really good camera and an IPad. I couldn’t do without our camera. And I was the very lucky recipient of an IPad when Hudson was born. I love being able to access the internet and read the newspaper with one hand. It’s better for consuming content then creating it, but I love it. I’m also incredibly grateful for AppleTV and streaming Netflix.

Bonus: It’s so awesome when friends and family help feed you in those first weeks. Our good friends sent us grocery delivery and we were so grateful.

What we haven’t missed (so far):

Diaper pail: We registered for (and were given) a Diaper Dekor, but ended up returning it when we saw how huge it looked in our apartment. Also, Hudson’s diapers don’t smell too bad yet and there’s a trash shoot in the hall, just a few doors down. We haven’t missed it (again with the caveat: yet).

Changing table: We first got a changing pad, but again found that it overtook our apartment. Instead, we brought home some of those waterproof pads from the hospital (we’re lucky that Aron can exchange them) and use the bed or floor as a changing station. We also use these for an easy-to-wash addition on many surfaces. Sometimes I wish I weren’t always bending down, but this has worked out just fine. I’m glad we decided to exchange the changing pad.

Baby monitor: We live in a studio apartment, so no need. But I do wish we had one for traveling.

We still plan to get:

Baby Bjorn Travel Crib
(and fitted sheet)

A high chair or maybe just the phil&teds Lobster Highchair to clip onto the table

A larger apartment

P.S. Many of you also had great suggestions in the comments on this post. Check it out for an additional reference. And here’s a list I made in a guest post!

Update: Since writing this, we got ourselves a video monitor–and I’m hooked! I love it and it’s going to be so nice for traveling. Also, we have the Inglesina clip-on chair for our dining room table. I wish it had a tray, but I think I can fashion one with a clear, plastic placemat. Finally, I don’t know what I did before getting an iPhone. If you can swing it…

[Images from giggle: ERGObaby Carrier, Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light, My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow, Puj Infant Sink Tub, Aden+Anais Swaddle Blankets via Baby Mine]

One of the best desserts I’ve ever had is sweet Asian mango served over coconut sticky rice on our honeymoon in Thailand. It may have been infused a bit with just-wed romance, but the combination of a truly ripe, sweet mango with the rich flavor of coconut milk can be better than so many more labor-intensive desserts.

The right mangoes for pairing with coconut sticky rice are only in season in the spring (start looking in April), but as soon as you spot some of these smaller mangoes (like the Ok-Rong and Nam-Dokmai; or the Manila, Ataulfo, or Alphonso mangoes) you should snatch them up and make some coconut sticky rice.

So–in sort of an odd tangent–I present you with an interesting alternative way to combine those flavors while you’re waiting for the right fruit to arrive. Remember the coconut doughnut I told you was so wonderful at Doughnut Plant? It reminds me so much of coconut sticky rice! I’ve always thought it would be great with ripe mango, but you can wash one down with a mango lassi for breakfast and get a jump on spring! (That is, if 65 degrees in NYC yesterday didn’t do it for you!)

For almost a year, since they opened, I have been meaning to get us up to the larger location of the Doughnut Plant in the Chelsea Hotel. We used to make occasional trips down to the original LES branch, but I have to admit that I usually found myself too impatient with the long line and too frustrated with the cramped space to really enjoy the doughnuts properly. So while the bright and shiny new space might seem a little too fancy-schmancy for die-hards (especially considering its presence in the Chelsea hotel), I really appreciated the quick-moving line, the room to stand, and–even better–the room to sit!

Of course the best bits are the doughnuts! The Doughnut Plant has been officially on the guidebook circuit ever since owner Mark Israel bested Bobby Flay in a throwdown. For years he made his grandfather’s yeast-raised doughnuts–often squared, with interesting glazes and fillings–but now the best known varieties are perhaps his cake doughnuts, the Tres Leches and the Blackout (with chocolate pudding in the cake). We could see why.

Going a little overboard, we got ourselves a half-dozen to sample (cha-ching!): From the cake selection, carrot cake (which tasted exactly like a slice would, down to the cream cheese frosting filling), salty peanut, tres leches and blackout. From the yeast selection, vanilla bean, pistachio, and coconut. The coconut was outstanding (something we already knew from previous visits), but I think I’d recommend the cake doughnuts over the yeast in general. We also tried the Mexican-style churro (different from the kind served in Spain). I agree with many that the Tres Leches was my favorite of all: seemingly simple like a glazed old-fashioned, but so fresh and buttery, and then surprisingly decadent with an injection of evaporated milk, condensed milk and cream.

Oh, nothing like a serving of doughnuts for a healthy lunch. Don’t tell Hudson I said that.