This post is sponsored by Carter’s; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

For the almost two years that we were in the adoption process, waiting on our precious babe to arrive, I started collecting baby wardrobe essentials so I’d feel organized for what I was calling “operation baby day!”. Through our adoption agency we were told that it was possible to get a 48 hour warning call that there was a baby, and that baby would be coming home with us! The idea of that sent my “make ALL the lists” brain into overwhelm. So, like any good expecting mom, I started reading all the blog posts, bargain books, and visiting multiple stores. In those days I also did late-night online browsing to help with ideas.

In the early days I was on a mission to build a gender neutral baby wardrobe, with primarily white, grey, and teal items.I love that Carter’s has a Baby Neutral section. I still get his staples from that area. I’m hoping this will save us dollars on future kiddo’s wardrobes.  As soon as I started seeing all of the options, hello monkey feet PJs, my color preference quickly expanded. We added greens, orange (see those Carter’s PJs above), yellow, and a whole bunch of animals to baby’s growing closet.

Some of the pieces we loved so much in smaller sizes that we ended up buying again when he got bigger. The bodysuit pictured here is size Newborn and the footless PJ is size 6 months. Fun fact, our guy is only 4 months but he’s already wearing 9 month clothes. I will say I’m glad we didn’t buy holiday specific clothes prematurely, since I don’t know what size he’ll be in.

Fast forward to April 2016 when we found out we were having a BOY, our friends and family decided this guy needed multiple stylish ensembles. I love the mix-and-match options with Carter’s. How cute is this are these newborn fall clothes?

Did you know that Carter’s in the creator of the Original Bodysuit? I did not. But, I’m thinking my aunt may have known this fact. When she came to meet the little guy in the first couple of weeks she brought him so many cute bodysuit sets. In usual Carter’s fashion they came in fun little sets with pants and/or a cardigan. Question, is it possible to see a baby cardi and not “squeeee”? What about a dino hoodie?

Whether you’re on the countdown to “operation baby day”, buying for a friend, or already have a squish in your home, here are some of my must-have baby wardrobe essentials.

• Variety of bodysuits: on most days our little guy wears just a bodysuit and a diaper. They are so versitile and comfortable for him to play around in. He is pretty active, so we have many blurry leg photos like the one spotted with the dinosaur bodysuit. When shopping for bodysuits we look for:
  • Fun patterns to show off his (errm or my) personality
  • Clever sayings (the majority of dude’s wardrobe). With our line of work, we are particularly drawn to hashtag and other nerdy sayings.
  • Solid colors for mixing and matching with other pieces
• PJs
  • I prefer the ones that zip, rather than snap. We do still put him in the footie variety, but we may switch to the separates soon. There are so many print options in PJs as well.
• Pants
  • There are so many choices in this category, I found that I like the fabric stretchy kind and they are easiest to get on and off over diapers. Oh, and don’t get me started on how cute all of the pants are with little animals on the butt!
• Add-ons. Carter’s calls these Little Extras
  • Depending on the time of year your little is born you’ll need a variety of add-ons such as: socks, shoes, bibs, and hats. We go through way more bibs in a day than clothes, btw.

We are fortunate that there are several Carter’s stores close to us in the Dallas area.

Wondering where the nearest Carter’s is to you? Check their Store Locator. I know he’s going to love this display at the checkout when he gets older. For now, it entertains dad.

Their website and email list are also excellent places to plan your tiny human’s fashion selection. Checkout the baby clothes section here.

*Carter’s GIVEAWAY/SAVINGS and More*

From now until September 8th, Carter’s is having a fun giveaway. Checkout #originalbodysuitsweepstakes on Instagram and Twitter. We also have a coupon to share with you.

Carter’s will be celebrating its ownership of the Original Bodysuit on September 8th in a social media takeover. It’s easy to enter, you just need to post an image of your little guy or gal one wearing a favorite bodysuit on Instagram and/or Twitter with the hashtag #originalbodysuitsweepstakes for a chance to win a $100 Carter’s gift card.

The sweepstakes will begin at 10am EST and end at midnight (11:59pm EST). 3 winners will be selected, at random, EVERY hour – which means there will be 42 opportunities to win.