Preparing for Baby

I feel like I have been going to a lot of baby showers lately, spending a lot of time in Buy Buy Baby, Babies R Us and Target.  I realize we are going to need to pull together a wishlist for our little guy when he's nearly here.  But he'll be a toddler.  I find that most baby stores cater to babies, of course.  Our little guy might not need diapers, or bottles, or a crib, etc.  But he'll still need a bed, ear thermometer, clothing, baby gates (and oodles of baby proofing stuff- toddlers are more mobile than babies!), etc.

I have totally been there, guy, why does Ikea always include "extra" pieces?

I was doing some online research (aka googling), and I found several great sites that let you register at more than one place.  This is ideal, because we'll need baby proofing items from Home Depot/ Lowes, a bed and other furniture from Ikea, a car seat, clothing, toys, etc all from different places.  We want a meta-registry that allows you to add things to your list from stores that don't have registries (Ikea & Costco).  
I think this meta registry format is best for us for several reason- 1. family/friends can choose to shop online or at a brick and mortar, 2. there is a store near you, no matter where you are in the country, 3. you can find the best price on items sold at multiple places
Here's run down of the meta-registries I found:
wishpot.com- great format, easy to find registries, easy to use
amazingregistry.com- I like that all the items are on one page, in three tiles across the page, can search by store
myregistry.com- I like that the registries are password protected- not just anyone on the internet can see it, though that is a hassle for friends and family who misplace it
thingsiwant.com- a brash site name, but an easy to use, though plain format

A great piece of advice I got from a friend: bring a friend who has a little one with you.  She'll know what great new stuff is out there and what you'll actually use/need.