What an exciting time for you!! Hope all is quiet for the next months and your delivery is quick and easy.

I always had plenty of receiving blankets as all my babies loved to be swaddled. I also liked the large bath sponges, which are perfect to put in the sink when the baby is still little and you don't want to use the baby tub. The type of baby monitor depends upon your preference. I always thought the video monitors would keep me watching the baby all night, so I never had one.
(I do remember one night with one of my guys when d/h and I were just punch-drunk exhausted. We were listening to the baby on the monitor, and I told him I wanted to just lean over and say "Hey baby, this is God. I am watching you, and it is time to get to sleep so your mama doesn't lose her mind.")
Hooded towels, washcloths, lots of onesies, socks for the tiny chilly feet, lullaby CDs, a bassinet or cradle, port-a-crib (great for in the house or if you are going visiting), bottles & nipples (even if you are nursing). Since you are having a winter baby, you might want a warm cover for the carseat. Don't know what it is called, but it is a blanket material and slides over to protect the baby from wind, etc.

Even though your shower is out of town, go ahead and register for everything! I've done showers for out-of-state friends and we have purchased things online at Babies R Us and had them shipped directly to the mom-to-be. At the shower we either wrapped a photo of the item we ordered, or wrote a poem so she could guess what was waiting for her when she got home.