Top 8 Things We Learned

These are the Top 8 Things we learned in the first month of Lydia's life. If anyone has any to add please let me know. I hope this saves some of my friends that are about to have babies a little bit of time.

1. Footie Pajamas: Understand that I am a Florida girl, I can barely wear socks most of the time without feeling a little suffocated. I can't stand having my feet tucked in under the covers and whenever possible I am in flipflops or barefoot. When I was a kid, I got some footie pajamas had such a fit that my parents cut the feet right off of them, I remember this clearly at about the age of 4 or 5. Therefore, the idea of putting anyone in footie pjs particularly my own child seemed insane, but these things are genius! A sockless way of keeping tiny feet warm!

2. Diaper Changing Pad Covers: We had one. Then Tracy gave us another one. So we had two. You need more. Babies poop. Babies poop a lot. Sometimes diapers don't hold everything in, please refer to item # 3: Diapers.One needs at least 3 of these covers. One in the laundry, the one that is now pooped on, and the last one to put on the cold plastic changing table pad. Didn't even consider it until we were elbow deep.

3. Diapers: After several pooptastic poopostions you begin to wonder how such a tiny little person makes so much waste and why diapers just don't hold in what they are designed to hold. Newborn diapers only work for a little bit. There is a weight limit on diapers, so once your baby is 8lbs move up to the size 1. Our preference in diaper is Pampers because other brands still leave us scrubbing poo out of footie pjs (see #1) and washing the Swing cover (see #6.)

4. Newborn Clothes: Everyone always buys bigger sizes for babies because the idea is that they grow so fast you want to be sure to get a couple of uses out of them. Great idea! And super thankful, but Lydia is a month old and she just fits into some of her 0-3. We had few items that were newborn and belly button friendly be sure to get a couple of things for those first couple of weeks. Dressing them is one of the small entertaining things for your as the mom, since most newborns don't do many tricks.

5. Book Reading: As a new parent you do a lot of things with one hand including feeding the little bundle of joy. When you settle in to read a book to the baby while you are feeding her, books that have little flaps to lift or those that just have a couple of pictures with a word are not as handy (no pun intended). The baby can focus on the picture and you can't open flaps with one hand. Books with stories are better for you and frankly, for the baby too.

6. Swing: Lydia loves her swing. She loves the movement of it and often sleeps the night in there while one of us ends up on the couch with her. She loves the fun animals and the many song settings. She not only sleeps in there but sometimes she is so comfortable she poops there too! She is safe and sound and entertained. The Swing wins our vote for the best baby gear item.

7. Fans: Lydia loves fans. In every room she looks up and stares. I think it's the dark and light shadows in the ceiling that mesmerize her so. I wonder if shadow puppets would be as amusing. I have some philosopher finger puppets, I should give it a shot.

8. Soap: Turns out baby soaps are NOT the most gentle soaps for babies. Seriously. Sigh. When we took Lydia into to her 1 month pediatrician visit she saw her baby acne which was already on the mend but she gave us samples of Dove Sensitive and Cetaphil both more gentle and less drying than baby soaps. Don't believe the hype on Johnson and Johnson! Oh and lavender is even more irritating for babies skin not soothing!