Top ten

Our next door neighbors' baby boy was born this week. I felt a tad nostalgic. Ethan was so cuddly, and soft. Then I remembered how he really needed his "4th trimester," and how LOUD a little 8 pounder can be. I was thinking it would be kind of fun to write the 10 things I now know about babies that would have been good to know, rather than figuring out as we went along.

These are in no particular order.

1. Baby poop comes in all sorts of colors. Green (believe it or not) is nothing to be worried about.
2. It is okay for baby to sleep at night in his car seat. Sleeping is the important issue not where.
3. Cribs are not necessary for the first 3 months of life.
4. A cradle/co-sleeper is essential. I think for our next baby I'd like to get a cradle that attaches to the side of the bed.
5. Breast lanolin is useless and babies don't like it. At least mine didn't like it.
6. Gel pads rock and are a necessity for the 1st 2 weeks of breast feeding.
7. Buy a breast pump before baby is born. It will be necessary to stimulate flow and to allow hubby to feed baby.
8. Sleep when you can get it. This is really hard to do as an adult, but you eventually become so exhausted you can sleep during the day/sitting up on the couch.
9. Swaddling is an art form. I never perfected it, but Josh did.
10. Really check out the activity mat, bouncy seat, and swing you register for. Look at how the baby will be buckled in. Look at the toys (do they look like dog chew toys?)

That's just some of the things I have learned over the last 7 months.