Baby Things I've Learned

So here's a few things I've learned so far from being a Mom:

• Hang a towel or baby blanket over open doors so Ethan doesn't smash his fingers or lock himself in a room.
• Gripe Water is wonderful to have for gas, especially when the baby is really young.
• VentAid bottles are awesome since they prevented colic for Ethan.
• Graham Crackers and GoldFish are must to have on hand!
• There are a few great Baby Einstein DVDs to have: On The Go, My First Signs, Baby Noah(love all the animal shots in this one!) They help me get the laundry done and other chores around the house. It's been fun to sit with Ethan and watch them, working on words and learning sign language.
• Learning the signs Eat, Drink, More, Milk, and Bath have been great for Ethan. He is starting to do them back to me.
• Refill sippy cups all day and keep them close to the baby, to avoid constipation.
• A teddy bear that makes the heartbeat sound in your womb was a huge help for a sleeping baby.
• Make sure to have some Touch and Feel books, mostly animal ones. Those have been Ethan's favorite first books.
• Hooks on the cabinet doors and plastic outlet covers are essential when the baby gets crawling.
• Playing soft church music at night is wonderful. It probably sounds like the celestial home to the baby:)
• Hats and sunblock are a must for going out in the Vegas summers.
• Its nice to have the big SUV strollers, and then a good, little collapsible one.
• Bumper pads for the crib were pretty, but I took them out because I was just afraid of him rolling into them and suffocating.
• I love getting Ethan 100% cotton baby blankets. Sure, there are alot of cutsie, fluffy blankets, but they don't feel as nice as the cotton to me.
• Orajel, Orajel, Baby Tyelnol, and Orajel for teething!!
• Oatmeal cereal, not rice. Rice caused constipation.
• Our bed made a nice, big changing table, and it was free.
• Definitely a portacrib than a bassinet. The portacrib is more useful. Ethan slept in our room in his portacrib for the first two months, and we've used the crib on trips.
• Don't buy big stuff brand new at stores. People sell them practically new on Craigslist and for tons cheaper. We got our stroller, big crib and portable crib, car walker, and more off Craigslist.

I'm sure I will think of more, but that's the top stuff I've learned so far.