ten things // the new moms edition

So many friends are having babies now ... hooray! At least one little boy will be joining the ranks of the gang that's being formed between my friends and I (now there's four and counting ...) and I just can't wait for them to all start playing WITH each other instead of just next to each other!

I don't profess to be a baby expert, but in the almost five months Owen's been here, I've figured a few things out that I wanted to write down, in case anyone else wanted to know!

01 // Go with the glass Gerber bottles. We went through several other varieties (because of me, really) that were plastic but BPA-free and still dishwasher-safe. Turns out we like using the glass ones the best. The Gerber brand cost less (like $5 for three!), can be washed in the dishwasher, and withstand dropping without breaking. Not that I'd know.

02 // Buy the huge box of wipes. We ended up with a few gift cards after the baby shower, and I bought the $15 box of wipes. We're still using them. Genius!

03 // The Diaper Genie is your friend. I wasn't a believer, and then I was gifted one. We were going to just use a lidded trash can. I was such a fool! The Diaper Genie is my savior!!

04 // Bring your camera everywhere. I'm a first-time mom, so I take more pictures than some other moms, but I also carry our big SLR everywhere I go, and I'm so glad I do! We've gotten great shots at grandma's house, on walks to the park (like the one above I took on our walk this week when it was like springtime outside) and even at Target!

05 // Register for the stuff you'll want/need at four months to one year. I didn't do this, and we got lucky that Owen had Christmas when he was four months, so we still got some of the big stuff. You'll want that high chair and exer-saucer before you know it!

06 // Speaking of high chairs, unpack it immediately. Did you know most are made to recline for newborns now as well, so you can set them inside it while you're dancing around the kitchen?! We didn't, and when I finally unpacked ours I was dismayed to learn I could have been getting him used to it from day one!

07 // Grab the hospital nose-sucker. It works better than anything you get in those health care kits. Trust me.

08 // Zip-up footed sleepers. Clearly the folks who make the ones with snaps have never had to change a wiggly newborn at 3am - the zippered ones will become the first ones you put on each night, even if you don't like the patterns as much!

09 // We bought two six-packs of white socks; do the same. All those cute baby socks with the adorable patterns are great, but they don't actually go with any of the clothes you'll end up with. Having a dozen pairs of white socks has worked out great!

10 // Don't buy any blankets. You will get ten thousand of them, whether you register for them or not. Fleece blankets, swaddling blankets, thermal blankets, handmade blankets; we have so many blankets we have a bin of them we haven't even used yet! You will use blankets all the time, don't misunderstand me. You just don't need to buy any!