Wow..that’s all I can say. So as I’ m writing this I’m looking around at the top things magazines and the media say are “must haves” for new moms, to see where my items might be comparable. All I have to say is “WOW”. There is a good chance that since my list is so CRAZILY different that either I’m nuts..or they have never had real live kids. So far places like MSNBC and Parents.com have listed things like a alchohol breast milk test, a turtleneck breast feeding dress, and eco friendly diaper bags. Ok, friends, as much these things might be appealing to have on hand (Specially if you want to drink three martinis then breast feed…which is insane.) they don’t make your crazed life that much easier. So, my friends, here is a list of my own top “must haves” of my own.
1.)
FISHER PRICE NEW BORN ROCK AND PLAY SLEEPER ~ $40-$50
I bought this nifty thing on Amazon when I was scoping out things to help make my manic baby filled days a tad easier to navigate. I am so very glad I did. It’s a very simple contraption, but this thing was a miracle. It’s really comfy and straps the little one in. My Ava wouldn’t sleep flat on her back. Refused. This kept her upright just enough to keep her comfortable and helped her sleep for HOURS on end. The sleeper is light and easy to drag from one room to the other..so baby can watch whats going on…she’s elevated enough to catch a glimpse of the action around her. It rocks…which is awesome for when they need just a bit of movement without letting them fall asleep in a swing. Lastly, this sucker is as portable as it gets. It doesn’t take up much room at all when it folds flat and fits in the trunk easy for those trips to grandma’s. When you travel there’s nothing better than never having to worry about a bed (for nap time or night time) for your tiny one.
2.)
PREGGIE POPS ~ $4-$25
These lovely little licks are great for more than just morning sickness. (Ginger candies work well too.) After the little peanut is born you won’t be eating right, sleeping well, your activity level will be all over the place….and nausea is only a part of the ailments you’ll be feeling. But you don’t have to put up with it. If you’re like me and have an issue with Pepto (is makes me feel worse for some reason) these candies are just the help you need to shake off the sickly feeling and function on all 5 cylinders (lets face it…unless you have tiger blood you aren’t firing on all 8.) Oh yeah…and they taste yummy too.
3.)
LAVENDER BABY OIL ~ $3-$10
I know ya’ll are rolling your eyes and saying’ “duh”. . . but I’m serious. The lavender, as I’m sure you know, has such a soothing scent for moms and babies alike. As the first year comes and goes you’ll find your skin freaking out…drying up. Same with the babies. They have these wrists and ankles that are only creases in baby chub right now…if you don’t keep an eye on them they will dry out and become painful for the baby. Their skin is so paper thin and delicate that it needs constant attention and moisture. The oil will sooth the skin and senses…making it easier for the baby to relax. And for me, when things got rough and the lack of sleep was getting to me..there is nothing like a sweet smelling baby to calm the nerves. For mommy…pour it in your bath, rub it in during the day, have the other half rub it into your feet, smooth it on the stretch marks (oh come on we all have one …or ten). There will never be a day where it doesn’t seem to make at least one moment a little brighter somehow.
4.) 
OSCAR BLANDI DRY SHAMPOO ~ $11-$23
This stuff is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. As a mom of children of any age (let alone the functional zombie parent of a newborn) sometimes taking showers or washing your hair gets pushed back until everything for everyone else is finished. Throw this baby into your diaper bag and thank the style gods for the gift of Blandi’s dry shampoo. A few sprays of this on your roots and a couple quick shakes of the hair and viola… no more smelly, greasy, shapeless hair. You now smell like lemon, look like you washed, and have no shame walking into a last minute meeting or lunch (dinner?) knowing that just 15 short minutes ago you were sporting a half bun with baby food and this mornings grossness all up in your tresses. Being a mommy isn’t always easy, but give yourself a break. I promise you’ll be kissing the can within the first month.
5.) 
HELLO FLAWLESS by BENEFIT ~ $17-$34
Along the same “throw in the diaper bag” Godsend as the above mentioned shampoo is Benefits “Flawless”. This compact of beautylicious booty is a life saver. I keep it in the diaper bag or car ALWAYS. There are a good handful of days where putting on makeup is so far from a priority it isn’t funny. This product is a bit ‘o’ magic. Five seconds and it gives you a smooth finish. No cake face. No crazy mask lines. No mess, no fuss. Baby decided to give you 5 minutes to get ready for work instead of your coveted 30? No problem. You’ve been given the rare chance to go grocery shopping or found a babysitter at the last minute for a date with the hottie you claim..swipe this on and feel confidant you’re putting your best face forward. (Better yet, this stuff wont rub off on baby’s hands or face…so smooch that little munchkin!)
6.) 
CRABTREE & EVELYN HAND SANITIZER ~ $10-$15
Honestly, any sort of sanitizer will work just fine. Keep small ones in your purse, your car, the diaper bag, the kids book bags. The amount of germs we pick up every day is horrid. Ya know those Lysol commercials..where one hand has germs and touches the phone/door handle/ect ..you see the blue or green germs spreading from the hand to the object it touched..then the kid comes in and goes to grab the infected object. Yeah…that happens all day. Keep your baby/kids/yourself clean and gross free… sanitize often. I personally love Crabtree & Evelyn. It’s so moisturizing…it’s like putting on a glove..a cleansing fabulous smelling glove. I believe with all my heart that a woman needs little treats for herself. This is one of mine.
7.) 
PANDORA~ $0
Yes, hot mama’s everywhere, this one is FREE! 
We love that. There are countless of toys and gizmos that will play music for our angels. MP3′s that will sing them to sleep. But every baby is different and there is no telling what one will take to more than most. Sure classical is an easy bet. For me, though, my first born loved the sound of country music. The slow ballads….mostly the sound of their sweet voices. My girl, on the other hand, floats of to Nod to Bob Dylan and Billy Joel every time. Pandora allows you to stream music from your phone or computer (or even your tv!) You can customize your channel to your baby’s desires. It will automatically find songs and artists like the ones you’ve dictated and keep those tunes coming. For us it means a less noisy car ride, happier baby, and just a bit more sleep time. And that is just about as priceless as it gets.
8.) 
LITTLE TUMMY’S GRIPE WATER~ $6
My little girl was two months premature. One of the problems we had with her was excessive gas. Poor baby was in so much pain it made me cry right along with her. I tried so many things. One day I was talking to a lady at a health store and she pointed me in the direction of the gripe water. These are little drops of heaven. They helped with gas, upset tummy, hiccups, general fussiness, colic. Most any ailment their food source can give them. And when you’re a breast feeding mother…sometimes you just don’t know which bite you took (or didn’t take) which may have caused it.
9.) 
BABY GAMI by Andrea Cornel Sarvady~ $6-$10
Man, I don’t know about you but it took me absolutely forever to learn how to swaddle. My baby was a escape artist. I could never keep her tucked in. This cute little book taught me how do wrap her up nice and cozy without her wiggling out. It was so adorable the little facts and such it has in there about wrapping and slings. Those pictures? Too cute. Made me take a few of my own of my swaddled angel. I passed it on to my husband, mom, and sister when they would watch the baby so they could catch on too. Swaddling is a huge must for a happy newborn…so gift this to the new mom in your life. She’ll love it too.
10.) 
VIDEO BABY MONITOR~ $100-$250
This product is a sanity saver for me. Baby monitors have come a long way since my son was a baby. Those crazy walkie-talkie like things did everything from pick up neighbors phone conversations to project so much white noise it made you dream of the Poltergeist when you left it by your head at night. Now you can have your video camera (and there are many out there with multiple cameras) mounted on the wall looking over your baby’s bed. Most come with a clear LCD screen that will zoom in and out. Most video camera rotate and tilt…they also have night vision! I’m a “breath checker”. I have to see or feel my babies breath multiple times while they sleep. Heck, my son is 8 and I still poke him to make sure he moves. With this I could zoom in to check on her and continue without having a panic attack or waking her up. Win-Win for everyone.
