Motherly Advice Part I

So, having been a mom for a year I feel like I can finally write down a list of things I learned from being a mom this past year. My friends who became pregnant after me ask their friends, including me, on advice of the best things to buy, what to purchase before you have the baby, what you can wait on, what things I never thought I would use that I now realize I couldn't have lived without, and so on. So, some motherly advice that if I could turn the clock back to August 2010, I would give myself.

In no particular order...

1) Buy bibs with snaps, not velcro
The velcro, unless you make sure (which is hard to do) that all of them are latched together before they go into your dryer or else they will stick to everything. And, eventually your child will learn that if she pulls hard enough, she can rib the bib from her neck. Snaps...not so much.

2) Buy bibs that are waterproof
Yes, children are drooly and messy. Unless you want to change your kids clothes 3-4x a day, use waterproof bibs.

3) Amazon.com/mom is your savior
It's amazing. You will have the UPS man coming to your house several times a week. Get the amazon.com pricechecker app for your phone and use it whenever you feel like buy something in the store...then realize you can get it cheaper on amazon (if you don't mind waiting 2 days for it).

4) Making baby food isn't as involved as you think
I know a lot of moms are busy and can't make their own baby food, no biggie, I'm not anti-jar food -- I could actually care less what other people feed their kids. But, if you have the time or can spend an evening or two a month making food, go for it. Buy a steamer or use the old fashioned steam basket and blend away, then freeze away. I had a great time doing it for Ella and they're not on pureed food for very long.

5) Don't register for a gazillion diapers in a gazillion sizes
I know a few girls who registered for diapers up to size 6. What??? First question, how do you even know the brand you registered for will be the best for your baby? I've heard some moms swear by Pampers (which we use) and some by Huggies and some by a CVS or Target brand. And, last time I checked diapers come in some huge packages...where are you going to store all of these until the kid is 2+ years old? I don't even know how old you are when you're in size 6 diapers. Ella is 1 and we're still in size 3.

6) Never shut your cellphone off
I don't care if I'm in a business meeting. if something is wrong with my daughter, I want to know. Tell whomever is watching your child that you'll be in a meeting but if something happens, you can be available.

7) Get a housecleaner
I hired my housecleaner when Ella was a few months old and it was the best decision ever. She comes every other week and she's a God send. Plus, she's an amazing woman and we love her so much so Ella has enjoyed seeing her and playing games with her as well.

8) Don't get a million stollers
We really didn't need our travel system stroller. In hindsight I would have just used my carseat with my snap and go, and then went straight into an umbrella stroller or used my jogger. The good thing about the travel system stroller is that it's better for indoors rather than the jogger, and you can store more things in there and it's more comfortable, but do we really need it? Not really.

9) Don't make a big deal out of things before they're a big deal
I brought Ella to the pool today and I was there by myself for the majority of the time. The night before we went I was wondering how I would get changed afterwards, and where I would put her, and if I should bring her float and if it would be crowded. I didn't spend a ton of time thinking this, but these questions certainly went through my head. In the end, it was a breeze and I worried for nothing.

10) Don't ever feel like you should turn off your mom-instincts...ever
There have been a few instances where I thought...should I really tell that person to wash their hands before they hold Ella? Or, should I really sit near Ella and help her play with the kids who are older because they're playing a bit rough and she's much smaller than them? Or, hey, that stranger is going in to kiss my daughter...maybe I should shove her away :) Regardless of it's little or big, you're the baby's mom and you and the dad make decisions, nobody else. Do whatever you want to do even if it goes against your family or friend's opinions.

I'm sure I'll have a gazillion more. Maybe this is why I'm going back to title it Motherly Advice Part I.