mom smarts

these are some things i've picked up over the last several months.

1. diapers.com is awesome
2. amazon.com/mom is pretty awesome too (think about their subscribe & save option)
3. a lingerie bag is the best way to not lose baby socks/mittens in the laundry
4. sleep sheep, snuggle nest, and a white noise machine are invaluable tools for getting a baby to sleep
5. stuffed animals should go through the wash tied up in a pillowcase to protect them
6. a cheap plastic shower curtain does a good job of containing the mess when a baby starts feeding himself with a spoon
7. a dog does a great job of cleaning up messes that cheap shower curtains on the floor miss
8. even if it's hot, a toddler should wear pants on a walk so they don't scrape their legs up climbing stairs and falling down on pavement
9. the older the baby gets the more into snuggling they seem to be
10. going to the playground before work/daycare is totally awesome
11. a hair brush or a toothbrush can be a great toy, as can a dixie cup, car key, remote control, shoe, cardboard box, unopened pregnancy test, spoon, etc ... pretty much anything other than medication or sharp objects really
12. they are smarter than you give them credit for and are always listening so watch what you say
13. once they start walking, they are often running the opposite direction you'd like
14. gripe water is your friend
15. cloth diapers weren't the terrible burden everyone seemed to think they'd be
16. infancy wasn't as hard as i though it would be but parenting overall is more exhausting than i imagined
17. that cliche about "it was all worth it" is totally true. nothing is better than being a mom.