I was going through some very old emails and found one from my friend Lisa who was pregnant at the same time as I was when we had our first boys. “I found this baby shopping list helpful, although surprisingly anal,” she wrote as she forwarded an email with an attachment from another mom friend of hers. The attached list was in excel and it had 148 rows, each representing an item that might be bought by a very prepared new parent, from a portable bottle warmer to a nursing shawl. From where I sit now, it seems ridiculously silly.
It reminded me that I want to point new readers to our Rookie Mom’s Shopping List where we highlight what to register for, what to buy, and what to borrow. I really get you if you are thinking, “Yuck, I don’t want to borrow anything for my special new baby. I want it straight from the store with all the cute packaging.” Ok, to each her own. Perhaps it takes a veteran parent to appreciate the short life of a Gymini or Bumbo.
So, do as you please, but purchasing 148 new items for your household is sure to break the bank. Before you head out for Babies R Us, check our list. And if you have already finished your rookie year, check our list and see what you think. Any must-haves missing?
From the category archives:
Geeky
Activity #584: Make a list and check it twice and again in a year
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Activity #499: Honor yourself with a Mama Merit Badge
Today I saw an infant carrier whose plastic parts had been stickered by an obviously much older sibling with punk rock and skateboard stickers. The upholstery had a patch sewn onto it, Beastie Boys proudly displayed just above the infant’s head. Very cool, I thought, a car seat with “flare”. Then, I spotted these on Nested. I LOVE THIS IDEA! Add flare to my diaper bag to commemorate significant episodes in my life as a mother? You betcha. The badges come in ten skills, allowing you to boast about your motherhood survival skills on airplane rides, shopping trips, through diaper blow-outs and temper tantrums. Do you breastfeed? Give yourself a badge!
From the Mama Merit Badge website:
mama merit badges was started as a response to the dearth of authentic recognition for the very hard work of mothering. Overly sentimentalized depictions of motherhood belie the actual daily duties that alternately feel like drudgery, brave political acts, and absurd performance art. This irreverent award system invites public dialogue about and visual recognition for the unpaid and often ignored labor that is parenting.
The badges are 1½ inches, iron on, and 100% embroidery. They can be worn on your diaper bag, purse, tote, jacket, jeans, scarf or baby carrier. Stick them on your wall, fridge or bulletin board.
How awesome is that?
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Activity #402: Dump your purse
Spill it. What’s in that thing? Anything slimy? Anything that would make your former (cooler) self completely embarrassed?
I tend to spend a lot of time with my son that my husband doesn’t witness… he has a fulltime job, you see, and probably imagines that what he doesn’t see simply doesn’t happen.
This means I have a few tricks up my sleeve (often in the form of portable snack food) that he doesn’t know about; it also means I’m hoarding some pretty weird stuff in my stylish tote purse that I carry every day (courtesy of Whitney that she probably now wishes she could rip from my hands and retire, but she can’t cuz she made it).
Yesterday (while not with baby), I found:
- a mini board book
- Holden’s socks and Robeez
- a pacifier on a leash
- some bubbles with a cool wand
- a miniature slinky
- some Veggie Booty in a ziplock
Now you have the option to streamline your purse (and thus your life) or just laugh at yourself and reload. Or make some piles, compost what was left inside, and move on
There’s also a flickr cluster for the voyeuristic purse-dumpers among you.
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Activity #561: Track your new mama milestones
When we look back in 25 years, we will marvel that our babies have become adults who drive cars and earn their own paychecks. (Here’s hoping!)
You probably have a baby book to track your bambino’s progress through the first year: sitting up, crawling, first tooth, and so on.
But how will you remember your rookie year? After all, it’s filled with important experiences that will one day make you a veteran mom, capable of coaching soccer, chaperoning school dances, and sending annoying e-mail reminders about unwritten thank-you notes.
Trust us: One day you’ll look back on the early days of motherhood and it will be hard to remember them. We’ve given you this chart to remind you that Mommy’s first full night of sleep is at least as important as baby’s first banana. These classic mama milestones are worth documenting: Rookie Moms Milestones [pdf]
[excerpted from The Rookie Mom's Handbook by Quirk Books]
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