10 Necessities of Life

We have grown out of a lot of these things at this point, but in their prime, we couldn't live without them. 

1. Aden & Anias swaddling blankets: I poo-pooed these when my sister suggested them. Thirty bucks for 2 baby blankets? No thanks. Silly Nikki. I now have 6 of these. These are the ONLY blankets we use to this day. Big and soft and thin and breathable, they work perfectly for swaddling writhing screaming babies. Now that I don't have to tie him up in a straight-jacket, they also work great for a light summer blanket, protecting from the sun, and wrapping up for nap time.
2. A million burp cloths: I have a serious spitter on my hands, and even though you can't expect to make it through a day without being puked on, its nice to have lots on hand to wipe up the big puddles.
3. Pacifiers: Some babies have a hard time soothing themselves, and need to be sucking to calm down, Thad is one of them. A pacifier was a necessity for plugging the screaming. Now his fingers are his best friends, which is wonderful, cause pacifiers also suck (haha) because they disappear when you need them and have a magnetic attraction to the floor.
4. Stereo for baby room: A normal baby would probably enjoy sweet lullabies to fall asleep peacefully to. My child needed blaring static. Either way, you need a source. Now we are at quiet static, and someday we will be at sweet lullabies.
5. Boppy Pillow: Even a small baby gets heavy while nursing. Plus, there are other things to worry about, like proper latching, and not crying in pain.
6. Footie PJ's: I preferred these for Thad over the much-recommended elastic-bottom gowns. I think partly because he was big and sqirmy, the gown style always bunched up. 
7. Bouncer chair: Or some type of chair to hold the baby during shower time, or when a break was needed. Some babies love swings. Thad tolerated his cousin's borrowed swing, but was not in love with it. The bouncer chair holds his attention for a good 30 minutes on a good day. Plus, it has 6 awesome tunes that play over. And over. And over. And over. (And over)
8. Coffee: I don't think that one needs an explanation.
9. 3+ Nursing bras: I only have 3 this first time around, and will definitely invest in more next time. In those first couple of weeks there is some serious leakage going on, and it is miserable enough waking up repeatedly in the night, that you want to be able to change into a clean dry bra rather than going back to sleep in the soaked-through one you have on.
10. Spare sheets and changing pad covers: You never know when a disaster is going to happen, whether it involves puke, poop, or pee (the 3 P's) at 2:00 in the morning. No one wants to do laundry in the middle of the night, and it makes life easier to have more on hand.

I can't say that for baby number two any of these things are going to matter. But, I can say that next time around I am going to be much more prepared. I had done hours of reading "parenting" tips online, thought I was ready and knew what to expect. I WAS NOT READY. Nothing could have prepared me for the fury of Thad. The crying. The lack of sleep. The feeling of not knowing what to do. The pain while nursing. BUT, I want to do it again. I know that it couldn't be worse, and even if it is just as bad, I would know so much better how to handle it. I'm sure the next one will come with his own challenges, but knowing how challenging it can be is half the battle. Bring it on Thatcher, I'm ready for you bud!