Gadgets and Gizmos A-Plenty

When I was expecting our first little one, he needed it all. The baby swing, baby carrier, baby EVERYTHING. My overthinking brain, along with the rest of the world and a touch of anxiety told me I had to be ultra prepared. And that meant I couldn't miss a thing. What kind of mom would I be if he didn't have the bath temperature reading duck? What kind of mom would I be if he didn't have the swing with 245 settings? Or if he had to use COLD wipes? The horror.

After my baby shower, I had a sea of goods overflowing my basement. Every baby item I could conjure up in my mind was there. I was beyond grateful for all my family and friends and their generosity. I was officially prepared, ready to mom hard.

Then he came, my adorable sweet boy. I had all of my gear ready to go. While a lot of the items were definitely nice to have on hand if needed, I quickly realized that a newborn baby really doesn't require much. The basics of diapers and wipes, along with necessities like a carseat and bassinet got me through those first few weeks. In fact, amidst all the fancy gear I now owned, one thing I didn't have enough of was newborn-sized pajamas. Calling my mom in tears, she quickly made a Target run to save the day.

By the time we had our second, I was much less stressed knowing I didn't need so much. Of course, this time around, with it being our first girl, I needed all the pink, all the bows, and all the mermaid glittery happiness. I also spent more time preparing spiritually, taking the time to do a daily rosary, which I know did more for baby girl than anything I could find on a shelf.

My prayer is if you are a first-time mom with a little one on the way, you truly enjoy each moment preparing for your sweet baby. Don't worry about anything beyond the basics. Even if you have gadgets and gizmos a-plenty, whosits and whatsits galore, there will always be something you have and don't need or need and don't have. If you do realize you missed something, we thankfully live in the days of Amazon Prime and Target same-day pickup. As long as there are loving arms to snuggle and a mom who cares, that baby will be just fine.