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When I was at the end of my pregnancy, I went on a warpath of googling every baby layette list I could find.  I think it was a nesting instinct, because I could not stop myself, and I tried!

In hindsight, there were a handful of things that I needed that no one said to get.  I guess they’re pretty minor, but all of them have made my world a more functional place.  Here we go.

Batteries:  Oh my God, how many batteries will you need.  All those toys that light up and play the most horrific music you will never be able to remove from your head require tons of batteries, which leads me to my next item.

Tools:  You’ll need tiny Philips Head and Flathead Screwdrivers to get the backs off of all those toys.  Hide them, stash them.  Don’t let the man take them away from you.

Dust Buster:  I could go on for pages about the Dust Buster.  Oh, beautiful Dust Buster, I cannot live without you.  Kid’s chucked Cheerios all over the house for the 32908432043289 time?  Dust Buster!  Need to clean up under the table after the first night with spaghetti?  Dust Buster!  (Read this w/the Ghost Buster Theme in you head:  Who you gonna call, Dust Buster!)  Go ahead and get the Wet/Dry Dust Buster.  Once sippy-cups come into play, you’ll need it.

Dark/Heavy Curtains For La Nursery:  All those times when you need a moment of mommy-sanity, and it’s nap time - you need dark curtains.  I bought these beautiful white curtains that matched the crown molding my dad put up in the nursing.  I was thrilled, walking around big and pregnant (See pic above, it was the most flattering I could find), sitting in that room with the white curtains looking so lovely and clean.  Once Buttercup came, I hated those curtains with a passion.  I changed them out for dark blue ones PRONTO.  Once nap time comes, you just pull those beautiful curtains shut, and the nursery becomes a dark soothing place to sleep in.  It helped.  Get dark curtains.

Quality Vacuum:  Register for vacuum of the year:  the most expensive vacuum you/your friends and relatives can afford.  Once Buttercup started crawling all over the place, the vacuum became key.  Those tiny bits of whatever, little one will find them and stick them in her mouth.

Noise Maker:  We live in the city.  Actually, we live very near our downtown district where they have outdoor music, parades, and all kinds of noisy stuff.  The street factor wakes Buttercup up still.  Once we bought a noise maker, you know the kind, the one that makes sounds like the ocean, the wind, the rain, etc, it all became easier.  It might be a crutch, but it saved us a lot of grief.

CrockPot:  Finally, my crock pot has kept my family from starving.  Really, as my mother would say, it’s Irish cooking.  You throw it all in one pot; you get the nutritious benefits of it all with half the hassle.  Pot roasts, roasted chicken, red sauce, chicken and dumplings, soups and stews, pork barbeque, chili, vegetables and side dish, the list goes on and on.  You can make your rice, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes or whatever starch you want on the side.  I’ve found that if you want a good gravy, the crock pot is the way to go anyway.  You just let it cook all day, lift the meat and vegetables out, add a little flour or milk, whisk the heck out of it, and you’ve got a spectacular gravy.  Also, we have a gas stove - can’t get an electric because of our service, and it saves us a mint in gas costs.  I truly think even my French grandmother would approve!