Countdown to One. 7 Days to Go!!

A new mom is never 100% prepared to have her first child. At least not emotionally I don't think, and I was definitely no exception. Sure you hear tons of people try to tell you what it's going to be like, mostly because they think you want them to tell you their scary stories so that you can grasp what it is coming, but each new Mom's experience is so different from each other that no one really can tell you how it's going to be. The one thing I got out of all of it, as I prepared myself mentally for becoming a mom, was that whatever the journey had in store it was going to be exactly what I could handle. That it was going to be amazing. That it is going to be the hardest yet most rewarding thing I could ever do in my life. And it has been. I may not always know what to do but somehow it always works out. Because I couldn't do it all by myself though, I thought I'd give thanks to all the things that made my life easier this year. Yes that's right, I said things. And whoever came up with them, you are my hero!

No. 1: The Binky!! - in the beginning weeks doctors say pacifiers help keep baby safe from SIDs because it forces them to keep breathing. Now, it keeps from sudden infant crying ;0) that one will be hard to break but it's been worth it so far.
No. 2: Velcro Swaddler - only thing that calmed Vincent down enough to sleep through the night from months 2-7. It was a total life saver.
No. 3: Gerber Gentle Formula - saved my baby boys tummy when he was having issues with gas.
No. 4: Kirkland brand wipes from Costco - best kept mom secret. Seriously. They are thick, they don't have any smell and they stay wet even if you forget to close the lid on them all day!Oh and they're only like $20 for 900!!
No. 5: Grippy socks - keeping toesies warm and feet from slipping as they insist on climbing up on everything!
No. 6: Binky strap. & depending on the kind of strap it is, it totally works to keep toys rounded up and attached to high chairs for loads of entertainment that you don't have to keep picking up off the floor ;0)
No. 7: Camera phone - to catch all l those Kodak moments of course!!
No. 8: Glider rocking chair - without this my baby boy would never have gone to bed soundly.
No. 9: Diaper Genie - dirty diapers are yucky, this thing keeps the smell away and keeps them all loaded up and ready to take out at a moments notice.
No. 10: Space Saver bags - for keeping all the outgrown clothes and shoes stored neatly and cleanly.

All of this makes for a happy Mom and a happy little guy. A little man actually, whose new favorite thing is to give big hugs and who is about to turn one in ONE week!!! Ahhh!! Did the clock speed up for December or something..? Geez!!