Originally Posted By DVC_dad <<< My advice is if you have bought the book, "What to Expect the First Year" throw it away. LOL All it will do is make you neurotic. >>> I could not agree MORE!!!
Originally Posted By DVC_dad <<<if Dad is sitting watching TV give him the baby and walk away, >>> I have to admit this is probably the best advice.
Originally Posted By tiggerdis_ Unless..... you wear a football jersey and pass the baby like a football! Just kidding - really
Originally Posted By beamerdog >>Also never tell dad what you think he is doing wrong because then you will end up with 24 hr baby duty<< Excellent advice!! Your baby will live thru backwards diapers just fine ;-) Try not to eat too many salads - you'll have a very gassy baby. If you end up bottle feeding, don't listen to anyone who says that it's not the "best" way for the baby. Every baby is different and has different needs, wants and abilities Oh, and I hung up whatever clothing I could. I'm a very visual kind 'o gal, and folding clothes in a drawer always ends up with a big mess.
Originally Posted By DVC_dad Being the father of 6 kids now, one of which is only a month old, and being the primary care giver, (God help them); none of them so far have turned out to be freaks, maniacs, or weirdos, I think we are in good shape. Now having said that I have this very serious advice for you. My Advice: Take all advice with a grain of salt. You were born knowing everything you need to know.
Originally Posted By MomofPrincess Always, always, always sleep when the baby sleeps. NO MATTER WHAT. The dishes and messes can wait. Sleep is CRITICAL! Trust me on this one. I literally spent the entire first year of my son's life in a fog. I had a clean house, but I was a zombie. And crabby. And not nearly as good/patient of a mother as I would've been with a messier house and more shut-eye. With my daughter, I was much wiser. And let me tell you, for the first time in nearly 11 years, I slept til 8:00 a.m. this past weekend. (That's sleeping in, by the way.) 11 years. Just remember that.
Originally Posted By MomofPrincess >>Read, read, read to your little one. You'll start a love for reading that will stick with them.<< Great advice. Also -- talk to them a lot. About anything! Just chit chat, the way you would an older child. (And it's okay to talk in a sing-songy way. In fact, I've read that that type of voice is beneficial to their development.) My kids were extremely early talkers, and so were the children of my friends who talked to them regularly. I have two other friends who are very quiet by nature, and I swear their children were 5 years old before I could understand them. This isn't to be mean, but I do wonder if their children would've spoken better/sooner if they had been spoken to a lot. (Or read to.) On second thought, I can't shut up my daughter now to save my life, so you might want to rethink the whole talking-to thing. LOLOLOL
