Baby Week: The Baby Owner's Manual - Not Just a Gag Gift

The first wedding my husband attended was his own, so it came as no surprise that the first time he ever really encountered a baby was when we decided to have one. Sure, friends of ours had already taken the plunge, but he refused to hold them until their necks firmed up a little. Even then he had to have every little sigh and exclamatory breath explained. So when, at our first baby shower, he received The Baby Owner's Manual, he took it very seriously. I thought it was cute and watched him get calmer and calmer with each page, knowledge certainly seemed to be power. There were still a few "jaw hitting the floor" moments in birthing class and again at the actual birth, but he felt a bit more prepared with this book under his belt.

Turns out we relied on it a lot more than either of us thought we would. Some nice tips on newborn poop and acne that don't generally come up in the oohing and aahing sessions proved helpful. Most helpful however, was the sleep guide. We followed the sleep patterns in this book religiously, and hence at 3 months we had a son who slept from 10pm till 5am. Then 9pm till 5.30am. Then 8pm till 6am. He has been a solid 7pm till 7am man for most of his short life. Until he learned how to climb out of the Pack n' Play, he was also able to nap and sleep anywhere. Friend's house for New Year's - no problem. Camping trip in July - easy. Now certainly sleep patterns are attributable to the individual child, but a big chunk of their ability to sleep comes from how the parents deal with it. In our case we just followed the book and will forever extol the virtues of The Baby Owner's Manual. It is an addition to every baby shower gift we buy now, along with the Tide stain stick!

This book walks you through a year in the life of your developing baby, from how to hold and swaddle a newborn, through transitioning to solid foods, and that first haircut. Chapters and their content are presented under such headings as "Feeding: Understanding the Baby's Power Supply" and "Tracking the Baby's Motor and Sensory Applications." For anyone looking to find a logical way of approaching their impending parenthood, this book provides a great introductory course. Of course, once the newborn actually gets here most of that logic goes out of the window!