Top 10 Baby Must-Haves: A Guide for Soon-to-be Parents

All of us first-time parents have been there - you walk into your local Target or Babies R' Us to register for your first ever baby shower, and you stop dead in the doorway, thinking to yourself, "Where do I start?" or "How do I know what this baby is going to need?" This is a list of the things that I found that I could not survive my baby's first year without.

1) Bouncer - Extremely useful for when the child cannot sit on his/her own yet, and the best part is about them is that you can carry it room to room with you. We had the Fisher-Price Soothing Massage Bouncer, and it was lifesaver - it had a rolling massager to give baby a gentle back massage, it had a vibrate setting, plus played soothing music for baby. A great buy, and a must-have!

2) Exersaucer - Once baby is at an age where he/she can hold up their head on their own, it may be time to purchase an exersaucer. Filled with lots of toys to keep baby occupied, it helps strengthen baby's core, back and leg muscles. Today, some exersaucers have the feature of interchangeable toys, so baby never gets bored!

3) Bobby Pillow - More commonly used for breastfeeding, a Boppy pillow can also be used for tummy time when baby is a newborn, and also for when baby is learning how to sit up. It allows baby to see the world from a different angle.

4) Fisher Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium - This product attaches to the side of baby's crib, and gives him/her something soothing to look at while going to sleep. It can also be moved to different sides of the crib so that baby isn't constantly facing the same way, which could result in a flat head.

5) Teethers - Stock up on these, moms, because they can be lifesavers, and you can never have too many. When baby is going through the teething stage, it seems that nothing will keep them happy for long, but give them a frozen teether, and you'll have peace and quiet for at least 20 minutes!