Babies are beautiful and bring joy to a family.

This handy schedule will help the new parents keep the baby’s busy day Buttoned Up. Record how much the baby is eating, how often they need changing and last time they had a nap or bath. We’ve even included space to track those special things that happened in a day, medicines used or given to the baby, and things to remember—like to tell Daddy something, or to buy something the baby needs, or doctor appointments! DOWNLOAD NOW!

Score yourself one of these ultimate baby bags.

The Mary Poppins-style duffle from Kushie contains everything your child needs to make your life easier: all sized compartments for your stuff, insulated snack box, insulated medicine box, clean clothes bag, soiled clothes bag with laundry bag insert, spare shoes bag, a pillow and blanket with a handy hook for hanging items. Learn more here.

Also comes in baby girl colors:

images from www.kushiesonline.com

Two weeks ago, a fellow mom sent a group message to a few of her Facebook friends asking them to list the accomplishments they were most proud of in 2009.

It was neat to see the responses from others, some of whom we knew, some of whom we didn’t. Answers ranged from the birth of a child to finishing a book. One reply in particular caught our eye…

A woman named Elina Furman replied that she was most proud of launching a new company and website: Mamaista—a free daily email that brings must-have products for babies, tykes, tots, and mamas straight to your inbox. Curious, we checked it out, loved what we saw, and signed up for the email on the spot. We’re so glad we did because Elina and her sister have an uncanny ability to unearth really neat things, like this colorful bottle drying rack, that make your job as mom just that much easier…not to mention more stylish.

We’re thrilled that the Mamaista team is offering Buttoned Up readers an exclusive sweeps opportunity.

Sign up for their daily email at Mamaista.com to win and you’ll be entered to win a boon dryer grass rack.

Five Parenting Skills Necessary for New Dads

While being a dad may look daunting, unpleasant, demanding or frightening to the uninitiated, nothing can prepare you for how you’ll feel when it’s your baby. Before our first, my wife wanted to borrow someone else’s baby for a weekend to “try it out.”

Luckily, I nixed that idea or I’m afraid the experience would have kept us childless forever. Someone else’s child is bratty, stinky, demanding, squawking, a noisy nuisance …all of these things and sometimes at once. But your own is the little thing you’re sworn to protect. So, given that your attitude changes when it’s your baby, what parenting skills are most necessary?

Parenting skill 1: Patience

Probably the greatest parenting skill is the one that keeps you from screaming or throwing a baby across the room when he has been crying for a few hours straight. The good news is that being a dad puts a lot into perspective and places where you lost your cool before are easier to manage. Never downplay your own anxieties if you feel you can’t control your emotions. Everyone has moments where they think they might lose it. If you think you are about to do something dangerous, call for help immediately.

Parenting skill 2: Sense of humor

Keep laughing through all of it and repeating that it’s short and will end soon, and you’ll be surprised at how quickly diaper changing becomes a mere memory. Parents who are able to laugh when their hands are knuckle deep in a diaper genie are better able to weather the stress of sleepless nights and the drudgery of feeding-wiping-washing-swaddling.

Parenting skill 3: Consistency

Despite how babies seem to rule the house from the moment you bring them home, they actually thrive on consistency in routines. If you feed them and give them naps at the same time every day, they will be more secure and cry less. As they grow older, more routine (brushing teeth, family meals, daily piano practice and so on) gives them structure. Too much choice is hard for littler kids. This puts a big responsibility on parents who need to be present to “nag” about all the things kids need to focus on. There is a big payoff. Older kids appreciate this effort.

Parenting skill 4: Real skills out of a book

Changing a diaper, making formula, installing a car seat – all of these things take real learning to accomplish and do over and over again. The early baby years are all about learning a ton of new information and studying small print to build things for your baby or even feed him the right amount of medicine.

Parenting skill 5: Love and affection

Whether you call it a parenting skill or not, love and affection is the most important thing for your new baby. Many studies indicate that physical contact between parent and child is important for development. Dads, because they will engage in down on the floor “rough and tumble play,” play an especially important role in developing kids growing social skills. You’ll hear many people challenge this idea and suggest that babies need to be “toughened up” by letting them cry themselves to sleep or even go without a bottle to stay on a rigid schedule. This is plain wrong. While some animal babies are able to fend for themselves very quickly after they are born, the human baby is meant to be nurtured and protected for quite some time after birth. For example, human baby brains alone are only half the size they will be just one year after birth. Some say human babies complete gestation period should really be 21 months, combining nine months in the womb and another 12 months after birth. Babies need physical attention as much as possible during this time period, as well as for many years beyond. There is no such thing as loving a child “too much.”

Luckily for you, many of these parenting skills come naturally to new dads if you’re able to grow with the role of being a dad.

About Paul:

As a new dad, Paul became very aware that many dads today are more involved in parenting but have limited resources from a man’s point of view from which to better understand the challenges of their changing role. Thus, GreatDad.com was born. “While nothing can imitate or replace the special mother/child bond, dads develop incredible relationships with their children, and it is vitally important that they have a place to discuss the parenting process from a male perspective. Data indicates that fathers today are more involved in family life versus a generation ago, due to factors including post-911 security fears, loss of life long career job security, and increased demands on working moms and dual career families. GreatDad.com enables all dads-working, stay-at-home, single, gay, domestic partners, and more-to find ways to be involved and understand how dads are functioning as parents today.”
To get more tips and tricks for Dads
www.greatdad.com

You’ve no doubt got a handle on the fundamentals you’ll need for your new little one: crib, bassinet, stroller, changing table, and glider or rocking chair.

And your family and friends have probably showered you (or soon will) with sweet gifts like fashionable clothes, plush toys, DVDs, and soft blankets. But what else is essential to have in place before you head to the hospital? Trust us, there’s nothing more stressful than coming home with your new bundle of joy only to find that you don’t have what you need to care for him, her…or them!

Alicia on ‘Safety First’

‘There are so many things you could do to try and prepare for the arrival of your little bundle of joy that you could practically still be preparing when your child is applying to college. We strongly recommend focusing on the basics, like creating a safe environment. Baby proofing certainly counts as an essential. Cover those outlets, eliminate or round off hard-edged corners, put a gate in front of stairs, and lock those cabinets. Another essential is having an emergency plan and numbers handy. When was the last time you and your family ran through a fire drill, after dark? Or made sure you could find you way around with no power? The time to realize you are not as prepared as you like is not when there are little ones who are depending on you to know just that information.’

Sarah on ‘There’s No Such Thing as Perfectly Ready’

‘When my husband and I were expecting our first child, we had done what we thought was a pretty thorough job of setting up the nursery. We had a crib, changing table, diapers, clothes, soaps, lotions, a thermometer, toys, blankets — the works. But we were in for a rude awakening. The day we brought our son home from the hospital we found that the list of things we had forgotten was a mile long. You’ll get an avalanche of advice from doctors, relatives, friends, books, TV shows, and even total strangers.

So, no matter how prepared you think you are — you’re likely to fall short of the perfect mark. Rather than beating yourself up for being imperfect, focus on what is most important: providing a loving home. People worry a lot about the best way to raise a child but, at the most basic level, kids need love, time, and attention.’

The following lists cover everything you will need to have ready when you bring home baby. We’ve grouped the lists into logical shopping expeditions so you don’t have to cram it all into one day (unless, of course, that’s more fun for you!). If your family and friends are throwing you a baby shower, we recommend that you wait until it’s over to go shopping because you might be able to cross a few things off your lists.

Shopping Trip #1: The Super Store

• Diaper Genie or diaper pail
• Diaper Genie refills or a pack of garbage bags
• Baby monitor
• Night light or light dimmer
• Baby hamper
• Receiving blankets (get at least one 5 pack — you’ll use them for everything from swaddling to positioning the baby and covering yourself up while breast feeding)
• Burp cloths (we recommend at least 6 because you’re likely to go through them at the rate of 2 per day and you don’t want to have to do laundry every day)
• Bibs (we recommend at least three to have handy. And if you’re planning on bottle feeding — get ten — babies can be messy eaters!)
• Hooded towel
• Sleep positioner
• Waterproof pad for changing table
• 2 waterproof mattress pads
• Diaper caddy
• Plastic bowl for holding water (many pediatricians recommend using just water and a washcloth to clean newborn bottoms rather than wipes)
• Washcloth — get two or more sets and keep one for baths and another for diaper changes if you’re not using wipes
• Baby bathtub
• Baby brush
• 20 baby hangers
• Dishwasher basket

Shopping Trip #2: The Grocery Store

• 1 pack of diapers for newborns (don’t buy too many diapers in advance because you just won’t know what size your little one will be until he/she arrives!)
• Baby shampoo
• Baby soap
• Baby lotion
• Diaper rash ointment
• Petroleum jelly
• Baby laundry detergent
• Ziploc bags (larger sizes are great for diaper bags, smaller ones for formula)
• Bottles with caps and collars (we recommend having one or two 4 oz bottles handy even if you’re planning on breast feeding because you may want them for pumped milk).
• Extra nipples (if bottle feeding)
• Bottle brush
• Antibacterial soap (especially great for guests to wash up before holding the baby)
• Hand sanitizer
• Extra batteries (AA, AAA and D)
• Coffee! (or tea)
• 3 gallons purified water (if planning to bottle feed)

Shopping Trip #3: The Drug Store

• Baby nail clippers
• Infant nasal aspirator
• Infant thermometer (rectal or ear)
• Infant Tylenol or Motrin (make sure it’s INFANT)
• Little noses saline drops
• Infant chest ointment
• Cotton swabs
• Large cotton squares or large oval makeup pad removers (you can use these with water to wipe the baby’s bottom instead of a washcloth if you want a disposable option)
• Infant pacifier (you may want to consider getting more than one so you can keep one in the diaper bag, one in the crib, etc.)
• Safety Q-tips
• Nursing pads
• Motrin (for mom!)

Shopping Trip #4: Clothing Store

• 6 newborn sleepers or gowns (the ones that look like a sack are great)
• 10 onesies (think about getting 6 short-sleeved and 4 long-sleeved ones)
• 1 newborn cap
• 2 or 3 pants made of soft fabric — look for ones with elastic waistbands that are easy to pull on
• 4 or 5 side snap t-shirts
• 2 sweaters
• 2 or 3 all-in-one outfits
• 6 pairs of booties or socks
• Seasonally appropriate outerwear (sun hat, winter hat, mittens, coat, snow suit)

Shopping Trip #5: Miscellaneous

• Rear facing federally approved infant car seat
• Diaper bag
• Baby swing or bouncy seat
• Baby carrier or sling
• Rain guard for stroller
• Cup holder for stroller
• Books on the basics: Baby CPR, Baby first aid, Sleeping, First months
• Camera and film or extra digital card
• Thank you notes (get a few boxes!)
• Stamps