moonfrye

As a follow up to last week's post about the superfluous items a newborn can live without, here are a few things that you and your little one really do need – validated by my personal experience with five little “Cubs” and a lot of qualitative research collected from friends and family.  Here are the things that you – and your little one(s) – absolutely can’t live without:

• Coffee.  It may seem odd that this tops the list even if you're not a coffee drinker; believe me when I tell you that after having a newborn, you probably will be!  I strongly suggest stocking up on coffee beans, coffee filters and whatever else you use to create the perfect cuppa -- milk, cream, sugar, etc.  As you may have heard, newborns often get their days and nights mixed up. What you may not realize is with a baby in the house, you might too.  This is why coffee is at the top of the list.
• Absorbency items.  "Absorbency items. Now what's that?" you may be wondering.  Well, wonder no more and brace yourself because this ain't pretty. I'm sure it's occurred to you that your wee one will be routinely weeing in his or her diaper.  So, if you haven't already, stock up on diapers.  A word of caution though -- don't buy a year's supply of those cute little newborn ones that would fit a doll; assuming all goes according to plan, your baby's bottom will outgrow them in no time at all. When that time comes, don't rush out to buy more, log on to Diapers.com and let them deliver…

We planted the seed when he was just a few weeks old. We chose carefully, placed it nearby (but not too close), and always kept it within arms reach.  We made sure to bring it along in the stroller, the baby carrier, and the car.

Always in the car.

We wondered if we were doing it for us or for him.  We wondered if we were just grasping at straws.

And then, one day, it happened.

He reached for him, held him close to his cheek, and drifted back to sleep in his bassinet.

In that instant, a friendship was born.  A best friendship.

Soon it was baby boy who demanded that “Giraffie” accompany us along our journeys.  Soon it was baby boy who needed his best friend by his side to sleep, to calm down, and even to play.

Giraffie was there when baby boy learned to sit, crawl, and walk.  Giraffie traveled by car, plane, and even limousine.  Giraffie made it to Boston, Connecticut, and New York City.  A few times.

Giraffie became a member of the family.  A comfort object no longer, Giraffie quickly took on his own personality.  He found a seat at the table and carved out a place in each of our hearts.

Just as baby boy had known he would.

We feared that we would someday lose Giraffie along our travels.  We bought two more, just to be safe. 

Baby boy wasn’t fooled by those imposters.  Baby boy promptly put them in his crib and assigned them their own identities.  Mommy Giraffe and Big Brother Giraffe were to remain in the crib at all times.  Those would be the comfort objects at night, not Giraffie.  Giraffie was so much more than that. 

Three years later, Giraffie remains…

No, these are the Future Mothers of Kindergartners or the Moms Formerly Known as the Preschool Moms.

This time of year they show up in waves at the elementary school where I work, pulling their prodigies along by damp and sometimes sticky little hands. It's time for Kindergarten Registration, for classes that won't start for another six months. They look nervous and proud; ready for their cherished offspring to show the teacher he's ready. By the time she has produced electricity bills, immunization records, a complete list of next of kin, and sworn affidavits that the child is completely, 100% potty trainedthe mom is exhausted.

Then it's the little guy's turn to shine. As the kindergarten teacher takes him off to an adjoining room for assessment, his mother's expression changes. The eager look she wore only 15 minutes earlier is gone, replaced by a pinched brow and darting eyes.

What if he doesn't remember how to draw a circle? Did I prep him enough on numbers and letters? What if he can't sit still in the chair? When was the last time he went potty?

By the time the assessment is finished, paperwork is…