by Jacinda

Created on: August 29, 2009

During those wonderful yet extremely uncomfortable nine months of feeling like you swallowed a basketball, you are bombarded with the latest and greatest news on thousands of baby products. Products you did not even know existed. Fisher Price catalogs and Baby's R Us advertisements pile up on the coffee table, pages marked with bent corners and post-it flags sticking out in all directions. Ah, and then the baby registry. We march down the aisles armed with our scanners and choose multiples of this or that in every color. Other things we stare at open-mouthed and wonder if we really need it. Do we choose the regular model or the super duper model?

The truth never really reveals itself until months after the baby's arrival. It turns out we thought we needed tons of things that were completely unnecessary, and we did not think that we needed things that we now cannot live without.

Oh, the things I thought were so cute or would be so handy. Some of these things used once and tossed aside, others still in the packaging. I chuckle at some of the things I thought I could not live without. It makes me realize that some time ago, when I was a baby, when my parents were babies and especially when their parents were babies, none of these innovative products and high tech gadgets even existed. And we are all fine, right? If the world could survive without electricity at one time, we can survive without a $200 walker that has 25 functions. Now that I am a pro (this drips with humor and sarcasm) with a four month old, I will give you my insight and opinions on what the most important baby accessories and gear are. Here are my top ten, in no certain order:

1. Boppy pillow-This was and still is one the things I use constantly throughout the day. It is totally multi-functional. It is especially wonderful for breastfeeding, as it fits around your waist and the baby can rest on top to feed. It really saves your arms and is very comfortable for you and baby. You can prop your baby up in it while playing and talking to him, or bottle feeding him. You can prop him up on his tummy on it for tummy time, or you can lay on it when your so tired you just need to drop.

2. Nuk pacifier-This is the first and only pacifier my baby would take. It is shaped differently than the other brands, and whether he preferred it because it was the first one he got used to, I am not sure. Not all babies take pacifiers. It really was a lifesaver to me, however, as it calmed him and seemed to bring

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