The Two Best Baby Gifts Ever.

My friend is having her first baby tomorrow morning.
I called her today to wish her luck and asked how she was feeling today. She told me she was doing laundry, getting a manicure/pedicure, and doing some last minute things in the nursery.

In my head?

I just wanted to scream into the phone: "STOP EVERYTHING YOU ARE DOING AND JUST GO TO BED. SLEEP, SLEEP, SLEEP!!! Sleep like it is the last sleep you will ever get in your life. TRUST ME ON THIS!"

But of course I would never actually say that to an "about-to-be-a-first-time-mom-tomorrow morning" friend. It's like the unwritten rule of motherhood: You do not make any mention of the hurricane that is about to make landfall on their life tomorrow.

And I don't care what you all say. That little 7lb bundle is totally a hurricane disguised in a cute hat and hospital swaddling blanket.

So while we are on the topic of babies today......

Remember when I did my Best Wedding Gift post? The best registry and non-registry gifts you could ever give?

Well, here's McMommy's recommendations for best baby gifts!

Best Registry Item: The video monitor

I know what you are thinking. Why do they need a video screen to stare at their kid sleeping? OH NO. Trust me. This is truly the gift that keeps on giving.

Because guess what?

That baby turns into a 12 month old THAT SITS IN HIS CRIB WHEN HE IS SUPPOSED TO BE SLEEPING AND PEELS THE BORDER OFF THE WALL.

Go ahead. Just ask me how I know that.

And as your friend is sitting there in the next room, she cocks her head to the side and says: "Hmmm. That's a strange sound. Almost like a scraping noise. But I'm sure it's nothing. I don't want to walk in there and WAKE THE BABY."

Because that becomes the whole goal of your friend's existence: DON'T WAKE THE BABY.

{Upon walking in to a million pieces of torn wallpaper border, our video monitor was purchased shortly thereafter. It has since been used on trips, to monitor timeouts, to monitor transitions into big boy beds, etc. You will be a hero to your friend if you purchase her a video monitor, I promise.}


Best Non-Registry Gift: Friends who bring you DINNER

This has got to be one of the greatest gifts EVER. I like to call it "Dinner For the Weary". Because let's all be honest here.....new parents will forget how they ever functioned in society. Basic survival skills such as eating, showering, and sleeping will be just a distant memory for them.

Heck, I remember crying one night because my mom came over to make us hamburgers for dinner.
FULL ON SOBBING TEARS OF APPRECIATION FOR HAMBURGER MEAT, PEOPLE!
I had no clue how monumental it would be to eat a warm meal....how thankful I would be for someone just helping me to function that first week.

If your friend lives nearby, you can make it and drop it off to them.
Or if they live out of state, I've ordered a Honey Baked Ham small dinner online to be delivered to them. Either way, you can't go wrong.

But whether you get her something from the registry or not, do you know what is the other best gift you can give a new mom?

Tell her absolutely, under no circumstance, should she write you a thank you note for (insert name of gift you got her here).

Her little "I haven't slept in 8 days" eyes will start welling up with tears at the thought of writing one less thank you note, I'm promising you.

Because there is no greater mountain to climb than the stack of thank you cards you must write for all the baby gifts you've received.....and you haven't slept or showered or essentially functioned as a member of society since....well....you can't really remember when.....