Sunday, February 10, 2008

Books, books, and more books

Saying I've only finished two books since Henry was born is a bit misleading. I've finished two entertainment books, but I've read a bunch more. Baby books, parenting books, baby and parenting books, books on parenting babies, how to speak to your baby, how you get your baby to talk back - you get the point. I have never researched anything this much before and I probably won't again until I get ready to take the OBE (Oregon bar exam). The thing is, I'm still not done. Here are my stats so far:

Before Monsieur Henry was born I read:
  • The Baby Name Wizard - 'cuz you don't just come up with an inventive name like Henry without some help
  • Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy
  • The Happiest Baby on the Block
  • The Baby Owner's Manual - for fun
  • The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy
  • Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth About Pregnancy and Childbirth - some love this one but I hated it...about as much as I hated Howard Stern's book, and I love him so that is saying a lot about how much that book sucked
  • The Attachment Parenting Book - turned me into a believer in co-sleeping
  • Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads
  • The No-Cry Sleep Solution - thought the author was a wee bit rude and judgmental in the early chapters
I finished the following set after Henry was born:
  • Babytalk: A Guide to using Basic Sign Language to Communicate with Your Baby - Darr dubbed this one the "Baby Signing for Dummies" because of the frequency of cartoonish drawings
  • The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby From Birth to Age Two - this one is HUGE (700+ pages), I expect to revisit the potty training section in another couple of years
  • Your Baby and Child: From Birth to Age Five
What I'm currently reading:
  • What to Expect the First Year - consulting it to read about each specific month
  • Baby Signs: How to Talk with Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk
  • Baby Owner's Games and Activities Book
  • The Lull-a-Baby Sleep Plan
  • The Complete and Authoritative Guide: Caring for Your Baby and Child Birth to Age 5
  • The Complete Book of Breastfeeding: The Classic Guide for Every Nursing Mother
Coming attractions:
  • The Happiest Toddler on the Block
  • Kid-Wrangling
  • Out and About with Kids
If anyone has the titles of more books I should be reading to help prepare me for the journey that is parenthood, send them over and I'll add them to my list. I've got a few more months to go before all "pleasure" reading grinds to a halt.

7 comments:

Dr. A said...

Ah, but you are leaving out a whole slew of books.... some titles from the McMiller household: Colors, Baby Beluga, Goodnight Moon (classic), Goodnight Gorilla, 10 minutes to Bedtime (do you sense a theme here?) The Foot Book, Hand, Hand, Finger, Thumb, Ten Little Ladybugs, Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See, Tickle the Duck,.... the list goes on. Amazingly I'm able to read multiple books per night. Sometimes the same book over and over.

Susie said...

Might I suggest Playful Parenting... look for it on amazon.

I also referred to Baby 411 a LOT. Still do and this baby #2.

Cathy said...

One of my favorites is Einstein Never Used Flashcards: How Our Chidren Really Learn. It does a great job of explaining the importance of meaningful play - I've used quotes from this book both at work with parents and with in-laws. It also helps keep me in check with things I have Quinn doing...
When Potty-training Quinn I used the method suggested in Toilet Training in Less than One Day. We made a few adjustments and it ended up taking us about 3 days. But 3 days of hard work. While looking this book up on Amazon I noticed a No-Cry Potty Training Book - same author as that sleep book.
Quinn got a new book - "Ten in the Bed" It's his new favorite and he sings it to himself all the time. (Oh and I like it too)

Christie said...

Thanks for the suggestions. I have a bit more time to research baby stuff before we get the suggested reading list for school. Ugh.

Christie said...

The books have been ordered. Along with a fun Lomo camera to play with. Shhhh...um, don't tell Darren.

Christie said...

Susie,

Thanks. Found both on Amazon and they were eligible for free shipping, which almost makes it all worth it, doesn't it?

Christie said...

Miss Cathy,

So you're telling me I need to stop flashing cards at my kid, eh? Dang, I was just starting to convince myself that Henry was learning the monkey one. Looking forward to reading your suggestion, thanks. And if it helps with potty training on down the road, all the better.