Imelda Marcos was a baby once

In my wildest dreams I never imagined the amount of crap there is available for babies. It truly is staggering. I mean, there are hundreds of different kinds of bottles, pacifiers, wipes, diapers--it boggles the mind. Baby Einstein makes two play gyms, one basic and one aquarium model. For ten dollars more your baby can experience sea creatures and a squishy mat. Does this mean your baby will be smarter? Or will be afraid of water if you go with the plain one? Who knows?

I think the thing that really gets me about baby stuff if baby clothes. Most of it is so pointless. I have known babies that had closets full of clothes and shoes before they were even born. Now I understand it is human impulse to buy tiny clothes because admittedly they are very cute (well, some of them) but logic dictates this is generally a waste of money. It would make much more sense to me to buy a few onsies and sleepers in assorted sizes to prepare for the baby and leave it at that.

First of all, babies are born all different sizes. So all those cute little outfits in size newborn or 0-3 months may not even fit baby when it's born or baby will grow out of them in like a week. Second, unless your baby is a Brangelina offspring, there isn't a good chance it's going to be photographed in public that often. More likely those pictures will be little candid photos that you won't have time to dress the baby in cute outfits for. It also blows my mind that people still make baby clothes without snaps. Why would you put your baby in something that will require you to completely undress them every time you need to change them?

But even more inane to me then buying tons of baby clothes just because they are cute are buying shoes for a baby. Any kind of shoes. Most babies hate shoes and it has been proven that it is better for your baby to learn to walk barefoot. I think a collection of cheap socks that can be lost is much more valuable than a pair of tiny Nike that will most likely get lost the first time they are worn and the baby tosses them off.

Granted this is my first baby, but it would seem to me that there are so many other things a baby could use like diapers, a high chair, a play yard, a car seat, a savings bond that would really help them get a good start as opposed to some overalls with a duck on them.