Before I even thought of getting pregnant, I knew that when the day came I wanted to surprise my husband with the news in a cute and original way. However, that’s not exactly the way it played out – with either of my pregnancy announcements!

We had only been trying for a month when I became pregnant the first time, and I was completely caught off guard. After a bad workout and some helpful advice from my sister, I decided to take an at-home test. On my way from the store – test in hand -- I called my husband to come home right away. My message must have had him concerned, because he made it in record time!

When he walked in, I had already taken the test but couldn't muster up the courage to check it myself. I'll never forget him saying "Are you serious?" when I asked him to take the first peek. He sat beside me for a second, as if to let it all sink in, and then with a flash, he jumped up and said, "Let's do this". Once he took a look, he immediately began celebrating like he won the Super Bowl – I knew then that we were pregnant!

When the opportunity rolled around for my second chance, I once again dropped the ball when it came to a cute and original pregnancy announcement for my husband. After several months of trying, I was having trouble getting pregnant. I had seen my doctor, and after some testing, he felt I had a good chance of getting pregnant in the following month. So it really wasn't a surprise to my husband when I told him I was going to take a test. After six months of getting negative results, I didn't want to find out alone. And just like before, we sat for what felt like an eternity, until the timer went off.  For the second time, my husband checked the test first, it was positive! We had done it again.

In hindsight, it wasn't the most creative way to make a pregnancy announcement, but it was perfect for us. Being pregnant in itself is one of life's greatest surprises, and I'm glad I got to share that moment with my husband.

Photo by Carly Rae Hobbins on Unsplash

Ah, the second pregnancy. Hindsight is always 20/20, right? By the time my second baby boy arrived, I knew what I really needed. And believe me, it wasn't a play yard and swing in matching blue plaid.

Trouble is -- and my veteran mom pals agree -- it feels weird to ask for the stuff we really want, as most of it seems...un-gifty and utilitarian. In other words, not fun for the gifter to give. 

So I kept mum and got another car seat I didn't need, picture frames, and a crib from my in-laws. Yes, that was generous, but, the first crib is not even three years old. So, if you have a friend who's expecting her second baby, don't wait for her to tell you what she'd like. She almost certainly won't. Go on and pick from this list of can't-fail ideas. You're sure to hear "How did you know?!"

A baby book: If you don't buy it, the poor wee one may have no record of his milestones. We all know how it goes: Every hiccup the first makes is recorded, while the second one, well, his baby book consists of his hospital picture and bracelet in an envelope. Better still: Tell the mom that if she doesn't have time to fill out the book, she can jot things down on a pad or a wall calendar. Then you can come over once a month and transfer the information in your prettiest script. That would honestly make for a pretty stellar new mom gift.

Diapers and wipes: Trust me -- you can never have enough. No, it's not the prettiest new mom gift, but I promise you, it will be the most welcome one. Also in this category are items that run out or wear out quickly, such as nursing supplies, burp cloths, batteries for gear, and baby wash. 

Babysitting services: Not for a night out, necessarily, but if you offer to come over and watch the second baby, so the mom can have some alone time with number one, she’ll be forever grateful.

Clothes: But only in two scenarios: If the second baby is a different gender from the big sib, or same-gender babies born in different seasons. When my second son was born, I got virtually nil in the way of clothes, as everyone figured I had plenty of hand-me-downs. Trouble was, my first guy was born in July. The second came in January, so his brother's first wardrobe was of little use the second time around.

Gift cards for takeout: Being able to order in without worrying about your budget is a new mom gift like no other. Especially when it's 6:30 p.m., hubby is working late, and it's baby's "witching hour." 

Sprinkling of wisdom book: Want to give a new mom gift with a personal touch? Buy a beautiful journal, and have friends and relatives write their best hard-won advice for the second baby to use throughout his or her life. This will be treasured, and it is an especially cute idea if the second-time mom is having a "sprinkle" instead of a full-blown shower.

A new purse: Make it a roomy, chic purse with plenty of pockets. A mom will almost certainly be over carrying a purse and a diaper bag after her second pregnancy. Do her a favor and invest in a gorgeous bag she can stash supplies in now, and still love when diaper days are finally done.

A gift card for a sibling day out: Instead of just a new mom gift, give the entire new family an afternoon at a local children's museum, bounce-house emporium or baby exercise class. Mom will appreciate being able to sit and (relatively) relax with the second baby while her older child is happily occupied. It'll be a great treat for all of them.

Photo by Jess Bailey on Unsplash

When my daughter, Morgan, turned 7 days old, I noticed that we’ve reached a big baby development milestone-- her umbilical cord stump fell off. Until then, we gave her washcloth baths to avoid getting that area wet.

Under the instruction of her doctor, we knew once her cord fell off that it was safe to give her a tub bath, so I started preparing my baby bath time toolkit. It included:

• Towel with hoodie to keep her cozy and cute from head to toe
   
• Gentle baby shampoo and wash for that irresistible clean baby smell
   
• Washcloth to get inside her fingers, behind the ears, under the neck and in her many folds
   
• Diaper for immediate coverage, as “accidents” were a regular occurrence

When the time finally arrived, we took off her diaper and laid her in her baby bath seat, where she could be comfortable and supported. Although we knew she was ready for this baby development milestone, there was still a lot to do to keep her safe. To prevent her from becoming cold, we placed a warm washcloth on her belly. I quickly -- but gently -- washed her head to toe while my husband documented the experience. It was certainly a sprint, as I was terrified of her uncontrollable bowels.

Of course we made sure there was still enough time for belly kisses and bath time tunes.

For a baby who was solely capable of lying like a blob all day, I was surprised at the level of grime she had accumulated. This came at the perfect time, since our little one was in desperate need of a bath!

Surprisingly, Morgan loved the water from the minute we put her on her baby bath seat. She seemed to enjoy the gentle massage of the washcloth, and I enjoyed staring in awe at this perfect little person we had welcomed into our lives a week ago.

Once the cleaning mission was accomplished, my husband held his arms with the towel while I lifted Morgan out of the tub. Little did I realize how slippery a wet and wiggly newborn is. Her body felt as though she was given a butter bath, but all 7 pounds of her couldn’t escape my loving hold.

As we wrapped her up and dried her off, I knew we had rocked this baby development milestone, and that our bath time future would involve playful giggles, water kicks, and rubber toys. But for now, belly kisses would do just fine.

Photo by Henley Design Studio on Unsplash

As a new mom, I’d love nothing more than to keep a camera on my baby at all times so as to never miss anything new that he does -- ever.

Of course, that’s not reasonable. But I do want to make sure I snap as many of those adorable moments as I can. Now that my husband and I are a couple months into this parenting thing, I think I can safely say we’ve determined which newborn photos we just can't do without.

Once you've got the photos or digital snapshots, you can use them to create books of memories. The is a great way to document the first year of your baby’s life and a nice treat for friends and family, too.

Here are a few of my favorite, not-to-be-missed newborn photo opportunities:

The "Firsts" Shots: Of course you can’t always predict when a "first" will happen. But some important firsts are under your control -- such as the first tub bath, or the first time your baby tries a new food -- and for those, you can arrange to have a digital camera or phone on hand to document the baby milestone moment. The first smile is another great milestone to capture, if you can. On our first road trip to see family that lives far away, we were sure to snap a newborn photo of our son, all bundled up and snug in his car seat. That’s definitely a memory we wouldn’t want to forget.

The Personality Shots: The more your baby grows, the more he'll begin to reveal his personality. Anything your child does that you feel is just so fundamentally him -- that’s probably something you’d like to get a shot of. For example, my husband was a serious baby, and there are many photos of him with this great look of concentration on his face. Now my son makes the same faces! Whenever he does, I try to snap him in action so we’ll always have that memory.

The Sleep Shots: You can’t go wrong with shots of your sleepy baby snoozing next to Mom or Dad. Whenever my husband and our son fall asleep in the chair together, I never pass up an opportunity to snap that adorable newborn photo!

The "Is That Me?" Shot: As any new parent will attest, one of the cutest newborn photos is probably one of your baby checking himself out in a mirror. Babies are fascinated with faces, including their own, and mirrors make great toys for them. We were lucky to be able to snap a photo of our son’s car seat mirror while he was busy staring at himself. If that’s not fancy camerawork, I don’t know what is!

Photo by Ciprian Sam on Unsplash

The birth of my daughter was one of the happiest days of my life . . . which meant that going back to work was extremely hard for me, as it is for many new dads. The office can take up a lot of the day (and night!), and it’s easy to feel down when you’re not able to hang out with your new baby. But a hardworking dad can definitely still enjoy fatherhood, especially if he plans his time well. Here is some advice I followed that could work for you too.

Hit the floor. No matter how old your child is, getting down to her level is an excellent way to play. Crawling on the floor with her when she's a baby, rolling around when she hits the toddler stage, and pig-piling with bigger kids is always a hit.

Sign up. Try Daddy-and-me swim lessons or channel your inner musician and find a baby music group. By taking a class, not only will you be teaching your child a skill or sport, but you’ll be spending a special time together each week.

Play chef. Every dad has a specialty up his sleeve, whether it’s flipping burgers, concocting a yummy pasta dish, or simply opening a can of soup -- with crackers. What you make doesn’t have to be fancy, but it does have to be your own. Host dinner once a week, serving your particular meal, even if your new baby is still on purées. She’ll enjoy watching you move around the kitchen and before you know it will be able to join in on the family meal fun.

Don’t sweat it. Tied up with a big presentation or stuck on a business trip? Either way, don’t stress if you’re away from your little one for longer than usual. In place of one-on-one play, consider reading a story to your child or singing a bedtime song over a webcam. She’ll love hearing your voice and seeing your face, even if you aren’t right next to her.

Remember, it’s the love and attention you give to your child -- not the number of hours you rack up together -- that counts on the scale of fatherhood. Whether you're cooking or cuddling, swimming or crawling on the floor, you're building a bond and being a great father.

Photo by Arty on Unsplash