Baby Anthropology

One of the best books we read while pregnant was Our Babies, Ourselves: How Biology and Culture Shape the Way We Parent by Meredith Small. It's a great book that really helps put some perspective on all the things that we think are "normal." You realize that "normal" is very specific to our Western, modern culture. With greater context, you can make informed decisions, rather than unconscious non-choices. It's a good, fairly quick read. But definitely read it before the baby comes. One of the author's other books, Kids: How Biology and Culture Shape the Way We Raise Young Children, is still on my shelf.

Happiest Baby

We read a lot of books prior to our little man's birth. I think one of the most important ones was The Happiest Baby on the Block. I do not recommend rushing out to buy this new - just get it used or borrow it from someone. You need about 20 minutes to read it, but it gives you simple, wonderful tools to help calm your fussy newborn. And they really worked! Even though the little man has not responded to any of these methods for quite some time, I still remember the "Five S's" - shush, sway, suck, swaddle, and side. Yes, I promise that will make sense once you take a look at the book.

The Pregnancy Journal

This is a great book to have during pregnancy. You get a daily update on your baby's development, as well as the things that are happening to you and your body. There are also places to track your thoughts and experiences as you go through your pregnancy.

The Pregnancy Journal: A Day-to-Day Guide to a Healthy and Happy Pregnancy
by A. Christine Harris

Best Baby Name Book

I'm an engineer, and that is applicable to this recommendation. My hands-down favorite baby name book is The Baby Name Wizard by Laura Wattenberg. The book has popularity trend graphs for every name (appeals to the nerdy engineer in me!), as well as recommendations for sibling names to go with each name. In the back, there are lists of names by genre, such as "Antique Charm," "Brisk and Breezy" and "Bell Tones."

To go with this book, also check out the two related websites for hours of baby name fun:

Name Voyager
Nymbler