Candiano-Marcus - Baby prodigy: a guide to raising a smarter, happier baby

ou may not know me, but we share the same thing: We are parents who want the best for our children. That's why I started my company, the Baby Prodigy Company, and why I am writing this book. I want the best for my children and I want to help other parents, grandparents, and caregivers give their children the best.

Before my daughter Samantha was born, my husband and I, like all new parents, went out of our way to try to make sure we were prepared for her arrival. We bought a new crib, had her room decorated, and purchased tons of newborn-baby clothes and a slew of toys. We thought we were totally ready, but nothing could have prepared us for what was to come.

When the day finally arrived for us to go home from the hospital, I excitedly took out the brand-new outfit my mother-in-law had bought especially for Samantha to wear home. We tried it on her, and to our surprise, it was way too big. I remember my husband running to the hospital gift shop searching for somethinganythingthat would fit our new daughter. In the end, we had to take her home in her hospital undershirt and wrapped up in two blankets.

I learned an important lesson that day, and I want to pass it on to you: Your baby doesn't need expensive outfits or fancy toys to be happy and stimulated. What she does need is something very ordinary: your love and attention. So save your energy and money and don't shop for what you think your baby needs.

In the chapters ahead, I share with you the practical techniques that will allow you to provide your baby with exactly what she needs to be smarter and happier. And by the way, when I packed my bag to go to the hospital and have my second daughter, I brought a simple cotton one-sie, size newborn, purchased at a local superstore. It fit like a charm, and for the first few months of her life, our second daughter, Lara, wore mostly those wonderful, practical onesies.

Upon arriving home with Samantha, my husband and I settled in to adjusting to being new parents. Unfortunately, both our families lived 3,000 miles away. In the first few weeks, before anyone came to visit us, we had no extra help, only each other. I have to admit: I was completely unprepared.

I hadn't read that much about what to expect in the first few months of a baby's life. I didn't realize how tired I would be, hadn't thought about what waking up three or four times a night to feed and change Samantha would do to my sleep cycle. After the first week at home, my husband and I were so tired we could barely keep our eyes open during the day.

Samantha was a fussy baby. She cried all the time, and all she wanted was to be held. Even if she fell asleep in my arms, the moment I tried to put her down in her bassinet, she opened her eyes and began to wail. She seemed to be so calm and relaxed when she was being held, so we cuddled her and passed her back and forth, taking turns holding her. But my efforts to keep Samantha from crying took their toll. I had no time for myself. My confidence was low, I was tired, and I was hardly enjoying being a parent. In fact, every time Samantha cried, I thought it was because I was doing something wrong.