With Father's Day just a few days away, this is going to be a very fitting post. Yesterday evening my two good friends welcomed the birth of their second child (first daughter). Luckily for everyone, labor went very quickly, and everything turned out fine, and in a couple days, they will all be heading home. And, I will be a godfather for the second time! Part of my duties in that role include, spoiling the godchild and teaching him/her bad habits like taking off shoes and socks or putting Playdoh in the dishwasher. Obviously, I get to cherry pick a bit, but I do try to help mom and dad, and just a couple weeks ago, my friends had me a get a couple of the things we offer here to help get their home ready for the new arrival.

_Since the birth of their first child, they have had an air purifier. Not only does it filter out dust, but it also removes allergens. This is important since their son has had asthma-like symptoms off and on during his toddler years. The Honeywell they use has also been great for white noise, which has helped him sleep more soundly over the years. It had been a while since the filters were replaced, so the carbon prefilters were due to be changed.

_The next thing I picked up for them was one of the lightweight Reliable T3 steam mops. In the past they had used a cheaper Black & Decker, which worked fine on their laminate. After two years though, it died on them. Wanting something that was a little better built, they went with the T3. This model is a decided step up on cheaper steam mops if for no other reason than the integrated scrub brush, which works great on bathroom tile and grout. Just a few short weeks ago, I had helped him finish removing the last of the carpet on first floor of their home and replaced it with laminate, so the T3 will certainly get a work out! As a matter of personal preference, if you're considering a steam mop like the T3, pick up some of the microfiber drawstring cloths. These were originally designed for the T1 Steamboy, but they fit the T3 as well, and in my opinion, they clean and absorb moisture and mess much better than the microfiber pads that comes standard with the T3. I've never understood why so many of the steam cleaner manufacturers have been switching to the microfiber pads recently (unless it's purely a cost-based decision) since it has always been my experience that the clothes absorb much better.

_ Lastly, I picked up a Crane child humidifier. Yeah, I know, it sounds counterintuitive considering it feels like we're living in the tropics here in Atlanta. Likely, it won't get much use early on, but as the air dries and humidity drops, it can cause problems for infants and newborns. Air with little moisture can cause mucus to thicken, which means it can also become more difficult for the baby's airways to expel. This can lead to a higher risk of infection as one of the body's most basic defense mechanism is the use of mucus to expel trapping germs and particles. Secondly, if infants and newborns become congested, there is little you can do for them. Medication is almost always out unless the situation becomes severe, but a humidifier can help to loosen congestion just by increasing the moisture content in the air they breathe.

_These things may seem not quite as usual as what you'd see on a typical baby shower registry, but they can be just as important and are often useful for more than just your newborn. With that, I'd like to welcome the new addition to their family, and issue a reminder to my friends that they'll have to brush up on their burrito-baby-wrapping skills. To my friend, all the dads in my family, and all the dads out there, I wish you a Happy Father's Day!

_Author: Kevin Gilmore