Mommy magic

There are so many tricks to being a mom that no one teaches youâ?¦until now. Jessica Hartshorn, Senior Lifestyle Editor for American Baby Magazine has some of the best "who knew?" how-to's for new moms!

When you're trying to take a good picture of a squirmy baby pretend you're not taking a photo. Lie on the floor playing with the baby and you just "happen" to have a camera in hand. Most people stand over the baby, but you should be down on the same level. Hold out a toy and have it make a noise your child hasn't heard before. if it's the same old sound she always hears, she won't pay attention.

To hire a babysitter you can truly trust, get all the information on candidates. You want three references plus her name, current and recent addresses and social security number and tell her you plan to run a background check. If she won't give you the information or acts strange, move on to the next candidate. You can call references yourself and pay a service like USSearch.com to delve deeper into details like aliases, lawsuits and criminal records. You can also hire a nanny through an agency that does its own vetting.

If you want to get your baby to sleep anywhere keep all nap time cues consistent. For example, offer a bottle or sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star before baby drifts off no matter where you are. As soon as baby rubs his eyes, recline his stroller and hand him his lovely and push him around until he falls asleep.

To keep your cool in minimal sleep maximize the sleep you do get. Do whatever you have to do to make sure your first three hours of sleep each night are uninterrupted. Cut yourself some slack by asking for help when you need it and drinking coffee if you want.

Change your expectations of what you can do right now by cutting out unnecessary commitments.

To keep your baby quiet and entertained while dining out bring along a bag of toys. Every parent should have a restaurant bag full of board books and toys ready to go. If you don't have the bag and your baby gets restless, ask the waiter for a pack of saltines. Let your baby pound the heck out of it and try to open it. Cloth napkins also make great toys.

For more tricks every mother should know and other parenting tips, click here.