what goes in a diaper bag?

Before I go any further lets get the obvious out of the way: yes, i'm sure that all you been-there-done-it mom's are laughing at me right now, but I never claimed to be a pro when it comes to babies. In fact, I've told my husband a few (hundred) times now that because of his 8-years-younger sister, he probably has more experience with babies than I do. So, now that that's out of the way....

What goes in a diaper bag? Well, opinions vary; mostly because some mom's like to keep things to a minimum, and others are packing as though they are going to be gone for three weeks at a time. Judging by the state of my purses that I carry, I think I will probably fall somewhere in between, maybe  tipping a little more towards the apocalypse-type packing.

One thing is for sure: when I first began my search for a diaper bag I quickly found out that what I really wanted was a bag that I could use a a diaper bag, but didn't scream that it was one. I wanted something that was functional, but still stylish so that I'd be happy carrying it with me everywhere. Also important, was that it was something my husband wouldn't be embarrassed to carry around if need be.

What we decided on came as a surprise, because I found it at a Quiksilver store while we were on vacation in Honolulu. I spotted it the first day, pointed it out to my husband and said I would sit on it for a while and think it through. Needless to say I thought about it every day we were there, so the day before we packed up for home we went back and bought it.

Now that we have the bag - and four more months until my due date - I have time to think about what needs to go inside. Here is what I have come up with so far (not counting my personal items such as wallet, keys, cell phone, etc):

• Diapers: D'uh!
• Baby wipes
• Anti-bacterial hand sanitizer 
• A foldaway changing pad
• A small tube of diaper-rash cream
• Burp cloths
• Receiving blanket
• Nursing pads
• An extra change of clothes
• Cover up for breast feeding
• Babys bottle
• At least one toy or comfort object (I had a blankie when I was younger)
• A bib
• Two pacifiers
• Plastic bags for sealing and tossing dirty diapers or for taking home soiled clothes

Bonus items:

• A business card with my name, address, and phone number, in case the bag gets lost
• An extra shirt for mama for those unexpected spit-ups

I have to say that I think this is a pretty good start. Naturally, I'd love to hear some opinions from all you mom's out there!