Good books for 1st time parents?

Idx86

So the wife and I are expecting in December, and we're having a girl. It's our first child, and we're really excited. We have lots of nieces and nephews and have observed many different parenting styles. We have a good idea as to how we want to raise our child, the values we want to instill, etc.

All that aside, is there any recommended reading that a 1st time parent should take a look at before the baby arrives? I don't have any expectations as to what said book would contain, but hopefully something that would give me an idea as to what expect through Year 1, adjusting to life with a baby, and so on and so forth.

Edit: Just for clarification, I'm good for reading on what happens during pregnancy. This is all post birth stuff.

Ganluan

I find too many parenting books are more opinion than fact, and since everyone has their own opinions the books tend to contradict each other.

One very handy one we were given as a gift was this:

http://www.amazon.com/Caring-Your-Young-Child-Revised/dp/055338290X/ref=ed_oe_p

Since it was written by the AAP, it's a more fact-oriented book with very clear-cut guidelines. It goes month by month through the beginning and says what to look for as far as development and any issues. Plus, it has great sections on symptoms and what they may mean so you don't need to panic and call the doctor if your baby has something in their eye.

And lastly, congrats! We have a 4 month old son and have found you end up figuring a lot of it out as you go anyway.

Improvolone

A friend sent me this
http://www.amazon.com/Alternadad-Neal-Pollack/dp/B001HZTOBI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1249332333&sr=8-2

It's a wonderful book, but its not a "this is how to parent!" book.

What to Expect During the 1st year is a solid go to.

JihadJesus

Congrats, I'm in pretty much the exact same boat - my daughter is two months old, and most of my parenting observation has been with my cousins and their kids. What to expect the first year is indeed a good one. I also really enjoyed Free Range Kids, but I don't think that's the kind of thing you're looking for.

Improvolone

One of the things to keep in mind when watching for developmental mile stones is that the average range for most things is a great number of months. It doesn't really mean anything if something is happening soon or late (to a point of course). Having an open dialogue with your pediatrician should be a top priority. Read the book, come in with questions written down, get your answers.
Easy peasy.

Sir Carcass

Really, just talk to your doctor. Just be prepared for very little sleep. I know you always hear that, but I was really surprised at just how fucking exhausted I was all of the time. It's even worse for your wife, especially if she's breastfeeding, so be patient. It got better around the 5 month mark, I think, but god it was rough in the beginning.

Suckafish

This is the best one, of the handful we have: http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Book-Everything-Revised-Updated/dp/0316778001