As the brand-new parent of a brand-new baby, you're assaulted with a seemingly endless list of Mission-Critical Products You'd Better Purchase Immediately or You May As Well Raise Your Child in a Feces-Filled Dumpster. Wipe warmer, special non-allergenic baby-specific detergent, stroller that transforms into Optimus Prime, doorframe jumpy whatchamathingie, rubber toy to cover your bathtub faucet so it looks like a jolly little whale, etc.

While it can be tempting to add Amazon's entire "Baby" department to your registry and empty your checking account buying everything from novelty pacifiers to a "Majestic Carriage Crib" (for just $20,000!), most haggard bitter broke seasoned parents will tell you that you really only need a few essentials when it comes to baby-wrangling.

However, if you're really looking to drop some bank on your baby, I have three non-traditional infant gear purchases that I promise any new parent will make good use of for years to come. Got your credit card ready?

A decent camera. Seriously. If all you've got is a crappy point and shoot, I cannot tell you how much better your baby photos will be if you invest in a better camera. I had a low-quality camera when my first son was born, and most of his baby photos are blurry or washed out from the flash. I eventually bought a Nikon SLR, and like that, our family photos suddenly became timeless keepsakes. I truly think a good camera is worth more than any other piece of baby gear, aside from the obvious must-haves like diapers, a carseat, and so on. You'll use it forever, and you'll appreciate the purchase every time you look at the images you capture.

A glider. You may think you don't have room for a glider or they're too expensive for what is basically a fancified rocking chair with a matching ottoman, but DUDE. You will use this SO MUCH. In fact, if your baby is anything like my second son, you'll use it every single day for two solid years as you rock his tiny sleep-resisting butt into unconsciousness. You need that stupid ottoman too, because otherwise your back will get all wonky. Just don't let your toddler get his fingers pinched in the rocking mechanism of the footrest, not that I would know anything about that. Ahem.

A Dyson. I sort of hate to recommend this because it is so expensive, and I know not everyone thinks it's worth the pricetag, but from my personal experience I went through at least 3 regular vacuums—all of which eventually broke or did a half-ass job—before I finally bit the bullet and got a Dyson. You wouldn't think one vacuum could really be that much better than the others, but wow, it really can. (The first time I turned it on, I swear to god the lights dimmed, it sucked up a throw rug, burped, and growled, "Give me a real challenge.") Whether or not you're naturally anal about your floors, when you've got a baby crawling around, you suddenly become highly aware of all the pet hair and dirt and random unidentifiable filth that's down there, and if you can swing the cost, it's definitely worth it to buy a tool that makes your cleanup work faster and more efficient. (I bought an old model for 40% off at Sears, and you can often find used units online for half price.)

What baby products—traditional or otherwise—would you say are worth their high price tag?

Image via Dyson