Five apps for new moms

I never realized how resourceful my smart phone was before I had Maggie. Well, I really should say I never utilized it as much as I do now that I'm a mom.

Maggie wasn't interested in playing with my phone until a few months ago. I bought her a toy smart phone, but she still insisted on holding mine or my husband's. Jason and I both downloaded a few apps for her to play and watch (the Fisher-Price and Elmo apps are her favorites). Sometimes we even play an episode of "Sesame Street" or a "Baby Einstein" movie on YouTube. She still prefers books and her own toys, but it works when we're out and she's a little fussy.

I've also found that I can't live without apps that help me stay organized. I keep track of everything on my phone from my to-do list to appointments. I even use the "Couch to 5K" app as a new workout I'm trying -- each time you work out, it tells you when to walk and run. Genius!

Recently, Verizon Wireless surveyed new parents from New York and asked them about their favorite apps. Here are their top five apps for iPhone, iPad and Andriod:

1. Baby Connect ($4.99): This app helps you track your baby's milestones, growth and development, plus it features a nursing and bottle tracker, a sleep tracker, doctor's visits and more.

2. Baby Monitor & Alarm ($2.99): You can monitor your newborn’s sounds because it will notify you via a call to another phone when there is a noise in the baby's room. The app can even pull songs from iTunes to help lull your toddler back to sleep.

3. Grocery Smarts Coupon Shopper (Free): Plan a shopping trip based on what's on sale at stores such as Target, Walgreens and CVS. Find sales on everything from diapers to baby food, products and toys.

4. White Noise ($1.99): Use it to help your little one fall asleep by playing gentle sounds of the environment, or the familiar sounds of your fan or AC. There are also sound timers that fade audio out so your baby doesn’t suddenly awake.

5. Instagram (Free): This isn't an app specifically for newborns, but it's great for taking pictures and it's easy to share them online with your friends and family.

Check out Long Island moms favorite apps and share yours below.