Number one thing I can think of is- love your child. Keep this in focus and the rest is just details (important details, but secondary none the less).

Due to issues I won't go into- I've been living much of the last two years (our child is two) as if I were a single parent. Because of this I've not exactly made all of the best choices and I've been at my wits end a lot, sometimes just having to punt (I don't have a lot of time and energy to read too many books on the subject). But even through all that, he is bright eyed, happy, and everyone remarks how joyful he is. This is the grace of God, of course, but I also know that HE knows he is loved, and that is evident whenever I walk in the room or hold him. If you could bottle that up, you'd be a millionare.

I guess it sounds obvious and natural, but from what I've seen it isn't. People can spend so much time fussing about doing the right thing and worrying about screwing things up, they forget that babies are pretty reselient to parental mistakes, but if you don't show them affection, that WILL matter.