how to prepare for a new baby?

[sesa70]

I know I am getting way ahead of myself here, but I really want to start doing something to prepare for new baby. We have been on the waitlist for only 3 months, and they say average is one year. still, I figure little by little I can get our things together. It will make it feel more real, and give me an opportunity to feel like I am at least doing something.

So I am thinking about what I need to get. We didn't save any of dd's things (she's 4 now) because we stored them in the attic of the last home we rented, and found out there were mice up there it freaked us out and we dumped everything.

I know my two big purchases for this baby will be a glider and ottoman and some sort of co sleeper. According to our agency the baby needs a room and a crib seperate from ours. Even though we are doing a domestic/agency adoption they are still required to follow state foster care regulations, and Il is not a state that allows babies to sleep in the room with parents, at any age or for any reason (well barring severe illness with a doctors written reccomendation) but anyway, our worker said most parents do have the babies sleeping in their rooms in a bassinet or similar.

I am not sure what would be the best option here. I want something that is close to or connects to our bed, but I am uncomfortable with the baby actually in the bed with us (we have dogs, a cat, and a part time co sleeping 4 yr old who gets in and out of bed at night) and want him/her to have his own space.

Are the cosleepers outgrown quickly? We don't know the exact age the baby will be when he/she comes home. We were told often babies are a few weeks to a couple months when they come home. The babies could be as old as 6 months at placement. I want to make sure that what I get is going to work in the beginning and last us a while also.

I know things like bottles and clothes will wait until the actual baby is here. I have a few carriers to get my going, and will get more specific if needed when the baby is here.

Any other suggestions of things I should have in this getting ready phase? Thanks for humoring me, everyone!

[SundayCrepes]

We co-sleep so I don't know what products are out there. However, I'd like to recommend that, once you get the info you're seeking, that you hold off on making this purchase. Since the age of the baby could vary greatly, that could change what you want to get. This is a big ticket item. What happens if the baby has practically outgrown it before you get it? Then you'd have wasted a lot of money. Just my frugal thoughts. However, do research so you can instantly know what you want to buy when the baby comes.

[crl]

I think the Arms Reach co-sleepers are all outgrown within 4 to 6 months. My memory is that they are not suitable once the baby can sit up? I found a mini one on Craigslist for $40--so you could search for used and plan to resell to recoup cost if you end up not using it. I don't know if you plan to use a pack n play? If so, many come with a bassinet feature and I don't think that adds much to the cost. I'm not getting one for the moment as I don't think we'll need it, but a lot of people use them for naps and such. And the pack n play itself would be useful even if the bassinet feature is outgrown?

Are you planning to do cloth diapers? You could start buying those to fit 6 months and up. I think a lot of people use disposables for the first couple of months anyway because of the cost of investing in clothe for a short time period and because of the difficulty of keeping up with laundry in the first couple of sleep-deprived months.

Honestly, I did clothes first because they are small and easy to store out of sight. (And they don't expire, unlike car seats and formula.) I found quite a bit on Craigslist for about $1 a piece, which is a huge savings over new, even on sale, and isn't the sort of thing you can run out and buy instantly for that price. How would you feel about starting to garage sale/Craigslist for 6-9 month sizes in gender neutral colors?

I assume you'll be at least partially bottle feeding? If so, you could buy those and sterilize them now.

You could start keeping an eye out for baby toys at good prices. Teethers, soft blocks, a soft ball (like gertie), an activity gym. None of those things are necessary (well, at all really) for a newborn, but I think you'd see some use of most of them starting at 3 months or so and they'd continue to be useful to a year or older.

You'll want blankets I think regardless of exact age. Also, baby wash clothes and burp clothes.

Hope that helps,
Catherine