Planning ahead for when baby arrives... « Back to Group Discussions

[madis81]

i've been driving my DH nuts talking about the things I'm planning to prepare or accomplish before Baby is born. Things like meals, crafts with/for the kids, Christmas gift shopping, etc...  What kind of things are preparing ahead of time?

Right now, I'm just thinking about all the food I'll cook and bake to freeze for easy meals and meals that are easy to make. Lasagna, cabbage stew, split-pea soup, are just a few items on my list. We also (kinda) follow the advent calendar, so I'm preparing that. Oh, and I'm hoping to finish a few homemade gifts for my kiddos, as well as put together activity bags/crafts for them so they are not totally bored and looking for things to do after the baby is born. I'm trying to be as prepared as possible.

[CaMummy]

That sounds such a fun idea about the activity bags!  What are the ages of your other children and what will you put in their bags?

Lizzie

[travelmumma]

Oh I am there with you Madis!!

I am already planning the foods I will freeze (lasagne, curries and rice, pastas, burrito mix, soups, stir frys), the lists I will make for DH when I go into labour (positions I want to try, foods I want to eat, where things are, music I want played, people I want informed), let alone all the labour supplies that I want to organise!

Sigh! Feeling behind already and we still have months!!

Great Idea about the activity bags for the kiddo's! A friend of mine had a list of things for her kids to do when she went into labour (she was having a home birth).. It had things on it like 

-find all the iPods/cameras etc and charge them all

-wrap the "welcome baby" presents they had bought in advance

-put the animals outside and check their water

Maybe something like that too???

[DaytonsMom]

Well glad it's not just me. The other morning at three I'm awake thinking about where the cradle can fit in our room, and can't go back to sleep. We have to move our bed and the twin bed the kids sleep in that's next to us to make room somehow, and DH tells me we will figure it out when baby gets here. Lol I thought he must be joking. I told him I really want him to start measuring everything this week! He thinks I've lost it...

[nhklh]

I'm thinking about freezer meals, and also easy snacks that the kids & DP can help themselves too.  Too early to actually DO any of it though.

[travelmumma]

Originally Posted by nhklh 

I'm thinking about freezer meals, and also easy snacks that the kids & DP can help themselves too.  Too early to actually DO any of it though.

Frustratingly yes :(

[Millie Ivy]

My big thing right now is my house. It's gotten very full and messy this last year. We have a smallish house (just under 1600 sg ft) for 5 people, soon to be 6.  I was running a fiber/yarn business out of my kitchen, we used to homeschool, etc.  Just majorly feeling the need to declutter.

So this summer that's the main prep I'm doing.  Purge, clean, purge, rearrange, etc.  So far I've cleaned out the boys bedroom completely and working with them on better habits to keep it clean, cleaned my room (I have one bin of random things that do need to be kept and don't have a place but I'm working on that one), turned a trashed out junk closet in the laundry room into a storage for all my fiber crafts (fitting it all in one closet, sadly, is a big improvement), sold a wheel, drum carder, and have one more item I'm selling.  need to ship those.

Halfway done with the kitchen, I still need to get one big shelf out and then I want to rearrange all the cupboards.  Cleaning my daughters room with her starting today. 

All that is really step one, and will be done *WILL BE DONE* by school starting this fall.  I need empty zen space. 

The only baby specific thing I have done so far is after I cleaned my room really well I had my hubby bring in the changing table.  Its where I'll store most of the clothes and diapers etc.  I wanted that in and cleaned and ready to go by this Friday since I know when we fiind out the sex of the baby at the sono stuff is going to start making it's way into the house and I want space for it!

Other than that I don't want to make too many crazy plans.  I am going to be busy this Fall teaching yoga (yay!) and living and I don't want to stress about going  into the holidays.  I have a registry for a few things I need (new carseat, etc), I'll have a shower with friends and family (My mom and sister will do that), my Mom and sister will help with housecleaning through the fall to give me some help, they will bring food after the babe comes (We all eat the same way too).  I will probably double ups several meals in November like soups and broth and basic cooked meat to build quick meals out of, but I'm not doing anything separate from what I already cook.

I have almost every necessary item for babyhood already, most of it is at my sisters house and will come back to me (clothes, diapers, slings).  I NEED the carseat, lanolin, and snappies.

;-)  I know from past experience that babes don't need much and I don't want a load of extra crap in my house. hehe.

OOH Another to do is go away for the night for our anniversary next month. Definite NEED.

[purposefuldoula]

I'm right there with you ladies! My big thing is the floors in our house. We moved in almost two years ago and the carpet in the house is/was terrible! So, about a month ago, I started tearing up the carpet! I've got three rooms done, with my bedroom left to go. Luckily, we live in an old house with original hard wood floors, so it's not so bad now. Although they badly need refinished, (someone who lived here before splattered pain all over them!) I can at least get them completely clean! 

So that's been going on, then last weekend, I asked DH to clean under the fridge for me. He said when he moved the fridge, the vinyl came up like wet toilet paper :(  So last weekend and into Monday, we refinished the kitchen floor as well! I looks like we'll be doing the laundry room and two bathrooms as well before this baby comes. I LOVE doing home improvement stuff though, so this all doesn't freak me out. Just part of owning this old place. 

Other than doing floor stuff, I'm making baby stuff like he will be here any day! I actually gave my hands a break today from knitting, but so far I've knit up a few soakers, two pairs of booties, a grampie sweater, longies, a vest, and am in the middle of his second blanket. Some other wips I have are another vest, a sweater and longies for both big sisters, hand mitts for me, and lots more baby things. I can't stop knitting! I usually make my girls flannel pj pants for Christmas eve, though this year I am knitting them. After my older daughter, (5) saw the babies pair of longies, she begged for her own. Since her and her sister both are not in diapers, the dimensions are cracking me up. I am making the 5 year olds with the waist of an 18 month old :) So cute! 

Other things I'll make/do before this babe gets here is thrift for home birth supplies like bedsheets, towels, & tablecloths.  Thrift for other baby items. Last week we found a high chair for ten bucks! It's one of the metal vintage kinds and was in really good shape. I usually don't hold onto things like that, but I couldn't pass it up!  I want to sew some baby things as well and probably cook up some more food when it gets to December. 

[cieloazul]

Where do you guys find the energy for all this?!?! Sometime between now and December, I'm hoping to give the dogs a bath and do the ironing :P

[tropicana74]

Originally Posted by cieloazul 

Where do you guys find the energy for all this?!?! Sometime between now and December, I'm hoping to give the dogs a bath and do the ironing :P

Love it! 

I get you! Wait...you iron?!

Freezer meals? Um, nope. My DH hates previously frozen foods. MIL will be in town and will help out with a few meals and the rest of the time the kiddos can eat scrambled eggs or cereal for dinner. A couple weeks won't hurt them. 

Knitting? Won't ever happen.

Buying baby clothes? Maybe, if I walk by a rack that has some deals.

Major home projects? LOL

I guess I should think about Christmas presents but I think I will wait until after Halloween to start thinking about that. 

I do need to get some scissors and shoelace/dental floss to tie the cord but then again I may delegate that to DH!

[phatchristy]

Originally Posted by cieloazul 

Where do you guys find the energy for all this?!?! Sometime between now and December, I'm hoping to give the dogs a bath and do the ironing :P

LOL

I'm with you.  Other than no dogs or ironing!

With four other kids and a DH with a rather demanding schedule it's like survival mode.  If I can take care of myself enough, get enough nutrition, protein and exercise, then it's a good thing.  Otherwise the baby needs my boobs, a few clean outfits and diapers.  

I *hope* I get the mega nesting energy near the end like usual.  At that time I might be able to do more.

Right now though, I don't even have maternity clothes down from the attic and I likely should have already.  Wearing DH's bagging elastic athletic shorts!

[travelmumma]

Originally Posted by cieloazul 

Where do you guys find the energy for all this?!?! Sometime between now and December, I'm hoping to give the dogs a bath and do the ironing :P

LOL!!! I only said that these were the things that I want to do, not that I will do!!! Hahaha!! At the moment we are still living out of suitcases and boxes in our not yet unpacked house!! If there are clean underwear and bread for toast, then we are Go!

One thing I have found that helps with energy is putting some boogying music on and dancing around while doing the housework etc!!

[purposefuldoula]

Oh man, you can add sewing up some baby clothes, like right now, to my list. I made a pair yesterday for this new guy, and now I'm hooked on that, too! I ran to the fabric store today and grabbed a few adorable prints. I even found one that has mustaches all over it!! Different kinds!! AGH!! I love it! I'm also loving sewing and knitting up these tiny boy things. I've never done boy before!  

I am taking a break from flooring for the moment. I'm finally starting to feel achy and that's not too fun. I did grab my exercise ball and sat on that today during lunch. I think it helped. 

[tropicana74]

Saw this on FB today and I got such a giggle out of it. I thought I would share it here and figured those of you with sewing projects going would appreciate the humor in this......

[purposefuldoula]

I love that!! I think I've seen something to that effect of making sure you have lipstick on :) So funny.

[madis81]

cieloazul - Who said anything about energy? lol It comes in spurts... and my house shows it! Yikes!

OK... to the mama who asked about my activity ideas: I have to dig up my list and it's on my other computer. They are all basically fun little crafts or activities to keep their hands busy. The tricky part is my 20 month old... I'm trying to adapt some of them for him, but some of the ideas have chokeables... like beads, the eyes that jiggle. I remember one of ideas I was going to adapt involved pipe cleaners and a strainer. He can poke the pipe cleaners into the holes and have fun with that, while his sisters make animals, people, etc...

purposefuldoula, I'm a little jealous of those that can sew and knit/crochet. Do you have a simple pattern you can share? I do have a sewing machine... then I can get all pretty and wear a little lipstick just in case my DH comes home early!