When will you start to set things up?

[SoggyGranolaMomma]

I'm a huge planner and most of us with a gaggle of kids have no choice but to be! :LOL

I have a lot of goals to meet before the wee one arrives and obviously among them is setting up their space in our room.

I have to transition our youngest into his "big boy" bed and out of the toddler bed so I can put the crib mattress in the crib. In the beginning the crib is the dresser/changing station/safe place to put the baby while I pee space. So I usually wash and stack the layette stuff, put the diapers in there and gather the cord supplies. I keep all the bath supplies (shampoo bars, towels and cloths) in there too. I don't usually get a dresser until they are older and I've never owned a changing table.

I can't really think of what else I will need. Maybe some more crib sheets and another waterproof mattress pad.

I don't have a nursery to set up so I have nothing to take out all my "nesting" on. Is anyone else nesting and when do you plan to start?

[flapjack]

.I was kind of planning on doing that in the first couple of hours of labour. (Well, certainly assembling the swing crib, stuff like that.) We simply haven't got the space for it at the moment.
Oh- fwiw, I kept a bouncy chair in the bathtub with the boys- my solution to the pee-in-quiet problem, as our bathroom was too small to have someone on the floor. It sounds mad, but it worked...

[snugglebutter]

I have some other household organization that needs to be done, so I am starting with that. I've also had two offers to help with freezer cooking in August. It's a little on the early side, but I'm certainly not turning down the help! I figure there will be times that easy meals will come in handy during the 3rd trimester too.

I'm also planning to sew some diapers this time, so that will keep me busy. Lately I've also been doing a lot of scrapbooking (wow, I am sooooo behind : ).

Another thing that we can work on right now is holiday gifts - we will have much better things to do in December! I have started a list with ideas on what to get people and have been making a few things. Whether you make or buy gifts, it helps to start early.

[PicnicBear]

We have a two bedroom apartment and the second bedroom is my bedroom sometimes, the guest room and the nursery. We hope to be moving (I hope to California but we will see) around New Years so we are not buying anything for the baby beyond what s/he will need for the first two months, so we really don't need very much. We bought a gorgeous crib off ebay even though I plan to sleep with the baby in my bed with a guard rail, I will need somewhere safe to put the baby from time to time (like SGM said), maybe s/he will nap in there -- I don't know -- I'm a first time mom. We aslo got a changing table for $5 at a garage sale, primarlily for the two storage shelves it has. And we are overflowing with clothes. At the garage sales, plus the awesome thrift stores my mom goes to, we have enough clothes for the first year (all gender-neutral, so we will pick up more after the birth). A guest saw the room and said it looked like the baby is coming next week, because of all the clothes. We aren't making it nursery-like though, expect to remove DH's medieval crossbow replica from hanging above the crib. I plan to have a cloth diaper shower, so I'm afraid I don't need too much more for the babe which is kind of a bummer because I loved shopping (bargain shopping of course). What else does one need for the first two months -- I guess the guard rail, and I have a sling on the way. Oh, and we also have a rocking chair in that little room, and I bought a boppy pillow from ebay, still need a cover b/c the print is hideous . .

[crsta33]

Actually, I've already set up the crib and bought a car seat and gotten out all the baby clothes I kept from Kenna and started working on a diaper stash. The crib is just for pretties, occasional naps, changes, and that safe place. I plan to have a bassinet for our bedroom, but haven't gotten one yet.

My biggest nesting task is those cute little baby clothes. I wash, fold, rearrange them countless times. I did it the first time and have already started this time. I try to hold off to wash things until closer to baby time, but if I get something used I go ahead and wash it.

I've also been thinking about doing Christmas presents early. After Kenna was born in October the holidays kinda snuck up on me. I barely even remember Thanksgiving from that year. I've been meaning to sit down and make a list. : Money is such a concern that I've got to get creative for gift ideas, which may mean making them. I also want to sew some diapers.

Christa

[BensMom]

I feel nesty already, too!

DS uses the nursery as an overflow play room for him, because really his room is tiny and there is only so much room for all of the junk he has accumulated. So I need to get in there and organize his toys as well as the babyish things that are in there.

I plan to get this bed so I have thoughts of getting rid of the crib completely. I would love to sell it to pay for the new bed, but if it doesnt work out, then I guess we might want to have the crib as backup. We have a terrible dresser in there where all the drawers are out of alignment, so I would like to go to a system of bookshelves and baskets for all the little baby stuff (onsies, socks, etc). We do have a changing table and used it until DS's legs were hanging off of it. I'm not so good about floor diaper changes.

The closet in there is packed with baby crap. So much to go through. And I'm itching to do it!

I am also gearing up to make some newborn dipes. I am ordering some hemp this week and will start scoping out gender neutral prints and stuff. Cant wait to make tiny dipes!

[flyingspaghettimama]

Oooh, good thread. My husband and I were talking about this last night. Last time, with my daughter (born 6 weeks early) we were completely unprepared, thinking we had 6 more weeks until her arrival. For some reason, I was also superstitious about it. And then, when she had to stay in the NICU and we came home empty-handed to a few baby things in our house, it was really sad. A frantic trip to Babies R Us, and then return trips, it was hectic. It was so hard to find preemie clothes, she just went naked pretty much for the first month anyhow. Skin to skin contact is good for preemies! I told myself...

But, these were the things we bought and needed last time, I started making the list again yesterday...:
*about 3 dozen white washcloths from IKEA
*a dozen recieving blankets
*a bouncy chair
*a preventing-from-rolling over device we got at Babies R Us - to create a barrier in the bed for her (she was soooo tiny)
*changing pad and 2 covers
*gymini (she loved that thing for months)
*carseat and head insert for carseat
*a dozen baby one-pieces and probably 5 or so tops/bottoms
*one or two slings (my husband has requested a black sporty-type this time, he's seen them but doesn't know the name??)

That was about it. We knew we weren't going to use a crib, and we have a small house so there's not much room. This time, I want a sidecar just in case my next isn't a perfectly-still sleeper; and am on a waitlist at a consignment shop for it. Anything else we're missing??

I'd like to try CDing again this time after a miserable failure of it last time (poop/pee all over the bed multiple times, middle of the night)...but it might have had something to do with the fact that she was a preemie. So that's another outlay. I am so completely overwhelmed by the topic, I wish there was a class or a book??

We want to paint before the baby comes too, so that will be another thing to do. Or, ha, my husband to do (poor guy).

Uh, I guess I better get on this, going to consignment stores. My daughter is 5 years older and we never planned on a second, so we've gotten rid of almost everything...

[memory maker]

Originally Posted by crsta33

I've also been thinking about doing Christmas presents early. After Kenna was born in October the holidays kinda snuck up on me. I barely even remember Thanksgiving from that year. I've been meaning to sit down and make a list. : Money is such a concern that I've got to get creative for gift ideas, which may mean making them. I also want to sew some diapers.

Christa

that is a great idea. Its not like I want to take a newborn out to the mall to do shopping. Maybe I will start this too

[flyingspaghettimama]

Originally Posted by BensMom

I plan to get this bed so I have thoughts of getting rid of the crib completely. .

That is a cool bed/swing/hammock/whatever, I've never seen one before. I want one for myself. My daughter had GERD for a while as a little baby and we drove ourselves insane trying to figure out how to get her to sleep...

[PicnicBear]

Originally Posted by memory maker

that is a great idea. Its not like I want to take a newborn out to the mall to do shopping. Maybe I will start this too

I'm afraid there is about a 95% chance that no will get any Christmas gifts from DH and me this year. We didn't even get oursleves gifts till one month later last year -- the gift to everyone will be that they get to see our little baby and I am certain everyone will be happy with that. Our family has decided to cut way back on gifts because of problems with clutter, plus we have to travel to see eachother which is an expense . . . But good for you all who are thinking and acting so far ahead -- WOW! Of course, we have no little kids in our family yet so it's easier to tell the adults not to expect Santa.

[zjande]

Awesome thread. I had gotten rid of all my baby stuff & am living in a house that I've never had a baby in so I feel overwhelmed by all the organization ideas, AND lack of space!

I can't decide whether to get a crib or not??! We don't have a bedroom for the baby, it'll sleep with us, but what about when it starts to roll? Will I want a giant crib that takes up 1/2 our room for naps? Or a much smaller Pack N Play that you have to break your back leaning all the way over into?? I do love the Ambys & sidecar sort of beds, but I'm shopping used & cheap & not sure I could ever find those.

I have tons of baby clothes, too! Garage sales rock for that. The next thing we need is a dresser for the mountain of clothes! I love to fold & refold them, but haven't yet washed & sorted them much because I know I will be overcome with Insane Nesting Syndrome in a few months & will appreciate the work.

We have a bouncy chair. We're going to use a diaper service. I want to sew!! I have so many clothing ideas but never manage to find the time to sew anything!

I have sooOoooOo many other tasks I want to get done before the baby comes. I want every piece of paper filed away & every cobweb gone & every surface immaculate. :LOL Good luck to me right?! Haha.

So, besides the tubs of clothes & bouncy seat in our closet, & monstrous pile of pregnancy, birth & vax books next to our bed, you'd never know there was gonna be a baby around here in 5 mos.

[cjbeach]

Originally Posted by BensMom

I feel nesty already, too!

DS uses the nursery as an overflow play room for him, because really his room is tiny and there is only so much room for all of the junk he has accumulated. So I need to get in there and organize his toys as well as the babyish things that are in there.

I plan to get this bed so I have thoughts of getting rid of the crib completely. I would love to sell it to pay for the new bed, but if it doesnt work out, then I guess we might want to have the crib as backup. We have a terrible dresser in there where all the drawers are out of alignment, so I would like to go to a system of bookshelves and baskets for all the little baby stuff (onsies, socks, etc). We do have a changing table and used it until DS's legs were hanging off of it. I'm not so good about floor diaper changes.

The closet in there is packed with baby crap. So much to go through. And I'm itching to do it!

I am also gearing up to make some newborn dipes. I am ordering some hemp this week and will start scoping out gender neutral prints and stuff. Cant wait to make tiny dipes!

We're going to use the Amby as well this time. DS was colic/refluxy for 15 mos so I'm not so certain this DS won't be as well.

[PicnicBear]

Originally Posted by zjande

I have tons of baby clothes, too! Garage sales rock for that. The next thing we need is a dresser for the mountain of clothes! I love to fold & refold them, but haven't yet washed & sorted them much because I know I will be overcome with Insane Nesting Syndrome in a few months & will appreciate the work.

OMG -- the ones that my mom didn't send pre-washed are all still in the bags from the garage sales weeks and weeks ago -- does this mean I will be a bad mother since I have as much of an aversion to folding baby clothes as I do my own clothes . . . does "nesting" really overcome laziness . .

[PicnicBear]

OK -- I really like this thread so I am obsessively posting here. But here's some info everyone should know if they are in the market for cheap clothes for baby and whole family:

Goodwill is managed differenty in different regions, but in some regions, like Eastern PA where my parents live, there is a "Bargain" store somewhere within the region. At this store the clothes are all in bins rather than on hangers -- and the price for each item is 50 cents! The best and most ironic thing about it is that whenever something has been in a regular Goodwill for a certain amount of time they move it out to the bargain store. So, a lot of the items that go to the bargain store are actually the better items that might have had a price tag of $6 or $7 and don't sell at the regular Goodwill! With each item at 50 cents it's practically free. I was just reminded since another box came from my mom just now. If you are interested you just need to call your Goodwill headquarters and ask if they do it this way. Here in Illinois they don't use that system and there is not bargain store.

When she was sending a huge box to us she had it all packed up and my dad said "geez that's going to cost $20 to ship" and she was like "well, great because there's about $500 worth of clothes in there" Aren't we women witty!

Another thought -- if you had the time (haha) you could probably put together "lots" of baby or kids clothes from there and sell them on ebay . .

[Emilie]

Ha. Since we are moving to another state- sometime- hopefully before the baby arrives- if we find a house- then I will probally set up after the baby is born!
I swear.
This is not fun worrying about all these other things- like buying our first house in another state- and how we are going to move with a 2 year old and me 7-8-9 mo preggo?
ARGH!
Emilie

[MamaFern]

i have lots of baby stuff, id love to set it all up but my place is so tiny, it just seems to clutter up everything, so i take it out and look at it then put it away.. some of the things ive made i have out to look at, but diapers and clothes and things i have in baskets under the bed or on the top bunk ( elwynn and i have a bunkbed, but we both sleep on the bottom and the top is like a huge shelf.. :LOL im going to have to figure something out for closer to the time, but whatever.. babies are so small, they really dont take up much space. its just all of the stuff!!

[Belleweather]

Wow, I feel like the bad mama! We're already setting things up and getting the place cleaned up for the little one. I guess that's probably wise, since we've got more time now than we will later in the pregnancy when we're both in school.

We got a very nice white crib for free from a friend on Freecycle who bought it and couldn't return it, so we have that sitting around that needs to be set up so we can train the cats not to jump in it. This, I fear, will take some time! We're planning on using the crib for naps and transitioning the kiddo into it later.

We got a changing table on freecycle that we're slowly fixing up -- it needed paint and new shelves -- and a dresser we're painting to match. We've already got study moved into the basement, and the dresser set up and overflowing with baby things and I can't wait to fill the changing table up so it can be cloth diaper central! We still have to figure out what to paint the room, and get a cover for the futon so DH and I have a place to nap while the baby naps. But it's turning out to be such a sweet place to hang out that I might just take up doing my homework there before the baby comes!

We've also been collecting random baby bits since I was about 8 weeks, mostly because we're poor and so we need to stretch our money. So we've already got nearly everything we need for the kid all stashed away. I know I'll have nesting urges, but I'm hoping I can channel them into homework and filling the freezer!

[zjande]

Originally Posted by plagio

Another thought -- if you had the time (haha) you could probably put together "lots" of baby or kids clothes from there and sell them on ebay . .

Hee, hee, we do this! We've found MOUNTAINS of 25cent clothing at garage sales, & the St Vincent De Paul thrift store nearby has all it's baby clothes in a 50cent bin. I get lots together to sell on Ebay. The craziest sale ever was this teen jacket, nothing extrememly special as far as we could tell, size 12/14, that we bought for a quarter. We sold it on Ebay for ... $135.00 !! How crazy is that!!? I wish we could somehow figure out how to do that everytime!! :LOL

My dp has quite the lovely Ebay skills. He sells regularly.

This thread made me sit down & create a list this morning! I thought of all the stuff we still need. Then DP & I decided to just forgo the bed for now. The wee one will just be sleeping with us, & our bed is sooo close to the floor, even if it rolls off it will be a very short fall. That eases my mind in that area. Now I just need to figure out where the heck we'll put a dresser.

[gratefulbambina]

A couple weeks ago I started cleaning & arranging all cabinets & closets. We are registering tomorrow after our US. Ive also purchased some CDs that some friends were selling. Our money is tight so I have to start slow. Im also going to slowly get Christmas gifts so we dont have to deal with that.

[crsta33]

Plagio, I like to do laundry anyway. Especially folding them warm right out of the dryer (or off the line). The little baby clothes just make it more pleasurable b/c they are so cute. Having a baby didn't make cleaning or washing dishes any more fun...even though I really wanted a cleaner house, especially when she started to crawl.

Emilie, we moved when Kenna was a tiny baby. We were supposed to have moved a month before she was due, but the tenent who was leaving didn't leave until November. So then we had a house that needed a lot of work to get ready to move into by Christmas. Kenna was exposed to paint fumes at an early age. I actually set up a crib at the first house, though I had taken it back down by the time the baby was born. And I just kept all her clothes packed in boxes, except for the ones we were using.

Christa