What's on your To Do List?

[LittleBrownDog]

Spinoff of the "halfway there" thread- a comment Sandiegokristi made inspired me

Now that we're all at or approaching the halfway mark, what's on your "To Do" list before baby arrives?

We could use this thread as a checklist, too- Keep it bumped and we can cross things off as we finish them!

[meisterfrau]

Oh boy. Well, off the top of my head I need to:

-make a birth plan for both a vbac and a possible repeat CS
-decide what kind of diapers I am going with and start building stash
-start looking for a doula
-not to mention lots of things I should be doing regularly like kegels and drinking red raspberry leaf tea...

[LittleBrownDog]

OK, here's mine so far, I'll be back frequently to edit/add on, I am sure! (Have I mentioned how much I love making lists? This is going to get loooong)

(Every time someone posts my list gets longer!!!)

1. Finish taking down wallpaper in guest room DONE
2. Paint guest room- DONE!!!
3. Move Allison into "her" new room, formerly known as the guest room!- Change of plans, she's staying in her old room
4. Go through baby clothes and diapers, sort and wash - DONE
5. Get something to put baby clothes in DONE
6. Borrow co-sleeper from friend DONE
7. Finish repairing walls, then paint playroom DONE
8. Thin the toy collection DONE
9. Get some newborn dipes DONE
10. Order homebirth kit DONE
11. Buy birth pool and pump and all that good stuff DONE
12. Test birth pool and pump and all that good stuff
13. Write birth plan (is this necessary for a home birth? ETA: YES!) DONE
14. Pick a name!
15. Get a stretchy wrap DONE
16. Work on getting DD to spend more of the night in her room
17. Christmas shopping, wrapping, mailing!
18. Put together entertainment for Allison during labor/birth
19. Present for Allison from baby and from Allison for baby
20. Holiday cards
21. Birth anouncements
22. Kegels, RRL tea, all that stuff I should already be doing - Been making iced tea with RRL & mother-to-be teas! Yummy!
23. Get breast pump back (unused ) from SIL
24. Plan SILs baby shower
-Make Invitations
-Buy fabric paint, stamps for onesie painting
-Come up with games & prizes
26. Hire someone to clean the house in mid-October and mid-November
27. Decide if I want a doula, choose one if I do DONE (not having one)
28. Childbirth refresher course (booked for October 6)
29. Make and freeze some meals
30. Get bedroom ready- baskets for clothes/dipes on dresser, move furniture to fit co-sleeper
31. Keep working at potty learning with DD
32. Figure out schedule of post-birth/Thanksgiving guests and where they are all going to SLEEP! DONE
33. Midwife gift - DONE
34. Buy baby gift thank you cards Found some I already had!
35. Paint and finish decorating hall bathroom
36. Stock up on household needs- TP, paper towels, etc. DONE
37. Check mama cloth stash to see if it will suffice for post-partum.
38. Review BFing books
39. Make labor playlist on iPod
40. Add MW number to cell phones! DONE
41. Buy or make big sister shirt for A/little sister and born at home onesies for babe- DONE
42. Start prenatal yoga
43. Check childbirth class schedule, pick which weeks to attend (Decided to just do the refresher)
44. Pedicure in October
45. Get Halloween costume for baby just in case DONE
46. Schedule sibling class at Birth Center for Allison- October 13
47. Clean out closet in baby's room
48. Nesting Clean out pantry, etc.
49. Get mattress for co-sleeper
50. Bring up from basement and find space for: swing, bouncy chair, pack-n-play
51. Install carseat
52. Pack a "just in case" hospital bag- DONE
53. Still need to buy:
*car mirror
*boppy and/or boppy covers
*preemie prefolds
*extra carseat base
*changing pad & cover
*something to store dipes in
*humidifier
*gripe water
*mylicon
*hamper
*baby soap
*nursing bras
*baby book
54. Buy/gather remaining homebirth supplies
*bendy straws
*2 waterproof sheets of some sort (shower curtain liners?)
*"midwives underpad"
*dark towels
*few more receiving blankets
*hydrogen peroxide
*KY Jelly
*cookie sheet
*extra bed sheets
*heating pads
*mirror
55. Make Allison's Halloween costume
56. Clear out ebay/goodwill stuff

[scheelimama]

Yikes, laid out like that Leigh, it looks overwhelming! Okay, here goes...

1. Find a doula.
2. Get a backup person to be with my kids at the birth in case mom misses it (she will only be here 2 weeks.)
3. Buy a new dresser for baby's clothes or else seriously reorganize stuff to make room for baby's clothes.
4. Sew a small diaper stash (finished with the newborns and have plenty of mediums, although a friend has been borrowing them for some time and I'm not sure of the status on those, if they are still any good.)
5. Get out baby clothes, wash, and organize.
6. If we find out gender and it is a boy, I'll need to start on the boy stash of clothing.
7. Write a birth plan, it will be quite extensive since I very much know what I want and there are 3 mw's at the birth center I'm going to and I don't really know any of them yet. Yikes!
8. Check on wireless internet capabilities at birth center. If they do have wireless, find a friend whose laptop I can borrow for the birth (webcam for dh.)
9. Last month or two, I hope to get the girls sleeping primarily in their own beds for the majority of the night, every night. They have been sleeping with me quite a bit more since dh left. We'll see how that transition goes, although they were sleeping in their beds pretty well (dd1 - very well) before dh left, so we should be okay.
10. Set up cosleeper and find the sheets.
11. Find a good swing at a garage sale, hopefully.

I think that's it, but I'm sure I'm forgetting something. Most of that I'll do in the last 2 months or so.

[meisterfrau]

Leigh, I'd say write the birth plan anyway. If you are a homebirther, you are unlikely to be happy with regular hospital SOP. If you end up there, likely it is an emergency. Wouldn't it be better to have it all on paper so you don't have to try to voice all your needs/wants in an emergency? Particularly all the things you would want for the babe after birth, like no supplements or pacifiers, etc?

I planned to birth in the hospital with DD, but did NOT plan on a c-section. I wish I'd had a birth plan that addressed that more fully. That's why this time I will have a CS birth plan, even though I fully intend to VBAC. KWIM?

I'm now a big believer in trying to plan for the unplanned.

Sorry to derail the conversation. I am getting good ideas to add to my own list, so carry on!

[Mama Bear]

1. Hire a contractor to finish our basement (weren't planning on that one until we found we 2 were coming!!!)
2. Interview doulas
3. Find a housekeeper
4. Make 'big boy' room for ds/get him a big bed
5. Get mini-van
6. Re-work birth plan
7. Hope that we can find out the other baby's gender, as we only know for sure that 1 is a boy
8. Buy more diapers/clothes as needed
9. Possibly re-do nursery depending on gender outcome
10. Get carseats for babies and double stroller
11. Get a dresser for nursery
12. Install shelves in nursery
13. Renovate upstairs bathroom (remove wallpaper/repaint, new fixtures)
14. Pull up ds' baby clothes from basement and sort through
15. Figure out what sling(s) I need to buy for baby-wearing twins
...I am sure there is much more, but that's all I could think of for now

[isosmom]

Clean my house (there are so many subsets to this I won't even list them here)

[LittleBrownDog]

Originally Posted by meisterfrau

Leigh, I'd say write the birth plan anyway. If you are a homebirther, you are unlikely to be happy with regular hospital SOP. If you end up there, likely it is an emergency. Wouldn't it be better to have it all on paper so you don't have to try to voice all your needs/wants in an emergency? Particularly all the things you would want for the babe after birth, like no supplements or pacifiers, etc?

EXCELLENT points, Chrysta! Thank you!

[veganjoy]

Here's me, and probably in this order:

1) Pack
2) Move to California (pending husband's job)
3) Purchase Reagan-era diesel mercedes and convert to biofuel
4) Find apartment
5) Unpack, paint (er, have someone else do it), furnish...all that
6) Find midwife
7) Get baby stuff (a shower should help with this!)
8) Write birth plan, with second version in case of emergency hospital transfer
9) Finish work on huge project due just before baby is
10) Get connected to LLL and local AP group

[GinaRae]

I'll try to update this as things come to mind...

1. Get hubby interested in buying baby stuff
2. Pick boy and girl name
3. Talk to pediatrician about homebirth, selective/delayed vaxes, and no circumcision
4. Get date and book tickets for mom's arrival (Nov 15th - Dec5th)
5. Yard sale our stuff with friend for extra cash
6. eBay our expensive jeans and extra fabric for extra cash Working on it!
7. Test birth pool and accessories
8. Start going to LLL meetings
9. CLEAN my house, closets, etc!
10. Study vaccinations and come up with delayed/selective schedule
11. Find out of I need black stamp pads for baby's feet or if MW has some
12. Start drinking RRL tea (Working on it!)
13. Wash baby clothes, diapers, supplies
14. Make demand cards for hospital bassinets (no vax, no vit k, no eye gunk, no bottles, no paci) in case I transfer
15. Work on 3 birth plans (homebirth, hospital transfer - emergency, hospital transfer - non emergency)

MUST BUY:
New vehicle (mine died!)
Ring Sling(s)
Kissaluvs 0 diaper stash and covers
Receiving blankets
Warm blankets/Regular sized blankets
Baby wash cloths
Postpartum Pads (I think I have enough... may need more)
Bouncy seat (actually, a non bouncy Papasan)
Baby clothes/sleepers
Onesies & T-shirts (working on it!)
Nursing (breast) pads
Wash cloths
King sized sheets (Have three total sets and one extra fitted sheet now)
Cradle
Sheets for cradle
Baby socks and booties
A few bibs and burp cloths
Oral Vitamin K (MW confirmed she has it)
Stock up house on essentials like TP, laundry soap, etc
Towels (stock up for the homebirth and visitors)
Birth Pool and accessories
Homebirth Kit
Baby wedge for bed
Make new cradle pad (working on it!)
Mother of Eden Hanging Diaper Bags (instead of diaper pails)
Carseat
Baby dresser
Anti-vaccines book(s)
3-4 Nekkie Blankies
other absorbant cloths and pads
Rocker recliner
More pillows
Baby announcements, thank you cards, stamps Combine with Christmas cards
Thank you gifts to midwives
Christmas gifts and wrapping paper (working on it!)
Fall clothes and shoes for the older boys (working on it!)
Nursing bras??
Pajamas


Could Wait to Buy/May Not Buy:
Stroller
Breast pump kit for the Purely Yours
Baby book
Organic teethers (Made my own!)
Full set of one-size cloth diapers and covers
Diaper sprayer

[FillingMyQuiver]

Ahh... do I really have to think of everything that needs to be done??? *whine*

1. Find a bigger place to live Decided to stay where we are and save more $$ to buy next year
2. Make/ buy/ wrap all Christmas gifts by Nov 1st
3. Pull out the NB clothes DONE
4. Rework the diaper closet to fit the NB/ small dipes DONE
5. Sew more small dipes
6. Knit a bunch of NB/ small longies/ soakers DONE
7. Start drinking my RRL DONE
8. Sew PP mama cloth stash DONE
9. Convince DS he really needs to PL so I don't have 3 in diapers:
10. Clean birth pool and pump/ siphon DONE
11. Sew some baby clothes DONE
12. Declutter more so we have more room
13. Buy another queen size bed so the 5 of us all fit and I'm not squished DONE
14. Feed the freezer for PP mealsstarted, have a few meals frozen
15. Install bucket seat/ determine if DS needs a new seat to fit 3 across DONE
16. Look into buying a deep freeze for more PP meals and stocking up DONE~ doesn't look like it's going to happen thistime around :
17. Make DD's b-day presents (it's right when baby's due) DONE
18. Make a stretchy wrap DONE
19. Pull out HB supplies, replenish what's missing DONE
20. Buy more baskets for NB diapers DONE
21. Update address database for birth announcements/ Christmas cards
22. Print out address labels for announcements/ cards
23. Sew new Boppy cover DONE

[sandiegokristi]

I have to make my list, but just wanted to say THANK YOU for starting this thread. It helps me to get my butt in gear and organized! I hope we bump a lot otherwise I tend to forget.

[sandiegokristi]

Originally Posted by LittleBrownDog

OK, here's mine so far, I'll be back frequently to edit/add on, I am sure! (Have I mentioned how much I love making lists? This is going to get loooong)

Me too! I also will be adding finished goal dates as we get farther along.
TO DO LIST B4 BABY!
?TaskDue
Buy ergo and wraps
Call midwifes regarding doula and birth classesSet up hospital tour and midwife meeting
Go through clothes and wash them
Organize closet
Organize drawers
Buy hardware for closet
Purchase toy bin
Try to transition Reef into his crib
Organize the closets in our house
Christmas shop and wrap presents by October

Buy those bottles that don’t contain the bad plastic
Choose a name
Get the co-sleeper out
Write a birth plan and remember to be flexible if anything needs to be changed due to an emergency
Continue to check craigslist for major purchases
Buy a carseat
Install shelves in nursery
Consider hypnobabies program
Buy double stroller DONE
Prenatal Yoga
Pedicure end of Octoboer
Find a new pediatrician...ugh
Put together wedding photo book DONE

[De-lovely]

Here's mine so far:

*Set up playroom into girls room *DONE*
*Put together twin bed for Emma *DONE*
*Transition Elena into toddler bed *DONE*
*Quinn into crib *DONE atleast 1/2 the night lol*
*Upon finding out the sex,sort all clothes and do away with what we dont need *DONE*
*Buy some sort of storage system and label
*Tour new maternity suites at hospital
*Knit something special for baby
*Put together small packages for other DC for birth day of babe
*Look into supplements and vitamins to ensure nursing
*Pay off layaway for newborn stash and add a few extras
*Start a layaway for once the newborn stash is too small

Things to buy

*layette
*boppy *Freecycle baby!*
*breast pump with storage
*bath tub
*hooded towels and washcloths
*vibrating seat
*double jogging stroller


There's more to add later!

[Momma Aimee]

timely thread -- i have been working on complieing and brain storming this list for myself......and i love realizing YES I NEED TO DO THAT TOO and OHHH I DID NOT THINK OF THAT TG YOU DID.

some are the basics

• pack for me
• pack for DH
• pack for Theo in case we have to take him somewhere
• hang shelves in nusery
• get out small diapers, wash them
• get out baby clothing, wash -- assess needs make list
• get baby book, start
• keep working on breaking Theo of my hair as his lovey all night so i can MOVE
• keep working on getting him to cudle daddy not momma all night
• gift from T to baby,
• gift from baby to T
• install baby seat -- mvoing T's seat -- to get him used to it before polopping a baby in it
• doula -- meeting two, choose one or none, try to convinse Dh it si not a silly idea
• take T to see any new borns i can find.
• new gate for bottom of the stairs that swings (we have a pressure one now, i can't move it with a baby in my hands)

some are just me

• cathc up Theo's baby book
• catch up Theo's photo ablums
• move the rest of my stuff out of the baby closet

[shelley4]

here's my list... so far ! not much of it has to be done any time soon

-sort thru baby clothes to find appropriate sizes for winter
-get back all diapers, sort thru, buy/make more smalls and meds as needed
-buy a sling
-arrange for a photographer for the annoucement pics
-find a place for all the baby clothes to go!
-address all baby announcements
-pick up some thank you cards for the baby gifts
-plan dh's time off work after baby is here
-midwife gift
-doula gift?
-get all of our homebirthing supplies together

-stock the pantry
-make and freeze a whole lotta pp food & label
-set aside money for ordering in
-talk to someone about possibly walking kids to school in AM for december
-make lots of school snacks/food for lunches + meal plans for kaeden

-address all xmas cards, write the xmas letter, have it ready to mail
-make a list of xmas gifts, shop thru out the year
-make the xmas menu & find out how many people will be here
-buy wrapping paper, tape, gift tags, stamps
-have all out of town gifts ready to mail or give to people as they visit

-pay off the credit line

[Apryl Srissa]

I'm a list lover too, so this is a great reminder to start on mine.

For now, it's pretty short, but will definately add more later

1) get rid of all the boys clothes (ebay I'm guessing)
2) buy the hungry caterpillar baby clothes that ds2 SO wants to get baby(his fave book)
3) finish reorg attic and basement so can get to other sized clothes easily
4) get ds2 totally out of diaps
5) get ds3 started potty learning, he's interested, so I'm hoping he'll grab the idea quickly
6) organize our homeschool plans for the summer and fall
7) unpack the kids' games and coloring books (we thought we were moving, so packed stuff up)
8) figure out and get holiday gifts for all out of state family and hopefully kids too
9) plan and shop for ds3's bday party and in laws visit (are at same time)
10) once I see what mil brings for the baby (she's already started shopping lol) make a list of what is still needed
11) get storage baskets for baby clothes
12) find a place for pack and play downstairs for safe baby napping spot

I'm sure I'll add more later . .

[MamaHippo]

1. Declutter apartment to the nth degree. GOT to get some of this stuff OUT before baby stuff comes IN!

2. Really get working on the potty learning for DS

3. Get homebirth kit ready

4. Get labor kit ( gatorade, easily digestible food, massage oil, etc) set up at moms house, since thats where we're delivering (since we're in an apartment and have very picky noise-complaining neighbors)

5. Christmas cards DONE and ready to mail once baby arrives, with baby info added

6. super ultra deep clean of every surface and item in the apartment

[LittleBrownDog]

Originally Posted by Apryl Srissa

2) buy the hungry caterpillar baby clothes that ds2 SO wants to get baby(his fave book)

That is SO cute!

[Apryl Srissa]

Isn't it cute? The other night he mentioned wanting a baby book of of Caterpillar, which I haven't found yet. Then we went to a thrift store yesterday and found an outfit, by the time I got cash and got back, she was closed. He was just crushed, so I figured I'd go with it since he is so excited and all. He is more excited than anyone else about this baby