Exactly two years ago this week, I posted my pre-baby to do list with baby #1! Since baby #1 and baby #2’s due dates are only six days apart, it has been fun (and a bit surreal) to compare both pregnancies every step of the way.
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When I first found out I was pregnant, I felt so overwhelmed by all the BIG things we had to accomplish before baby #2’s arrival. Now that we are less than two months away from having a newborn in the house again, I am feeling a little bit better about my to-do list. There is still A LOT to do, but we’ve ticked a few of the big ticket items off of our list, including:
- Buy a minivan: check! We researched, and purchased a Toyota Sienna that we love!
- Find a two-bedroom apartment: check! God surprised us by dropping a beautiful rental house in our laps. We’ll be moving this week!
- Buy a new infant car seat: check!
- Get Gideon sleeping through the night: check! I ended up night-weaning him in January, and by the end of February he was sleeping through the night for the first time ever! Hallelujah! Everyone was right, it would happen eventually.
- Buy a rocking chair: check! I found a La-Z-Boy rocker/recliner at a garage sale for $15! I love it. I have already rocked Gideon to sleep in it a few times, and I am a big fan. We had a used glider, when G was a baby, but it was old to begin with and it eventually fell apart so we got rid of it.
What still remains on my list? Check it out below!
Homemaking
- Pack and move across town
- Organize and decorate my new little home
- Make 10 freezer meals + snacks
VBAC Prep
- Go to the chiropractor once a week
- Finish reading all my birth books
- Write birth plan
- Drink 1-2 cups red raspberry leaf tea and eat 6 dates a day starting at 35 weeks.
- Finish our birth course
- Make a VBAC Vision Board
- 50 squats a day
- Continue walking 2-3 miles a day
- Set up a Labor and Delivery playlist
- Pack our hospital bags
- Decide on a few names, and have that list of names on my phone
- Choose two coming home outfits (boy and girl)
To Buy for Baby
- A few more newborn girl outfits (just in case, I have lots of boy clothes!)
- A double jogging stroller (preferably a used Bob or Thule, I’ve been watching them on Facebook Marketplace, but haven’t made the leap yet).
Maybe Buying for Baby?
- A crib (we never got one with Gideon, but I am wondering if we want to try one with baby #2? Possibly just an enclosed space to put baby in to keep him/her safe from Gideon at times? Thoughts
- A baby swing. We had a baby bouncer for Gideon, that he never really liked. I am curious if a swing would be helpful? I’ve heard that some babies love them, and others don’t. I might pick one up, after we’ve moved, if I see one at a garage sale.
- A ring sling. I have a Lillebaby carrier, which I love, but I’ve always wanted to try a ring sling.
- Cloth diapers and reusable wipes. We’ve always done disposable with Gid, because we’ve never had our own washer and dryer. We pay $3 a load in our apartment complex, and I just didn’t think it would be cost effective to use cloth. But in our new house we will have a washer and dryer! Huzzah! So should I consider switching to cloth? Thoughts?
To Buy for Mama
- Another nursing bra. I ordered a bunch on Amazon (because, you know, I can try them on at home and return for free!) and LOVED this one. I want to order another one, but I’m waiting to see if they go on sale (I’ve also seen them pop up on Zulily for half the price).
- A few more nursing tanks. I lived in these nursing tank tops after Gideon was born. I just spotted some pretty light pink nursing tanks at Wal-Mart the other day, and I might snag one or two before this baby is born.
- A new set of pajamas. Honestly, you spend so much time in loungewear in those early weeks, I want to find something pretty and fun!
Work
- Finish Virtual Assistant projects before my maternity leave
- Launch our podcast
Just for Fun
- Celebrate our 4th wedding anniversary by planning something fun!
- Celebrate Gid’s second birthday, and my birthday too.
- Get a pedicure in the final weeks of pregnancy
- Get a haircut–I haven’t had my hair done professionally for over a decade. Kinda itching to try something new!
Wishful Thinking
- Potty train Gideon (ha! We are starting to introduce the concept, but I’m definitely not forcing the issue. It’ll happen eventually).
- Grow an extra set of arms to hold both my babies
Whew! I’m tired just writing out this list!
Good luck with the list!!
I feel like you would love doing cloth nappies, just from memory you’re keen on environmentally friendly, natural stuff…
I used terry towelling cloth nappies with Zoe and found it really easy; cheap, too (the covers were the most expensive part but I only got 4 covers, and it worked well as I would just wash the covers with any normal load of washing I did, in order to always have fresh covers, while the actual nappies were always washed in their own load.
We saved so much money by using cloth, I’m sure of it! Hang them in the sun and you’re good to go!
I’m keen to hear what you decide to do!
So neat that you used cloth diapers with Zoe! I’ll definitely let you know what I decide! Thanks for the tip about hanging them in the sun: I will definitely tuck that away for later. 🙂