With just seven days until my actual due date (although we’re pretty sure Baby P will make us wait even longer), we’ve officially begun getting ready for her arrival.
Of course you’ve seen us tackling her nursery, but now when we say getting ready, we really mean getting-ready-for-my-water-to-break-and-to-actually-welcome-our-new-daughter-into-the-world. See, pretty much right after we found out I was pregnant we slowly began to wrap our minds around the idea that our family would be growing as my belly continued to expand with every baked potato and chocolate milk craving.
Now you see why I’ve been humming my tweak on an old Beyoncé classic: “I don’t think you’re ready for this belly.”
And only quite recently did we fully digest the concept that we actually made a person. We made a person! There’s a girl in my belly who will walk and talk someday, heck she’ll even have a job and probably be desperately embarrassed about her dorky parents who always have paint in their hair. It’s just such a giant thought that it literally takes about nine months to sink in- which might just be why it takes so long to cook one of these things. It’s probably nature’s way of making sure you’re really ready for the life changing and momentous birth instead of smacking you in the face with a baby after 30 days of gestation. But anyway, now that we have fully been able to wrap our heads around the notion that we’re about to really be parents (!) there are a few things that we’ve done in anticipation of our little miracle’s arrival:
1. Our practical purchase: My obsession with my water breaking in bed or on the couch got the best of me and I convinced John to let me get a waterproof mattress cover to protect our beloved organic mattress and another little waterproof blanket that I can place on the sofa or the seat of the car in these last few days… you know, just in case. And the good news is that they’re not nearly as crunchy and diaper-like as I expected (we picked them both up for $23 total at Bed Bath & Beyond thanks to two of those 20% off coupons). Maybe it goes back to how fiercely I love our house, but it just seemed worth the added security to at least attempt to keep the sofa and the bed (along with the passenger seat of our new car) protected from the wrath of holy-cow-it’s-really-time. Especially since my mom’s water broke in bed with every single kiddo. Sidenote: my absolute dream is for my water to break at Target or Home Depot because I just think that would be hysterical since we practically live there. I know, I’m weird.
2. Our DIY project: This second idea was John’s brain child (I’m telling you, he’s the sweet sentimental one and I’m the neurotic fool who worries about my water breaking). He actually brought it up as my birthday gift back in March by suggesting that we get a fabric covered album and create our own little “baby book” with fun patterned paper and printed prompts that you see in typical baby books like “The First Week Was….” and “First Word…” We love the idea of adding in keepsakes like her hospital bracelet and her little going-home hat along with a ton of photos and even things like her inked footprints (we plan to bring a few pieces of cardstock to the hospital since the nurses will gladly make footprints that we can stick into our little memory book of sorts). So we headed over to Michael’s (with a 40% off coupon in hand) and snagged a sweet 8.5 x 8.5″ album covered in super fun Amy Butler fabric for just $9 after my handy coupon.
We also picked up a pad full of 8 x 8″ patterned paper to use as a backdrop in our keepsake album (to the tune of $6). So our entire DIY baby book project ran us $15 total. And after adding all the decorative paper and leaving room for notes about momentous occasions (along with photos and other memorabilia) we were left with a pretty sweet way to document many of Baby P’s firsts:
And since we made it ourselves we had fun adding in quirky things, like this page of “future predictions” where John and I guessed everything from her hair and eye color to her first word, her favorite subject in school, and even her future profession. It should be super fun for the beanette to look back at all of our goofy (and most likely completely wrong) guesses someday.
Plus the fact that it looks so cute in the nursery is the icing on the cake…
3. Our Burger-meets-baby prep: We’ve actually read quite a bit about how to ensure that your pooch and your baby get along, because there’s nothing we want more than for our first fur baby to happily coexist with our first human baby. And time and time again we’ve heard that bringing home a gift for the dog along with the baby can help your pup associate the baby with good things and feel appreciated and excited upon her arrival. Of course we’ll also be doing the bring-home-a-baby-blanket-for-him-to-sniff-beforehand trick, but ever since John mentioned that his mom got him a He-Man toy when his little sister came home from the hospital I’ve been convinced that something super fun for Burger (like a pup-cake from Three Dog Bakery along with a new chew toy) will make him giddy about our growing fam. So we recently picked up some goodies for him… and can’t wait to see his tail wag when he gets ’em.
4. Our blog backup: This forth prep step was actually right up there on the practical side with my waterproof mattress cover. We’ve been working overtime for over a month to amass enough extra blog posts to “tide us over” for the first few hairy weeks after Baby P comes home. That means we took on a few secret projects and wrote up a lot of extra Reader Redesigns, Look & Learns, Email Answers, and Burning Questions along with some fun new tutorials to keep the blog from stagnating while we get our “sea legs” with a newborn, so to speak. Oh and we have a killer House Crashing post to share as well. Basically, you can rest assured that you’ll still get the same YHL experience even when our day to day has gone from projects and blog posts to diapers, feedings, and no sleep.
5. And speaking of diapers: We got a bunch of BumGenius One-Size-Fits-All Organic Snap Diapers from a local shop called MonkeyGrass that we love to support (here’s a link to their online shop and for any Richmond people you can visit their store inside It’s Hip To Be Round in Carytown). These cloth diapers alone (which were actually selected as “more convenient cloth diapers” by Cookie magazine) will save us a substantial amount of money over the course of Baby P’s childhood, and we even ordered them in colors that will work for a possible boy down the road, since we definitely want to use the same cloth dipes for multiple kiddos.
Plus our easy to use Energy Star front loading washer and dryer will keep our water and electricity use to a minimum (everyone says you do laundry like crazy with a baby so we figure it won’t be much of a difference to add some diapers to the mix). And since the average baby uses 8,000 to 10,000 diapers between two and three years, we’ll get to keep that many disposables from landing in a landfill. And all the moolah that we’ll save from buying disposable diapers all the time (which is commonly estimated to be between 2-3K per child) means more money that we can put towards future DIY projects (maybe even with the help of our little girl when she gets big enough to hold a paint brush…). Is it weird to be super excited about diapers? Probably.
6. My clothes cleaning ritual: I actually read that washing all new non-organic baby clothing and bedding (as well as the removable covers of car seats and swings) with a cup and a half of vinegar can rid them of most of the chemicals and dyes that aren’t present in organic clothes. So I’ve been busy washing all of our sweet baby socks, onesies, and pretty much everything else I can get my hands on… just so I’m über ready with the purest baby clothes possible. And the funny thing is that they don’t smell like vinegar when they come out of the wash (they’re completely odorless, it’s kind of amazing). Of course I did have one fateful white-blankets-and-onesies-are-now-pink incident (don’t ask- I somehow tossed tiny hot pink leggings in with the whites) but the soft pink cast on everything actually charms me to no end. And I guess I should get used to letting things roll off my back, so it was a good lesson in the whole nothing-will-be-perfect-and-that’s-ok concept.
7. My pillowcase purchase: I actually got a quick tip from a reader that I just had to follow since it seemed like such a simple way to add some cheerful color to the pretty-stark-and-sterile hospital birthing experience. Joni wrote to us and said:
“I have a little piece of advice that may seem stupid but you’ll thank me later. Make sure you have a pretty pillowcase for the delivery of the baby. It will be in a million photos. Mine was so pretty that when I look at the pictures 13 years later, all I see is my gorgeous baby and that fabulous fabric. It’ll distract people from looking at your puffy I-just-gave-birth face”
Well, for those who don’t know me, I can puff up like the best of them. Seriously I broke my nose in college and my cheekbones didn’t come back for nearly a year. I’m a swelly girl (John even calls me Swell from time to time). So the idea of a pretty pillowcase to take the focus off my giant face sounds like a good one. Plus I just love pillowcase shopping. And the best part is that I hunted down this beauty (on sale of course) and John’s family actually got two of them for me as a birthday gift. So springy and sweet right? Just like my May baby on the way. And not only do I plan to use them at the hospital on Baby P’s b-day, but they’ll make such pretty and fun guest bedroom pillows from then on.
8. Our space saving multipurpose solution: We heard from various friends and family members that a white noise machine and a light machine were two secret weapons to help the beanette drift off to sleep (especially in those first few weeks). And although we believed that they both would really make a difference, with limited outlets and surface area in the nursery, we wondered if we could get some sort of a two-for-one solution that would work double duty. Enter our new iPod I-Home dock stage right (we’ve seen it on amazon.com for a good price):
It was another baby item that came highly recommended by friends and fam (since we can upload children’s music and learning songs for Baby P as she grows). And John, in a stroke of daddy-to-be genius, realized that we could download a CD of white noise from iTunes – to the tune of $6 no less – and effectively turn our iPod dock into a white noise machine with the press of a button (we can even leave it on “repeat” for lengthier renditions of “crashing waves” or “static”). Gotta love a $6 quick fix that allows us to cut back on an entire nursery gadget while saving money. But wait it gets better, the particular I-Home dock that we selected actually has a color changing feature, so it can cycle through a bunch of room-illuminating hues (quickly, slowly, or not at all if you turn off the ambient light setting). So not only does it serve as a sound machine and a music player, it’s a light machine too! Jackpot.
Oh and while we were prepping left and right we came across this quote, which touched both of us so much that we just had to share it:
“A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for.” -Anonymous
Pretty sweet, huh? We can’t wait to meet our little one. And we’d love to hear what any of you guys have done while prepping for a new arrival (whether it’s a baby, a four-legged friend, a roommate, or even a few weekend guests). How did you get your house ready for the new company?
Randa says
Hey Sherry & John,
You guys are amazing at responding to comments, and I love that you already have a blog backlog for the first few weeks after Baby P’s arrival.
Someone may have said this already, but once Baby P. comes please don’t feel the need to respond to comments/questions as frequently as you (amazingly) do now… your readers will understand!! :) If you need a break, please take it… you and baby deserve it!
Cara says
*Love* the baby book…great idea, John! And I totally agree about the white noise and the pillowcase at the hospital — seriously, two of the best tips I received when I was pregnant.
I hesitate to suggest anything because I know how super-organized you two are and I’m sure you’ve already thought of most everything! I think one of the smaller things that I’m glad I did before it was baby-time was to turn a 3-ring binder into a Baby Paperwork/Medical notebook. You seriously won’t *believe* how much paperwork they shove at you like two minutes after the baby is born! So, the binder came in handy for that, as well as keeping up with any other essential stuff from all those well-baby visits during the first year.
One of the things I *wish* I had done was to take more pictures and videos of those early days. And I’m normally a pretty obsessed photographer! I’m not even talking about the usual baby pictures like first bath, etc. but more something like a “day in the life” of your new family when your child is 1 week, 6 weeks, 4 months, etc. All of the little, ordinary, day-to-day, magic things that you wonder how you’ll ever forget. I started doing this sort of thing when my son was around a year old and making photo/journal books out of the pictures, and they are priceless to me.
So, anyway! Sorry to write a book. ;-) Best wishes to you both! (Oh, and the latest issue of Mothering magazine has a great cloth diaper tutorial/article if you’re at all interested.)
Jaimie says
Whew! Seven pages of wonderful comments and tips later, you are probably all burned out with reading, but wanted to chime in to say that you look amazing, Sherry, and you and John seem so prepared. We are expecting our second child in October and these are all good reminders to me too! I think many of these things have already been covered, but just in case:
– Definitely bring your breastfeeding pillow to the hospital. It makes things a lot easier to learn when you have a comfortable set-up (you probably have a pillow already, but I really liked the My Brest Friend pillow, despite its cringe-worthy name!)
– Bring a sweatshirt and a blanket for John. My husband had an uncomfortable, chilly night’s sleep in an armchair during our first night at the hospital!
– During those hazy early days, as we acclimated to new parenthood, sometimes it was a challenge to sit down for a full meal. It was helpful to have a lot of small snack-type items that you could eat one-handed: Babybel cheeses, nuts, granola bars, fruit.
– it’s nice to have a comfortable, cute pair of pajamas that you can nurse in to bring with you to the hospital. I was able to wear them in front of visitors and not feel too embarrassed.
And after all of that: enjoy! You and John will be wonderful.
Stacy says
Yay, congratulations!!!
Random question … where does one wash out the diapers before throwing them in the washing machine? Do you have a sink in the laundry room?
Carole says
thanks for sharing, the baby book is super-stylish and sweet.
we lived in Australia when we had our first baby, so far away from family…Kmart was our only shopping option in our small town, so we were very grateful to our family who sent things to us from the States/Canada.
we also did cloth diapers, but they were these huge terrycloth towel things that you folded in a triangle and pinned on. We found this Y-shaped plastic thing to hold them on, we were too terrified that we’d stick the baby with the sharp pins. I think it was called a Snappi (to hold together the nappy!) The ones you found look sooo much easier!
We also installed a hose attachment for the toilet to wash the diapers before soaking, it was very handy. I found some instructions online:
http://gidgetgoeshome.com/2008/08/25/diy-tutorial-make-your-own-diaper-sprayer/
YoungHouseLove says
Carole and Stacy,
We actually got a Bum Genius diaper sprayer which is made to hose them down in the toilet before each washing (you attach it to the back of the tank- John actually did it this weekend). Apparently people rave about how great it is for eliminating the smell and keeping stains away. We’ll do whatever it takes to keep our cute little diapers in tip-top shape for as long as possible so we’re excited to use it!
xo,
s
Patti says
Love your post, looks like you got it covered over there at the Petersiks. I’m so excited for you, it just brings me back to my days as a new mom of twin boys (who are 21 now!) I remember being so scared when we left the hospital with our beautiful little bundles … I was freaking out like what am I supposed to do with these little people! I’m not ready! But it all worked out. Enjoy every day with your beautiful girl. Oh and by the way, another trick with the vinegar … it works wonderfully to freshen moldy smelling towels. Just a 1/2 cup in the rinse cycle and everything smells fresh.
Hallie M. says
It’s getting so close! When I read about your waterproof blankets and desire to have your water break at Target I just had to share this funny story and tidbit of info. A friend of mine who was just weeks away from her due date was super fearful of her water breaking at the grocery store. Her solution- grab a jar of pickles as soon as you walk in the store, if your water breaks just pop-open the jar of pickles on the floor for a quick cover up! Love it. You might grab a good cover up liquid item when you had to Target for the next couple weeks. : )
Good luck with the birthing of Baby P!
candace says
Heart your (and John’s) belly pics! You are too cute. I love that you are using cloth diapers – I want to do the same when I start a little family! Loved the post to see how you are preparing your Baby P!
Lorrie says
When my daughter was born, we put a blanket down in the floor and let our first fur-baby (Butler the Llaso Apso)get all the sniffing, curiosity, and licking out of his system. After that, she was all his and he took to sleeping under her crib.
I know that all the non-dog people out there are crinkling up their noses, but we of course limited the licking to her body only and she soon after received a nice warm bath.
It was the best thing we could have done to help Butler feel like she was his property and not his replacement!
Kristin says
So excited for you guys! I had my first wee one this past September – it’s an amazing, exhausting, exhilarating ride!
I’ll add my voice to the bumGenius fan chorus – we’ve been doing this since my little man was about two months old and LOVE them. We have 18, and at this point I’m washing about every 2-3 days. And I’d also say to go with the cloth wipes; we just wet them with plain water, and they work great. So much easier to just throw everything in the pail and not have to separate trash and wash.
My last bit of advice: take tons of pictures, videos, and especially write things down. Especially the sweet little things she does that you think you’ll never forget, like yawning a certain way or making a funny face – I look at pictures of my baby from just a few months ago and it’s so hard to remember him so small and sleepy! It also helps to keep you thankful for each stage as they come… too many parents are always looking forward, “when she can sleep through the night,” “when he can sit up on his own,” “when she can entertain herself,” etc. But if you do that, you’ll miss the sweet, cuddly tiny little bundle you have right now! It really does go so fast.
rosie says
I may be too late posting this idea, but one of the very best keepsakes we have of our daughter’s birth is my husband’s baby footprint t-shirt. When our oldest was born, the nurse took her little feet and, after making the birth certificate, made the feet imprint on his chest. She said “she will be walking all over her dad soon enough” which was so sweet. He wore it the whole first day in the hospital and we still have it.
Our hospital switched to a non-ink way of doing footprints later on, so we don’t have them for our younger kids, but if your hospital still does ink, take along (or wear) a plain t-shirt so you can have the beanette’s prints on your heart :) Best wishes for a good delivery and a great sleeper!
Kim S says
John and Sherry,
I didn’t read through all the posts either, but the one thing I took to the hospital (each time I delivered, I have three BOYS)that by far to me was the most important, was a list, a list of photos I wanted to take or have taken. I know that might seem odd. But inevitably things are different than expected and in the midst of all that. Little firsts go by that can’t be redone. So my little list compiled over the last 9 years is my best friend at the hospital, and after as it gives me the gift of being able to relive some of the moments that I might not even remember. If you would like I would be happy to email it to you, just let me know.
May this time and the days of waiting be richly blessed with peace, patience, comfort and joy!
Kim
Michelle Z. says
I love that purple maternity dress! Could you tell me where you got it? I have a wedding to attend in June, and I’ll be almost 7 mos pregnant.
Also…I loved using cloth diapers with my son (who is now 5). We used mostly Fuzzi Bunz, and Swaddlebees, but I remember hearing good things about BG’s, too. I still have all my FB’s and SB’s for baby #2, and this time around I asked (and received from some generous friends and family) gDiapers to use when we are travelling instead of disposables (the first time I had to rinse out a cloth diaper in a hotel sink, I decided travelling w/ cloth was not for us). I was compulsive about washing my son’s diapers promptly, so being away from home for a number of days with no access to a washing machine pretty much spoiled vacations for me.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Michelle,
It’s Liz Lange Maternity by Target. Hope it helps! And thanks for the travel tips- we’re thinking gDiapers are a great solution!
xo,
s
Megan says
I always get excited about cloth diapers! You are in good company. I didn’t know Bumgenius came out with snaps! That is good to know. We use Fuzzi Bunz because we prefer snaps over velcro, so I’m glad Bumgenius added that feature! Good luck with you new little one and cloth diapering. It’s so worth it!
kim says
I am so excited for you! It’s not weird to love the cloth diapers, I still have some of ours and my “baby” is 6 1/2. :) We used washcloths instead of wipes and just threw them into the diaper pail, too. Some warm water on the cloth and it cleaned everything up fine, and I eventually made some cute ones out of leftover flannel and an old towel.
Good luck!
Mrs. M says
Y’all are just amazing! you come up with everything! and the cloth diapers are too cute. by the way, Martini says hello and woof to Burger.
Kelly says
After your little girl is born, I’d love to hear how the BumGenius diapers work out for you. My first is due in November and I’ve been looking into different brands of cloth diapers. Good luck and have fun!
Courtney says
Wishing you a smooth transition into mommyhood! I know you probably don’t want tons of unsolicited advice, BUT, make sure you have an experienced lactation consultant or LLL leader’s number on hand. Hopefully your hospital will be great in that department, but not all are (I know you wish to nurse as you’ve mentioned it before). It’s hard to find support when you are the thick of newborn fog and feeding problems.
Jessica says
So exciting! Thanks for all the great tips. We are expecting our first (also a girl) this fall and I had a question for you. Since you were conscious of keeping things organic and toxin free, did you have a hard time with your baby registry? We keep finding that we’ll have to register at a small eco-friendly store to make it all work.
Good Luck!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jessica,
That’s exactly what we did to get our Weego glass bottles and our cloth diapers. Then for the majority of the mainstream stuff we registered at Buy Buy Baby (which we found to have a large organic and all natural selection- they had an organic changing table pad, mattress cover, etc). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
allison says
I haven’t read all the comments and I’m sure I’m ditto’ing someone here, but I wanted to say HOORAY for you for doing cloth diapers! Have you found Allens Naturally laundry detergent, yet? That relatively expensive bottle of soap lasted forever and worked perfectly for us.
There are a lot of etsy shops selling high quality, beautiful cloth wipes, too. Easy to use with a nice thermos of warm/hot water kept in the nursery.
Best of luck to you as you’re counting down to L&D. Our ‘baby’ is five years old now and she’s such an amazing treasure. Prepare to be smitten!
Beth says
Sherry you look so cute pregnant! Like you just stuck a basketball under your shirt :)
Brad and I have been using the bumGenius cloth diapers on Ezra since he was born (he’s two now) and we love them. They work great and we’ve saved so much money.
erika says
of course you got the snaps over the velcro!!!! you guys are so with it. when i got my bum genius dipes back in 2006, they did not have the snap version…but that would definitely last longer than the velcro. i am actually going to have all my bum genius diapers converted to snaps.
you really do come out ahead financially with cloth diapers, and they are so much better– for the environment, for the baby, everything. I’m so glad you’re using them (and blogging about it)!
If you need a disposable for travel or whatever, I love to use Nature Baby Care…they are about as natural as you can get for sposies and don’t have many of the harsh chemicals. They are good in a pinch when you don’t want to bring your cloth diapers with you (like if you’re staying at a hotel)…
So excited for you guys!!! :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for all the continued tips. You guys rock.
xo,
s
Jenny says
First of all you are the cutest pregnant girl! What is your secret to being all belly?!
I have really enjoyed reading your blog and seeing all of your transformations (so in love with your wedding!!).
Congratulations on the almost birth of Baby P… My first. Baby E, is 14 mos. and it has been the best 14 mos. of our lives! #2 is on the way now- whew! Good luck in labor!!
Bryanna S says
haha try not to worry TOO much about your water breaking… it usually doesn’t break until later in labor (and in some rare cases, it can actually never break and babies can be born in the membranes/waters! that is SUPER cool) I actually don’t even remember mine breaking… it broke some point between moving from the birthing tub (holy aquadural! I did a natural birth and warm water is AMAZING for helping those later contractions :D) and getting into a good position on the bed at the birth center. All I know is the time it happened because the midwife wrote it down :)
also, I recommend you be prepared that nothing works the first month to three months except loud SHHSHHSHHing and constant bouncing and walking… I know all too many babies where mobiles, music, rocking chairs, their own cribs, swings, bouncy chairs etc didn’t work at all haha. My own couldn’t be put down for the first two months straight! I firmly believe in the 9 months in, 9 months on rule though so I didn’t mind. Hopefully yours is easier though!
Bryanna S says
I should also recommend you look into a baby carrier! babyhawk, moby wrap, and the maya ring sling are my favorite. Ergo is really good too but you need an insert for newborns… avoid carriers like the bjorn however because it puts a lot of pressure on a newborn and little baby’s soft and still developing hips and bones.
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, we got an Ergo with an insert. Can’t wait to break that baby out!
xo,
s
Meredith says
Hey there – I’m a recent reader and just had to share with you one of my most favorite purchases that I got for the hospital, second time around. (My first is 3, and then we just had another who is 9 months). I brought my own hospital gown [which was a gift from my mom, monogrammed and everything :)] that I wore for the birth (actually, I had a c-section so I wore it right after surgery so I at least had a cute gown on for guests and didn’t have to worry about those little holes that hospital gowns tend to have in the most embarrassing places!!!). Here’s a website that has cute ones – can’t remember where mine came from. http://www.shopbyog.com/ Also, these would probably be easy to make! It’s not like they have to be fitted!!!
Good luck!!! Oh, and LOVE the easy, DIY baby book! That’s so non-stressful and I may have to do one a little late for my boys!
NatalieB says
I washed every piece of clothing, like you, and gave birth to an almost 9lb baby who was out of newborn clothes in a few weeks! LOL He never wore half of the litte clothes we had. Luckily we have 3 boys and they got used later down the line!
A friend suggested to me to have book/journal to write all those funny moments down to read later (when you want to string them up for flooding the bathroom with water while filling their squirt guns). My last entry was “8 yr old and 5yr old laughing hysterically at making their two yr old brother say doo dee monster (cookie monster) over and over”.
It’s a magical time. You will be amazed how quickly it goes by, so cherish it!!
Lindy says
If you want some cute music for the Ipod, check out Renee and Jeremy, my favorite song from them is Miracle. They have several other cute ones too!!
http://www.playlist.com/playlist/additem/446832401
RJ says
Wow, totally not surprising how prepared you both are! Best of luck when the big day does arrive!
And, fyi, the vinegar trick you used is also a great fabric softener substitute. I was as surprised as you that the clothes don’t come out smelling like vinegar and I now pour a 1/4 – 1/2 cup into all my laundry and don’t have to use commercial softeners anymore. Sweet!
Angela says
Love to see all your baby tips! We have baby #2 due in August (a boy)! With our first one (a girl), we did cloth diapers and I really REALLY love that route. Hated ‘sposies after using cloth. Sounds weird, but it’s so much less mess (especially on clothes…bye bye blowouts!)
Was wondering if you’ve heard of Elimination Communication. That’s really the reason we started CD’ing. It’s basically learning your baby’s signals for when they need to potty and giving them the opportunity to not have to do that in their pants. Made sense to me. :) Anyway, check it out, cause it’s really very simple and just a matter of reading your baby’s signals…like knowing when she’s hungry, tired, hurting, etc. I learned about it online and bought a couple of books to go along with the info. Here’s a good synopsis of what’s it’s all about http://www.timl.com/ipt/
Good luck to you with everything! You’ll do great! I think the main thing is being mentally prepared, and it sounds like you’re on the ball. Hang in there these last few (LONG) days.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for all the tips! So many things to check out and look into. We’re going to be the most over-prepared parents in the world!
xo,
s
Kristin says
That quote brought tears to my eyes. :) You both are going to be wonderful parents, and the little beanette will be so loved.
Angela says
P.S. Forgot to mention…we started EC with our little girl at 3 mos old and she has been “potty trained” since 16.5 mos old (now 24 mos)! Saves on diaper/laundry costs too!
Morgan says
I LOVE LOVE LOVE yalls blog and read it every day. Another fun and cheap (possibly free) DIY for you and all the parents-to-be! (as well as anyoen going to a baby shower):
Make a memory box for items like her hospital bracelet, the newspaper from the day she is born, or notes you write to remember later- like the day she first rolls over, etc. so that you have them all collected in one place for whenever you have time to update the baby book.
One of my very good friends had twin girls in January and for part of her babies shower gift, I made these for her by getting two photo boxes from Michaels and glued a decorated initial of each girls name to the lid. On the underside of the lid was this poem: “Baby books are great ideas, but sometimes you’re too busy. Living with two little ones can put you in a tizzy. Milestones pass too fast at times to find the proper page. So jot a note of each event with date or baby’s age. Like “took 3 steps on May the 1st” or “Teething- 5 December” Then drop it in this memory box to help you to remember!”
She really loved it and has since commented several times how handy it has been! Congrats J, S & B!
Michelle P. says
I LOVE your idea of the baby book, I was looking to do something custom when ours arrived but everything was $60+. I might steal the idea and just toss the other baby book we bought.
We just had a baby two months ago, and our nurses told us to take home the cap that they put on the baby immediately that still has blood and aminotic fluid ( which has your scent on it also) on it to let the dog smell. When the take the baby for their first bath you need to make sure you tell them you want it so they don’t throw it away. We did that and our lab took right to the baby when we brought him home.
Congratulations! Can’t wait to see pics of little P’s arrival.
Becky says
Congrats and best wishes for your labor and delivery! I just had a baby boy 10 weeks ago (who’s first outting was to home depot and target) and the memories of the day are already starting to fade so make sure to take tons of pictures.
One of the things I did ahead of time that I was really grateful for was once a month cooking – I had a freezer full of meals waiting for when we got home from the hospital. I plan to do it again when my LO starts on solids for making our own baby food.
Another thing that a friend suggested to us after our LO was born was an itzbeen. It’s a pretty simple gadget that counts up how long ‘itzbeen’ since you’ve last changed, feed, or put baby to sleep. It also has a nice little night light too that comes in handy for the night diaper changes and feedings. It came in so handy during the first few weeks when you’re so sleep deprived that simple clock reading and math skills escape you. It was much easier than trying to keep a written log (and that’s coming from an engineer who loves spreadsheets).
And you can add us to the list of those who have been using the bumgenius diapers and love em. Oh and I almost forgot if you plan on nursing you make sure you’ve got plenty of front zip/button shirts. I was so concerned about the layette that I completely spaced out my own wardobe.
Stefanie says
Sorry if you have addressed this, I didn’t check through all of the comment pages – I really think you could sell your baby book cards in packs they way they do scrapbook paper – Have a couple different options for boy and girl…I know it isn’t as custom, but for us lazier diyers, it could be fabulous!…I would buy them, that’s for sure!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Stephanie,
We’re actually in the middle of trying to get a downloadable PDF of our baby book word document (that’s all it is) so people can grab the pages for free and print them for their own books. Stay tuned…
xo,
s
Megan says
Oh, the cavalcade of baby tips makes me nostalgic for my pre-baby days! My girl just turned two.
I bought 4 dozen flannel wipes off of Etsy, and we STILL use them daily for wiping crusty noses, spaghetti-sauced cheeks, or whatever little messes pop up during the day. Best baby purchase ever. The ones we have each have a different pattern, which is GREAT when you’re trying to keep track of which wipe you just snagged a huge booger in, and which one is still clean enough to use to snag that other booger. Shamefully, it happens, even with 4 dozen on hand.
We used cloth dipes until my daughter started daycare, and had a pretty good system involving prefolds, flushable diaper liners (which you can rinse, hang dry, and re-use if they’re just wet), Snappis, diaper covers, and the cloth wipes. We kept a spray bottle full of water with a splash of California Baby Diaper Area Spray on hand to moisten the wipes before using. I *did* use disposable baby wipes to mop up big grody messes. We used Country Save detergent, and filled the fabric softener tray in the washing machine with vinegar. I also would add a kettle of boiling water to the washing machine as it filled with hot water, to make sure the water was super-hot (we had turned down the temp on the water heater for bathtime safety). I would then let the machine agitate for a minute, then turn it off and let the diapers soak for 30 minutes before re-starting the cycle. I never had trouble with stains or smells! And, we used disposables overnight. Woo, that’s a long list of tips for you! :) Good luck!
Jami says
Your waterproof mattress cover cracked me up. I was SO paranoid about that as well (especially after I had a couple of “DID MY WATER JUST BREAK? No… but I totally wet my pants…” scares in the middle of the night.)
I love that after all of the fuss I made to my husband about it that my water didn’t even break until 10 hours into labor… when we were already at the birth center and in full swing. It doesn’t mean I won’t be prepared this time…
Mary b says
i dont know what your talking about sherry! your thighs look exactly the same size and just as fabulous!
YoungHouseLove says
I’ll have to take your word for it because I definitely can’t see them!
xo,
s
Lynda says
Hi guys,
Someone may have already passed on this hint, but it’s a goodie for bringing babe home to your doggie. Take the first singlet your baby wears home and give it to the dog to sniff and then put it in with the dogs bedding. Then babe won’t be an unfamiliar scent when she comes home.
Enjoy the ride – you can’t get off now!!!!!
Lx
alison says
Don’t know if anyone commented on the cloth diapers- Yay for you guys for choosing that route. A couple things I learned that might be helpful. The velcro version of those diapers is way better as they can be adjusted tot he nth degree plus a couple times I accidentally pinched my daughter’s skin in the snaps- ouch! The diaper liners are essential for the big stuff :) I also get a couple smaller plastic tubs (with a good seal) to hold the dirty diapers in her room til it was time to wash them. After a while, the diapers tend to have an odor. Just soak ’em in baking soda before washing and voila! Best of luck – such an exciting time.
Erin says
Sherry,
You are a beautiful mother and this baby will be super blessed to have such amazing, loving parents! Looking forward to seeing you baby girl. I hope you have a wonderful birth experience. Remember, your body is made for birth!
Erin
Laura D says
BumGenius diapers are wonderful. They wash like a charm and the colors make me happy every time I put them on my son. I would recommend a liner though, even if it is a flushable one. It cuts down on staining and the “solids” get flushed.
Also, I highly recommend the Miracle Blanket for swaddling. It truly is the best thing EVER for helping a baby sleep. I felt a little guilty the first time I wrapped him in it, since it is a little straight-jacket-esque, but then the baby slept so soundly that I reach for it everytime now. http://www.miracleblanket.com/indexb.htm
Best of luck!
Clare says
You will LOVE those diapers. My friends were aghast when I decided to go green on the diaper front & opt for cloth like my mom had. These are easy though with the velcro and snaps for changing sizes. Our daughter, now 2, was in them most of her first year & we utilized our front load baby cycle on the washer repeatedly. The diapers came out fresh and none worse for wear…we’re thankful for that now that we are expecting Baby #2 and plan to use them again! One option you might think about springing for is the little sprayer that hooks on the side of your toilet and connects to your clean water supply- lifesaver for those diapers after the newborn stage. (Though home visitors always joked we installed a DIY bidet.) Good luck with your bundle of joy. Changes your life but certainly well worth the lack of sleep!
Angela says
Praying that everything goes smoothly for you! You will be amazing parents from day 1.
megan @ a life's design says
You are adorable! And although my husband and I are not completely baby ready, I know I will be visiting your baby posts again in a year when we are.
Many blessings for you, John, and baby P!
Kelly Griffin says
Okay, you two; I can’t take it anymore. we are twins, yes twins. From everything from your taste, decor and home projects to your humor, Chihuahua love and oh yes that new sweet baby of yours is due on my birthday!!! I just get such a kick out of your website and I use it as a reference for everything…….we dig the white on white deco and yes, yes, i do have a white painted dog statue!! We are even painting our blue concrete porch “brownstone” YAY! My boyfriend and I move into our new house tomorrow and YHL will be all over it like white on rice!!! can’t wait to send in pics of how you two have inspired us! and I’m obsessed with Lil’ Burger, we have a chi chi named Pilot, who rocks my socks off………we also have 3 more dogs to crazy it up a bit. (refer to dogblog) :) Good luck with the new bay-bay! i <3 YHL!
Kelly Griffin says
oh yes and one more thing…………a fun tip I heard for the new babe–is to have a keg and diapers party. Invite friends over (and yes they must bring huggies to the par-tay) One of my friends said they had enough diapers to last them 9 months!!!!!!!! woot! woot!
Allyn says
Speaking as a new mom to a girl born 2 weeks ago, you can prepare and prepare, but you’ll never be prepared. the 3 things i’d recommend are: cook meals in advance, stock up on tissues (there’s a lot of post partum tears of joy & madness) and finally, make sure you take the peri bottle from the hospital! they are next to impossible to find anywhere else!! good luck!
ASR says
Just had a comment about white noise- it’s apparently not so good for brain development, as I recently learned while researching sleep solutions:
http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20030417/white-noise-may-delay-infant-development
(and articles cited therein)
Instead, we’ve been using the tips in Pantley’s excellent book “The No-Cry Sleep Solution” with excellent effect.
Good luck and best wishes!
ASR (mother of 6mo identical twins, biologist, musician)