life these days is crazy, wouldn't you agree? maybe it's just my hormones, but one minute i'm flying high & the next i'm totally overwhelmed. i keep telling myself that i'm totally prepared for this baby... that was, until one of my best friends (who is due just a few weeks before me) just happened to have her baby today. oh heavens! suddenly my world is whirling around me... more than likely, this baby isn't coming early, but the possibility makes me a little crazy!
when i actually stop & think about it, i know have all that i "need". already having two kids, pretty much prepares you. sure, her room might not be ready, i have yet to purchase a single outfit for her, i haven't even acquired the required slew of headbands & bows that loudly proclaim "i'm a girl!". but if push came to shove, i could send the hubby to the store to buy some infant diapers, put the infant car seat back in the car & break out a few of the infant gowns currently being stored in the garage (i figure i have at least five years to come up with a good story to explain to her why everything she wore was blue for the first little while). however, if i can have things "my way", every single little "to do" will be done, all my i's will be dotted & every t crossed.
so while i'm busy "making my list & checking it twice", i'd love to hear your thoughts on a few matters...
- anyone have a favorite baby bag? being a purse-a-holic, i've gone through several baby bags... petunia pickle bottom, kate spade, & harvey's to name a few, but i'm on the lookout for something new. i prefer baby bags that don't look like baby bags, does that make sense? any recommendations?
- what about car seats? with both of my boys i used an infant car seat, you know the kind that has an infant carrier that attached to a base. with gavin, i used the carrier EVERYWHERE. with owen, i found i didn't use the carrier nearly as much as i thought i would - lugging the baby carrier & running after a 2 year old was harder than i had imagined. so the decision i've been trying to make lately is... should i stick with the infant car seat, or should i go with the convertible car seat? the biggest pro with sticking with the infant car seat is that i already own one, so i won't really have to purchase anything. however, that means, that i'll have to put gavin's big, bulky convertible car seat in the third row, which also involves me having to climb back to the third row to strap him in. or, i could put the infant in the big, bulky convertible car seat (facing backwards of course) & move gavin up to a booster. thoughts? any experience in this area? if you've used a convertible car seat with any infant, did you love it? or did you wish you had a carrier to detach?
- room sharing. currently both boys have their own rooms. but with only three bedrooms, someone's going to have to share. the question is, should i move the boys in together, or put the baby & little o together. i think the boys would have a blast, after gavin got used to it. but, owen still naps, so their would be large chunks of the day when gavin won't be able to go into his room. but, would two napping babies in one room be crazy?
- what "must-haves" do you pack to take to the hospital?
- any other favorite baby items & accessories that i just need to have?
thanks so much in advance for all your advice & suggestions, i can't wait to hear what you have to say!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
advice, please.
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38 comments:
I don't have all the answers, but I definitely have the answer to the diaper bag dilemma. Go to rowdyproducts.com - they have an AWESOME variety of diaper bags that definitely do not look like diaper bags. My sister got me one for my baby shower and I LOVE IT. Seriously, if you don't go there you are missing out big time! And, they have some on sale right now + a couple new additions since the last time I browsed. check it out! And then tell me which one you bought, cause I just know you'll be entice to buy!
I loved my JP Lizzy diaper bag. http://www.jplizzy.com/
My haves at the hospital - chapstick, extra pillow, cell phone charger
I'll have to think about the other questions.
GOOD LUCK!
I swear by any bag from jj cole. They are the best bags I've ever tried. All under the $75 mark and so awesome. And really to go along with that any product by them is awesome - not that I'm a fan or anything.
As for the carseat I'd think stick with the carrier and get a snap-n-go. But I only have 1 kid so what do I know!
I still have the carrier carseat for Oscar. I like them for the grocery store. Although I have been taking him out of his carseat and just carrying him in a sling more and more. As for roomsharing, I'm still debating that one. Maggie and Cash share right now, and our third bedroom is an office and the baby is still in a bassinet in our room. I'm thinking that I'll probably move the baby into the office (and try to find a new place for the office?) and let the baby have his own room (because of napping, and room usage, etc.) As for must-haves for the hospital: comfy pajama pants, magazines and DVDs.
I currently have two nappers in the same room and it is tough. I have a pack and play permanently set up in our bedroom because the two wake up and go to sleep at different times (7 month old and 2 1/2 year old). It's hard. I would have the two older boys sleep in the same room if at all possible. That's just my two cents because we've been dealing with the nap dilemma for awhile now (only there is no where else to move one of them).
Other than that, I love slings, foam bears for baths (at Babies R Us) and Babylegs (especially when they are learning to crawl!!)
Good luck! :)
Gavin and Owen should definitely share a room. My boys love sharing a room, and they love playing together and even sleeping in the same bed. I don't think Owen's naps will be a problem... I have never had a problem with that. Just have toys available in your family room or somewhere else convenient.
I would also stick with the infant car seat, as I think little newborns fit in them better.
My must have is an infant sling. It is so nice to be able to wear the baby and have one to two hands free for the boys. I prefer the kind that are not adjustable, as I wouldn't like having all that extra fabric. I had a Wallababy Pouch that I loved! http://www.wallababy.com/index.php?cPath=5
I couldn't live without my baby swing, Boppy (love it for breastfeeding), and other then those two things I think all you need to survive is a mother or mother-in-law to babysit so you can catch up on sleep!
IMHO... I think that the two boys should be together and the baby have a room all to herself, first, she's a girl and for sure a princess and second, she and your son will probably do better with naps if it's not "together" in the same room... but... YOU are the mom and YOU are really the only one who knows your schedules and your kids and you will do what is best for THEM! And for YOU! :0 Good luck...
o ya..at the hospital must have slippers, a hair tie, and music (something soft and smooth to keep you relaxed) :)
Oh my goodness I am FAR from an expert - but I can tell you a few things that worked for me. About the infant carrier - I love having one ...biggest reason probably because you don't have to strap them in/unstrap when they are sleeping ... can carry them into church or into a shopping cart, etc straight from the car without waking them up. Let's see.. I only used a sling for a few weeks because she was heavy, so a Baby Bjorn worked better for me and is so easy for Disneyland. My favorite girl products for my 4 month old is BabyLegs ... can't get enough of them ... Target sells my First Baby Legs for cheap. I hear though - I think any mom about to have a baby loves to hear people's suggestions and what works!
you will regret not using an infant seat, i PROMISE. at least with an infant seat, you have the option of carrying them in it. i can't imagine the grocery store without one. and definitely have your boys share a room. they will LOVE it. it may be an adjustment, but it's better than having one share with a middle-of-the-night waking baby.
The infant carrier is safer for a newborn. The general rule of thumb is that each time you change seats or move positions the safety is slightly less.
Most safe:
Infant seat
Convertible, rear facing
Convertible or FF seat forward facing
High back booster
backless booster
And, then there is where you put them in the car. Ideally, you put the least protected (from the above list) in the safest location. That doesn't always work out in practice, though. And the difference is not much.
Center position
Outward - and one is technically safer, but I can't remember which off the top of my head, something about which side accidents happen most often on.
All that said, my son is six months and I'm ready to ditch the infant carrier. I only use it about half the time anyways, but it is convenient for those times when he's sleeping. If he's not sleeping, I'll wear him in a sling or in a MT.
so many things to think about with the third one, huh? We're hoping to add a third one sooner than later :)
I don't know how people live without an infant carrier. If they are asleep when you get home,you'll want to get him while he's still sleeping, and that was the best bet for us. If you go to a restaraunt or somewhere it's not convenient to hold him (in a sling or arms) a carrier will be handy.
We moved our 2 and 4 year old in a room together, and it works out pretty well. We put older daughter to bed 15-30 minutes after younger dd to cut out on talk and play and argue time (and to give older dd extra time).
what were the other questions? LOL
I think the infant carrier would be much more comfy for the little one. My little guy was in his until his first birthday.
Bring granola bars to the hospital.
My boys (Deacon and Owen) aged 3 and 1 have been sharing a room for 6 months now and they love it. I love that I can keep all their toys and junk in one room too. I always shared a room with my sis and we were so close because of it.
Check out my sister-in-law's diaper bags at funkymamabags.blogspot.com. Everytime she goes anywhere, people ask where she got her bag. They are so cute!
i agree with everyone. you need the infant carrier. it just is so much more convenient. my two oldest boys ( almost 4 and 2) share a room and they love it. they both still nap so i have the older boy sleep in my bed and he listens to a book on cd so that keeps him happy. i tried the baby and older boy together and it just didn't work. your boys will love sharing a room though and it is so fun to hear them talking at night and in the morning. as for diaper bags i still haven't found one i like. good luck!
Thanks for your comment on my post regarding my cat :)
I would definitely use the baby carrier as opposed to a convertible seat, my daughter has almost outgrown the carrier and I am not looking forward to lugging her around without it! When they fall asleep and you are out you HAVE to wake them up to go into a store, and then you can't sit them up in a cart to do shopping...such a pain. I also have a three year old though, and it's not too bad. They share a bedroom right now and it is going much better than I thought. I put the baby to bed first and my son is very happy that she is already in bed when it's his turn. Good luck!
I would have the boys share a room. I've never used a convertible carseat for a newborn, but I can tell you that if you use an infant seat, I'd definitely recommend one of those snap-n-go strollers...it's a frame for the carrier. It's much more compact than the strollers sold with the carseat.
I"m glad I didn't really ever have 2 really little ones at the same time!
Hello! I am also expecting my 3rd baby, but not due until October. I am already trying to figure out everything as well. I had already put my older daughter in a booster, and had a bulky carseat for my younger one. I figure that if i put both the girls in a booster, then I will have room for all 3 of them in the back seat and not have to put one of them in the 3rd row seating (i will be using a carrier with this one as well because its nice if they are sleeping to be able to just bring them in and leave them in it until they wake up).
Also, my girls share a room. They are 2 years apart and it works out very well. They both like being in the same room. My 4yr old likes it better than my 2yr old, i think. So, this new baby will have a room to him/herself. I think that it would be easier for me to go in there in the middle of the night and take care of the baby if I need to without taking a chance on waking one of the girls, so we are gonna keep the girls together like we have it. Also, for naptime, i just think having the baby in the seperate room would work best.
Also, my first daugher was born at 36 weeks. A couple weeks before she was born, i just had a feeling that i needed to get things all ready to go (bassinet set up, bags packed, etc) and my husband thought I was crazy because I still had about 6 weeks until I was due. She came 2 weeks later and i was READY as i could be! You are NEVER really ready, but I dont think that it hurts to get as ready as you can be a little while before a baby is due to arrive because you just never really know when they are gonna make their entrance!
Im having diaper bag dilemmas as well. im sure ill figure out something.
Good luck to you! Im sure you will get it all figured out!
Amber - a two year old is not ready for a booster seat. Please reconsider. http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=40015
My boys started out in separate rooms. As they got older they requested to be together. They've shared a room ever since and love it! And great for us...we now have a guest room.
My only requirement at the hospital from now on is Gatorade. My SIL brought me some and it hit the spot! I just seemed to be so thirsty the whole time!
I absolutely love my ITZBEEN. I received as a gift and it has been wonderful. It has four timers on it (diapers, feeding, sleeping, and one for you to choose). It really helped us to keep track of how long it had been between feedings and diaper changes. This was especially helpful at 2:00 a.m. You can also set an alarm so it will beep, for example, once it has been 4 hours since the baby last ate. The fourth timer I used to remind me take my pain medication. I am currently using it to keep track of Tylenol doses for my little (he had his shots the other day). Wow! That was long, but I sure hope it helps.
Kelly, so sorry I have you in a frantic state!! just don't let your water break and you'll be OK. HA HA....
I had a hard time deciding about putting my boys together (they are almost three years apart in age), and we just finally did it a month or so ago when the younger of the two turned 3. Napping was my big issue. Plus, I liked that they had their own spaces that they loved. The funny thing is my 5, almost 6 year old, now naps a lot with the 3 year old b/c they like to be together in there. It seems to work out either way. The older one can be occupied elsewhere pretty easily. It's much tricker if you have a napping/waking baby in with someone else.
Good luck with the girl shopping. I'm not jealous or anything!
Hi Kelly! This is Nicki, I met you at Bandits in T.O.
I just had my 3rd baby last week and I would recommend chapstick, mints to suck on at the end of labor going into delivery (it's so nice after not being able to eat or drink anything all day), slippers, flipflops for the shower (I'm sorry but hospital showers and floors gross me out!), magazines, your ipod and a pen.
Also, I find it easier to have the infant car seat to strap our newborn in and out of it inside the house instead of dealing with a floppy newborn in the car. I "freshened" up my infant car seat that I was using for the 3rd time by putting on a cute girly infant car seat cover. I found a cute, comfy one on an ebay store. I also found cute ones on etsy but I bet you could make one, you're so talented in those regards!
Good luck Kelly! Send your newborn to the nursery during the night. It'll make a HUGH difference and give you a headstart if you come home from the hospital wellrested!
I know you said you had a Petunia Pickle Bottom bag previously. But have you seen the new ones that are vinyl-ish? They clean really easily and come in cooler graphic prints than the fabric ones.
Also-I love Medela Quick Steam Clean bags. Great if you need stuff sanitized, but the dishwasher is not full yet.
Another Yes vote for the infant car seat.
My first born is 10-years old and now I have a 13-month old. Thus, they did not have the great nursing covers when I had my first. They are great.
Slings - we have a bjorn which we love and I have a more traditional over the shoulder sling thing (Maya Wrap) that I still use to this day.
Over the top - I know that times are tight, but I was given a video baby monitor by a frined of my husband's (random, I know) and it is my favorite all-time baby gift ever
Good luck!!
I love my OiOi bag, and it's still going strong after three years. http://www.oioi.com.au/
If you can move your guy into a booster, I would do that. Otherwise, what I did when we hit #4 was put the two bigger ones in the back and taught the one in the convertible seat to do his own seat belt. It took a little bit of doing, but he can get himself in. Then the oldest can unbuckle him or I have when he's no there. I like the carrier seat, I just make sure to bring the stroller for non-major shopping trips (grocery trip, not the time to have it.) We have our 2 older boys in the same room. BUT we started out by putting them in seperate rooms to go to sleep and then together when they are asleep. Coming from someone who had roommates that never shared rooms, if you can, please let them try it out! Frankly, my 2 boys and girl (last one is a boy too) all sleep in the same room. I'm not sure why I made a fuss about making sure she has her own room. Oh well. Good luck.
PS We actually didn't know we were having a girl so I didn't own anything girly until after she came along and my hubby could handle the 3 kids long enough for me to run away, er, shop for some clothes for her.
Kristen
Oh yeah, messanger bags from etsy.com, stylish and could be used as a grow-ed up bag afterwards.
I agree with Bethany on the challenges of having 2 nappers in the same room. We have a 2 1/2 year old and a 1 year old, and the older one usually ends up napping on the couch after they have played for 2 hours in their room and gotten zero napping in! But I would try to find a way to make it really exciting for both of the boys. Maybe a cool bunk bed or fort of something exciting- don't want them to resent their new sister! Also I would stick with the infant carrier. There will be at least one time you wish you had it!! By the way I have a little ziplock bag of girly hair accessories- I can send them your way if you wish!!
I am a lot like you with the baby bags...over 5 years I have carried about 7. I think my overall favorite was my black, microfiber Vera Bradley back pack. It is not made to be a baby bag, but has tons of compartments and water bottle holders on the side. I had room for my wallet, keys & phone, room for a skip-hop changing pad, diapers and wipes. And could throw in a plastic bag with spare clothes. Plus markers, crayons for the older one.
http://www.verabradley.com/Site/Store/ProductDetail.aspx?dept=152&sku=616%3A81&
good luck!
Ps...keep the infant seat, ditch it at 6 months...when they can sit up a bit!
The one baby bag that I have used and it has lasted thorugh both of my kiddos is from Land's End. It is not going to be the most stylish bag to carry, but is a medium sized bag that is super sturdy and very funtional. Just checked the Lans End site and they have changed teh diaper bags slightly. I actually like the size of the little tripper diaper bag from the ones I looked at.
The other diaper bags I like is Vera Bradley. I love these bags because there are tons of fun prints to choose from with new patterns coming out a each changing season. The bags are very durable and you can wash them in the washer.
i'm loving this post and all the comments. time goes by too fast huh. i need to get crackin' too. good luck with everything, looks like you have tons of advice. thanks for the post!
I just had my 2nd bambino in November and my other kiddo is 6 years old. There is so many new things on the market now!
My favorite items are my Ju-Ju-Be diaper bag. I am like you, I hate diaper bags that look like a diaper bag. These are do easy to clean (they have small holes in the bottom for the crumbs to fall out) and can hold lots of baby and toddler stuff.
I was debating on using a carrier too because my kids are BIG! I was expecting about a 10lb baby so adding that weight along with a carrier scared me. I did give in and got the lightest one I could find. It is a Maxi-Cosi and I love it. It is so much better than my Graco one I had for my first kid.
As for things to bring to the hospital, I went with the minimum becuase I new my hospital provided a lot for me and the baby. The one thing that I would suggest is your own hospital gown, I had my mom make me one and it was super cute and comfortable. You can find the pattern online (if you sew) or there are a few sites that sell them. Also, chapstick, my pillow (I had a matching pillow case with my hodpital gown) and my boppy! Good luck on #3!
As far as packing for the hospital...I always like to bring some nice body wash and lotion because...let's face it, you can just feel downright yucky after giving birth and smelling pretty is a pick-me-up. I also like to bring a nice fluffy robe, maybe even a new one. I also bring a comfy outfit to go home in, such as a stylish jogging suit or a comfy tunic and leggings. Something you feel good in but stretches a little and is comfy. I also bring my make-up bag just in case visitors drop in. Even if it's just a little powder, blush and lipgloss. :) I also bring an outfit for the baby to go home in, of course. Sorry, I'm going so long but, hope this helps a little.
We have lots of the same dilemas with two boys and a baby girl on the way! I don't have the bows yet either! We did just move our boys into the same room and it has worked out better than I could have planned, even with the little guy still napping. Good luck!
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