Buying

Since getting past the exciting and nerve-racking 30 week mark, I've found I've settled quite nicely into the last weeks of this pregnancy.  When people ask how much longer until the baby comes I usually just respond, sometime in april! or about 6 weeks! if pressed further.  Because really?  There's no way of knowing when this little one will choose to come.

Of course I've been expecting another early baby and preparing accordingly.  Most days I still feel great, sore and huge and tired, but great.  Then occasionally I have a day where I'm reminded this baby could be coming sooner than we think.  Best be ready either way!

While I don't have a hospital bag packed this time nearly everything we need for this baby is here and ready.  I finally let myself look at the homebirth supply list the other day, it feels so possible and so close!

After making the few things I knew I wanted for the baby I've found I've mellowed quite a bit in that department.  I've started preparing a bit for Easter, knowing one thing I want to make for both of the girls (two words, lace. pinafore.).  The others I've had fun purchasing (what a novelty!).

I bought the girls each a cookbook of their very own.  Do you remember this one from when you were a kid?  I was so excited to find a good used one.

And this book written by the author of Moosewood (one of my favorite cookbooks) has tons of really yummy sounding recipes with step by step illustrated instructions.  Ainsley's going to love it!

I've been itching for this book for a while, illustrated by some of my favorite children's artists it packs so many wonderful prayers and meditations among beautiful pictures.  I think it will be a great new bedtime staple.

One thing I had yet to buy for the baby was a baby book.  I made one for Ainsley and then bought one for Louise and decided to make one for this baby too.  I find a lot of the "fill in" types out there have way too much extraneous information and not enough room for just writing memories.  I found barebooks.com a few years back and do one big order a year for blank books and other fun things (board books, puzzles).  This time in addition to the blank book for the baby and a few more to keep up with the girls' antics, I got the girls each their own small journal, and a pack of paperback comic books to make with their dad.  They are SO into comic books these days.  I'm excited!

While I'm hoping the pinafores go over swimmingly, I had not planned on making the girls proper Easter dresses this year and I've been dying to buy them each a smocked dress for a while.  When these popped up on zulily last week I decided to finally do it.  I did let them help pick them out.  When you're paying $30 for dresses those girls better want to wear them!  The yellow is for Louise and the angel sleeved one is Ainsley's  I cannot wait to get them!

And as for the baby?  Well, now that they have all the cardigans, booties, bonnets and sewn layettes they could possibly ever need I've been purchasing the last things needed for them as well.  And yes, I'm using the term "need" quite loosely.

Zulily is really genius.  They charge just enough for shipping that you feel like you really have to make good use of it.  I happened upon a 3 day free shipping spree, hence the rather unnecessary baby purchases above.  To be fair we did need more onesies and I LOVE the kimono ones.  And you can never have too many one pieces and comfy baby pants.

Ok, and one actual NEED in the clothing department was a summer bonnet.  Again, I probably should have made one, way more econimcal (yada yada yada...) but when given the excuse to buy the baby a brand new UB2? well, I couldn't pass this up.

reversible hedgehog urban baby bonnet purchased on etsy...if you haven't checked these bonnets out for your babies/toddlers, oh goodness, please do.  Definitely one of my top 5 baby items.

Ainsley, just like her mama, is very excited to play dress up with our new little one.  When talking about how things will most likely go down for the birth for the umpteenth time yesterday her face lit up and she interjected "and then I get to dress the baby! I need to go pick out an outfit right now!".  So as we speak there is a beautiful Ainsley chosen outfit for the baby, booties and hat and all just sitting on the changing table waiting for our new one to arrive.  I hope this baby tolerates all that dressing up to come well!

In addition to the fun stuff there are of course a few necessities that needed purchasing.

So, I went a bit nuts at IKEA.  Their baby stuff is amazing.  All 100% cotton, cute, and cheap! 

new bumper pad and receiving blankets, picked out by Louise...

and despite plans to make a simple cloud and star mobile of our own the girls were adamant about this balloon one.  I'll admit, it looks pretty cute all hung up there...

 hooded towel for $7? check. Gauzy ginormous burp cloths that I'm pretty sure could double as swaddles for $6? double check.

And then there's the restocking of the essentials.  Bottles, pacifiers, nursing do dads (because there must be a baby stuff snatching gremlin in our house, I could only find one bottle!).  We're just about set!

 

Ok, and one more splurge for the baby and I, a copy of A Child's Book of Verses illustrated by my all time favorite, Gyo Fujikawa.  We've requested this book so many times from the library, it's about time we own our own.  I can't wait to read the beautiful poems to our baby, calming them and snuggling them.

So now we're ready!  Well, in 4 weeks and 2 days we'll REALLY be ready, like doing jumping jacks on the stairs ready.  WOW! We're so so excited around here.