Mal and I have been busy around here lately and making some serious progress on our Baby To Do List. I’m feeling good about what we’ve accomplished so far, but we definitely still have quite a bit to do. Nothing major, but I just want to make sure we’re in good shape if Baby Haupert decides to come early. That said, here’s our current To Do list with 6 weeks to go!
BABY
- Finish baby registry
- Find a pediatrician – visiting two practices this week
- Pick up breast pump
- Take baby education class
- Install car seat
- Put together baby gear
- Wash baby clothing and bedding
- Figure out Mal’s paternity leave
- Buy laundry hamper
- Buy baby monitor
- Buy diaper pail
- Buy ERGO baby carrier with infant insert
- Buy baby bath seat
- Buy dog seat belt
NURSERY
- Paint trim – we decided to hire someone to do it
- Put together furniture
- Buy dresser
- Build wall library
- Replace door – we got a quote from a carpenter and he’s coming this weekend
HOUSE
- Buy storage trunk for bedroom
- Replace bedroom door – we got a quote from a carpenter and he’s coming this weekend
- Set up home gym in basement – it’s in the works!!
- Organize kitchen
- Organize bathroom cabinet
- Create weekly chore list
- Clean front porch
- Repaint front door
- Hire chimney sweep
LABOR & DELIVERY
- Tour hospital – we scheduled a visit for next Sunday
- Pre-register at hospital
- Pack bag for hospital
- Create labor playlist
- Line up dog sitter
FINANCIAL
- Create wills
- Look into selecting a legal guardian for Baby H.
- Put CrossFit membership on hold
PERSONAL
- Go out to a fancy dinner with Mal
- Have a spa day
- Buy nursing bras and/or tanks
- Write baby shower thank you notes
- Figure out time off from CNC and/or plan posts ahead of time
AFTER BABY ARRIVES
- Add Baby Haupert to our health insurance plan
- Look into setting up a college savings account
- Make a baby weight loss plan
Questions of the Day
Anything else we should add?
Moms, what were your final weeks of pregnancy like? Any advice?
49 Comments
what hospital were you planning on delivering? the big boston area hospitals prefer you to check in early (give due date) b/c they get booked real soon!! (specifically mgh, brigham and bi). i had my kids at brigham and then mgh. preferred the brigham!
Don’t forget to stock the freezer for quick easy meals.
you just overwhelmed the shit out of me. do you have your initial list before you crossed stuff off? i should probably make one ha.
Never mind! In my reader it didn’t have the lines through the items! It just showed up as a big list with nothing crossed off. haha
I remember feeling pretty good up until week 39. Then I was just uncomfortable and took a lot of naps after work π
I thought the hospital tour was so helpful. It was nice to see where it was all going to happen, you know?
Get the biggies like the financials and health insurance sorted out and you’ll be well on the way! You’ve certainly made a dent in the long list! The fancy dinner should be top the list too!
I agree with Janette. Any meal that you are making now that is freezable make a double batch so you have healthy food on hand. I thought that I would be back up and cooking right away but ended up just being happy to get off the couch and dressed for the first few weeks. I know that nursing tanks are crossed off but if you need more after the baby is here I highly recommend Target as they are cheap and they worked great.
Hi Tina, I am a regular reader, even if i don’t much, I actually had my first baby on June 2nd 2013, also a baby boy – Sebastian!I noticed that you wrote that you purchased the ERGO Baby carrier with the infant insert, while I am sure you did your research before choosing the product, I wanted to just tell you that me and my husband were very very disappointed. First the insert is bulky, as you can probably see, and the baby gets very hot in it during summer, one big problem that we had since we had a summer baby too. Second, its very inconvenient to use with the insert, the baby just doesn’t look too comfortable, it very trapped, hot, and his legs where too squeezed. Not at fan at all, and you definitely need someone’s help to put the insert with the baby in the carrier! While I user the ERGO carrier when the baby was bigger, for a newborn, with the insert it just did work, especially during summer. One great option is Baby K’tan, check it, I was very surprised how convenient, easy to use and comfortable for the baby it is. Baby Bjorn Miracle carrier (latest model) is also very nice, because of hip dysplasia concerns we didn’t use it until the baby was 3 month old. After that we used it maybe once a week, but it’s a great carrier as well. I have all three, the ERGO with the insert, baby K’tan and Miracle Bjorn, and ERGO was the worse by far for a newborn, K’tan is the way to go, light weight, comfortable for the mom and baby, and the baby is so much more connected to you, and so much closer to your body than in the Ergo insert, and K’tan is very cheap too. Miracle Bjorn is amazing too, we still love it and use it occasionally, great investment, my husband also loves it and the baby is very comfortable too.
@Catalina @ Baby on Board:
Thank you for this. I am due a few weeks after Tina and I have the Bjorn on my gift registry, not the Ergo and I feel reassured after reading this. Maybe Tina will return it.
@Catalina @ Baby on Board: I agree whole heartily with this comment. The baby Bejorn is amazing…my son was only 5 pounds at birth and now that he is 10 months old he still uses it and I love it
@Jessica: @Catalina @ Baby on Board: I actually looooooved the Ergo with baby insert! And so did my husband. So easy to take on & off π
I’ve only heard friends and family rave about it!
@Tina:
I had my baby boy July 8, 2013… We used a cozy Moby wrap when he was first born. It’s comfy and breathes well, and it’s more like being cuddled than carried for them. We also have the bjorn and the ergo. In our experience: moby isn’t working well for us now that Max is almost 10 months old. He doesn’t like to be wrapped up like that anymore. He does well in both the bjorn and the ergo. My husband prefers the bjorn. I prefer the ergo. Go figure. I think women with boobs and hips would do better with the ergo. I find it to be very comfy and Max seems to be comfortable in it. But the bjorn has a face out option which is nice, especially with baby boys who are total busy bodies, endlessly curious about the world around them. I think you just need to try them all out. I got all of mine at a baby consignment shop and spent half of what I’d pay in a store brand new. Wow, that was a novel… sorry! π
I was going to say what Janette said, it’s good to have things in the freezer to heat up for dinner or lunches. You may not feel like cooking the first week or two and it’s nice to have go-to meals so you don’t spend a lot on take out, etc.
I confess I did not wash ALL the baby’s clothes, just some. Make sure you use Dreft or some other mild laundry detergent.
And as far as the pediatrician goes, make sure you feel 100% comfortable and confident with them. You have to mesh so it’s a nice working relationship where you don’t feel stupid asking ANY question.
Sounds like you guys are making great headway! My last few weeks were just a huge waiting game! I am a big planner and preparer so I had his room ready weeks ahead of time and then he decided to come 9 days late! I had also stopped working a week and a half before my due date so I had somewhere around 2 and a half weeks of just waiting. It was torture!! Hope Baby H doesn’t make you wait too long!!
I was really into planning everything ahead of time, but in hindsight, I wish I had taken more time to be with my husband, do the things I want to do when I want to do them haha (like a leisurely browse at Barnes and noble!), sleep, and just generally relax. Yes it’s certainly good to have the big things off your list, but in the end, you have to stay adaptable and flexible as you go, so there’s only so much you can do ahead of time! My husband became our personal shopper for the first few weeks after baby arrived as we figured our what we actually really needed ha so you can buy after baby’s arrival too!
The last few weeks of both my pregnancies involved a lot of waddling, complaining, and popping Tums. π π π
WOW! you get an A+. I’m curious – what did Mal’s paternity leave end up being?
He gets 2 weeks off.
Ahhhh! I’m only 15 weeks pregnant (with my first), but this list makes me feel like I already need to get the ball rolling! π good job completing so much of yours!
Shoot, you already got your baby monitor. I was going to recommend the Foscam because it works with your iphone/ipad. We love it.
http://www.amazon.com/Foscam-FI8910W-Network-Camera-Two-Way/dp/B006ZP8UOW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398204474&sr=8-1&keywords=foscam
Did you guys take your car seat installed to the police station? They usually have someone who’s certified at making sure it’s in 100% correctly!
Oh, and ditto for the freezer meals! If you can swing buying an extra freezer do so!
Looks like you are crossing things off of your list! Go you! I need to come do some work on my wedding – if you’re this good at crossing things off your list of baby things, imagine how well you could do on a wedding! π
Stock up on food for Murphy! π
I doubt that you’ll need them, considering Mal can cook, but have you started freezer meals yet? That is, unless you are super lucky and have lots of friends and family to bring you meals. I know Jenna @eatliverun has been stockpiling her freezer for once baby Beaugh arrives. Yay for being so close and SO organized!!!
We’re planning to hit up Whole Foods a lot! Γ°ΕΈΛβ
You’re kicking butt on that baby to-do list! It’s already been mentioned, but at 22 weeks along, I’m already considering the need to prep a bunch of freezer-friendly meals before baby arrives. Also, don’t forget to add ‘buy push present’ to Mal’s to-do list π
I would say do all those things AND be as spontaneous as possible… because that goes out the window once the baby comes – at least for a while – and you’ll miss it.
Love that! Thanks for the reminder! π
You go girl! You are rocking the organization of things for baby H’s arrival. I agree with what others said about having some food prepped and frozen. Cooking did not happen at all the first few weeks after we had our son. Also, stock up on your favourite protein/energy bars and also a bunch of ready-made fruit/veggie smoothies and buy the biggest bottles available. These were SOOOOOO handy the first few weeks for quick, easy calories in the middle of the night when I was up nursing. You will wake up FAMISHED due to the extra calories your body is using to produce breast milk. And with a newborn crying and wanting your boobs ASAP, you will appreciate the convenience of being able to munch on a bar or sip on a smoothie while you nurse.
I remember the last few weeks of my pregnancy with my son; who is now 13. If you have a great support system; and it seems like you have a WONDERFUL support system, don’t be afraid to ask them for help. Try to get plenty of rest, and be ready to tackle any postpartum or baby blues. This journey to motherhood is going to be FABULOUS! Boys are Fabulous!! LOL
I saw above that Mal gets 2 weeks off. Does he work at a year-round school? I have no idea what grade level he works with! Summers = definite perks for teacher parents!
He has summers off! π
Wow, you are uber organized! I would suggest preparing some meals ahead of time and freezing them. That first week home from the hospital is a little crazy. Also schedule bill pay too.
Def interview pediatricians, my wife and I found one that actually returns call himself, will have hours on weekends and night just in case our son gets sick. Keep receipts for baby carrier as dylan hated the first two we got , buy buy baby exchanged them. Kimono shirts (no bottoms) for 1sr 3 months as easier to change diapers especially when half asleep. Carters for pajamas has deals all the time, plus online coupons, can get alot of PJs for 2-3 bucks, which is great. If you do need to supplement with formula, similac and enfamil have online coupons monthly to knock 5-10 bucks off the price. Good luck to you and mal, if you need anything just ask
_G
Thank you! Γ°ΕΈΛβ
I am not a mama, so I don’t have any, except the non-preggo statement of EMBRACE JOY. This is such an amazing, exciting step for your life!
Wow–impressive job! You’re almost there! What about making some freezer meals?
I just delivered my second boy 5 weeks ago, so it’s all still very fresh! One thing I would highly recommend stocking up on is personal care items for your post-partum recovery. Pads in various sizes, tucks pads (witch hazel pads), and a peri bottle. The hospital should send you home with a lot of these things, but it might be nice to have them at home as a back-up. Also look into making “padsicles.” Your lady parts will definitely thank you!
@Lindsey: Awesome advice. All absolutely needed.
@Lindsey: there is an all natural “cooling” for your bottom…called Happy Momma Bottom Spray….its amazing… and I found the smell and soothing much better than then numbing spray you get at the hospital
Wow this is such an organized list! You go girl!
You’re so organized! Good for you guys
Rest up as much as possible and try to stay patient. My husband and I scheduled a weekly date night for the last month or so of my pregnancy, plus I’d schedule a pedicure or girls’ nights, basically fun things to look forward to if the baby hadn’t come yet. Because trust me, you’ll get so anxious towards the end when you really should be enjoying those last pre-baby moments. Having a baby is incredible but it completely turns your life upside down, especially at first.
Definitely have one last dinner/mini vacay with Mal. We enjoyed the last few weekends to ourselves because we knew relaxation would be out of the question with Gavin arrived.
Maybe someone mentioned this, but did you look in to creating a birthing plan? i.e. letting your doctor/midwife know your wishes on how you’d like to handle delivery? For example, I made sure I left my midwife know that I didn’t want an epidural, and wanted no medications, no episiodomy, I wanted significant time to hold kenzer skin to skin before they cleaned her up and put that medication in her eyes. I wanted her to stay in the room with me, not taken to the nursery, etc. etc.
You’re so organized! Way to rock that list π
Others have said these but freeze some food (make extra on meals in the next few weeks & freeze )<—SO helpful!!! and a birth plan is really helpful if there are things you'd like to have happen-just so you and the medical team are all on the same page!
I know many people bring meals to new parents. Could you ask your close friends/family to make a schedule if they plan to do this? That may be too forward/rude but it be a pain if they all brought food in the same few days.
Your list just reminded me of about 20 things I have to do too! Lucy was 2 weeks early so I didn’t get to most of my work/blog stuff – I had planned to do that in the final 2 weeks. Oh well – we survived!