Very few things in life make me giddy. Turbo, when the two of us are behaving like goofy lovestruck teens. The kids, when they are captivated by the many splendors of childhood. Weddings, every last one of them. And babies. Sweet, cuddly, clean, warm, beautiful babies.
Naturally, when I hear that a new one is soon to enter our family, I go bonkers. Baby J (he/she knows who he is) won't be here until August, but I already know what we are going to get him/her for Christmas next year. And his/her baby shower. And as a welcome gift. I knew within 2 days of learning of him/her how I would congratulate his parents. Crazy, right?
Before you go locking up your babies, rest assured I don't want any more than I already have tugging on my ankles, tattling in my ear, and talking back every time I open my mouth. Not to mention, there is no way in hell I'd survive another pregnancy. (Turbo either for that matter!) My obsession comes from my own life experience in the parenting department. I know how exciting it feels to to see the plus sign on your pee stick. I know the overwhelming delight that fills your entire body when you first hear the racing heartbeat of your little alien. I know that even the roughest pregnancy leads to the best thing life has to offer, a teeny little mini me that cries and poops and screams and sleeps and still remains the most perfect being in your entire world. I get excited because I know what the new parents don't yet. That this is the beginning of the best parts of their life.
But first, they need to get through the roughest. Growing bellies, swollen ankles, relentless appetites, horrid mood swings. There is no glow (at least I never possessed it) and there is no man willing to get up in the middle of the night and go to get you peppermint ice cream and pretzels in 2 feet of snow (obviously I don't possess that guy either). There are aches and pains and cravings, that are temporarily sidetracked by lots of food, a quick to react husband that heavily weighs his every word, and good doctor visits.
Because I love Baby J's parents dearly, and refuse to BS them the way lots of parenting books will, I'm going to offer some pregnancy advice for their first trip to the maternity ward...
1. Buy lots of books, but skip the parenting ones. There is nothing in the 'What to Expect' series that you can't find online. I'd recommend signing up for a site like Baby Center that tracks you and your baby through the whole 9 months and beyond and answers every question you'll have along the way. Instead, save those bucks and get some good reads for yourself 'cause you'll come to a point where you'll want spend lots of time with your feet up. Also, start buying books for the little guy and read them to him now. One of the best things you can do for your baby is to give him a wonderful library that will help you bond for years to come.
2. Eat what you want. Mama J, you and I were given one of the greatest gifts our grandmother had to offer: her figure. Eat smart, eat healthy, but if the craving strikes, go for it. Even if you gain 50+ pounds (not that I ever did) I can almost certainly guarantee it will all fall off within a few months (not that I know that from experience).
3. Stock up on the little things. It may seam silly, but the little things will feel like big ones once little J gets here. Start buying diapers and wipes now. That way, you've got a variety of sizes ready to go and don't need to rush out with your newborn. Also, J's arrival won't put such a ding in your budget because you will already be used to some of the new parenting expenses. (You can stock up on formula and baby food too as long as you check the expiration dates to make sure they will still be good when you need them.)
It is also a good idea to stock up on some things for you too before baby gets here. Load up on toiletries, fill up your pantry, jam pack your freezer. Make a double batch of your favorite meals, portion them for 2, and put them in the freezer for later. There will come a time, not long after baby J's arrival, where you will be sleep deprived and would rather shower than slave over the stove. On those days, you will be very happy to have this stuff in there.
4. Don't sweat the big things. Those lovely photos by Babies R Us are so far removed from practicality, it should make every parent laugh at the sheer absurdity of it. Sure, a picture perfect, stocked nursery would be nice to welcome baby home, but he won't care one way or the other if it does. You'll find most of the things the stores tell you you need for baby are a waste of your money. Ask your friends with kids what they used most (a good 'travel system' stroller), what they tossed after 1 failed attempt (Boppy pillow). Accept hand-me-downs of gently used stuff, but don't accept so much that you sell yourself short on the benefits of a baby shower. Loads of ladies like me love those things and will not hesitate to spoil baby #1.
5. Slow down a bit. There are lots of things in your life that are going to be changing, so don't rush any of it just yet. Go out to dinner, see a movie, rub your belly, and let baby take his time getting here. Rest, relax, and enjoy the journey.
3 comments:
"Rest, relax, and enjoy the journey.".... because a year and half from now they'll have underwear on their head.
Bought our first hundred diapers last wkend! Any wisdom on where/how to scope out good deals? I remember you blogged about Target & their up&up products so I've been keeping an eye on their ads. Also, we love Babycenter! J even reads the weekly email they send. I depend on them since at least so far, baby books give me near anxiety attacks! Hope everything is going well for you guys!:)
Glad you like BabyCenter! I liked them so much more than the books.
On deals...Before baby gets here, I'd just scoop up any brands you see if they are on sale or you can find decent coupons for them. You'll want to decide for yourself what you think works best and saves you most. Make sure you give store brands a fair chance too, Up&Up brand by Target turned out to be what we went with for most things because they worked just as well and cost nearly half as much as the name brands. We even used their formula when Lucy was a bit older because it had the same nutritional values as name brands and was less than half the price. If you buy a store brand stinker, you also won't feel so bad pitching them 'cause they usually are so much cheaper. (Much harder to say that about the pricey name brands you might not like.)
I'd also sign up on websites like Huggies/Enfamil/Target and other stores that sell baby products and get on their mailing list for coupons. If you get a coupon from the product manufacturer, you can combine that with a store coupon from Target/Jewel or any other place as long as 1 is a 'manufacturers' coupon and 1 is for the specific store. (I've saved up to $10 on 1 can of formula by combining things this way. It's a nice trick to know!)
I'll put together a handful of blogs and websites that I follow too for good ideas, quick recipes, and saving money with a family. They helped me find a way to add Lucy to our crew without killing our wallet, hopefully they'll work for you too!
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