I spent a TON of time researching baby gear in my second trimester.  I looked at blogs, read articles and perused friends, friends of friends and acquaintances registries looking for items they all had in common.  Although I consulted with the husband on my picks, he pretty much deferred to me since I was doing the research.  In all honesty neither of us have ever used this kind of gear before so it kind of felts like a guessing game when picking items to register for.  In the end I am pretty pleased with what we chose.  But honestly, who would have thought such a tiny little person would “need” SOOO much stuff?!

For the purposes of this post, let’s just take the baby basics/big ticket items off the table, okay?  So diaper, wipes, stroller and car seat are “given” must have items for newborns.  Given my research, to date, below is what I think we will need for Jellybean …

Baby Registry Must Haves | Life's Tidbits

1 – Boppy Pillow –  It is rare to find a baby registry that doesn’t have a boppy pillow on it.  Most of my friends who have breastfed swear by it and say the pillow makes it so much easier to support the baby.  I was fortunate enough to get a hand-me-over boppy from a friend.  I purchased a  new and crazy soft cover from Pottery Barn.

2 – Sophie Giraffe –  This teether seems to be all the rage as of late.  All the babies being strolled down the street have one sitting next to them.  I swear it shows up on every Google search for “must have” baby items.  While we can’t call the giraffe Sophie, because that is our dog’s name, we are now the proud owners of a “Sophie” giraffe teether.

3 – Thermometer – As a first time mom I’m confident I will be concerned Jellybean is sick.  I expect this thermometer will help keep my mind at ease in the coming months.

4 – Swaddle Pod – I like that they have a zipper … place the baby in the pod and zip-her-up … no messing around with trying to do the traditional swaddle for bedtime.

5 – Soothie Pacifier – Have come highly recommended on blogs and from friends alike.  We received a couple from some friends who just had a baby girl back in October.  They said these pacifiers were a must!

6 – aden + anais Swaddle/Receiving Blankets – It feels like this item is a given.

7 – Bouncing Chair – The bouncy chair seems to be interchangeable with a swing.  My friend is kind enough to lend us her son’s swing so I registered for the bouncy chair.  I figure we can put Jellybean in both and let her decide which she likes best.

8 – Nosefrida Baby Nasal Aspirator – New and veteran mommies alike rave about this product.  I guess it is better than the “ball” nasal aspirators.  At my friend’s shower a couple weeks ago a mom said she always gives the snotsucker as part of her shower gift.  I figured it is certainly worth a try therefore we purchased one.

My plan is to update my must have list once Jellybean arrive and I actually start using these products.  It should be interesting to see what I thought we needed versus what we actually need.

What baby gear/item do you wish you had registered for and/or purchased prior to bringing the little bundle of joy home from the hospital?  What am I missing?

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My due date has come and gone.  Honestly, I am really ready not to be pregnant anymore.  We have been  eagerly awaiting Jellybean’s arrival since the 23rd.  Every time I wake up during the night I pause and think “am I in pain?” and/or “am I am labor?”.  The answer is always no.  As I’ve mentioned (probably too many times) I am having trouble sleeping.  This morning at 5am I made this little eviction notice. I got a good kick out of it and thought it was perfect for my 40 week recap post.

Baby Eviction Notice | Life's Tidbits

In early November both sides of the immediate family wrote down their predictions for Jellybean’s due date, time and weight.  The idea was the winner gets … bragging rights.  As of today only 3 of us are left in the running to possibly win the D-Day pool prediction.

Here is what everyone’s guesses were:

Nana – 12/13/2013 7:31 pm 7 lbs 11 oz
Papa – 12/24/2013 6:00 am 8 lbs
Auntie Amanda – 12/26/2013 3:27pm 7 lbs 2 oz
Mimi – 12/27/2013 6:20 pm 7 lbs 15 oz
Daddy – 12/27/2013 6:45pm 7 lbs 8 oz
Uncle Nate – 12/28/2013 4:45 am
Auntie Alison – 12/30/2013 12:30:13 am 6 lbs 6 oz
Mommy – 12/30/2013 8pm 7 lbs 9 oz
Grandpa – 1/2/2014 3:00 am 7 lbs 8 oz

Pregnancy Tidbits from Week 40

Cravings – No real cravings, however I am counting down to having a good ‘ole turkey breast sandwich sometime soon after Jelly’s delivery.

Maternity Clothes – Clearly this is still a yes.  I’ve abandoned my maternity jeans and have been wearing leggings or sweatpants exclusively this week.  Lucky for me this attire has been completely acceptable and I’ve only had to put jeans on once.

Symptoms – The carpel tunnel in my hands is pretty bad.  The doctor assures me it will be fine, however I am concerned it won’t go away after the baby comes.  Continued swelling in my hands/feet, congestion and trouble sleeping.

Movement – Lots of it!

Missing Anything? – Tying my own shoes.  Yup I just wrote that!  Though I technically can tie my own sneakers, bending over the belly is highly unconformable.  The pressure or whatever of doing so often makes Jellybean mad and she will move into weird positions after doing so.  I have therefore passed this oh so fabulous task off to my doting husband.  =)

Highlights – Spending some quality time with the hubby.  Though we haven’t done anything productive or “fun” it has been really nice to just hang out and get excited for JB to come.

Looking Forward To…  seeing what Jellybean looks like and {finally} naming her.

Fears/Concerns…  that whole giving birth thing seems a bit scary at the moment.  :)

Labor Signs – Still a big ‘no’ on this.  Every time I feel even a little pain or cramp I am ever so hopeful I’m in labor … unfortunately no such luck.

Any pregnancy tidbits you care to share?  I would love to hear them!

signiture_nicole

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I can NOT believe today is Jellybean’s due date.  December 23rd seemed SO far away back in April when I found out I was pregnant!!  And yet here I am 40 weeks later with one fully “baked” belly.  There have been a lot of ups and downs throughout the pregnancy yet it has been a journey and experience I wouldn’t change for the world.

We put up the Christmas tree a couple weekends ago and since then I’ve been trying to master taking a great picture of the tree.  I also wanted to figure out how to do a silhouette of the belly in front of the tree.  I’m pretty please with how the picture came out.  It isn’t perfect, but I did shoot the photo in manual.  The key was a low shutter speed and a pretty high ISO for any photo junkies (like me) out there.  Anyways here JellyBelly and I are at 39 weeks …

38 and 39 Weeks Pregnant, Pregnancy Log, 9 Months, 3rd trimester | Life's Tidbits

Pregnancy Tidbits from Weeks 38 and 39

Cravings – Fruit … specifically clementines.  I have been eating at least 2 a day.  I don’t know why, but they really hit the spot!

Maternity Clothes – Oh yes!!  In fact it’s pretty sad, but a couple of my maternity shirts don’t really fit anymore.  The belly is just too big.  The husband said the other morning that my belly has been getting “sneaky big” over the past few weeks.  I think it just means Jellybean is fully grown (in utero that is) and ready to make her big debut. :)

Symptoms  Tingling and numbness in my finger tips lasts all day now, which is a weird sensation.  And there is of course the continued swelling in my hands/feet, congestion and trouble sleeping.

Movement Lots of it!

Missing Anything?  Energy!  There is so much I would love to do, however I’m just too tired to do most of it.  I really miss having energy.

Highlights Scheduling an induction date.  While I truly hope the baby comes without medical intervention it is nice to know we will meet our little one by a specific date.  The end is in sight and the count down has begun!

Looking Forward To…  meeting our baby girl!

Fears/Concerns…  Not knowing I am in labor.  I even went as far as to ask the the doctor if I would know I am in labor.  His response was very nice and pretty hilarious.  The doctor said “You would have to be drunk not to know.”   While he did indicate it is very likely I will miss some of the first few contractions I was “assured” I would not be caught totally off guard.

Labor Signs  NOPE :(  I would love to feel a Braxton hick contraction or something indicating delivery day is getting closer.

Any pregnancy tidbits you care to share?  I would love to hear them!

 

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My bag is packed and I’m ready to go!  We are going to have a baby … very, very soon!! {Could scream with excitement and fear too!}  All the books, apps, my doctor and our friends are telling me it’s time to get ready for the big day, which includes getting the hospital bag packed.  There are those who have been packed for a couple weeks now and others who won’t pack until they literally go into labor, so I think that means I’m in the middle of the pack.  At 1 day shy of 38 weeks I figured it was time the husband and I spent a little time getting our bag together.  I’ve reviewed a number of blogs as well as consulted some close friends to help determine what we should pack.  Some people used a lot of “stuff” at the hospitals while others found the hospital had 90% of what they needed.

HospitalBagPacking

Below is what ended up getting thrown into the bag the other weekend.  I will be sure to update you after our hospital stay with what was useful and well, what wasn’t.

For Me:

  • Slippers – To keep my toesies warm as well as to walk around in as needed.
  • Toiletries
  • Nursing bra – I have yet to invest in nursing bras, however I did purchase a two pack of sleeping nursing bras from Motherhood Maternity a few weeks ago.  I figure the night nursing bras will get me through the hospital stay and assuming I am able to nurse I will order some real nursing bras once I get home with Jellybean.
  • Going Home Outfit – I am thinking comfort is key when it comes to going home.  Leggings, t-shirt and a sweatshirt … no fashion statement from this girl (I hope that’s the right call!).
  • Hair Elastics
  • Chapstick

For the Hubby:

  • Change of Clothes – Boxers / Extra Shirt / Sweatpants / Half Zip Sweater / Baseball Cap
  • Granola bars for him to snack on
  • Toiletries

Other:

  • Boppy Pillow
  • Sucking Candy & Gum
  • Camera – DUHH!  We decided to bring the point and shoot camera instead of my SLR to ensure capturing Jellybean’s arrival is as easy as possible.
  • Phone Chargers
  • Ipad
  • Cash

For Jellybean:

  • Going home outfit x2 (newborn and 0-3 month sizes)
  • Bear hat
  • Headband
  • Stroller Blanket
  • Car seat and bases

What am I missing?  Is there anything on this list I won’t need?

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I might be 9 months pregnant and extremely tired, however I can’t seem to turn off the planner in me.  I’m pretty much “done” planning for the baby.  There are a few things left to do at this point, but if they don’t get done before she arrives it will be okay.  For example I still haven’t booked a newborn photographer, there are picture frames in the nursery that don’t have anything in them and I haven’t had my car cleaned {yet}.  These are not big ticket items so I’m not worrying about them too much.  I also haven’t washed any of the baby’s clothes, towels or sheets.  Lucky for me, my mom is going to take care of the laundry once Jellybean arrives so for all intensive purposes I consider that “to do” done.

I have tried to prepare myself and the husband for the baby’s arrival.  We have the hospital bag mostly packed, I’ve gotten a hair cut and have plans to get my nails done on Saturday (super important details … I swear!).  One of the last things on my list is meal prepping.  A lot of new parents laugh at how they are living off PB&Js and/or takeout.  I’m certainly not one to turn my nose up at takeout, however it does get old pretty fast … not to mention expensive.

I have been brainstorming meals that freeze well for about a month.  It was harder than I thought it would be to plan.  My first problem is our freezer really isn’t too big and my second is/was finding the energy to precook these meals.  I did my best to clean out the freezer on Sunday and then I got to cooking.  I made some pretty good progress, but didn’t get through all the recipes I had planned.

Completed: 

  1. Turkey Chili (=6 servings)
  2. Chicken Tortilla Soup (=4 servings – we ate one serving each for dinner the night I made the soup)
  3. Pesto (x2 – we will need to cook the pasta and add tomatoes/chicken, but that’s easy enough)

soup_chili_pesto

Left to Cook/Freeze:

  1. Meatballs
  2. Lasagna

meatballs_lasagna

I am hoping to at least motivate to make the meatballs before JB makes her debut.  But even if I can’t/don’t, it feels good to know we have a few home cooked meals in the freezer to fall back on when we don’t want takeout and we are too tired to cook.

Did you make any meals ahead of your baby’s arrival?  Any recommendations on recipes that are good for freezing?

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