Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[lili]

Awee....look how tiny she is

 

[Kaleigh]

Poor Tessa, I hope she feels better soon Tacori.

Burk your baby girl is just precious. Welcome to PS!!!

 

[lili]

Date: 2/20/2008 1:53:07 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
Lili, I think she is feeling better (wish I was

) but it is hard to tell. We ran the medicine twice and it does seem to loosen stuff up (not a pretty sight haha) I just sit her in the bumbo and aim the wand right at her mouth. She doesn''t seem to mind it. Thanks for asking.

That''s good. Maybe one or two more sessions?
So Tessa is getting the hang of the bumbo now?

I still can''t get the look on her face when you first sat her in it

Priceless.

 

[divergrrl]

MSB: I saw your son and let out an audible "oooooooooooooooooooooohhhh" what a handsome fella! Oh those eyes!

Burk: welcome & what a gorgeous girl! I love her name! How do you pronounce it? (in my mind its "tay-va"..is that right?)

Tacori: Bumbo warning...never turn your back on a baby in a bumbo. OMG. I went to my friend''s house last month (when D was only 4 mo old...her son is also 4 mo old) and asked her if I could try D in it. She said sure, her son Gio didn''t last 2 seconds in it..he arched his back and promptly flipped right out of it!

WEll, I stuck D in it and within 2 seconds, she arched her back & flipped out of it. I was sitting on the floor next to her, but DANG! that was fast. If I had turned around, she''d have tumbled out head first onto the hardwood floors.

D can''t sit up yet either...so she''s supposedly "perfect" for the bumbo. Umm....no!

Ok..I need to entertain my kids!

 

[Jas12]

Welcome Burk--your little one is beautiful and her name is so unique--is there a story behind it, I''ve never heard it before?

Lili--I didn''t want to end work quite so early--but it''s March Break (same as spring break in the US) starting the 9th and there is no sense in coming back to work for a week after that-- I ''ll actually probably post less while at home cuz here it is just so easy. My comp is at my desk and I am in the same room all day so it''s very tempting to take a PS break every hour

When will you be off?
Not on weekly appointments yet--i think i start as of next week--kinda a pain in the butt eh? Long waits in the office just to hear "everything is fine" not complaining about that, but it''s hard to sit around. Maybe now we''ll be getting more exciting updates like "baby is engaged'' or "you are 2 cm dilated" or something....

------------
Question: Does anyone remember the website someone posted for cute online birth announcements a few months back? I can''t remember who posted it and I am too lazy to go back through a hundred pages to find it.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Burk, she is beautiful!

Thanks Lisa

Lili, we are suppose to do it 3x a day for a few days. I love that freaked out face too. haha! I think her favorite position is still laying in the boppy. She falls asleep like that all the time.

Diver, I am always right there with her. Not sure Tessa is heavy enough to topple it over. But better safe than sorry. I like it b/c it gives her a chance to sit on her own (well with some help). I think she likes looking around and watching everything. Plus I am so freaked out she is going to get a flat head and she HATES belly time. We need to work on that.

Jas, I hope you get those kind of announcements. Not me! It was really frusterating. I am not sure my cervix even soften before the induction.

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

Hi Burk! She''s an absolute darling! Congratulations.
Hope you''re doing well.

Jen

 

[divergrrl]

Tacori, Delaney didnt topple it...dont think those things can topple......she just tossed her head back, arched her back, her butt lifted up& she rolled on out of it!!!!!

same with Gio. took like 2 seconds....just wanted to warn u.

 

[snlee]

Welcome Burk! Your daughter is beautiful!

Tacori, I hope Tessa feels better soon.

 

[TravelingGal]

Hiya gals! So much going on around here!

OK, lili, you are MINISCULE. My belly can beat up your belly. You and Jas are making me rethinking posting my pic. I''ve got overhang. EVERYONE is commenting on how big I am. Even my dentist, whom I say yesterday, said "Next time I see you, you''ll be much thinner." Hmph!!! My only source of happiness in the belly department is that I am still a major inny!!!

And yes Jas, I DO have back fat. However, the saddest part is that I had it BEFORE pregnancy. I hate them lumps that my brastraps cause...

Tacori, the Tessa bumbo pic made me laugh out loud. That is SO funny! I just got a bumbo from my friend. I will make sure to be careful with it.

And it was nice of your DH to be sympathetic. I''m not even a mom yet, and I get tired just thinking about some things. You''re a trooper and you''re doing great!!

Tessa sounds like the right weight to me...but what do I know? My friend''s son was born the same time as Tessa and is now 18 pounds. She took him for the 4 month checkup on Monday and the doc said his weight was off the charts...he weighed what a 7 month old should weigh. I wondered if it was because she was formula feeding him (he never turns down a bottle), but then read that formula feeding doesn''t make babies bigger. Then read it didn''t Ah, all the conflicting info out there...

Jackie first off, CONGRATS!!!! Wow, twins. Now that I am at the end of my pregnancy, I wish I was having twins too because I don''t like the idea of having to do this again if I want two kids! How wonderful. And re: your man saying silly things - don''t worry...as we get hormones and become forgetful and moody, the men must have an extra boost of dummy hormone. TGuy said to me once, "How are you wearing those pants?" not thinking they were maternity. I then showed him they were maternity. "I''m getting big!" I said. His response? "YEAH you ARE."

Qtiekiki, sounds like you are doing well. I just felt like they were always drawing blood during the first tri. Poke poke poke was all they did. After the amnio, my life was so much better...I''d rather take the routine visits of nothing than get pricked all the time!

MsF, your boy is a doll...you dress him so cute! Yes, I have heard of the mamespa. We are going to check it out. Maybe in the next couple of weeks. Please let me know how you liked it!

Diver, nice vday dress for Delaney! You''re talented!! And she is such a dolll.

DivaDiamond, I started feeling TTot at 17 weeks, so that was probably it! And don''t worry too much about junkfood. A little bit never killled anyone...

MrsS, you''re a trooper. 3 mile "hike"? I can walk for 3 miles, but it has to be flat. I think part of the reason my thighs are bigger is because when I got up the stairs, I''m carrying 30 extra pounds! That would beef em up for sure, I think. So I am using that as an excuse to do no such thing as "hike!"

Nytemist, congrats on your SIL''s pregnancy!

Curlygirl, glad to hear you are hanging in there. So what do think is worse..first tri icks or third tri discomfort?

So Ella, have you framed that pic yet? I know I said it before, but I LOVE that pic!

msb700, your son is a prince! I mean, he really just reminded me of a little royal boy in that pic! So handsome!

Welcome Burk! Wow, you must hold the record for waiting the longest after registration to post on PS!

Yes, I am at 35 weeks. I''m starting to feel the pressure to get things ready. I did buy some things at BRU over the weekend with a gift card that I got. Diapers, for one. And ACK! Bloody things are pricey!!! I should have looked at coupons, etc that I know I have somewhere from all the gift bags and what not that I have, but I didn''t. Oh well.

And I still hate BRU. Everytime I go in there, I rush to get out. You know what that means? I forget something. Which means I have to BACK to BRU. Again and again. It''s a vicious cycle. I''m a bonafide BRU-hater - yet strangeeeeeeeeeeely addicted. Hmmmmmmmmmmm....

Jas, your last post about weekly appointments made me chuckle. I started making mine the first appointment of the day again. Want to save time if they are only going to weigh me and measure me. How funny that we''re looking forward to hearing "announcements" like that.

Anyone have any good suggestions on nursing bras? I went to motherhood to look, and the sight of a big nasty nudey nursing granny bra on my fat body was more than I could handle. Honestly, I almost lost TTot right there because I thought there was no way this non-sexual blob could have EVER enticed TGuy into have sex with her and procreate! I left the store and decided to wait another day to conquer the nursing bra issue (plus I hated their selection). What''s better...looking at yourself in nudey nasty nursing bra with a bulbous preggo belly, or just a blubbery one? Hehehehe...

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Diver, thanks for the warning.

Snlee, thanks. She is napping right now. There is something so sweet about sleeping babies

 

[curlygirl]

ella, that smiley photo is to die for!!!! Sooo adorable!

msb700, your little man is a handsome devil! Love the hair and eyes. What a dreamboat!

Burk, welcome aboard!! Your girl is simply precious. You''ll get tons of support and great advice here. Glad you''re joining us!

Jas12, I got my announcements from tinyprints.com. They have really great stuff.

Tacori, I agree with Diver on the Bumbo issue--don''t turn your back!! I guess they all eventually learn to arch their backs and try to weasel out. As long as she''s on the floor and you''re close by, I wouldn''t worry about it but just keep it in mind. I know you asked me about if we were going to keep the baby''s sex a secret this time. I don''t think so! We''re definitely going to find out because I think I''m even more anxious this time than with Lily and I think we''ll probably tell everyone just so that in case it is another girl (fingers crossed!), we won''t be inundated with tons of clothes and pink stuff since we have it all already. And if it''s a boy, we do have a lot of gender neutral things but I''ll definitely need some boyish stuff. So I think this time we''ll let everyone know in advance. Plus, my mother said she can''t handle the suspense again! She wants a boy, by the way!

TGal, I can''t believe you''re at 35 weeks already! I know it seems like a lifetime for you but I remember so clearly when you first announced your pregnancy and it feels like it was yesterday!!! I have to say that the first trimester is WAAAAAY worse than the third for me. With Lily, as soon as I got past the first tri, it was smooth sailing and I was happy as a clam for the remainder of the pregnancy. I know some people don''t understand the "loving being pregnant" thing but I absolutely LOVED it and am hoping that once I get past this first hurdle, I will once again enjoy a blissful (albeit fat!) six months. I have to say that I''m shocked that I''m still fitting into my clothes with no problems. I thought that the second time around they say you pop much faster so I kinda thought it would have happened by now but not yet. I''m not holding my breath for it to last much longer but we''ll see!

BRU is like a bad addiction. You don''t want to go there but you find yourself there at least once a week. It''s terrible! We also have BuyBuyBaby here so if we''re not at one store, we''re at the other. It''s inevitable. BTW, for diapers and wipes you might want to consider a membership to Costco or BJ''s or some other big warehouse store like that. They are definitely cheaper and you can still use coupons. For all the preggos, make sure you sign up on all the websites so you can get coupons--Huggies, Pampers, Gerber, etc. And if you''re formula feeding, sign up with Enfamil, Similac and Nestle Goodstart. The coupons they send you are INVALUABLE--diapers and formula are soooo expensive so any savings is a HUGE help! I was never a coupon person but I live for them now and I''m not embarrassed to admit it!

 

[Burk]

Guess I won''t be getting any laundry done today. This thread moves so fast...
Thanks mrs s, lili, Kaleigh, Mrs Mitchell, snlee, diver, jas, tacori, and curly!

Diver: her name is pronounced exactly the way it is in your mind. We thought about spelling it "Tava" but thought people might get confused and not pronounce the long "a."

Jas: Funny you ask about her name. When I was maybe 15 weeks preggo, DH and I were watching a tv show on HGTV where the host was named Tava, but pronounces tah-va and DH said he liked it but asked what I thought about tay-va and I said I loved it and that was that. When we found out she was a girl, we new we would name her Tayva.

Tacori: So sorry your little on is under the weather. There is nothing worse than seeing your baby not feel well. Hope you both get to feeling better soon.

Tgal: I probably do hold a record for waiting to post. I think I must have registered when I found out I was preggo and just never got around to posting. I actually tried to re-register the other day because I forgot I had registered. Then, I forgot what I used for a user name. And I thought my pregnancy brain was bad...lack of sleep brain isn''t so good either!

Curly: thanks for the tip on the coupons! I just went to sign up for similac ones because we just had to go to formula because Tayva has a food allergy/intollerance and after two weeks of starving myself..I mean changing my diet to try and figure out what she couldn''t handle, we decided to throw in the towel and go to formula. She is a much happier baby now.

Question for all the mommies: any of you have problems with your baby being consitipated? Since going to formula poor Tayva is really struggling to poop. She went 2 days without pooping at all (called ped and he said call back if she didn''t in 2 more days!) and since then every time she goes it causes her pain-she grunts, her face gets red, she sometimes cries a little and her poop is rather hard. Any suggestions? My mom told me to give her an ounce of apple juice?? Anyone heard of that?

 

[Tacori E-ring]

TGal, I missed your post before. We must have been posting at the same time. I spent $100 on nursing bras I NEVER wear!

I know I have mentioned it before but I am ADDICTED to the nursing tanks at Target. They are $14.99 and SO comfortable. Plus so easy (and my belly isn''t exposed if I am not wearing a cardi. Not into the exposed post baby belly

They have three colors (white, black, gray) and I own multiples of each. And they give my girls enough support. Tessa is def. on the small size but she''s still cute. I guess I shouldn''t have expected anything different since I was a tiny thing (though DH weighed over 10 lbs AT BIRTH) I remember asking the doctor if you can over feed a baby (when she was demanding food every 1-2 hours) and he said you could indeed. Not sure if formula babies are larger or not. Guess he''s just a big boy!

Curly, I think we will probably find out the sex of our next baby. Not sure if I could go through that suspense again. I honestly wouldn''t *mind* having another girl but having a boy would be fun too. I have always said I rather have all girls than all boys b/c I am a girl''s girl. I have such a good relationship with my mom and really hope Tessa and I develop that too.

RE coupons: Pampers has NEVER sent me any!!!

I signed up on their site. Do you get them? I totally agree with your advice at signing up for things. Even though I always planned on BFing it was nice to have free formula (which we have used). I had so many babycakes I am pretty set on diapers (though they are not the brand I would have chosen *whine*). She was in NB for so long I did have to buy those.

Burk, thanks. I feel horrible and I hope and pray it goes away soon. Also she is nursing less (which is NOT good for me). I understand though. I am not as hungry either. I still haven''t eaten yet today

I just got my "your baby is 16 weeks" e-mail and it is scary how spot on those are. Tessa is starting to have more emotions. Ex. Cries when she gets startled or scared, sticks her bottom lip out at her daddy, gets SO excited when we go to pick her up (huge smile, kicking legs and flinging arms). It''s pretty cool watching her become a little person.

 

[lili]

Jas12--
That''s so nice. Then you get plenty of time to nest and rest

I still haven''t told my supervisor when I''ll take off yet

Probably should get a move on it since I have 7 wks (or less hopefully

) left.
I''m thinking of officially taking off on my EDD.
That way I can make better use of my leave in spending my time at home with the baby then just lounging around by myself.

I hear you on the weekly appt. It''s going to be a pain.
Fortunately for me, the wait is never long and the drive to the dr. is short.
Even then, DH is not looking forward to them

Heheh, yep, definitely looking forward to hear those "announcements",
but that won''t happen for another 5 wks for me since the dr won''t check the cervix until wk 38.

Are you done with all the pregnancy classes?
I just completed my lamaze, finally.
Frankly, I don''t know how much of it I''ll remember when I go into L&D

I admit it was fun though seeing the other ladies'' bellies getting bigger over the course of the class though (5 wks long).
I''ll be going to the BF and child safety & CPR tomorrow. Yay!

TGal--
Still an inny? Mine is half way out already.
At least the top half. Then I have this linea nigrea (sp) going as well.
It is so weird looking. The line is not even straight. It starts from the pelvic bone and forms a circle around the navel.
Really funny looking. On top of that, my belly is stretched so taut is red and blotchy.

Curly--
Thanks for the heads up on the coupons.
Now, where can we sign up for those?

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Lili, my line isn''t straight either and I STILL have it! My doc said it could take 6 months. My belly button never popped either.

 

[lili]

Date: 2/20/2008 5:29:35 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
Lili, my line isn''t straight either and I STILL have it! My doc said it could take 6 months. My belly button never popped either.

6 months? That long?
That''s ok, it''s not like I''m going to be sporting a bikini anytime after motherhood

Do you have the top line too?
It''s funny, but every time I look at the lines, I kept thinking that my belly would just split open along the linea nigrea,
especially when the little one is pushing out from the inside.

 

[divergrrl]

Burk, my son (who is now 3 years old) would only poop every 4 or 5 days as a breastfed newborn & once I weaned him at 3months (so same situation whether breastmilk or formula)....but his poop was never hard. My ped told me 1 oz of apple juice to get things moving. Worked great & not a big messy diaper either.

My baby girl now? Poops 4 times a day. I swear. And now my son is pooping 3 times a day. I am up to my ears in poop.

And I scooped the backyard today (we had sun...so I took Jake outside to play in our yard) from the dog & its litter box day too. POOP! EVERYWHERE!

Tacori: Jake was an itty bitty fella too. I love the little babies. I love the chubby babies. Heck, I love them all! Gimme all the babies!! LOL. But even after I put Jake on formula, he was still a little guy. I think it has more to do with DNA. My friend Nicole has 10lb babies, breastfeeds exclusively (I hate her...she gets 16 oz at some pumpings! She''s a frickin'' moo-cow!) and I mean not ONE drop of formula has ever touched her babies lips, and her girls are HUGE. I mean HUGE babies. Her second is 7months and well over 20lbs, and I think she''s just starting solids now...(she likes to hold off like I do) But they scrawn out when they start walking. Her oldest is a bean pole now.

Jake has Super Grover Arms. (anyone watching Sesame Street? Look at Grover''s arms. Yup, that''s my boy!)

Oh Tacori again: do you still have that "list" of things you need for baby? I need to copy/paste it for my girlfriend I meeting up for breakfast with tomorrow. No pressure!

TGal: Listen to the wise Tacori...when I was nursing, I loved those tank/nursing camis. The Target ones are so reasonably priced too. I got "fitted" for nursing bras a week before I had Jake & they tried to sell me D cup sized nursing bras ("oh your boobs will grow" the maternity SA told me) yeah right....I barely grew from an A to a sorta maybe on a good day I can fit into a B while pregnant, so I wasn''t buying this D cup crap. I took home a C cup, 2 nursing tanks and I NEVER filled out the C cup, not even when my milk came in. My boobs stayed big for a day or two, and then went down quite a bit. I never got "nursing knockers".

There are pretty nursing bras out there, but they are pricey. Wait until you get nursing established & are going to be in it for the long run before you splurge on a lacy nursing bra. That way you know what size your chest is going to settle into before spending money on something you CANNOT return. But you might feel the tanks are all you need. I found them easy for when I nursed in public...tummy covered.....top of boob covered...everything covered.

Speaking of bras...none of mine fit anymore. I still have some weight to lose, so once I get that last 15lbs off, I''ll get fitted for new bras. Grrr...I HATE that. My cup size is all wacked out.

Mrs S...good job hiking!!

LitChick: are those True Religions you have little man in? He is SOOOO handsome! I saw a pair at Nordy''s and almost bought them for Delaney. LOL. I figured I''d wait until she could walk. LOL. Full effect if you KWIM.

Curly: Ohhh, I can''t wait to find out what you are having! How fun. I loved being pregnant most of the time too. Not so much my 3rd trimester with Delaney, but for the most part, I always enjoyed it. Which is tough for me since I always was so scared of another miscarriage during my 1st tris, but I tried to keep positive. I have to say, being pregnant with Jake was a ton easier.

Ok...both kids are napping...I''m going to take a shower, and get some zzzzs myself.

later!

 

[TravelingGal]

Curlygirl, I know...it''s gone by really fast. I have a feeling these last 5 weeks will be the slowest, which is why I am procrastinating getting things done - time always seems to speed by if you need more time.

I also know what you mean about loving being pregnant. I wouldn''t say I LOVE it, but it''s been fun.

Re: BRU...yeah, it''s really close to where I live so it''s convenient. But I am going to check out USA Baby again, which is also close and doesn''t seem as nutty as BRU.

Tacori, I saved your awesome detailed post from a few weeks ago and was looking at it last night, so I have mentally noted to get those nursing tanks. It seems like the way to go. Thanks again for all that info you posted...I was going through it and making notes for what I need to do.

lili, my line only runs from my chest to my bellybutton. Nothing on the lower half...except stretchmarks. Fun!

Diver, ha...don''t need a pretty nursing bra. I like the sensible bras. But at least they are still nicely shaped. The one I tried on was heinous! I''m going with the tank idea for sure. Do you have to buy nursing pad inserts for them?

And one more question for you Diver (or anyone else that has an opinion.) I put my BOB together today. Love it. But I think I may have mentioned before it''s the 2006, so the recline isn''t what I want. I was going to get the infant carseat adapter, but now I am thinking of bypassing that and just getting the Graco carseat frame (like the snap and go thingie). SOOO many people love it and I think it would be easier for quick errands. Then I am thinking of getting the snuzzler when the baby is a bit bigger and putting the baby directly in the BOB stroller. OR, should I get the adapter too if I want to go for walks with the BOB? Money isn''t too much of an issue...we got lots of money and giftcards and what not...plus I rarely spend money on myself and don''t mind spending extra on TTot. Just don''t want to buy a $50 piece of metal if it''s a total waste, yanno?

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Oh you guys are so sweet! I am glad I could help. Diver I will look to see if I copied it. I agree baby size is more about DNA. Tess does have chub (thighs and tummy). I love it. So cute. But she is just small. 16 oz! Did she just always feel engorged? Wow. I only get around 5 oz! Hope she isn''t starving.

Lili, I did get the upper line as well but it was MUCH lighter. You can barely see it now.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Okay, I found it (really easily, I am surprised!) Hope this helps your friend!

REPOST ALERT
**************************************************************************************
Diapers: Tessa is STILL in newborns (skinny mini) at two months. Just don''t open the packages so you can return them if your baby turns out to be a healthy size. Cloth diapers make GREAT spit rags (that is what we lovingly call them). I use one (or a flannel receiving blanket. Good thing we have so many!) at EVERY feeding and to burp. Plus she vomits randomly so we go through a lot.

Bibs: You will need them but I wouldn''t register for them. People give those kind of things for gifts. Of course you probably don''t need 50 like we have.

Wipes: I *love* huggie''s wipes. They are thicker than pampers. My mom got Tessa a wipe warmer for x-mas (spoiled, spoiled). It is nice but not a must. They do get kind of pissed with the cold wipes at first but honestly by the time I got it I think she was used to it.

Diaper Pail: I started off with the diaper champ, broke right away. I ended up getting the cheapest at Babies R Us (after a mom told me to get it the FIRST time around. I did not listen) I love it. Works great. Uses regular bags. Upstairs we just have a covered trash can. Those work fine too.

Bathing: I do like the baby washcloths with the soap already in them. They are handy. Also we use huggie''s body/hair soap. Nice it is all ONE product. We only used her newborn bath once. She hated it so now we give her sponge baths (I put a towel down on the bathroom counter). Seems to be less tramatic for her. She also likes going into the shower with use (believe it or not). We usually rinse her in there. You don''t NEED special baby washcloths but I am sure you will get some as gifts. Baby bathrobe, no no! You''ll NEVER use it. Hooded towels are nice though.

Baby gowns: LOVE them! Perfect for diaper changes at 3 am! Get/register for at least 4. You will have poop blowouts so you need back-ups. Kind of depends how often you want to do laundry. Doesn''t matter if you have a boy. He won''t remember wearing a dress It is all about your survival so do what is easiest for you.

Baby one piece outfits: learn from my mistake. ONLY REGISTER FOR ZIPPED ONES! I *HATE* all those tiny snaps. So annoying. Actually most if not all the clothes we gifts so I didn''t have any control but I wish they all had zippers.....I heart zippers. For some reason everyone bought me 3-6 month outfits so avoid buying any of your own (in that size). Tessa is still in 0-3 months. Actually carter''s newborn stuff still fits her.

Baby onesies & tees: I have a ton. I think 6 of each size would be good but again depends on how much laundry you want to do. Tessa gets several clothes changes a day(since she spits all over herself). Everything gets soaked. I personally like the tagless (Carter''s) ones b/c I imagine they are more comfortable for baby. Get at least 3 kimono type newborn tees (short or long sleeve depending on season) for the early weeks. She would wear that, diaper, sleep sack for bed. Seemed easier than putting something over her head when she was so new (also b/c of her belly button scab). I don''t use them anymore, just the onesies. Make sure you button ALL three snaps. We had a nasty experience when we just did the center one (sleep deprived) and it created a thong and moved her diaper to one side. Poop got everywhere. We never made that mistake again!

Newborn cap: never used one. They don''t fit my little pinhead anyways

Newborn socks: They are not all created equally. I *heart* old navy but their''s always fall off. I wish I knew the brand of our one kind. Stay in play all day. I''ll look. I would get at least 6 pairs (or how ever many come in a package). She doesn''t wear them at night b/c I am so afraid of overheating (SIDS concern) and her sleep bags are closed at the bottom so I am sure her feet are warm.

Sleep sacks: DH likes the ones that zip down the middle, I like the ones that zip on the side (I like to slide the clothes out of the way when changing her diaper, that poop can be messy ) We have 4. 2 long sleeve, 2 sleeveless. We have had to change them midnight (b/c of blow-outs) so it is good to have a back-up.

Pants: I would get a few pairs. Again I like to avoid the button situations. Plus she looks so cute in them (with matching hoodies). Also good for hanging out at home since it is hard to use the safety strap on the swing (etc) in the sleep gowns. Old Navy''s are cute and fit over the diaper well.

Lotion: my doctor likes baby aveeno. Also we have the lavender, sleep stuff from Johnson''s.

Brush: she has hair so we do brush it. I haven''t used the comb yet though.

Pacifiers: get a few brand. Never know which baby will like. Tessa used the soothies but now seems to like ones with larger nipples (like the mam''s or avents).

Swaddles: I personally do not like the ready made swaddle blankets. Not tight enough for my crying monster. The waffle fabric ones work the best! You can get that baby wrapped super tight and it does work. Even if they fight it at first. Swaddling is a GREAT calming tool. She slept swaddle for a long time too. Still does if she gets fussy.

Baby bedding: You don''t need much. Our crib has a mattress pad, fitted sheet, then the ultimate crib sheet from Babies R Us (for quick sheet changing). She hasn''t slept in her crib yet though. They said not to use sheet savers or anything loose. Don''t worry about crib quilt, skirt, etc unless you have the money to spend on them.

Baby carrier: we don''t really use ours. We have a baby bijoin (sp?) active and my MIL bought me a sling for x-mas. Tessa HATES the sling. Covers her face and she gets mad.

Car seat: love our chicco. I also have some hanging Sassy toys on the handle. She likes to stare at them.

Mirror: I really like having a mirror so I can see her while driving.

Bundleme: So nice to have since she is a fall baby. I got the matching hat for fun (though it doesn''t fit). Keeps her nice and warm.

Stroller: I wish we didn''t waste money on a travel system since I am IN LOVE with our snap ''n go. I would skip the system and get the snap ''n go only ($40-$50). Light, easy, so wonderful!

Swing: LOVE it. Great to stop crying and get her to fall asleep. We have two now. Full size downstairs (which swings BOTH ways) and travel in our bedroom. She hangs out it in A LOT!

Bouncy Chair: also good to have. Ours vibrates and plays music. She slept in it for the first 6 weeks (b/c of her spitting).

Pack''n Play: a must for 2 story homes. Not sure you would need one in an apartment though.

Activity Gym: You will be surprised how quickly they can use one. Anything that entertains is a GOOD thing!

Diaper bag: personal choice. I have a vera bradley b/c I just like it. The hospital does give you one before you leave (ours was black perfect for DH). I keep this little formula storage container (for emergencies), a bottle, lots of diapers in this fabric envelope thing (zip-lock would work. Keeps them from getting destroyed), travel wipes, extra zip locks (for dirty diapers), mat (came with bag), 1 extra outfit, extra bib, 2 receiving blankets (one for cover if I need to breast feed, one for spit), extra paci, lansinol, mini thing of baby lotion & diaper cream, camera, mini thing of sanitizer, errr...I think that is it.

Bassinet: our pack ''n play has a removable one. She is still sleeping in that. Nice to have *something* so baby can sleep with you. Makes BF (if you are) much easier.

Glider: Haven''t used it much yet but once she moves onto the nursery I will nurse her there. Right now I have a $15 study pillow. So nice to BF in bed since you need to be sitting up straight.

Changing tables: You really just need the pad and can use it anywhere. If you are going to use bed/floor/sofa get a large waterproof lap cloth to protect your bed/floor/sofa. We have 3 diaper stations. One in our living room that is on our pack ''n play, a traditional changing table in her nursery, and a narrow card table (from walmart) with a pad on it in our bedroom.

Boppy: VERY nice. I do however use a blanket to fill in the "gap" and raise her head up a bit since she is still so small.

Nursing pads: I like the fabric/washable ones better. More comfortable. The others irritated my skin. You will need them. You will leak a lot at first.

Lansinol: a must at first. I don''t use it much anymore. Great to put on before you shower otherwise the water will hurt.

Nursing bras: I just wear the nursing tanks (wish I hadn''t spent $100 on nursing bras) I bought mine from Target. Inexpensive (I think $15) and comfortable. Great to sleep in too!

Breast pump: I *hate* to pump so I am glad I bought a cheap one. Plus it is so much easier just to BF (I don''t work outside the home). I have pumped before for relief and she does get formula a few times a week. We have the medela bottles (BPA free) also nice b/c they fit into my pump and the born free ones. Plastics is ones of my issues.

Dishwasher basket: great to clean pacis, bottles, nipples etc....the steam bags are also nice to sanitize.

New mother care: the hospital will send you home with everything you need. You might need some extra tucks and pads. I bleed for awhile (5 weeks or so). Don''t waste money on a nursing shawl unless you really want one. You don''t NEED one. A blanket works fine. I brought pjs with me to the hospital, won''t do that again. I was bleeding so much so just stuck with the hospital gown. You will need Colace (or something similar NOT that you will be registering for it but just to remind you). Also still take your prenatal if you are nursing.

Health & safety:
They will give you the nasal bulb to take home. All you need is something for the nails (clippers, file, etc...) We have the angel care monitor (which we haven''t used yet since she rooms with us). I just turn on my bedside light to nurse but she does have a night light in her nursery. Diaper rash cream is good to have on hand.

CD player: found an awesome website for white noise, www.babysleepsound.com you can download different sounds (womb sounds, running water, hair dryer, etc...) We got 7 different sounds (I think it was 7) for $5.99. Knocks Tessa right out. I splurged and got one with a remote so I can turn it on at 4 am w/o getting out of bed.

Okay, I think that is everything. I am sure I missed something but you won''t get everything you want. I still don''t have a highchair. There were other things I wanted/needed sooner. Also I don''t have any safety stuff (outlet covers, etc... since again we don''t need those right away).

Also you will go through a TON of thank you cards! Stock up! Also we went to Sam''s before and stocked up on TP, paper towels, trash bags, etc...basically anything to get us through the first few weeks. Bring some snacks to the hospital too.
******************************************************************************

We have used the bath tub more though. She doesn''t seem to mind baths as much as she did when she was little. Also I bought a "gate check" bag for the car seat when we flew and it was great. Saved out car seat from damage (the bag has stains and tears on it so I can only imagine what would have happened) Also a cool mist humidifier is a good thing to have. We have one from target that looks like a frog. It''s cute.

 

[lili]

Hehe, thanks Tacori for reposting the list!
I better copy and save it to my computer.

 

[TravelingGal]

I got a medela pump from a friend, but I am hesitant to use it. If it was just hers, I think I''d be OK, but it was her sisters. What do you gals think? Just bite the bullet and get one of my own?

 

[snlee]

I have some good news to share! I''m pregnant! It''s still very early...I''m 5 weeks. Due date is October 22nd. My husband and I are so happy and excited! I am still in shock! I can''t believe a little being is inside me growing as I type.

Seeing the two lines on the HPT was an amazing experience! I couldn''t believe it. We were so happy to see that BFP, especially after seeing 10 BFN''s!

I have my first prenatal appointment next week. We can''t wait! I hope they do a ultrasound and I get to see the blob and maybe the heartbeat. Maybe it''ll become more real after that.

Keeping it a secret it hard! We''ve told a few close family members and I''ve told one coworker who is also pregnant. There''s about 11 women currently pregnant in my department now. People have been pointing fingers at me saying I''m next for awhile now and I can''t wait to tell everyone. I''m trying to wait till the I''m in my second trimester.

 

[lili]

Date: 2/20/2008 6:56:52 PM
Author: snlee
I have some good news to share! I''m pregnant! It''s still very early...I''m 5 weeks. Due date is October 22nd. My husband and I are so happy and excited! I am still in shock! I can''t believe a little being is inside me growing as I type.


Seeing the two lines on the HPT was an amazing experience! I couldn''t believe it. We were so happy to see that BFP, especially after seeing 10 BFN''s!


I have my first prenatal appointment next week. We can''t wait! I hope they do a ultrasound and I get to see the blob and maybe the heartbeat. Maybe it''ll become more real after that.


Keeping it a secret it hard! We''ve told a few close family members and I''ve told one coworker who is also pregnant. There''s about 11 women currently pregnant in my department now. People have been pointing fingers at me saying I''m next for awhile now and I can''t wait to tell everyone. I''m trying to wait till the I''m in my second trimester.

Yay!!! I''m so happy for you and your hubby.
I''ve been waiting for you to spring the good news on us!
I didn''t want to ask you about it since I know how disappointing it was when I got my AF after every month.

Congrats and lots and lots of sticky baby dust to you!

 

[TravelingGal]

OMG! Snlee, I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO happy for you! A huge congrats to you and your DH! I found out I was preggo right at around 4-5 weeks...I swear, waiting for that first appointment/ultrasound seemed to take forever. And then you see it...and just feel....

OK, that''s not entirely true...I kind of felt like this too:

and a little of...

And definitely looking at it more, I felt a bit -

But in the end, it''s all about

Yay for you!!!

 

[ephemery1]

Yay Snlee!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh I am so excited for you... and for another October baby on PS!! I can''t believe you get an ultrasound that early... lucky girl. My first appt isn''t until next Thursday and the wait is absolutely killing me... I''ll be 8 weeks at that point.

It is truly a rollercoaster of emotions, exactly like TG described. I am finally settling into the

phase, with some intermittent

mixed in. Oh, and some

... the morning sickness hit this week. Ugh.

Congrats again, and enjoy this time!!

 

[zoebartlett]

Congratulations Snlee! How exciting for you and your husband!!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Tgal, you know I am a snap ''n go fool! I LOVE MINE!!! So easy, so light, so compact!

The Graco one only fits their car seats (not sure what brand you are getting). Mine is the Baby Trend and fits all of them. I will miss it when she outgrows her infant seat.

Re used pump: you know you can replace almost (if not every) part of a pump. So if you are worried you can get your own tubing, breast shield, etc and just use her motor.

Snlee congrats! It is an amazing, emotional ride. I found out at 3.5 weeks! Talk about early! My due date was just a week after yours (though she had her own plans

) Good luck at your first appointment.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 2/20/2008 7:52:43 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
Tgal, you know I am a snap ''n go fool! I LOVE MINE!!! So easy, so light, so compact!

The Graco one only fits their car seats (not sure what brand you are getting). Mine is the Baby Trend and fits all of them. I will miss it when she outgrows her infant seat.

Re used pump: you know you can replace almost (if not every) part of a pump. So if you are worried you can get your own tubing, breast shield, etc and just use her motor.

Yup, I know you love it, so I am swaying in that direction. I''d get the Graco one since I hear the safeseat fits better in it, and that is what I have. I would have gotten the chicco carseat, but the BOB stroller won''t take it with the infant car adapter.

Yeah, I just hear that it''s technically not safe, but I dunno...we''ll have to see. Either way, I will hold off on getting a pump. I''m looking at it and clueless as to how it works...I''m going to need a lesson.