Updates to the House

This started as a tangent within my 20 week post, but it started to get a bit lengthy so I moved it off by itself.

We've been in our house since November 2009, and when we bought it we had every intention of living here with 2, maybe 3 kids. Lots of people had, and still have, bigger families in smaller houses so that should be no problem, right? There's a lot we like about this house: the big shed in the backyard, the garden and rain barrels we've built, our awesome neighbors, the close proximity to our family, and the fact that we already live here and (mostly) like how it's decorated. As Luke got older and we started to accumulate stuff, it became more and more apparent that our house has enough rooms (3 bedrooms, 2 baths) but not enough storage, particularly in the kitchen.

Once Baby #2 became an impending reality I got all panicky and twitchy about the reality of having 2 kids, plus 2 kids' worth of STUFF, in this house. I immediately insisted we look at buying a bigger house. We looked around, we found some we liked, but the reality of up-sizing meant we would have a very tight budget to accomodate a bigger mortgage payment. We could swing it, and we even accounted for all the added costs we could think of - extra utility bills for more square footage, the cost of 2 kids in day care if Grandma decided she wanted to scale back on watching them, etc - but at the end of the day it just doesn't make sense right now. So we'll stay put for a few more years then revisit the idea of moving.

But what does that mean for the house we're in now? It means I have to maximize storage like I've never done before.

Here's the to-do list:
- add a pull-down ladder to the attic access panel, lay down plywood and "build" block and board shelving so we can actually use our attic as accessible storage.
- load up the new attic shelves with rarely-used items from the kitchen (like the electric skillet, fondue pot, cake decorating supplies) to make room in the cabinets and pantry
- de-clutter and purge the wine bar, china cabinet, kitchen cabinets and pantry
- replace the too-small kitchen island cart with a larger one to increase storage
- buy and install storage rail (hello, Ikea trip!) under one run of upper cabinets to house eating utensils
- buy and install cabinet pull-out thing so I can finally reach the back of my dang corner cabinet
- buy lidded storage bins to go on top of the upper cabinets to house surplus/bulk food items (we got a BJ's membership for Christmas and haven't used it yet because we have nowhere to keep back stock!)

The list may seem long, and not particularly cheap, but it is worlds cheaper than the process of buying a new house. At least that's what I keep telling my husband. Hopefully I will have some items to sell on Craigslist or at a yard sale to offset some of the costs.

Luckily for me, we already moved Luke into the front bedroom last summer when we was too big for his crib and over Christmas we finally got all of his clothes out of the nursery and into his big-boy room. This leaves the nursery empty and ready for another baby. We're not going to change anything about the layout or decorations, other than adding a second tea towel calendar to mark a new birthday in the family. I still have to get the baby clothes out of storage and wash them, but they will just go into the same dresser they were in the first time. No changes there.

It's a lot to get done in the next 20 weeks, but I've already gotten started. Ordered the new island last week! Once the nesting kicks in that will work in my favor, but I know you guys want to come help me anyway!

What I Packed For The Hospital*

*And when I say hospital I, of course, mean a hospital, a birth center, your living room, a hippie commune yurt, etc. Wherever you choose to have a baby, go for it. This advice is universal.


Since having Luke, two of my dearest friends have decided to have babies of their own. Because I had done this before, both ladies reached out to me for advice on what to pack for the hospital. Since it was (hopefully) useful to them I thought I would share it here. My list comes from a combination of advice from Bradley Class, tips from books and my own experiences. Obviously this list might not be 100% on point for everyone, but it's a good start.


Here is a lot of information, in detailed lists (of course):

OBVIOUS:
-insurance papers
-pre-registration documents - if your hospital allows pre-registration DO IT!
-birth plan, if you feel the need to write one


For my hospital stay I packed 3 small bags, rather than 1 large bag - this makes it easier to organize, when keeping the stuff tidy isn't exactly priority #1


LABOR/DELIVERY:
-hospital approved snacks (ask your birthing teacher if she knows what your hospital allows, but filling, non-processed foods are a safe bet) - eat as much and as often as you are allowed to. the hospital might try to limit it, but labor is long and hard and you'll need fuel
-rice sock, massager, any other relaxation device you like
-yoga ball
-labor music and a way to play it (if that's your thing)
-warm, comfy socks and house shoes if you plan to walk around to encourage contractions (which you should!!)
-chapstick
-whatever you want/need to get your hair THE F&%K OUT OF YOUR FACE (you'll thank me later)
-some people bring their own comfortable labor clothes (or even dumber, buy their own "cute" hospital gown) but don't bother - you will get an array of bodily fluids on your clothes, so wear what the hospital provides

RECOVERY:
-toiletries
-going home outfit for you (stretchy = good, underwear = don't get mad when you ruin it)
-going home outfit for baby
-car seat (get it inspected in the car!)
-orange juice - i was really thirsty post-delivery and my bradley instructor told us orange juice helped balance out the hormone/blood sugar mania in your body
-don't bother with clothes for you - what with all the constant exams, nursing, etc it was easier for me to just keep wearing hospital gowns (no bra). you might want a nice(ish) bathrobe if you care about how you look for visitors.
-don't bother with clothes for baby - the hospital will keep baby clothed, swaddled, diapered, etc
-don't bother with stuff for your lady bits - the hospital will have you covered (and will likely send home extras) but you might want to stock up at home (see below)

DAD/BIRTH SUPPORT PERSON:
-change(s) of clothes, you'll be there several days
-bathing suit if you want him to get into a labor tub with you
-toiletries
-warm shirt, hoodie, sweatpants, etc (laboring women often want the room COLD)
-snacks, gatorade, etc - hospital food is TERRIBLE
-gadgets (phones, camera, laptop, etc) - we didn't use these much during labor (obv) but we used them lots during our recovery days
-chargers for above gadgets

At home...

LADY BITS MAINTENANCE:
-pads/panty liners of varying absorbancy
-cortisone spray
-pre-soaked witch hazel pads
-peri bottle - if they give you one in the hospital, take it home with you, it never hurts to have a back-up
-incontinence pads (you will continue to leak, also good to have around the house/car during labor in case your water breaks)
-pillow to sit on
-sitz bath (I never did this, but other women have found it to be nice relief)

NURSING:
-regular nursing bras: as many as you are willing to spending money on - i had 3 or 4 but wished I had more
-comfy nursing bras (looks more like a sports bra) are great for sleeping and around the house - I had 2 actual sleep nursing bras, and 3-4 other soft, cotton bras that had no nursing panel but were easy enough to shift around
-nursing tops - honestly i think these are a waste of money. they're not flattering and are over priced. i just wore any top/dress that had enough give to get my girls out (either by pulling up, down, or to the side). i know lots of moms that wore nursing tanks under non-maternity tops/tunics and that worked well for them but i didn't want to spend the money
-washable nursing pads - i'm a big hippie and i think disposable nursing pads are evil (and itchy)

Also, I did not have a c-section so the "maintenance" section is devoted to recovering from vaginal childbirth and not from abdominal surgery. I'm sure there is stuff you would need for that but I have no clue what that might be. If you do have a c-section I'm sure there is plenty of info out there on the internet for you.


So, that's a lot of info... If you have anything to add please feel free to leave a note in the comments!

Diaper System

Let me take a moment to tell you about our diaper situation.

When Steven and I first started planning for the baby, I was determined to use cloth diapers. He wasn't easily convinced and I knew I didn't want to fight the uphill battle of forcing him to use a system he wasn't comfortable with. He also brought up a good point - did I really want to be washing loads of diapers once I went back to work full time? I couldn't argue with that.

After some extensive research, I settled on gDiapers. You can go to their website for more information, but the gist is that gDiapers are a hybrid between cloth and disposables.

The system is made up of two parts: washable cloth 'pants' and disposable liners. Yes, yes, they have a disposable component - but it's not as bad as you think. The liner is made of only pulp and paper products, no plastics. That means the liner can be flushed in a toilet or, if you have to throw it in the garbage, it will break down in 50-100 days as opposed to however long it takes a traditional disposable diaper to decompose. But wait, it gets better. If the liner is only wet, but not dirty, the liner can be tossed in a compost bin to help provide rich nutrients for our lawn and garden.

The cloth pants require an upfront cost but the liners cost less per unit than a traditional disposable diaper.

To me, it was the perfect compromise. I get the reduced environmental impact and (some) cost savings associated with cloth diapering without the increased workload.

Of course, I haven't put them to the test yet. Once I have I'll report back and let you know if they're as great as I think they're going to be.

A Quick Rant on the Commercialization of Mommyhood*

I'm just going to put this out there: one of my biggest parenthood fears is being that Mom that has to arm herself with a mountain of stuff just to successfully navigate running some errands with her child.

All this was brought upon by a trip to the grocery store and seeing a Mom with her toddler. Mom was pushing her cart and toddler was sitting in one of those puffy shopping cart covers. You know, one of these:

image via BabiesRUs

The idea of this just irks me in so many ways.

1- I have read studies that indicate raising your child in a germ-free bubble only increases the likelihood that the child will have asthma and/or allergies in the future. Now, I'm no scientist, but it makes sense that if you eradicate every possible germ your child will never build a tolerance to such things.

2- The damn thing seems completely pointless. The purpose of the cover is to keep the baby from touching things like shopping carts and restaurant high chairs. But this is negated by the fact that you, as a parent, touch these things to put the cover on it and then turn around and touch your baby! Unless you walk around Purell-ing yourself each time you touch your baby, you are going to transfer germs to him or her. This takes me back to point #1.

3- In putting the cover on the shopping cart (or in solo shopping expeditions, sans cover) you, the adult parent, touch the shopping cart, the self-checkout screen and countless other surfaces in your daily life, yet you don't get sick. And why is that? BECAUSE YOU WERE ALLOWED TO TOUCH GERMS AS A CHILD! And now you have a functioning immune system. Next time you see your mother, tell her "Thank you for letting me eat dirt when I was a kid."

As much as I stand behind those points, the real basis of this rant came from what I saw in the parking lot. On my way out I saw the same Mom and toddler getting into their car. Mom had lifted the child, removed the cover then sat the child back into the *gasp* unsanitized shopping cart, possibly to put the cover into her car. I'm standing there, screaming inside my head, "What's the friggin' point?"


Of course, I can't step into this woman's shoes and really know why she does anything, but the whole exercise seemed a bit stupid to me. That is all.


*This is only my opinion and I certainly can't speak for moms and moms-to-be everywhere. If you disagree with me and ohmygod, can't live without your shopping cart cover please don't be offended. Ha! Who am I kidding? I just made fun of you, to your face! Try to only be moderately offended.