Friday, September 7, 2012

Preparing for baby.. again!











Hello Pinterest friends!
This list has been updated in a new post.
Please click here!!
I can't believe this, but it's been almost 4 years since this original post was created!
We're currently pregnant with our third child. As we've grown and matured as parents, our perspective on parenting has changed drastically, making this post officially outdated. :)





^ ^   read above   ^ ^





Here we go! I created a post a little while ago about what I thought was really important to buy when preparing for a new baby/what you could skip. But what do you need to buy during your second pregnancy? Especially when the first still still a baby! We now know, as experienced parents, that we didn't really need half the stuff we got for our first, but what about the essentials? Should we reuse everything or buy some new things here and there? And of course there are going to be new items on our list that weren't necessary when there was only one child in the picture.. 

Here's a look at my list, hope it helps you make yours! 

♥ Glad I hadn't sold these yet! ♥

Betsey's clothes. Yep, I still have it all! Thank God we're having another girl because I can't even imagine trading all of her pink stuff for boy colors! The fact that I still have everything from newborn to now (14 months) and beyond just takes a huge weight off my shoulders. Everything is already clean and ready to be put on the new baby!


Blankets & burp cloths. So so happy I didn't get rid of any of these yet! Not really sure what I was holding onto them for.. Maybe just because they were pretty haha, but I'm just glad I can reuse them. As long as they're in good condition, which they are, I shouldn't need to buy any of these for Beverly!




   


Swing, bouncer & bassinet. Normally I'd say you don't need a ton of gear for the new baby, but I our first few months wouldn't have been the same without all of these! If I couldn't get Betsey to sleep, one of these usually would. Many nights we just left her swinging (strapped in of course) because she would wake back up as soon as it stopped. The baby swing really is a great invention! I also loved being able to throw the bouncy seat in my trunk or move it easily around the house. I remember picking it up with her in it (again, strapped in) and bringing it to whichever room I was in. If I was making dinner, I could watch her sleep in it next to me or if I needed to shower it was great at keeping her asleep! As for the bassinet- we didn't have the crib in our room so it was nice to set her in there right on my side of the bed when we laid down. Then if she actually stayed in there all night, I didn't have to move far to nurse!




Boppy. Even though I doubt I'll be leaving Beverly on the floor in this like I did with Betsey (I don't think I'll be able to trust Betsey around her for a little while since she's still so young), I'm sure I will still use it while nursing. Who knows maybe we'll actually get more use out of the crib in their room and I can put her in it in there? Or put the pack n play in the living room so that I can keep an eye on her while we're all out here.. Decisions!



Dressers. The other one isn't in the picture, but I have a white one with two big drawers and an open bottom inside the closet. This is what I was using for Betsey for most of the last year, until a friend gave me this one! I am super excited about it, especially because of the pink and purple. Betsey's clothes on one side, Beverly on the other. Easy! The dresser in the closet is packed with clothes that are too big for both of them, waiting to go into the other dresser when ready. and I even have two plastic drawer things in the closet stacked with 3 drawers each with blankets/clothes babyproofing items, etc.



Nursing items. Since I'm still nursing Betsey at almost 15 months, it shouldn't be that hard to believe that I have a ton of nursing bras in multiple sizes. I'm soooo glad I won't have to go back to Motherhood and do the whole try on 37 bras in the fitting room & find only one that fits thing again. Also, these nuk gel warm/cool packs are simply amazing when your boobs are really engorged and sore! I used to leave them in the freezer and stick them in my bra all the time! They warmed up pretty quickly but they definitely made my boobs feel better, or at least numbed them so I couldn't feel the pain anymore. Haha..




Diaper bag! I have a slight addiction to bags/purses. When I thought about having to carry all my stuff, and Betsey's, AND Beverly's, I saw my purse exploding in my mind and decided I needed an upgrade. Not because I don't have plenty of giant tote and messenger bags in the closet I could use, but it gave me an excuse to find another new bag! Sometimes spoiling yourself is fun. :) Every mommy needs something to spoil herself with. Instead of manicures, I get new diaper bags!! ;) I got this one at H&M. I think it's supposed to be a small duffle bag.. haha but whatever, it doesn't look so huge when I carry it because the top corners hang down and when the bag is full I'm sure I'll be glad I got such a large bag!

Other items I'll be pulling out of the garage soon:
-Tub
-Baby monitor
-Playmat


♥ New new new! ♥

  Pacifiers. I'm sure they'll eventually end up sharing some of the clean ones out of the cupboard, but we have lost so many over the past year that I definitely need to stock up on little ones! Plus I just think it's nice to stick a brand new pacifier in her mouth, not one her sister has been sucking on for months... :0
Winter clothes. Betsey was born in June, while Beverly is due in November.. Little bit of a weather difference there! I already have pretty much everything we need clothes-wise, but I've still been buying little things here and there to make sure my newborn stays warm this winter!
Bows! I'll be taking a day or two here soon to make some new bows for my new baby. Also I need to stock up on bigger ones for Betsey. I'm sure I won't have the time once the baby gets here! Now that I am better at making these, I can make smaller ones for Beverly and matching ones for my girls!!! Oh yes, I said it! Matching. <3   One excited mommy right here!

Ergo infant insert. I'm a little obsessed with my Ergo. I have been a few months now without it (thank you sciatic pain during pregnancy!) and I'm sooo excited to start babywearing again in two months! The Ergo is definitely my favorite way to wear Betsey, but I can't wear Beverly without this extra piece since she'll be so tiny! I should be able to find one on Craigslist, since it doesn't look like parents really need to use them for for than a few months.
  
 



Reusable nursing pads. I went through boxes and boxes of nursing pads after I had Betsey. I don't want to waste all that money this time when I can just buy a few of these. Besides, I don't think my boobs will be leaking quite as much with two babies emptying them all of the time!






Pacifier clips. If you have ever seen my daughter, it's not likely you didn't see one of these hanging off her top! In my opinion, these are a necessity for every pacifier loving child. Even though Betsey has recently (at 14 months) figured out how to get it off, she still lets it dangle from the pacifier sticking out of her mouth! & yes, she even uses them while sleeping, (helps me find them in the middle of the night!) but I have always been sure to make sure it's clipped tight to a lower part of her shirt while she's asleep. :) Anyway, we need new ones because these things get NASTY after a while. Betsey can use the same 5 for about 4-6 months before they start looking pretty thrashed- stained from food, rusty clips, just not very pretty!

 
Sophie Giraffe. This teether is without a doubt an essential for all babies. It's just the best. Betsey loved hers so much it's pretty much missing all it's spots, so we definitely need a new Sophie!
Don't forget- if you're going to buy one, get it from the store!! Don't do what I did and try to get a good deal on amazon for this toy. The Sophie on there is a fake! It sounds ridiculous, but it's true. The rubber is totally different, the squeaker broke on the fake as soon as I washed it, and it just looks cheap compared to the real Sophie. Not cool!



Carseat. Although Betsey's infant carseat is still in the garage, and probably still useable, it is so worn and tattered I really don't think it would be a good idea to continue it's use! It's gone through a few babies and definitely served it's purpose! Now this is the Chicco Keyfit 30. Isn't it pretty? I think so.. I am pretty sure this is the same, or at least the same brand as the car seat my grandparents got from friends while we were visiting in December. I liked it so much I wanted to take it home! It was so much lighter and more versatile than the one we had. The more I look at the picture, the more I remember this is the one we had, I'm so excited! 



Amber teething necklace. (How does it work?) I got one for Betsey around 6 months, shortly after her first two teeth came in and she was up at night whining in pain. She wore it nonstop for about 6 months before another tooth finally broke and within two months she had 6 brand new teeth that seemed to come pain free, I believe, partially thanks to the teething necklace! She had a pretty bad fever during the teething, but no crying/whining/major drooling. I was pretty excited! This set in the picture is a mom & baby set on Etsy. Since Betsey is still using hers, Beverly will be needing her own and why not get one for myself to match my girls? :)

Woven toy chest. I'm sure if you already have at least one kid, you have some kind of toy chest! I have an awesome one in Betsey's room that I got from Ross. It looks like wicker, but it's some other kind of woven something, haha. Anyway it's awesome, but the reason it's on this list is because although I am obviously keeping it, I may be getting a second one soon. This way I can better separate the toys for Betsey and toys for Beverly since they will be 17 months apart and it'll just make my life easier when looking for toys in their room!




A double stroller. I told myself I wasn't going to need/get one during the first few months of this pregnancy, but after doing my research I think I have found the perfect one for us. This is called the Baby Jogger City Select. What made me fall in love with it (definitely isn't the $700 price tag!) is the fact that it looks so awesome as a single AND a double stroller. All of the double strollers that I've seen that can be also used as a single, always look like they're missing a big section. Not only did this really sway me because I am planning on babywearing a lot, but I also love, love, love that you can turn the seats (that was the part of the Contours Options Tandem Stroller that I really liked). But with that stroller there was that chunk missing when one seat is removed, and I don't want to have to have them both on all of the time- bulky!!



 


Ahh! A bunkbed. I know this is thinking a little ahead, but I just need to remind myself how fast this last 14 months went by then it doesn't seem so far away.. But I guess it's not such a bad thing! I wouldn't mind this pretty thing taking over my daughters' room one day. :)


♥ Things I won't be wasting my time/money on this time.. ♥

Nursing cover. I admit, I liked mine and used it a lot! But it got pretty worn out and the plastic from the top started poking out so I threw it out after about 8 months. Since then I've just been using a thin cotton blanket (I usually have at least one in the car) or a jacket to cover up in public. If you can get one from a friend, go for it! I won't be wasting the $10 this time though.
Wipe warmer. Honestly, I thought it was cool at first because it did work and Betsey definitely preferred being wiped in the middle of the night with a warm wipe than a cold one. However- I am not a huge fan of it. One reason is that it tends to dry out the wipes if they're in there too long. I try not to use many wipes, so it took a while before I'd get to the bottom. Once we reached the bottom I was not happy to find 6-10 totally dried out wiped that were brown from sitting there on the heater. Dangerous! :/


Bottle drying rack. I already have a dish drying rack next to my sink that I use for my hand washing dishes, and of course the dishwasher. I really don't need something else taking up space on my counter! Any bottles Betsey ever used/uses usually fit just fine on the rack I use for my other dishes. If they don't, I just lay out a towel and leave them to dry the old fashioned way.



Bottle warmer. I can't be the only mom that heats their baby's bottle/food jar in the microwave can I? I tried the whole boil water and let that heat the cup thing. It took forever!! Who has the patience for that when your baby is screaming for a drink? Just for a few seconds in the microwave, shake it up and always test it before giving it to the baby. Not that bad in my opinion... Well at least it's not the worst thing you can do.
Baby laundry detergent. Can I just say major waste of money? This stuff is so expensive and I think it's all because of the smell. Buy some dryer sheets if you really want your baby's clothes to have a smell. I actually prefer that they don't. I use Seventh Generation laundry detergent and it works amazingly for all of our clothes.

Vaccines. This is one of those last but certainly not least things. I won't be wasting our time or gambling with Beverly's precious young life (just as I have stopped doing so with Betsey's) by allowing her to have any vaccinations. Feel free to check out why I don't vaccinate.


Other items I will not be renewing after they're gone:
-Baby powder. I think I have used it maybe 5 times when Betsey was reaally stinky and I couldn't give her a bath right away. 5 times in 14 months = not a necessity.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

She's done! :D


I finished my first doll last night! 
I have already learned a ton about what to do/ not to do for my next ones.. Some are more complicated things like adding a few extra rows to the head and some are more simple & obvious like paying better attention to my stitches in the arms & legs. 
I immediately uploaded this picture to instagram once it was finished & was so surprised by how many wonderful comments I got on it! 
One girl even told me she wanted to buy a couple for her daughters!! I am so excited :)
I told her I am definitely not ready to sell them, but after making a few, I am hoping they will be good enough to be sold! 
I would be so happy if I could make some extra money off of my crocheting.
I tend to go from one hobby to the next.. Last time I wanted to do something crafty to sell, it was the bows and that didn't go very far... I think this is different though because I don't need one specific place to work on it. I can just throw my hooks and yarn in my bag and do it anywhere! 
Pray that I keep up with this and continue to get better! <3

My babies & I.

 
 Beverly! 31 weeks.



Saturday, September 1, 2012

Amigurumi obsessed.

 So the last few days I've really become obsessed with this Amigurumi stuff! I have begun my first doll and I am pretty pleased with how it's coming out. I am definitely learning what to do/not to do on the next one!

At first I wanted to make the dress gray, but I realized it was a different type of yarn, so I eventually went with the yellow. :) But anyway, here are the legs & an arm.

Body all put together!! You may not be able to tell, but the left leg is actually shorter and wider than the right haha... Oops! Also, the dress is cute, but it didn't come out how I had hoped at all... It'll probably take a few times to get it the way I envision it.. I am alse redoing the head. I don't want it to be the perfect ball that I have already made. I gave two balls so far to Betsey, who knows how many crochet toys she'll end up with from these projects!


Things to remember for future dolls:
-keep count of stitches on legs & arms. always recount just in case.
-figure out which leg needs to be one row longer. I think it's the leg that is attached to the body (second leg).

To do:
-find a [video] tutorial for attaching the skirt. I suck at it!
-find a [video] tutorial for attaching the head. Haven't gotten to the head yet but I'm assuming it's not going to be any easier than the skirt was...


My inspiration:





 Aren't they cute? I love how simple & sweet they all are. 
I will get good at this!


 :)

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

August 29

So not too much new and exciting over here..
30 weeks now, still working and just waiting to see my little girl!
I'm pretty happy right now. Jorge and I have been doing really well lately, no fighting or even bickering much. :) We have been talking about getting married in the (not too) near future and about possible moving up north. Maybe Oregon? Who knows..
We have also been watching some of the dvd's that my Nana sent me a month or so ago called "Know Your Enemy".  (Watch the videos on their youtube!) He's really into it! I'm really glad because even though I like it and am learning a lot also, I have heard much of the basic stuff from my grandparents over the years so it's not too new to me. And it's all stuff that I already believe.. unlike Jorge who is Catholic. The best part about this is that he is really paying attention to it and when we got to the parts about Catholicism, he not only listened, but had questions for me afterward. :) I am really happy he is understanding everything we've been watching and I definitely think it's going to help bring us closer if we believe in the same thing. Him having "his religion" as he has always called it has definitely put a huge barrier between us and it scared me because I knew it would definitely affect the way we want to raise our kids. 
Anyway, I'm just happy and I hope he continues to pay attention to our videos and ask questions.

Hey Beverly! 
We can't wait to see you in almost two months! :)
I am getting sooo excited. I can't wait to have a newborn again. 
Ahh!
At the dr for my regular NST's. I'm going in twice a week now for monitoring and an ultrasound. ♥


Hahaha, checking myself out from the back...

Casey teaching Betsey how to swim at Wendy's house!

 Yeah, so maybe I was a little jealous that she would drink from the straw when her dad held the cup..... I was still proud though!

Crocheting balls! This is the beginning of my (hopefully) new hobby (if I don't find something else to obsess with before I get better at it)-  making arigurumi animal dolls. 
These have been the most inspiring and are what I hope to make mine look similar to someday! They are so cute!

What years of collecting yarn and not finishing projects looks like. I bought like 8 or 9 of these today, so I haven't had quite this much just lying around for years, don't worry!

That's much better. Yes, I got all but 2 big skeins fit in there! :)

And the most adorable little girl ever! I have to say that as much as I can in the next two months, before I have the two most adorable little girls ever! ;) 

Saturday, August 18, 2012

29 weeks!

Hello. :)
Thought it was a good time to update again.. 
I'm 29 weeks pregnant now, looking and feeling great other than some back pain here and there. I honestly can't believe we are going to have another baby in 11 weeks. What a scary thought.. I haven't even started to prepare. Luckily I already have pretty much everything we will need for Beverly, other than some newborn diapers and maybe some extra pants. Since Betsey was born in June she basically lived in onesies and blankets for the first few months. I have gotten a set of adorable long sleeved onesies for Beverly at TJ Maxx recently though.. :) They're the only thing she has so far that weren't Betsey's. I can't wait to see her in them.
Betsey's 14 months old now. Walking, talking, getting into things, same as before ha....
She can now say: hi, bye, mama, daddy, doggy, boob or boooo, & "awyah" what she puts a phone to her head and copy lots of words and noises. Jorge likes to make her say "aye aye ayyeee!"
She loves to wave and close the door behind people. Drawers cannot be seen by her without being opened and emptied, then occasionally she likes to close a finger or whole arm inside while trying to close it. Sigh.. Temper tantrums are also beginning. She loves to drop to the floor crying, but soon after realizing that it's not going to help her get what she wants, she stops and goes on her way, or gets up to bite me. :/ Which hurts because she now has eight teeth. Two on the bottom and six on top! The last two just came in last week. She was a trooper, I didn't even know they had come in until at least a few days later. :)
I finally got my settlement money a week or so ago. Yes, I have been spending, spending, spending... But (mostly) on bills and other things I needed. I finally got my car back today after it being worked on for the last 4 days, and it felt great! But I did get my new desk and imac recently! I am still debating the ipad.. Jorge is laying on the couch next to me using the macbook.. He has been on it nonstop since I got my new computer. If I got the ipad, I would definitely sell the laptop. I don't know, it's still up in the air. I also got Jorge and I some new glasses! That was definitely more pricey than I had expected.. I probably should have gone to Coscto instead of Lenscrafters, but whatever we both got nice glasses and Jorge can finally see! I still have a few big things I need to get, like my auto insurance that's due in a few weeks, and of course saving as much as I can for rent every month. But other than that, I would say I have been good about not spending all my money right away this time, and I'm going to try to make it last as long as possible!

 a week or so ago..

so many teeth!

poking herself with a flower.. :)

hahaha.. learning new expressions from mommy

getting spoiled by daddy!


 


 <3

29 week belly.


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