Have I mentioned before that I'm a planner? It seems that along with other hormones, pregnancy is kicking my planning instincts into high gear! So here are the seven ways that I'm prepping for our baby's first few weeks.
1. Prepare for the laundry onslaught. This is particularly important since we're doing cloth diapers. After researching which laundry detergent works well for both diapers and clothes (because who really wants to mess with multiple types of detergents?), I'm stocking up on it. I will also be posting the instructions for washing the cloth diapers above the washer and dryer, so that I don't have to think about it and can just follow the directions (and have my husband and mother do the same).
Along with this comes the prewashing of all the clothes, blankets, diapers, wipes, and whatever other cloth items that need to be cleaned. I've heard it's best not to wash all the clothes in case your child outgrows something before they get a chance to wear it. If you're the organized type who will return that item and get something else, more power to you... but if you're not the best at keeping receipts or making returns, you might as well go ahead and wash everything at once.
2. Assemble all baby equipment. I'm pretty sure this is a no-brainer. The most important thing is to have the car seat installed, of course. (My husband did that by the end of the second trimester. He's a planner, too.) We're also putting together any other "assembly required" things as we get them, even if we won't need them initially, because who really wants to put it together later and then learn how to use it when there's a baby to be holding? The only thing left for us is to pack a hospital bag, which I believe we're doing this week. Better too soon than too late!
3. Commit to absolutely nothing. I'm planning on complete reclusivity once our little girl arrives. Our single greatest priority will be learning how to be parents. Officially I won't be blogging for a month after the birth (though I will likely drop in now and then). We aren't committing to any events, not even Christmas festivities. If we can make things, that will be a pleasant surprise. This is one time I think it's good to unapologetically set the bar very low, and to let people know it.
4. Plan ahead for the baptism. While we might not have the date set in stone yet, I want the party to be essentially ready to go. That means invitations purchased and partially filled out (if you're using them), food planned (recipes set aside and grocery list made, or caterer chosen), and even our outfits ready to go (both for me and the baby) (I'm wearing this nursing top in fuchsia and whatever black skirt fits, in case you were curious).
Oh and speaking of clothes, I'm buying a few nursing bras and tank tops ahead of time, too (but not too many, in case my size changes). I've heard people with mixed feelings about buying specific clothes for nursing, so I'm mostly holding off on that for now.
5. Think about menu planning. I've read about and like the idea of planning ahead a to have a bunch of frozen meals, menu plans, master grocery lists, etc. To be honest, though, I'm not sure how much of this I'll do (probably more if I'm restless in the last few weeks). I can't make too much ahead of time since I don't have a deep freeze. I do like the idea of having a two week cycle of easy to make meals, so I will probably put a rough menu like that together. I'll have a list of numbers and menus for nearby takeout handy. My mother will come stay with us for a bit and likely take charge of cooking while she's here. My husband is also quite a capable cook, so we can still eat quite well with just the two (three!) of us if I don't set foot in the kitchen. So while for some women I think this can become quite an involved bit of preparation, I'm not spending too much time on it.
6. Stock up... somewhat. I'm hoping to stock up on other stuff (toilet paper, toiletries, paper towels, canned goods) so we don't have to go to the store too often... without going overboard and having no space in the house. This is a fine balance, since we are already using every inch of storage space. I want to make sure to have plenty of everything, just in case we have another winter like last year, with its three blizzards. But in the end, this is another one of the least important preparations I'm making, since my husband can easily run to the store and get this stuff. Again, it's so nice to have a highly competent and willing husband.
7. Finish Christmas prep by November. Now obviously this is not necessary for most pregnancies, but since our little girl is due December 13th, I'd really like all the Christmas planning to be finished, particularly gifts. I'll probably also make and freeze some Christmas cookies ahead of time.
We're also doing postal double-duty by combining our birth announcements and Christmas cards. I've already chosen the cards online and so we'll just have to include a picture and the details of our little girl and those can be printed up. I also already have plenty of return address labels, stamps, and a list of names and addresses. (Side note: Keeping an updated spreadsheet of addresses since our wedding was one of the easiest and yet smartest organizational things I've done.)
And there you have it - our plans to make the first few weeks of parenthood as easy and enjoyable as possible! Thanks for bearing with me in fleshing it all out. There are other good resources out there for thinking this through (like this), but as usual I'm most interested in your experiences! What did you do (or wish you did) to prepare for your baby's arrival? Anything I'm forgetting? Anything I don't really need to bother with?