Gunny's room

His crib with mesh bumper is ready!

I made this dino blanket for Emmie before she turned 2...its very special to us

His bassinet with cars blanket that daddy picked out!

I am so proud of myself! With only 4 weeks left to go, I FINALLY have his crib all ready to go, his bassinet is ready, his clothes are washed and in his dresser, his changing table is set up, his hospital bag is packed (see my packing list Preparing for Baby---list part 3), my late-night-feeding area is almost all set up...not to bad with a 3 year old in the house too!

Preparing for Baby---the lists Part 3

Now the most fun list of all---the Baby's bag!!!!!!

• 2 or 3 sleepers or outfits-----In Gunny's bag I have packed a dino gown (I am IN LOVE with the elastic bottom!! Makes diaper changes so much faster and easier), 2 onesies (EVERY SINGLE FALL AND WINTER BABY SHOULD WEAR ONE UNDER EVERY OUTFIT!!), a nice fleece sleeper (the monkey), and his going home outfit (better picture later.)
  
• Hat-----I have 2 packed: the Santa hat is what he will wear for his hospital picture, and the picture with his big sister! The brown, blue, and tan hat is what he will wear home!
  
• Car seat blanket-----I made his blanket, and I am so proud of it!! Especially if you are having a winter baby, you need a blanket!
  
• Mittens-----Baby's nails have not come up off of their fingers yet, so trying to clip them will just result in tears from both you AND baby and blood...do yourself a favor and get a few pairs of mittens to prevent baby from scratching their face.
  
• Binkie---Yes, some hospitals provide binkies for you...I however, like to have at least 1 extra in the bag just in case you lose the one from the hospital (like we did with Emmie before we even left for home!)
  
• Socks-----Every baby should have a pair of socks on all the time.
  
• Car seat (not pictured)-----No hospital will let you leave without a car seat installed. Do yourself a favor: HAVE THE BASE PRE-INSTALLED!! At the very least do a dry run or two with your car seat!! The last thing you want is to be sitting there waiting for your husband to install a car seat right after you have pushed out a baby. It's not fun. So do it early.
  
• Baby book-----You don't want to forget certain details, and its nice to have so the nurse can stamp baby's feet and hand prints in them so you don't end up using the ONLY copy you had in the scrapbook or baby book later (oops!)
  
• Do not bother bringing these since the hospital provides them:
• Diapers
• Wipes
• Shampoo/Baby Wash
• Receiving blankets
• Nose aspirator

Preparing for Baby--the lists Part 2

Now for the packing list for Mommy. This is the longest list, and thus will need the most room. I want to start out by saying to all those 1st-time-moms out there, YOU CAN GET DRESSED AND SHOWER!!

When I had our daughter I was so naive...I had no idea that you could get out of that disgusting and embarrassing gown, that you could take a shower, that you can dress your baby, and that they still do pictures in some hospitals!! No one told me ANY of that, and at the time she was born I was working so much I didn't even have TIME to look online or do research.

Now I know, and I feel like I can be MUCH more prepared this time around. I won't be constantly looking over my shoulder worried that a nurse might see me in clothes and get in trouble, or wait for a nurse to change a diaper because I didn't know I was allowed to...so for those moms who don't know any better, you were just told!

• Pajamas-----To be safe, pack 2 sets. If you had no serious complications with delivery and baby is perfectly healthy, expect to be released from the hospital within 24-48 hours---depending on the delivery time. Our daughter was born at 5:23 in the evening, and we were told the following morning at 10am that we could go home.
  
• Clothes-----Pack a going-home outfit and 1 extra in case you have visitors and you have to stay more than 1 day. After our daughter was born, I was able to fit the clothes I wore around month 3 of pregnancy...I lost A LOT of my stomach. Some women do, apparently some don't...to be safe I would NOT pack jeans or any other kind of pants that do not have any "give". Pack sweatpants or even better, yoga pants!
  
• Underwear-----Pack ONLY 2 pairs and do not expect to wear a pair until you get dressed to go home. You WILL bleed---mine in the hospital was like a heavy period and the mesh underwear the hospital provided was just fine for me. I have heard that depends work as well, but why spend the money on those when you are given some?
  
• Nursing bras-----EVEN IF YOU DO NOT PLAN TO NURSE, PACK A BRA!!!! I cannot stress this enough. If you do not plan on nursing, then pack a sports bra, otherwise pack at least 2 nursing bras. Even though your milk might not come in while there, there is a possibility that it will and when it does, you get BIG fast. The last thing you want is for your girls to be flapping around (because SURPRISE they will. They will sag and you will get hot and sweat and just feel gross) Plus, even if all you do is throw on a bra and put on your clothes, you will feel a million times better and up to visitors.
  
• Socks-----Not just a pair of regular socks either, or the nurses will demand you take them off. They HAVE to have non-skid rubber-thingies on the bottom for safety reasons. I recommend getting a pair that you like, but don't mind throwing away in the off chance that you get nasty stuff on them. I didn't (luckily) but that's not to say you won't. Also, bring a pair of regular socks for the trip home.
  
• Travel-size shampoo and conditioner-----Some hospitals give you some, others do not. HOWEVER, if your hospital does provide them, do not expect them to be great. I would head to the travel section area of beauty at Walmart or Target and get yourself some shampoo and conditioner.
  
• Travel-size shower gel (unscented) and lotion-----The same holds true for shower gel and lotion. I would recommend unscented because at this time you do not know if your new bundle of joy is sensitive to certain smells. You can disregard that as you please, but I know that my daughter would immediately fuss and scream if I had used a certain shower gel or lotion until she was a few months old.
  
• Towel and washcloth-----The ones provided by the hospital are flimsy, thin, and SMALL!! Plus, would you like to use a towel that (while cleaned regularly) was used by dozens of other women who also just had babies? I don't know about you, but no thanks! I want my own beach-towel sized soft-as-can-be fluffy towel and washcloth.
  
• Toothbrush and travel toothpaste-----I'm not even going to dignify this entry with an explanation.
  
• Contacts and solution/glasses-----Thanks to the wonderfulness of my parents right before I turned 20, I no longer have use for these (Thank the Lord for lasic!!!)
  
• Boppy pillow-----These are fantastic for nursing, but they also work for propping your new bundle of joy up for pictures, or for older siblings to be able to hold the new addition.
  
• Hair ties or clips-----Especially during labor, the last thing you want is your hair getting plastered to your face and neck due to sweat or from the cool cloth that they sometimes will put on your neck.
  
• Hairbrush-----Again, pretty self-explanitory
  
• Pillow and pillowcase-----Hospital pillows, like their towels, are thin and for the most part very uncomfortable. Find out ahead of time what color your hospital pillow cases are, that way they don't get mixed up! To be safe, I would take a color such as pink, red, black, or printed.
  
• Eye mask-----I discovered that my hospital has this STUPID rule that the light above the sink in the recovery rooms must always be on at night for safety reasons. This rule is AWFUL because the bed faces this stupid light, and therefore its very hard to get sleep!!! I would get a cheap eye mask to block out the light and you will be fine.
  
• Nipple cream-----This is only good if you plan to nurse. Otherwise, disregard it! 

Preparing for Baby---the lists Part 1

Our son Gunny is due to arrive 2 days before Christmas...and 5 days after his sister turns 4! Boy, did we plan that well or what? For those who know me best, I am a planner. I make lists MONTHS in advance, and follow my lists to the letter. That being said, yes I already have my lists made of what to pack for our hospital visit. I have SCOURED the internet using pinterest, bing, google, you name it to come up with the PERFECT list of what to pack. Some things I read of what to pack I laughed at (keep in mind this is our 2nd child...I remember what I could have used and what I should have left at home.)

First, the list for daddy (because we might as well get the boring lists out of the way first)

• Laptop and charger-----you'll need SOMETHING to upload all the pictures of the adorableness that is about to appear! Plus, it will help you pass the time while in labor. (because if you get an epidural like I did, sleep does NOT exactly come easily...you are so excited that every little noise wakes you up)
• Phones and chargers-----I'm sorry but most people have all of the phone numbers of people to call PROGRAMMED IN THEIR CELL PHONES! I also have YET to hear of a hospital that has totally banned cell phones. If yours does, then by all means write down all of those numbers and bring some change for the pay phone...but if you can, just bring your phone.
• Snacks for Daddy-----HIDE THESE!!! Hospitals will not let you eat anything but popsicles or ice chips once you are admitted. If you are being induced (like I was with Emmie and am going to be with Gunny, you are not allowed to eat within 8 hours of being admitted...this means you are going to be H-U-N-G-R-Y! The last thing you want is to open the bag and see snacks gallor for hubby...that being said, hospital cafeterias (despite having good food) are expensive! Save yourself the un-needed $$$ and pack snacks. Just make sure hubby knows to eat where you CAN'T SEE HIM to avoid thoughts of horrible deaths that will soon be going through your head anyway thanks to the pain.
• Your ID and Insurance cards-----honestly with all of the bags that you are going to be taking in with you, the last thing you need is to haul your purse in as well. So go ahead and have hubby keep your ID and Insurance cards in his wallet since you are going to need them.
• Some DVDs to pass the time-----This is one of those items where it might be good, but it might also take up space. For us, they would just take up space since we have Netflix, and we can access the free wifi at the hospital and just watch that. If you don't have Netflix or Hulu, and you think it would be a good idea, then by all means bring some! For me, its something that will just take up space.