Nursery

Posted by Jane Highley on March 11, 2012

Top 10: Things To Do in the 3rd Trimester

Currently, I’m 27 weeks with my third child, a boy.  His two sisters are quite excited, although I’m not entirely sure that my soon-to-be middle child understands what’s going on, other than noticing that there is less “lap space” to sit on Mommy for bedtime stories.  I feel huge.  Really huge.  Already.  And based on my past two healthy deliveries, I’m more likely to deliver right around 39 weeks, but of course, this baby could throw me for a loop by arriving much sooner or making me wait way past my due date (which is late May).  So while I still have the energy, clarity, and motivation, I have decided to create and tackle a “must-do” list of tasks for this final (and most challenging) trimester.  Though I only list ten below, don’t ever think even for a nano-second that my list could be so simple and easy.  This is a blog post, not a manuscript for the latest parenting how-to book.  I could easily list more, but I’ll let all of you helpful readers crowd-source more “to-do”s that I probably haven’t considered!  But I’ll be grateful nonetheless for your input.

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Posted by Jane Highley on February 14, 2012

Top 10: Newborn Must-Haves

I love lists, especially if it’s not a terribly long one.  And 10 is manageable.  Inspired by a certain late-night show’s regular segment, I decided to launch a short TOP TEN series (emphasis on “short”) on anything relevant to getting ready for a new baby.

Before reading any further, however, here are a few qualifications about this list (and others forthcoming).

Qualification #1:  I am expecting my third child (a boy), so I am compiling this list with some experience behind me, not as a first-time mommy.  I’ve had hits and misses with lots of baby products, so my past experiences with babies 1 and 2 (both girls) will largely inform my picks listed below.

Qualification #2:  I plan to breastfeed and pump, but I don’t plan on using any bottles until at least 2-3 weeks after the delivery.

Qualification #3:  I deliberately omitted the obvious items (e.g., diapers/wipes, crib, stroller, car seat) because I didn’t want to insult your intelligence.

Qualification #4:  This is a list specifically for the care of newborns, not necessarily for Mom (or parents), which is why you won’t find a baby carrier or nursing pads listed below.  I hope to address that in a separate list.

Qualification #5:  This list is a means to an end – I’m sharing mine with hopes that you will share yours.  If you have a “must-have” product that I didn’t mention, please comment below!  There is nothing like the honesty of other mommies who’ve put products to the real, raw test of newborn-care. (more…)

Posted by Meagan Church on November 22, 2011

Preparing Our Nursery

I was listening to the recent PregTASTIC episode on decorating the baby’s nursery. Suddenly I realized just how different this pregnancy is from my first. With #1, we took time to set-up the nursery, acquire the desired furniture, paint and decorate, and get all the clothes and diapers in order well before Jonas joined us. I’m not sure a nursery will even exist when #3 joins us. Sure, it will at some point, but in those early days, weeks and perhaps even months, there might not be a designated nursery.

Nursery #1

After #1, we joked about the how the crib didn’t even get used. Jonas preferred to sleep in our arms, our bed or in the bassinet right beside us. Anytime we attempted to put him into the crib, he woke up and started crying. It wasn’t until he was about three months old that we transitioned him into his crib and finally his own room. Until that point, the nursery served as the changing room and little else. Our second worked pretty much the same way and we plan for #3 to be likewise. But with #3, it’s not just about co-sleeping and late-night nursing sessions. There is one other component in the equation: the fact that I will lose my office. (more…)