Well, dh did finally get his bonus

LisaTX · **Posted:** Fri Aug 10, 2012 1:12 pm

and it was more than we expected, so I guess it was worth the wait. It is really going to help with the things we need. I had posted on Freecycle some of the stuff we need and not one person replied.

I hadn't been expecting a baby shower at all, either, but both dh's sisters and my Sunday school class is going to have one for me, so that is an unforseen blessing. My work threw one for us with the other kids, but I wasn't expecting one this time.

There isn't much that we need, a couple are more wants than needs, but for some reason as it gets closer to the baby being here, I am getting really nervous about money. I guess that's normal, lol. This is our first time having a baby out on our own, without the safety net of the AF, although we do at least have plenty of family support this time.

I thanked dh once again for getting rid of some of the stuff that would really be handy to have, like my rocking chair and some other baby stuff. Don't leave a guy alone with anything for a second or it will mysteriously go missing! I'm surprised we still have some of the things that we DO have.

Shawny · **Joined:** Tue Jul 03, 2012 8:15 pm **Posts:** 195

That's a blessing that he got it and the timing seems perfect!
After having 6 kids, I have come to the realization that we really do not NEED about 75% of the STUFF we all think we do for babies! In fact people keep asking me what we need, and I say I wil need a few outfits, some diapers and wipes for going places, and I'd LIKE a double stroller. They say, And..... I say that's it! They ask about a bed, I say baby sleeps with me, they ask about changing table, I say I use my bed or floor or couch or where ever I need to go! They ask about bouncer, I say that's what Daddy's and siblings are for! They ask about the swing and I tell them that most of my kids have never really liked it anyways and it's a waste of space!
Awww the joys of living simple, saves so much money!!
The things I do love having, I already have. I have a sling and a Moby Wrap. I have cloth diapers, some clothes from my other kids, blankets I already have and I have a carseat from the last baby it's neutral brown colors and she won't know any difference!
Lisa, do you plan on nursing? I know when you had your other 2 you were still in the AF, so I wondered if you got a chance to nurse then or not? That is a huge way to save money!

Anna1111 · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 7:14 pm **Posts:** 8115

Well, if it's not against forum rules (I'm not super up to date) you could mention a few things you need that might not be too much to ship - maybe a few of us have things around that would help you?

LisaTX · **Posted:** Fri Aug 10, 2012 10:20 pm

Shavawn, that's true. People ask about the nursery and I'm like "What nursery?" The baby's room is empty, lol. The crib is going to be in our room for a LONG time. Our room is downstairs and all the other rooms are upstairs and that is just too far for the baby to be from us. He will probably be sleeping in bed with us for a while, too. When dd was a baby, she would NOT sleep anywhere but snuggled up with us in bed, lol. I would try to put her in the bassinet right next to our bed and she would cry until I put her in bed with us. She had to have physical body contact with us. Then she would sleep peacefully all night long, only waking up to nurse and then going back to sleep. It was really convenient for nighttime feeding because I didn't even have to get out of bed or really do anything, so that was nice. It was extra special when I went back to work and wasn't able to pump at work like I had wanted to, so I had to stop breastfeeding, but I kept nursing her at night until I dried up. So after being away from her all day, getting to snuggle and bond with her at night was a wonderful experience. Until we wanted our bed back and moved her to her crib in her room, lol! She still doesn't like to sleep by herself and crawls into our beds, lol. Ds was happily in his crib in his own room at only 2 weeks old. He actually slept better in his own room, lol. I don't know how this baby will be, but co-sleeping will make for convenient night time nursing.

Anyways, with dd we had every little convenient gadget. A bottle warmer, a wipes warmer, even a travel bottle warmer for the car, lol. But I am definitely seeing that we don't need those things this time around. I have an organizer thing in the living room that has the baby's blankets, clothes, diapers, wipes, etc. in it so it's convenient. You are right about the changing table. We had one with ds and we probably only used it once. It was upstairs in his bedroom and we always changed him downstairs on the couch with his changing pad.

I am going to nurse for as long as I can, hopefully the recommended two years. I was only able to nurse for the first few months with both kids, so this will be interesting. They have been giving me free formula at my last couple appts, which is nice to have just in case, but hopefully I won't need it. I did buy a few bottles just in case, but I hope to not have to use those very often either. I feel like I'm in new territory with this. I don't plan on being away from the baby for long enough for him to need someone else to feed him a bottle and I don't plan on being anyplace where I can't nurse, but I just don't know. I still have my pump just in case, but I don't know if I will even need it since I'm not working. I guess I'll find all this out soon enough, lol.

LisaTX · **Posted:** Fri Aug 10, 2012 10:34 pm

Anna, I think everything would be too big to ship and it's not even all for the baby, lol. But I think I can find most stuff cheap on Craigslist or the thrift store. I'm mostly set with baby clothes for the first few months and luckily the thrift store has them so cheap I feel like I'm stealing them. I guess I am just paranoid about something unexpected happening or an unexpected need coming up or something. And I'm thinking too much into the future: in ___ months the baby will need ___. Lol, not really rational, I guess. We never had to worry about paying a mortgage or electricity, water, etc. bills. For some reason it's getting to me, but God has taken care of us so far the last couple years, so I need to trust that He will continue to.

Anna1111 · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 7:14 pm **Posts:** 8115

It's probably just a "nesting" thing for this late stage of pregnancy. If you can freeze a few meals ahead, now THAT is something you'll need (if my memory serves). But, yeah, almost all of our baby supplies were little-used. The two cribs sat empty while little one would only sleep in her car seat night after night!

Let your Church friends know you're interested in hand-me-downs, and stuff will probably pour in (I'm really hesitant to offer to people if I don't know they're interested, for fear of offending)

LindaS · **Posted:** Sat Aug 11, 2012 9:09 am

"Don't leave a guy alone with anything for a second or it will mysteriously go missing! I'm surprised we still have some of the things that we DO have."

I am the one who gets rid of stuff. Heck if you have not used it in years and years it needs to go.

THe one thing I loved when DD was born when they came out with the bouncers they sit in on the floor . When she was about 7 months old she would start bouncing backwards down the hall. She would laugh and laugh doing it. Swing was a waste of money, for one she was so tiny it swallowed her up. and you would have to keep winding it.
Do you know what you are having, boy or girl?

LisaTX · **Posted:** Sat Aug 11, 2012 11:42 am

I didn't want to get rid of the baby stuff until we were for sure not going too have another kid. I am glad we didn't get rid of everything because we would be starting all over. But I was tempted to get rid of it a few times.

We never bought a swing, we always had one given to us. I like the electric ones, but with ds we had a wind up one and I hated it. I would be exhausted and trying to take a nap on the couch, his swing would stop, he'd wake up and start to fuss, I'd have to keep getting up to wind it up. It's funny that people pay lots of money for bouncy seats. With ds, we had a simple one that didn't vibrate, with no lights, music, or anything and he loved it. He would bounce himself in it and there was a little canopy thing over the top and he would just look up and smile at it, lol.

Oh, and we're having a boy!

Anna1111 · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 7:14 pm **Posts:** 8115

Our dd LIVED in her electric swing (thrift store) and we had a "circle" given to us (no bouncing "activity center" - VERY old) which would keep her vertical in one place with a few rattles or whatever so she could watch me while I did something fascinating like chop vegetables or wash dishes ; ) I even put one of those in the bathroom a few times so that I could take a shower with her nearby.

I just figure that God will provide you with what will match THIS baby's temperament either from the thrift store or gifts. And, remember, a lot of people don't give baby gifts till the last minute.

Tory · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 6:58 pm **Posts:** 5828

As for wind up swings.. when dd was born we had kept one of the swings (gave the other one away)... my twins got very good at winding that swing up whenever it stopped.
I'd have to watch that they didn't wind it up too much because they'd have dd swinging pretty good in it sometimes! lol! They'd fight over it and had to learn how to take turns "winding up the baby".
She LOVED it and actually slept in that swing most of the time. I worried about it for a while but then realized that it wasn't worth her screaming. So, there she slept. :oops:

(Anna, I'd often bring both twins into the bathroom with them sitting in their walkers so I could shower. It was a tight squeeze and they couldn't actually go anywhere because there was no room, so I knew for a few minutes they were stationary and I could wash my hair! LOL)

Forum rules

Well, dh did finally get his bonus

Who is online