Time was flying by for me from about thanksgiving to mid Jan/early feb, but the last couple weeks have slowed WAY down again I think it might be because I feel like I have most things readyand I'm just waiting. I still have to do freezer meals and the baby's laundry but I'm waiting until we get a little closer (maybe 37 weeks). Hopefully things will speed back up again!
This had better be allergies and not a head cold. I have so much drainage and feel like doggy poop. Plus DS is driving me up. the. wall. I blame DH because he decided to clean out the junk room and move DS into his new room SUNDAY NIGHT. It's been fantastic having all the crap in that one room scattered about our whole house now.
Y'all. The NOVEMBER board is open. WHAT?! Time is flying by, I guess I hadn't really thought that was even a possibility!
And...I officially have 2 months (or less) of work! I'm planning to work up until my due date/delivery. Due date is a Saturday (4/29), so 4/28 is my last day (if not sooner, which I'm really hoping for!)
ugh! apartment hunting! please, don't get me wrong... I am super thankful that we are finally able to move out and live on our own. Sooooooooooo thankful! But, trying to find an apartment in an area with very little rentals on a pretty limited budget while 8 months pregnant is so stressful. We are still not wealthy by any means, in fact we are juuuuuuuust over the income limit for low income housing. In our area almost everyone owns a home and the only people that don't are low income. So, at least half of the rentals are income restricted and the other half are really expensive, because most people around here are pretty well off. As a result we have pretty much no choices. We will need to make big sacrifices no matter what. So far the top contender is amazing, but it is to far away from the city for me to be able to really continue my doula business there. So, that is a big choice to make. And time just keeps ticking by and we need to decide like NOW because I am going to freaking give birth soon.
Me: 28 year old SAHM/Birth Doula DH: 30 year old pneumatic electrical engineer
Married: October 8, 2011
DD1: September 24, 2013 BFP: June 25, 2016 and MC: July 3, 2016 DD2: April 16, 2017 BFP: November 30, 2018 EDD: August 14, 2019
Here's another random. I was looking for an estimated diaper count (so I could finish my stockpile), and ran across this website. Anybody have any input, debate, ideas, etc in regards to this.
@KirstinH88 I didn't read the whole thing. But, I did notice that they are going by 10 diapers/day for their stockpiling suggestions. That seems like a lot to me. I am fairly certain I have never gone through 10 diapers a day, even when DD1 was a newborn. Am I just neglectful? Am I a bad mom? I mean, I only changed her if her diaper was actually dirty and I don't feel like that was every 2 hours.
Me: 28 year old SAHM/Birth Doula DH: 30 year old pneumatic electrical engineer
Married: October 8, 2011
DD1: September 24, 2013 BFP: June 25, 2016 and MC: July 3, 2016 DD2: April 16, 2017 BFP: November 30, 2018 EDD: August 14, 2019
oh, and another random. So, it looks like DD1 and the new baby will be sharing a room. How do I do that? I am honestly fine with it. I know my sister and I shared a room until I was in middle school and we loved it. I just need advice from other moms who have already done it. Also, as far as decorating and making it cute... how do I do that? Any tips?
Me: 28 year old SAHM/Birth Doula DH: 30 year old pneumatic electrical engineer
Married: October 8, 2011
DD1: September 24, 2013 BFP: June 25, 2016 and MC: July 3, 2016 DD2: April 16, 2017 BFP: November 30, 2018 EDD: August 14, 2019
@mrsstuessy I do not envy the apartment hunting. Trying to find a place is the worst and I can't imagine doing so now! But I hope you can find something quickly that's as close to a perfect fit as you have time for!
I think things are going at a nice pace for me, but I think I'm in no hurry because I don't want to leave my job in the first place, (29 working days left!!) and we still aren't ready for her in several tangible ways.
On the other hand, I've been pregnant for literally 11 months now, with a "break" for seven weeks in the middle that was definitely not a break, and I'm tired of being pregnant in that sense. It's just been a long road and I just want to have her safe in my arms and meet her at last.
@kirstinh88 I was trying to scour the web for cheap diapers, but I just couldn't take it. The pressure of needing to find a deal was too much and I just stocked up on NB and size 1 on Amazon. I was never able to identify diaper prices as low as websites suggested I could. I think I ended up with too many NB diapers, but I'll try to return them or just give them away.
DD #1: April 2017 DD #2: May 2020 Baby #3: EDD May 2023; MC October 2022
Target + the Cartwheel app + Pampers coupons is how we get by. Target does "buy 2 get a $10 gift card" deal on diapers pretty regularly, and the Cartwheel app almost always has something for Pampers (either a percentage discount or a manufacturer's coupon), and then I hoard Pampers coupons whenever I find them. This last round of shopping that I did, I spent $25 on two of the big boxes (three or four times, since the gift card thing doesn't multiply), which is about 50% off. You definitely have to shop at the right time and keep an eye on the sales/coupons, though.
We also did the Amazon Family subscription service for diapers for a while, and that saved some money, too, but I'm usually more successful when I go the Target route.
I agree with @SnarkasaurusRex. We do both the Amazon subscription (which occasionally allows you to clip coupons), or the Target cartwheel+coupon+extra deals. I save all my target gift cards for Christmas every year. We will have 2 in diapers at once, and unfortunately, Pampers are the only brand that don't either break out DS, or have issues with massive leaks.
In my experience, 10 diapers a day is correct for a newborn. @MrsStuessy we only changed DS when he was 'dirty', but he was dirty A LOT! His pedi says he has very healthy bowls, lol. Even at 18 months, we still have 3-5 dirty diapers a day.
I think, looking back, that it was probably because we very rarely had to change diapers at night. She mostly stopped going during the night or if she did go she slept through it so we didn't change her. She was a pretty great night sleeper (never slept more than 10 minutes a time during the day). So, there was only like 1 diaper between the hours of 9pm-6am. I bet that was the reason we had less.
Me: 28 year old SAHM/Birth Doula DH: 30 year old pneumatic electrical engineer
Married: October 8, 2011
DD1: September 24, 2013 BFP: June 25, 2016 and MC: July 3, 2016 DD2: April 16, 2017 BFP: November 30, 2018 EDD: August 14, 2019
@mrsstuessy I also thought that 10 diapers a day was a bit much. I've seen other websites that said like 6-8. I think they were trying to build in a cushion. We got a really nice chunk of change from our baby shower and I'd like to get us pretty much 100% stocked up on diapers at least for the first SEVERAL months, so I was trying to find something that could be a ballpark figure. I guess I will just go with something similar. Several times with DS, I would run out of one size, so I just prematurely bumped him up to the next size and it didn't seem to be too bad. I think a lot of the sizes overlap in weight anyways.... As far as bedroom sharing, DSS#2 and DS share a room. We don't really have it decorated. They have a few superhero posters and then its just beds, dresser, and all their toys. The same happened before we moved into our current house. Actually all 3 boys were sharing a bedroom because we only lived in a two bedroom apartment. Again, we didn't really decorate. I think what works best is to kind of divide the room in half. Let your older DD have half the room with however she wants it decorated (bedsheets, posters, etc.) and then have baby DD have the other half of the room. I know it doesn't make it a cohesive room, but that way each child kind of has their "space."
@KirstinH88 I love the suggestion of kids having their own space. I had to share a room with my sister growing up and I hated it. But one of the ways my mom arranged our rooms was to put our dressers kind of in the middle of the room facing the bed that we slept in. So I saw the back of my sisters dresser and she saw the back of mine but at least I didn't have to see her. It allowed us both to feel like we had our own area to do what we wanted to.
we received so many more diapers than I will ever use. seriously I have 6 big boxes of Newborn sized diapers. I can't figure out where they sell them all bc I was going to try and exchange them for bigger sizes.. But I also have a couple boxes of size 1 and 2 so not sure what to get.. DD was tall and Skinny and was in some sizes a while and others barely at all so not sure what sizes are going to be the ones this baby needs more of.
We live in a 2 bedroom house at the moment and when we moved in gave DD the biggest room (to try and contain her toys) so now the baby is in with us in the smaller room.. DH wont let me switch the rooms around now as he thinks it will lead to her resenting baby for taking her big room away.. plus I don't have the energy to paint etc. We are planning on putting an addition on in a year or so (or moving whatever is the better option when the time comes) but things are feeling cramped and he's not even here yet!
@HappyAnjel WOW! 6 boxes of NB size!! Yikes. I think I have just enough NB to get us through (or close to through) before moving on to size 1. I'm mostly worried about size 2 and 3 as well. Guessing on sizes is hard, which is why I was looking for an estimate, but I guess there really is no way to know how fast/big your baby will grow.
@HGRich I am with you on feeling like I have been pregnant forever. I am in the same boat (about 11 months now) and can't wait for this little guy to get here.
@KirstinH88 I don't think that we used 10 diapers a day with DS, but he slept through the night after about a month (but was also a terrible napper) and would sleep in a wet diaper. I think a lot of it will depend on the baby.
My random is that everyone is super sick at work. Coming down with the flu, leaving work early, etc. and I am just wishing all of the germs away. If I get really sick now I think I might lose my mind. I am already miserable enough!
@mrsstuessy I do not envy the apartment hunting. Trying to find a place is the worst and I can't imagine doing so now! But I hope you can find something quickly that's as close to a perfect fit as you have time for!
I think things are going at a nice pace for me, but I think I'm in no hurry because I don't want to leave my job in the first place, (29 working days left!!) and we still aren't ready for her in several tangible ways.
On the other hand, I've been pregnant for literally 11 months now, with a "break" for seven weeks in the middle that was definitely not a break, and I'm tired of being pregnant in that sense. It's just been a long road and I just want to have her safe in my arms and meet her at last.
i had to go count the calendar after I read this! 27 for me!!!
One of my close friends who recently moved away just sent me a surprise gift in the mail. It's a really nice (something I could never afford) pair of flats. I told her about a year or so ago that the second we aren't hurting for money anymore I wanted to splurge and get myself a pair. She sent them with a note saying "happy last month of your pregnancy I thought with how stressful things have been you could use some positive motivation before the little man comes out". I'm kind of floored by the thoughtfulness. And cannot wait to wear them.
My random was both myself and my toddler had ice cream and Pringles for lunch. Good thing DS is not talking yet and won't tell DH of my pregnancy craving indulgence lol!
Since December 2014 I've either been pregnant or nursing, so looking to 2018 before I'll be done nursing. I feel like time has flown but lots of changes happened!
@KirstinH88 FWIW, I used that same article when pregnant with DD to stock up and between what we bought ahead of time and shower gifts, we didn't need to buy diapers again until she was almost five months old. We never bought any newborn though. Those came from the hospital and a diaper cake we received. DD also never made it to the weight max for each size. We found we needed to switch her when she was about two pounds away. We are using the guidelines from the article to stockpile for this one also!
@visualcircus I am in the same circumstance! I got pregnant with DS in Nov 14, so I have been pregnant and/or breastfeeding since then. I am SO ready to be done with all of it, and feel like my body is mine again, and not supporting another person. Here's to 2018!!!
Attention everyone: We officially will have a place to live by the end of this month! You don't have to hear me whine about living with my SIL and being homeless anymore. Kind of a crazy story. I placed a housing wanted ad on Craigslist on Monday (which I had never heard about before that day). I didn't think that anyone would even read those. But, Monday night I got an email from a man with a duplex for rent April 1st. It sounded like it had literally everything on my need list and my wish list. The only thing is that it isn't in the area we were looking at. For those of you who might know Wisconsin... we had been living about 30 minutes south of Madison and wanted to stay within 20-40 minutes of Madison. But, DH's job is just short of an hour south of Madison. This duplex is about a 4 minute drive to DH's workplace. So, we will be living an hour south of Madison and an HOUR south of my hospital. ahhhhh!!! So, yesterday evening I was waiting for the duplex owner to send me some pictures he was taking. DH decided to drive by the duplex on the way home from work to check out the location. He got there and pulled into the driveway. The owner walked over to him and said he was waiting for another couple to come look at it. So, DH freaked out and called me and said we might lose it. So, I left DD with SIL and drove over there to meet him. The couple in front of us actually decided they did want it. But, the owner gave us first dibs since he had talked to us first and we were serious about it. We did the walk through and LOVED it. It is out in the country, surrounded by farm fields with tons of area for DD to play. The highlights: lots of sq. feet, 2 car heated garage, washer/dryer and nice appliances, literally the biggest master closet I have ever seen in real life, huge yard and a deck off the back and a fishing pond across the street at the owner's house where DD can go fishing. Sorry, I am just so excited. After seeing it I just couldn't say no. Our lives will change living there, but I think it will be worth it. They will let us move in a little early so we will probably officially move March 25/26, when I am 37 weeks pregnant. Say a prayer for my poor body and also a prayer for no car babies born on the hour drive to the hospital.
Thanks for all the sympathy and love over the months. It has been so nice to have people to vent to when I need it. You are the best!
Me: 28 year old SAHM/Birth Doula DH: 30 year old pneumatic electrical engineer
Married: October 8, 2011
DD1: September 24, 2013 BFP: June 25, 2016 and MC: July 3, 2016 DD2: April 16, 2017 BFP: November 30, 2018 EDD: August 14, 2019
@mrsstuessy that's incredible! Yes the hour drive sounds a little not fun, but I'm sure your doctors will work with you to be careful to have no babies in the car! Everything about that place sounds awesome for you all and I'm so excited for you. Praying for you for sure physically and mentally as you get ready to move so late in pregnancy!
@mrsstuessy Yay!! Sounds like it'll be a great place for your family of four and while the drive to the hospital is long, I'm sure you can work out a plan to make sure you come to the hospital in time!
@mrsstuessy How amazing! Life is looking up for you!! DH got on full time at his job (assuming he took the offer) and you found a place to live! So happy for you guys. What an exciting time! The hour drive to the hospital is going to suck, but hopefully after having one, you will be more aware of your body and can head to the hospital a little early..
@mrsstuessy how exciting!! We just be moved in to our new place so i can totally relate to the stress involved but it' so so worth it in the end. You're new place sounds lovely! I'm so Ladner everything is finally coming together for you and your family.
Another random, what are y'all going to do about swimsuits post partum? It'll be pool time in Texas, and while the maternity swim suits won't probably work, there is no way I'm getting in a 2 piece while getting back to pre-pregnancy state.
we just found out today that we probably won't be closing on our new house until a week after my due date. Not really excited about either bringing the baby back to my parents house or having to delay closing if I am late and still in the hospital. The project manager seemed to think that I have some control over when the baby might come as the date gets closer, which I found pretty funny.
@visualcircus you might find a cute one piece, they seem to be a lot trendier now. Or maybe a two piece with high waisted bottoms...just a few ideas.
if you plan on nursing I would wait to get anythinG until your milk comes in. I needed a new suit when bfing DS because the top of my old one didn't fit.
I'll most likely just go in with shorts and a tshirt. Maybe NEXT summer I will feel more confident in my body to do a one piece or tankini. But a bikini will most likely never happen for me again. I'm way too self conscious for that.
Re: Randoms 2/27
And...I officially have 2 months (or less) of work! I'm planning to work up until my due date/delivery. Due date is a Saturday (4/29), so 4/28 is my last day (if not sooner, which I'm really hoping for!)
Married: 5/30/2013
DSS #1: 5/25/2007
DSS #2: 1/22/2011
DS #3: 7/8/2012
BFP: 3/14/2016 ~ MC: 3/19/2016
DS #4: 4/21/17
DH: 30 year old pneumatic electrical engineer
BFP: June 25, 2016 and MC: July 3, 2016
DD2: April 16, 2017
BFP: November 30, 2018 EDD: August 14, 2019
https://www.southernsavers.com/whats-a-good-price-for-diapers-buy-prices-stocking-up/
Married: 5/30/2013
DSS #1: 5/25/2007
DSS #2: 1/22/2011
DS #3: 7/8/2012
BFP: 3/14/2016 ~ MC: 3/19/2016
DS #4: 4/21/17
DH: 30 year old pneumatic electrical engineer
BFP: June 25, 2016 and MC: July 3, 2016
DD2: April 16, 2017
BFP: November 30, 2018 EDD: August 14, 2019
DH: 30 year old pneumatic electrical engineer
BFP: June 25, 2016 and MC: July 3, 2016
DD2: April 16, 2017
BFP: November 30, 2018 EDD: August 14, 2019
I think things are going at a nice pace for me, but I think I'm in no hurry because I don't want to leave my job in the first place, (29 working days left!!) and we still aren't ready for her in several tangible ways.
On the other hand, I've been pregnant for literally 11 months now, with a "break" for seven weeks in the middle that was definitely not a break, and I'm tired of being pregnant in that sense. It's just been a long road and I just want to have her safe in my arms and meet her at last.
DD #2: May 2020
Baby #3: EDD May 2023; MC October 2022
We also did the Amazon Family subscription service for diapers for a while, and that saved some money, too, but I'm usually more successful when I go the Target route.
In my experience, 10 diapers a day is correct for a newborn. @MrsStuessy we only changed DS when he was 'dirty', but he was dirty A LOT! His pedi says he has very healthy bowls, lol. Even at 18 months, we still have 3-5 dirty diapers a day.
DH: 30 year old pneumatic electrical engineer
BFP: June 25, 2016 and MC: July 3, 2016
DD2: April 16, 2017
BFP: November 30, 2018 EDD: August 14, 2019
As far as bedroom sharing, DSS#2 and DS share a room. We don't really have it decorated. They have a few superhero posters and then its just beds, dresser, and all their toys. The same happened before we moved into our current house. Actually all 3 boys were sharing a bedroom because we only lived in a two bedroom apartment. Again, we didn't really decorate. I think what works best is to kind of divide the room in half. Let your older DD have half the room with however she wants it decorated (bedsheets, posters, etc.) and then have baby DD have the other half of the room. I know it doesn't make it a cohesive room, but that way each child kind of has their "space."
Married: 5/30/2013
DSS #1: 5/25/2007
DSS #2: 1/22/2011
DS #3: 7/8/2012
BFP: 3/14/2016 ~ MC: 3/19/2016
DS #4: 4/21/17
@KirstinH88 I love the suggestion of kids having their own space. I had to share a room with my sister growing up and I hated it. But one of the ways my mom arranged our rooms was to put our dressers kind of in the middle of the room facing the bed that we slept in. So I saw the back of my sisters dresser and she saw the back of mine but at least I didn't have to see her. It allowed us both to feel like we had our own area to do what we wanted to.
We live in a 2 bedroom house at the moment and when we moved in gave DD the biggest room (to try and contain her toys) so now the baby is in with us in the smaller room.. DH wont let me switch the rooms around now as he thinks it will lead to her resenting baby for taking her big room away.. plus I don't have the energy to paint etc. We are planning on putting an addition on in a year or so (or moving whatever is the better option when the time comes) but things are feeling cramped and he's not even here yet!
Baby Boy due 04/07/17
Married: 5/30/2013
DSS #1: 5/25/2007
DSS #2: 1/22/2011
DS #3: 7/8/2012
BFP: 3/14/2016 ~ MC: 3/19/2016
DS #4: 4/21/17
@KirstinH88 I don't think that we used 10 diapers a day with DS, but he slept through the night after about a month (but was also a terrible napper) and would sleep in a wet diaper. I think a lot of it will depend on the baby.
My random is that everyone is super sick at work. Coming down with the flu, leaving work early, etc. and I am just wishing all of the germs away. If I get really sick now I think I might lose my mind. I am already miserable enough!
Married: 5/30/2013
DSS #1: 5/25/2007
DSS #2: 1/22/2011
DS #3: 7/8/2012
BFP: 3/14/2016 ~ MC: 3/19/2016
DS #4: 4/21/17
Since December 2014 I've either been pregnant or nursing, so looking to 2018 before I'll be done nursing. I feel like time has flown but lots of changes happened!
Baby #2 due April 2017
Married: 5/30/2013
DSS #1: 5/25/2007
DSS #2: 1/22/2011
DS #3: 7/8/2012
BFP: 3/14/2016 ~ MC: 3/19/2016
DS #4: 4/21/17
So, yesterday evening I was waiting for the duplex owner to send me some pictures he was taking. DH decided to drive by the duplex on the way home from work to check out the location. He got there and pulled into the driveway. The owner walked over to him and said he was waiting for another couple to come look at it. So, DH freaked out and called me and said we might lose it. So, I left DD with SIL and drove over there to meet him. The couple in front of us actually decided they did want it. But, the owner gave us first dibs since he had talked to us first and we were serious about it. We did the walk through and LOVED it. It is out in the country, surrounded by farm fields with tons of area for DD to play. The highlights: lots of sq. feet, 2 car heated garage, washer/dryer and nice appliances, literally the biggest master closet I have ever seen in real life, huge yard and a deck off the back and a fishing pond across the street at the owner's house where DD can go fishing.
Sorry, I am just so excited. After seeing it I just couldn't say no. Our lives will change living there, but I think it will be worth it. They will let us move in a little early so we will probably officially move March 25/26, when I am 37 weeks pregnant. Say a prayer for my poor body and also a prayer for no car babies born on the hour drive to the hospital.
Thanks for all the sympathy and love over the months. It has been so nice to have people to vent to when I need it. You are the best!
DH: 30 year old pneumatic electrical engineer
BFP: June 25, 2016 and MC: July 3, 2016
DD2: April 16, 2017
BFP: November 30, 2018 EDD: August 14, 2019
Married: 5/30/2013
DSS #1: 5/25/2007
DSS #2: 1/22/2011
DS #3: 7/8/2012
BFP: 3/14/2016 ~ MC: 3/19/2016
DS #4: 4/21/17
DS--N14
Baby #2 EDD--4/16/17
I'm so happy for you!!!!
we just found out today that we probably won't be closing on our new house until a week after my due date. Not really excited about either bringing the baby back to my parents house or having to delay closing if I am late and still in the hospital. The project manager seemed to think that I have some control over when the baby might come as the date gets closer, which I found pretty funny.
if you plan on nursing I would wait to get anythinG until your milk comes in. I needed a new suit when bfing DS because the top of my old one didn't fit.
Married: 5/30/2013
DSS #1: 5/25/2007
DSS #2: 1/22/2011
DS #3: 7/8/2012
BFP: 3/14/2016 ~ MC: 3/19/2016
DS #4: 4/21/17