She's Growing Up

It was super important to me, to make sure my current ONLY CHILD (for the next 5 weeks anyway), was squared away and all was taken care of with her before baby #2 arrives.

One of the projects I had on my list was to get her school keepsakes filed away and organized.

I've kept:

photos, class photos, registration letters, screening forms, 1st lunch box note, 1st rainbow she drew, projects, programs from performances, her Girl Scout Daisy stuff from this past year, report cards, Birthday hat - SO MUCH MORE.  Anything that I felt was special and worth keeping, I sort of organized.

My plan had always been to put them into binders, one for each year of school.  I finally found the best way to do it and everything is neatly put away now.

Here they are - but just look how much she's grown up!!!  :(

2 years of pre-k (age 3 and 4)

Kindergarten (age 5)

1st Grade (age 6)

What a precious thing she is <3

To Do List UPDATE

So I've felt pretty productive lately.

Pack my hospital bag

Print out list before packing

Clean out kitchen cabinets

Clean out under our bed

Plan out my make ahead meals

Print recipes

Make grocery shopping list

Only thing not finished yet is having my bags packed.  Carter's diaper bag is packed though.

Besides the list above I have done a few other things on my list
-Sterilized bottles
-Sterilized pacifiers
-Sterilized breast pump accessories
-My mom got my bobby cover done
-We found the cord to the baby monitor that had been MIA

Besides that we have been BUSY
-Got out our Easter decor
-Girl Scouts events
-Dinner date mid-week with family
-Self defense class for Alyssa
-Co-Op pick up

Now onto today's plans...
Cleaning out our dreaded closet.
We will see how long that takes.

Handmade Boppy Cover

My mom is the best!!

Sewing isn't my favorite thing, but I wanted a custom bobby cover.

I bought the fabric off Etsy, found her the pattern and said - here's a project for you!

She did an amazing job!  It's exactly what I was hoping for.

34 Weeks

34 Weeks!

Baby is the size of a large cantaloupe, weighs abut 5.5 lbs and is 19"-22"

Telling my 7 year old about breastfeeding

ummmmm....

What and how do you tell your 7 year old about how you plan to feed their new sibling.

I did breastfeed her for 6-8 weeks, but obviously, there wasn't another child around to explain it all to ahead of time.

After prepping bottles today, on the off chance that breastfeeding may not happen (even though I have a feeling it will), I wanted to make sure Alyssa knew that bottles may not be how this baby ate his food.

When she got home from school, she went straight for the drying bottles, wanting to help put them away.  Of course I let her help, but took the opportunity to explain that this is just a back up plan to feed the baby with the bottles.

I asked her if she knew a different way that babies ate, she told me "from a spoon."

That's when I knew I had a little explaining to do.

My first attempt - "Do you know how kittens eat from their mommies?"

"Yes" she said.

"That's how your baby brother will eat too, from me, his mommy."

I could tell she was confused.

I explained further that some babies eat from their mommy's boobies, and that it was the healthiest way for them to get food.

She literally laughed out loud.

I told her she would be seeing her baby brother eating a lot.  She said "well I'll probably laugh when I see it."

And I can't blame her.  If that's how she responds, that is fine.  I know eventually it will become old news.

I just really didn't want her to come to the hospital to meet her baby brother, and while there, see mommy's breast in her brother's mouth.  That's enough to scare any kid that doesn't know what it's about.

So that's where I'm leaving it.  I don't think she needs a whole sit down conversation about it.  If she has questions, I know she will be asking.

Popsicle Pads

I've read about these "Popsicle Pads" online.

I didn't use them with my first daughter.  But thought it sounded like a great idea.

I found a bottle of Witch Hazel at the Dollar Tree!

Sounded like it was worth a try to me.  So I made up 4 to start and put them in my freezer.  I've heard you only really need them the 1st week postpartum mainly.

I used half the bottle making these 4 pads, so I'd say you could probably get 8 out of them.
I've saving the other half of the bottle for NON popsicle pads.  But if I like them frozen, I'll have the other half the bottle to whip up some more.  Very fast and simple to do.  Just squeeze the liquid into the center, put the sticker covers back on, rewrap, throw in a freezer bag.

Operation Sterilize

I so hope to breast feed this baby boy, but I want to be prepared just in case.

I LOVED my ONE Avent bottle I had for our daughter, so this baby, I wanted to mainly use those.

So I bought 5 of the bigger size

6 of the smaller size

I got a Tommee Tippee Free

A Similac Free

The Cardinal's one as a gift

And the other 3 Similac ones I got for an incredible deal couponing.

So right now I think we are stocked up pretty good on bottles.

We got an incredible deal on the sterilizer too, it was on clearance at Babies R Us.  I think we paid maybe $10 for it?  It's been awhile since we bought it now.

2 batches on bottles down - one more to go

I also hope to get the pacifiers done today too.