Thanks for all the feedback so far. It's been very reassuring.

Clothing:

I have enough hand-me-downs from Nephew to cover the clothing angle in the short term. I might need a couple more lightweight things as Nephew was born in a colder season, but I suspect MIL will be onto that before the first week is out (she probably already has a gender-neutral pile going and is just waiting to find out the sex so she can really go on a spree), so I'm not too worried.

Feeding:

Last time I got by with just breast. I do have a manual pump and a couple of bottles if need be and I even know where they are. Mr Bea can pull them out and wash them off at a moment's notice, and if I need anything more motorised I know where to get it as I go along. Burp cloths and bibs - check. I even found my warm-or-cool gel packs and I have nipple cream because I've been using it as lip balm for the last couple of years. Other people do that, right?

Sleeping:

Yeeeeeees. Well. Although you can house babies in drawers and cardboard boxes, we are hard up in both directions. We left a lot of our furniture (the stuff we're not taking with us in the move) under my Grandmother's house after the whole flood debacle, including pretty much all our drawers. Our cardboard boxes are mostly full of spiders by now, although I'm sure Mr Bea would take one for the team by consuming enough beer at short notice to empty out a sparkly fresh one, and although we have a bassinet, the mattress went moldy in all the rain and as it's an unusual size and what with all the businesses that have had to close up shop temporarily due to inundation, we may not have a new one for up to two weeks (it is currently on order). For those counting along at home, this is half a week past our estimated date. On the up side, MIL owns a portacot, so again I am not too worried - unless you count the fact that we don't really have room for a portacot. I seem to recall The Prata Baby mostly using our bed during the first couple of months anyway. I'm sure it'll work out. At least we are ok for sheets etc.

Calming:

The first time around, I didn't realise this was a whole category on its own, and a really, really important one at that. For some reason, the baby shopping lists I had led me astray. However:

- muslins, check
- miracle blanket, check
- vibrating bouncer, check
- sarong sling and ergo, check
- dummy, check
- iPod and speakers, nineties' grunge playlist, check
- rocking chair... hm... I seem to remember this being exquisitely useful last time around, and although I have the fitball so I can at least rest my legs, I might have to look into buying and/or hiring one, if I can work out where to put it.

Outings:

We have both a car seat and stroller that can be used from newborn, although the former has not yet been installed, but that's quickly sorted. I'm not sure I'm ready to lose the spare seat in our car for another week or so, til I'm more confident we've finished carting items around.

Changing and bathing:


I need to pick up a bath from my SIL which I will do tomorrow. I am actually more worried about where the rest of us will bathe, since our bathtub (we have a shower-over-bath) CRACKED FROM SIDE TO SIDE and water pours out through our floorboards whenever it is turned on now. This is happening to us two months before a major renovation project which involves completely dismantling the bathroom, and I am still trying to decide if I need to do anything about it and if so, what. Feel free to give your opinion.

Back to babies, however - I seem to have a lot of free samples of soaps and nappy creams, enough so that I am pretty much good for the next couple of months. I have one hooded towel, plus our ordinary towels, and I am inclined to leave it at that. I have facewashers.

I have plenty of cloth wipes for messy jobs and a few packets of disposables. I have a couple of packs of disposable nappies - I am planning to return to cloth, but not until after all the moving is over and done with, especially considering the latest post-partum business trip developments happening over here. (To keep tally - flood evacuation, birth, house falling down around us, moving internationally, business trips/temporary single parenting, major renovation. Maybe I should throw a major course of study into the mix, or...?) I have the change mat from the nappy bag, and am thinking I'll just use that on the bed rather than try and get fancy with change tables etc. I may have to think about how to organise all the stuff so I can use it easily. Shoeboxes, perhaps. Somebody, somewhere, must have a spare shoebox.

I might need a few Q-tips.

First Aid:

- thermometer, check
- standard first aid kit, check
- there's not a lot else you can give a newborn without proper, medical supervision, although for what it's worth I do also have infant panadol. I found gas drops to be useless last time - I know some swear by them - but I am not planning to restock until unless I get desperate enough to want to try anything.
- relevant contact numbers, check

Playtime:


A couple of people have given us toys, there's a toy rail on the bouncer, The Prata Baby will hopefully share some of his more suitable items, and also provide live entertainment. Right?

So to recap:
I should think about getting a rocking chair. Or, I dunno, borrow parents' hammock, since the front verandah is about the only space it could possibly go anyway, and then only if I remove a side-table and chair.
Buy packet of Q-tips. Pick up hand-me-down bath.

Unless someone can think of something else, that seems pretty sorted. Hurrah!


8 Comments

Rachel Inbar said...

Looks like you've got everything under control. I think the only thing I see missing is a stroller or baby wrap and a safe place for the new baby to be when you're busy with PB (a stroller - or as you might call it, a pram - could double for this). We used a playpen to keep the littler one safe from the bigger ones (e.g., you need to go to the restroom or you're cooking)...

All your moves make even ME tired :-)

Jess said...

I think you sound set, really.

My best friend did use a stroller as a safe baby place, stuck a few toys on the bars. Worked like a charm. I can see how you don't want to buy anything TOO much because of the moves.

FWIW, both of my (nonbiologically related) children hated rocking chairs....so best maybe to see if you can borrow on that end since you won't know for sure?

Lut C. said...

I'm jumping in late.

Something to clear a babies runny nose with?

As for sleeping, Linnea slept in our bed the first few months too. She had her own zone in the bed, because she slept on a buckwheat pillow (comfortable, yet firm, a baby's head doesn't sink in so as to be a risk). Cheap too.

Otherwise, I think you have everything you need.

Kir said...

as usual even in the face of chaos you are CALM and Ready. seriously love how DO you do it???

my boys slept in their car seats in our bedroom for months...no I'm not kidding. It helped with the reflux and made it easier to just get out of bed and pick them up :)

Ellen K. said...

LOL @ soothing being a category unto itself.

I remember people saying that we could never have enough hooded towels and washcloths, which I now find really odd.

Do you have room for a Pack & Play with a bassinet (or is this what is meant by a port-a-cot)? That gives you a sleeping place + secure baby place/very temporary semi-secure toddler place.

Hmmmmmmmm. Maybe a white noise machine, or perhaps the grunge rock will suffice.

ColourYourWorld said...

Sounds like you are all sorted.
Don't forget if the mattress doesn't arrive in time you can always hire a bassinet or anything else you need for that matter.

The bathtub, I wouldn't bother fixing it. But I can't think of what you could do in the meantime either.

Betty M said...

Can't think of anything else and that's certainly more than I had this time! You are definitely ready.

Anonymous said...

I totally use my nipple cream as lip balm. It is one of the best lip balms I have ever found.

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