Pregnancy: Nesting
Pretty sure I've been bitten by the nesting bug. Over the course of the last week, I've practically doubled the amount of clothes we have for Sephie. I'm amazed that she has 98 onesies, five robes and 16 jackets. 16! What in the hell am I going to do with them all?? I updated our spreadsheet and I think we're in a good place for most of our baby clothes (thank God; I'm amazed that, so far, the only clothing items I've purchased for her have been one "I'm the Little Sister!" onesie and, admittedly, two of the bathrobes).
I'm also (slowly, it seems like) getting all of her necessary gear. We had a bit of a setback today when we found out the handyman billed B's parents $600 for the work he did on her crib. I was really angry--we expected about $150 for rebuilding the frame because he bills out at $50 an hour and we didn't think it'd take longer than that. When I happened to mention I was planning on painting the crib black, he offered to do it and insisted it would be no big deal. Well, I think that to tack another $350 on there is a pretty big deal. Maybe he really did spend 12 hours painting it and creating the frame, but I just can't shake this feeling that we got hosed. I haven't seen the finished product, but I'm still disappointed. This crib isn't worth $200, especially with all of the laws California is gearing up to pass cracking down on the selling of second-hand cribs. For the same amount we're ultimately spending on having this work done on the crib, we could have bought a convertible crib or something.
Still, the drama with the crib notwithstanding, I've felt a kind of frenzy to get everything in order lately. We have her crib, and as of today, I knocked out two other major items: her bassinet, and a baby bathtub that I found at B's parents' place. I cleaned it up and was surprised to see it was the exact same tub I saw priced at the consignment store today for $30. Getting it for free, I felt, was definitely a deal.
We're good in other areas of the gear department. We have a bedding set for her, complete with mobile and sleep positioner. We've got the Diaper Genie, three car seats, a swing, a changing table, sun shades for the car, a musical mirror for the car, a heartbeat bear to help ease her to sleep in her bassinet, a bouncer, a play mat, a stationary entertainer, a wipes warmer, a humidifier, two diaper bags, a Brest Friend, a Boppy, about 15 receiving blankets, 40+ bibs, a baby book, a cover for the car seat, a Sleep Sack, a bottle sterilizer, a bottle warmer, a bottle drying rack, about a dozen bottles, a travel cooler/warmer, four pacifiers, baby shampoo and soap.
There are still SO MANY THINGS WE NEED. Mostly, it's little stuff, like wash cloths and the refill for the Diaper Genie and the cartridges for the humidifier. I'm mostly embarrassed to acknowledge that we need toys. Sephie's got about six or seven stuffed animals for her room, including one that came from her registry, but she really only has one "toy"--a stack of organic, cloth rings. I know toys aren't as hugely important to newborns, but it seems like we should have some preparation for her.
I'll feel better once we have all of her furniture, too. Thanks to my Craigslist-fu, I secured Sephie an impressive, antique dresser and night stand. They're in perfect condition, and we got them for free. But we don't like the yellow color and so B's goal is to stain them a dark brown this weekend. We also scored a changing table for free that will also need to be stained. All of these items are currently in B's parents' garage, but should be done this weekend.
Honestly, little Hayden's situation is even worse. Aside from his crib, he has no furniture. We glued his crib together today and I also secured a potty (because, against my better judgment, we're going to try potty-training him next week) for the bathroom downstairs. I found a cute art table under B's parents' house that will add some personality to his room, so I cleaned it up and placed it against the wall. I also found a hanging closet organizer, which could be used for clothes or toys depending on how we set up the room. If we use it for clothes, I'll probably buy some of those collapsible boxes that instantly create shelving. I'm still trying to find him a dresser set, but everyone keeps insisting a toddler is better off with plastic drawers. Sadly, we have NO clothes and NO toys for him here, and I can't shake this suspicion I have that even what I've bought for Hayden over the years will inevitably end up permanently residing at B's parents'.
It's just hard to feel like I have my stuff together when my own dresser is still air-drying in the garage and my kids don't even have a place to lay their heads. Almost to compensate, I've been cleaning everything I can and improving the house in all the little ways I can. Like with my bathroom etagere, which has always been kind of wobbly. I buckled down and re-screwed every single screw and now that thing is more solid than ever.
There's so much to do with the house, so many things to secure. Like, a vacuum. I'm feeling kind of overwhelmed with it, despite the insane motivation I have in wanted to arrange everything JUST so. Nesting should be considered it's own special category of insanity.
I'm also (slowly, it seems like) getting all of her necessary gear. We had a bit of a setback today when we found out the handyman billed B's parents $600 for the work he did on her crib. I was really angry--we expected about $150 for rebuilding the frame because he bills out at $50 an hour and we didn't think it'd take longer than that. When I happened to mention I was planning on painting the crib black, he offered to do it and insisted it would be no big deal. Well, I think that to tack another $350 on there is a pretty big deal. Maybe he really did spend 12 hours painting it and creating the frame, but I just can't shake this feeling that we got hosed. I haven't seen the finished product, but I'm still disappointed. This crib isn't worth $200, especially with all of the laws California is gearing up to pass cracking down on the selling of second-hand cribs. For the same amount we're ultimately spending on having this work done on the crib, we could have bought a convertible crib or something.
Still, the drama with the crib notwithstanding, I've felt a kind of frenzy to get everything in order lately. We have her crib, and as of today, I knocked out two other major items: her bassinet, and a baby bathtub that I found at B's parents' place. I cleaned it up and was surprised to see it was the exact same tub I saw priced at the consignment store today for $30. Getting it for free, I felt, was definitely a deal.
We're good in other areas of the gear department. We have a bedding set for her, complete with mobile and sleep positioner. We've got the Diaper Genie, three car seats, a swing, a changing table, sun shades for the car, a musical mirror for the car, a heartbeat bear to help ease her to sleep in her bassinet, a bouncer, a play mat, a stationary entertainer, a wipes warmer, a humidifier, two diaper bags, a Brest Friend, a Boppy, about 15 receiving blankets, 40+ bibs, a baby book, a cover for the car seat, a Sleep Sack, a bottle sterilizer, a bottle warmer, a bottle drying rack, about a dozen bottles, a travel cooler/warmer, four pacifiers, baby shampoo and soap.
There are still SO MANY THINGS WE NEED. Mostly, it's little stuff, like wash cloths and the refill for the Diaper Genie and the cartridges for the humidifier. I'm mostly embarrassed to acknowledge that we need toys. Sephie's got about six or seven stuffed animals for her room, including one that came from her registry, but she really only has one "toy"--a stack of organic, cloth rings. I know toys aren't as hugely important to newborns, but it seems like we should have some preparation for her.
I'll feel better once we have all of her furniture, too. Thanks to my Craigslist-fu, I secured Sephie an impressive, antique dresser and night stand. They're in perfect condition, and we got them for free. But we don't like the yellow color and so B's goal is to stain them a dark brown this weekend. We also scored a changing table for free that will also need to be stained. All of these items are currently in B's parents' garage, but should be done this weekend.
Honestly, little Hayden's situation is even worse. Aside from his crib, he has no furniture. We glued his crib together today and I also secured a potty (because, against my better judgment, we're going to try potty-training him next week) for the bathroom downstairs. I found a cute art table under B's parents' house that will add some personality to his room, so I cleaned it up and placed it against the wall. I also found a hanging closet organizer, which could be used for clothes or toys depending on how we set up the room. If we use it for clothes, I'll probably buy some of those collapsible boxes that instantly create shelving. I'm still trying to find him a dresser set, but everyone keeps insisting a toddler is better off with plastic drawers. Sadly, we have NO clothes and NO toys for him here, and I can't shake this suspicion I have that even what I've bought for Hayden over the years will inevitably end up permanently residing at B's parents'.
It's just hard to feel like I have my stuff together when my own dresser is still air-drying in the garage and my kids don't even have a place to lay their heads. Almost to compensate, I've been cleaning everything I can and improving the house in all the little ways I can. Like with my bathroom etagere, which has always been kind of wobbly. I buckled down and re-screwed every single screw and now that thing is more solid than ever.
There's so much to do with the house, so many things to secure. Like, a vacuum. I'm feeling kind of overwhelmed with it, despite the insane motivation I have in wanted to arrange everything JUST so. Nesting should be considered it's own special category of insanity.