Just Special

Fabric markers + white onesies = my favorite gift ... from Aidan.

Always Remember ....

The days may seem long, but the years go by quickly.

Details, Details

It seems there are a lot of "lists" when it comes to babies ... shower registry, baby names, thank you notes, hospital packing list, to-do lists, and to-do lists, and even more to-do lists.

LBT will be here in 4 weeks and my lists are getting shorter. Today I started to think about my "recovery list" since I'm having a c-section ... not necessarily the things that HAVE to be done before she gets here, but the things that NEED to be done while I recover and my family is getting used to having a little one around. Here are some things on my list ...

• Pay the bills early. I pay all my bills online so I can go ahead and get them scheduled for their due dates. Is Aidan's lunch money covered for the next couple weeks?

• Stock up on frequently needed household items. My boys will be doing some shopping for me, and do I want them to pick out my hair products, personal items and other favorite toiletries? Uh, no! This will save me from explaining what kinds of pads or shampoo I need if I am to run out.

• Prepare in advance for any special events: Buy Nick's birthday card and gift certificate, then get it ready to mail. Help Aidan with his Halloween costume. Donate items to school fall festival early. Plan a 16th wedding anniversary surprise for Doug since I will be in the hospital.

• Call insurance about adding baby to our plan.

• Have birth announcements ready to roll ... minus baby's first picture. Also, prepare the "who to call" list for Dad for baby's "birth day".

• Have hair cut and colored BEFORE the big day. I'll need all the help I can get to look my best during those non-make-up, non-hair days! Oh, and do my nails and feet too! And I guess shave.

• Pick out comfy recovery clothes, including stretchy pants and nursing bra.

• Two words: Freezer Meals.

• Put movies I WANT TO WATCH on our Netflix Queue.

I'm sure there's a few more details to consider, but this list alone will help make for a smoother transition into our new baby world! The way I look at it: the more I can take care of now, the less I worry about later.

Shiny Sink

Remember my recent post "Nice Empty Space" in which I started nesting, cleaning out all of Aidan's baby stuff from the basement? You may recall that Step 4 was to sanitize the baby toys in my kitchen sink.

Well, recently I read a tip in Real Simple Magazine from The Fly Lady about Shiny Sinks 101 and discovered I created a shiny sink without even trying! Here's what you do .... Fill the sink to the rim with very hot water, add one cup of regular bleach and soak for 1 hour. Drain and rinse thoroughly.

That day as I soaked baby toys, I cleaned my sink and it worked great! In the past I've scrubbed ... and scrubbed ... and scrubbed since I tend to acquire a lot of tea and coffee stains in my sink.

If you feel so obliged, you may continue this with a few extra cleaning steps ... but I was pleased by just 1. Filling the sink with bleach water and 2. Draining it!

Optional extra steps ... 3. Scrub with Ajax, Bon Ami or baking soda. 4. Rinse again. 5. Shine with Windex or another glass cleaning spray. 6. Dry thoroughly.

You know what they say, if company's coming, clean your bathroom AND your kitchen sink first. Here's what I say, disinfect some icky bathtub or kid toys and kill two birds with one stone! You can also double-duty using your dishwasher ... throw in odds and ends such as burner knobs, utensil organizers, the drain catch, sponges, pet bowls, and even your dish drying rack! I do this all the time as a time-saver!

Nice Empty Space

A few weeks ago I did a brave thing. I ventured into our basement and pulled out ALL of Aidan's baby, toddler and preschool stuff. Mind you, this stuff has been stored for nearly 8 years - so what a task this was. Of course I enlisted the help of my mom as no one else would work as hard and do as thorough of a job as her, let alone WANT to help me!

Step 1 was to sort through all the boy clothes and pick out gender-neutral goods for the baby girl on the way. We found a few things that will help...

Step 2 was to bag up the boy stuff and pass them on to younger cousins. (Note how many bags of clothes I saved from Aidan! There were 20!)

Step 3 was to wash all the zero to six month clothes, blankets, bibs and other baby wear and store them in baby's room. Future sizes will be stored in a plastic bin in our closets as NO MORE kid stuff will be kept in the basement again.

Step 4 was to sanitize the small toys in either a sink of bleach water or the dishwasher. For all the fabric toys, diaper bags and cloth stuff, I even ran them through the washer and dryer! I spread out a large blanket in my drive-way and let the items "bake" in the sun to ensure they were thoroughly dry and clean. Surprisingly, everything turned out perfect, just like new!

Step 5 was to clean all the big stuff (large toys, play pen, stroller, high chair, etc.) outside using a hose and a big bucket of sudsy water. We picked a hot day so Aidan could have some water fun too!

What's next .... my sweet cousins and friends have shared their girly clothes with us! I had no idea this PINK stuff would evoke so many "Aaaaahs"! It's been fun to sort through. Now I am repeating Step 3 and will start to organize all of baby's stuff into her new room.

All said and done, I feel more ready for baby and really love a nice, empty space in our basement!

A New Sibling

Simple Ideas: how will I prepare my son (or daughter) for life with a new sibling?

• When the new baby is settled or sleeping, let the oldest overhear you tell the baby that she needs to be patient and wait while you play with or help big brother with something. Obviously the baby won't have a clue, but the big boy will be pleased that you are putting him first for a change.

• Browse through photos of when big brother was a baby. Point out how much care he needed too (feeding, diaper changing, playing, sleeping, etc.). This way, he realizes that his younger sibling needs some extra attention because of age and nothing else such as "mom must love her more!"

• Get new books from the library about siblings. Reading about other family experiences just might resonate with your own!

• Before baby is born, practice basic care with a doll. The big brother will be an expert when it comes to taking care of his little sister and may show no jealousy at all. Find ways all day long to allow your child to assist so he feels important and responsible.

• Alert family and friends to help ease your oldest child's transition by focusing their attention on "big brother" first, during the first few minutes of a visit before going goo-goo over the new baby.

• Give your child a special present when baby comes home but sign it from "baby sister". See the new baby comes bearing gifts ... can't be all that bad!

• Listen to Sibling Rivalry with Amy McCready. It's never too early to be prepared!

Nine Manageable Months

There are trade-offs. Heartburn and swollen feet for precious belly kicks. A lack of lung and bladder space in exchange for listening to that amazing heartbeat each month. And morning sickness for the pure excitement of welcoming a new baby into your family.

There are many more and the trade-offs vary from person to person and from month to month. Some people embrace it all, while others struggle to enjoy the vast changes in your body that occur; but, no matter what, here are some simple tips that might help make your nine pregnancy months more manageable.

• Treat yourself to a footstool - or two. They can make you more comfortable at work, at home and even come in handy when you are breastfeeding.

• Take small snooze sessions. Purchase a travel alarm clock or figure out how to use the one on your cell phone. Take a 15-minuter during your lunch break if needed. You'll be amazed at how refreshed you'll feel.

• I don't spend money on myself. But if ever there was a time, now is the time to pamper yourself with a manicure or pedicure. Sweeten the pot by inviting a friend to join you. It'll be worth every penny, especially when you can't quite reach your toes any more!

• If you're like me, the last thing you want to think about is exercise. However, a daily stroll (no matter how long) can boost your energy and help you to unwind at the end of the day.

• Take photos! Capture your growing belly, gifts you receive, the nursery, the crazy food you crave, and the fun you have with family and friends. What a great way to document your pregnancy and cherish it later with your kids!

• Make a "mama-to-be toolbox". Stock it with things you use often - lip balm, tissues, phone, book, eye glasses, pen and paper, etc. It might help eliminate extra trips up and down the stairs. Don't forget the snacks!

• You've heard it time and time again ... drink water. Keep a bottle of H2O by you at all times for less contractions, leg cramps, nausea and more.

• Carry a journal. Write down questions for your doctor as you think of them; keep track of weight gain; jot down ideas for names; etc. What a great reference this will be for your next pregnancy or to simple remember your special experience.

I Love Journals!

I had a journal of "firsts" for Aidan and I'll keep one for this baby girl too. I just discovered this adorable book My Baby Book, written from the point of view of baby. Funny prompts like "I'd have to say the cutest thing I've done so far is ____." will guide you through your journaling, as well as questions about mom and dad's pre-baby life too!

Amy Krouse Rosenthal also wrote Your Birthday Book: A Keepsake Journal and The Belly Book: A Nine-Month Journal for You and Your Growing Belly. The whole collection would make for a unique gift for the parents-to-be!

Make Lemonade

Shhh… don't tell your kids, but making lemonade is one of those "you're learning a bunch of stuff and you don't know it" opportunities!

• Squeezing lemons is a fine motor experience. It works the same muscles used for writing.

• Measuring the ingredients requires math skills like counting and following steps in order.

• For a bonus lesson, line up the ingredients from left to right so it encourages left-right visual progression as your child works their way through the steps (an important pre-reading skill).

• Pouring is great for hand-eye coordination.

• Think about Science - from the sense of taste (sour & sweet) for little ones, to the concepts of osmosis and molecular structure that cause sugar to dissolve in water for the bigger kids.

• Turn it into a lemonade stand and encourage social skills as well as money math skills.

Fresh Lemonade Recipe

To make an ice-cold glass of old-fashioned, fresh-squeezed lemonade, all you need is:

6-8 lemons

1 cup of sugar

6 cups of water

Directions: Squeeze the juice from the lemons until you have one cup of juice, then mix everything together in a pitcher, until the sugar dissolves.

Note to Self

Take more family photos.