Friday, February 10, 2012

How We Prepare for a New Baby

That title probably got your attention! Rest assured that although babies are much-loved around the Self house, the only babies we are actively preparing for right now are a nephew and a niece that are due within the next six months. That preparation involves only buying a few shower gifts and stocking up on camera batteries.

However, we have prepared for four babies around here. The first three were born right after or during a major remodeling project. Remodel the family, remodel the bedroom----it's all the same to us. We finally got smart when the last child was born (or at least smarter) and decided not to replace living room carpet, paint a whole floor of the house or tear apart the kitchen days before delivery. It's amazing how much easier it was! (Coming home to a put together house. Not the delivery. )

Preparing for the fourth baby was much less complicated than the first. Pull out bin of little boy newborn clothes. Find they are all stained from being stored in a damp basement even though they were in a plastic bin. Buy new clothes.

Baby clothes
hoI have a great church family. Someone got wind of this dilemma and threw a shower for me. For my fourth kid. The fourth kid that was also the third boy. Yes, I know, they're sweet ladies!

I've always thought that the idea of stocking the freezer with foods so I don't have to cook for awhile after the baby is home was a great idea. Unfortunately, it never got out of the idea stage. Once again, my dear church family came to the rescue and brought me meals for a week after my baby was born. Yes, I wish you could meet them, too!

Other than those things for which I should have prepared , I did set up a bed for the baby, sterilize bottles and spend the last month of pregnancy practicing sleeping intermittently through the night. I packed my hospital bag ahead of time and put the car seat into the car but waited until I went into labor to clean out the car. Some essential things just don't occur to me ahead of time.

One more thing for which I always prepare myself is the sweet,cuddly feel of a newborn nestled up against my neck. It never works. I look down at that little bundle and tears of joy and amazement form in my eyes. Every. time. But then, one doesn't generally prepare for miracles.


Stop by Joanna @ The Lavans 
to see how she's preparing right now!

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