Second Baby Forethought

When Miles was born, I thought I was prepared.  I had all his clothes washed and folded, a few meals in the freezer, and the gear I thought I needed all ready to go.

Those first few months, I was anything but well-prepared.  We ate fast food WAY too much, the dishes piled higher and higher in the sink, the house looked like a pig sty, the laundry never got done, and I pretty much lived in a sleep-deprived, caffeine-addicted haze.

This time around, I’m hoping that knowing what to expect will help enormously.  I know not to stress about getting things done, to not worry about being the perfect stay-at-home mom and housekeeper, and to not expect my baby to “follow the book”.  However, there are a few things I’m working on getting prepared that I’m hoping will make the addition of another baby a tad bit less chaotic.  Hey, you live and learn, right?  Here’s my list of preparations for this baby:

-Freezer Meals.  Lots and LOTS of them.  Especially the kind that you dump right in the crockpot and don’t need to make a side dish for.

-Stockpile of Paper Plates, Napkins, Utensils, and Cups.  I really hate using disposable things.  They make me feel so uncaring of the earth…so lazy.  Yet, I know from experience that trying to keep up with all the dishes is just not worth it.  Period.  End of story.  We can get out my nice plates again sometime in the future.

-Stockpile of easy, premade things that my husband can pick up.  Again, I really try to avoid processed, prepackaged foods as much as possible.  Yet, somehow I think that the store bought granola bars are going to still be better than the candy bar from the gas station.  Prewashed fruit, bagged lettuce, frozen rolls, instant oatmeal…these all suddenly make the cut.

-Snacks.  Specifically for Mama, but also for toddler boy.  When Miles was a newborn, eating enough was SO hard because I just didn’t have quick things on hand that I could just grab without prepping.  This time I’m making a list of snacks to buy/make, such as hummus, carrots, granola, yogurt, hard boiled eggs, etc.

-Simplified cleaning.  I’m making a list of the minimum basics that need to get done, and letting the rest slide.  In addition to cutting myself some slack, I’m stocking up on things that make cleaning a little faster…magic erasers, swiffer wet pads, etc.  Basically, things I usually turn my nose up at that would actually make life easier. ;)

-Books, movies, and NETFLIX!  Confession: we didn’t get real, honest-to-goodness internet until a few weeks ago.  And we’ve been married four years.  This time around, I’m hoping the addition of Amazon Prime and Netflix will make those first few weeks of near-constant nursing a little more bearable.

-Cash Stash.  Let’s face it…despite my careful planning, we’ll still need to pick up a quick meal every once in awhile.  I’m hoping to have a little cash set aside for this, so I don’t get too stressed about our increased eating out "eating" into my budget.  Pun intended.

-Bills Paid and/or Ready to Pay.  I do most of the bill paying, checkbook balancing, and budget figuring in our house.  After Miles was born, I got pretty far behind.  I just was not organized and bills would sneak up on me.  I’m sure we’ll still have a few late payments, but I’m hoping to have everything either paid or all ready to pay (aka, check written, envelope sealed and stamped). 

-Moving the rocking chair into our room.  Why did I make myself walk halfway across the house to nurse Miles in the middle of the night?!  No wonder he ended up in our bed so quickly!  This time, the glider, diapers, and wipes will be in our room. 

-House Folder.  This will include food lists, budget info, etc, as well as any pertinent numbers and info.  You know, the pediatrician’s number, the phone number for pizza delivery (okay, I wish…nobody here delivers!), etc. 

-Lists.  I pretty much have a list going for every one of the things listed above.  Lists I can just hand to Andy to take to the store.  Lists I can pull out and look at (or pull up on my phone…love Evernote).  Lists just make my life better.