1. The nursery - Kate's was planned and ready months before she was born. It all centered around the crib bumper. Baby #4 doesn't have a nursery ...s/he will be sharing a room with Henry and will NOT even have a crib bumper. They make changing sheets much too difficult.
2. The equipment - Kate had all the "must have" equipment (swing, bouncer, etc.) By now I've learned that this baby will be just as happy on the floor....maybe s/he will get to lay on a blanket...maybe not. :)
3. The shopping cart cover - I made one for Kate and took it EVERYWHERE...my sweet baby didn't need ANY stranger germs on her. This baby will never use a shopping cart cover. If chewing on the shopping cart will keep him/her happy, that's fine by me. The less crying with 4 children at the store, the better.
4. Errands - Speaking of the store, Kate never went to the store or anywhere else without me AND Rick, my mom or my sister for about the first 6 months. I just didn't know how I could handle it all! :) #4 will most likely go to the grocery store within the first 3 weeks of it's life with JUST Kate, Claire, Henry and me.
5. Dressin' up - This is a little embarrassing but hey, I am from the south. Kate never, and I mean NEVER, left the house unless she was in a smocked dress. No joke. Doctor's office - smocked dress. Grocery store - smocked dress. Post office - smocked dress. ON A WALK AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD - smocked dress. It was "church" clothes 24/7. Please don't be surprised if #4 just has on a side button T-shirt and a diaper on when you run into us...even at church. :)
5. Name - Kate had a name picked out as soon as I knew she was a girl. She had all kinds of stuff with her name on it. I mean it...this baby does NOT have a name. I guess we'll end up naming it at the hospital. (Has anyone actually done this before??) I do WANT to have a name ready but we just can't decide.
One thing that WILL BE the same is that I'm basically the sleep Natzi. I just like an orderly house with a schedule that everyone is on. The sleep training starts the first day home from the hospital. SO FAR, it's worked will the other kids. All have slept 8 hours between 4-5 weeks and all have slept 12 hours by 10-11 weeks (and yes, I nurse.) Plus, the 1:00 nap is essential to a happy household!
We'll see though...we have 24 days or less! I think! :) YES...I'm ready. YES...Rick is ready. Yes...the girls are ready. Henry...I don't know about him. Kate says it IS a girl but she'll like him even if he's a boy. Claire says it's 2 babies...the girl is inside the boy's tummy.
I enjoyed this post so much...especially reading it while anticipating my #1!! :) I REALLY want your input on the sleep nazi while nursing thing. There are SO many opinions out there...I feel stuck between the options of starving my baby to death because I don't nurse every hour and never sleeping or spending quality time with my husband again because all I am doing is nursing on demand. Would love to hear how you balanced that out. :) In case I am in a fog when your precious one gets here, CONGRATS!!! :)
ReplyDelete#4 will also be lucky if s/he ever gets called the correct name! Just ask Peggy, Sarah, Charlie...I mean Emma:)
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i second sarah's comment. also, i got called henry twice yesterday.... so that was a little weird.
ReplyDeleteEmma :)
You are cracking me up! Poor Bubs never got a shopping cart cover, and he's only #2. What does that say for future children? I need to ask you about sleep training next time I'm pregnant. Both of mine slept through the night around 8 weeks. But 4 or 5 weeks sounds better to me!
ReplyDeleteThis is a post that is accurate in its entirety, at least for us (I mean, we don't have a #4, but it holds for 3, apparently).
ReplyDeleteOh, and we did not have a name for #1 or #3 until LONG after they were born, like a few days (We were told #1 was a boy--NOPE-she's a girl and we argued throughout the pregnancy about #3's name--I lost in the end). The hospital people don't want you to leave without a name for some reason--they also get craaaazy about it if you try. ??? Which I don't get. Oh well.
Can't wait to hear about little baby Hutch! Blessings!
Love this post it's all so true!!!! No shopping cart covers, smocked clothes only on Sunday for baby 3. Can't wait to see what baby 4 is!
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