What do we REALLY need?

When we first found out we were expecting Sea Monkey, I got so excited to buy, buy, buy.  Now, I'll admit, I'm slightly terrified by how much 'baby things' cost, and trying to figure out the difference between essential and luxury.  

On one of our first trips to Babies R Us, Mike had some serious sticker shock.  We both did.  We couldn't believe that a crib or dresser alone would set us back $600.  Maybe for the folks who win powerball this was acceptable, but it certainly wasn't the reality for us!

Recently, I've been thinking about "What do we REALLY need?"  Sure I could be a minimalist.  I could take the advice from the woman I wrote about in Everybody's Got An Opinion and not buy a crib and let Sea Monkey sleep in the laundry basket.  But we're not that crazy.  We're pretty much done furnishing the nursery - crib, mattress, glider, changing table and we're waiting for the dresser to be shipped.  We have the car seat / stroller, bouncer and swing.  And the pack and play.  Who can forget that?  I've started buying diapers and wipes and we have a few clothing items.  In all honesty, we've kind of taken a break from buying things.  Mostly because I hate spending money .... or as Mike would put it, because I'm "cheap".  I suppose I take after my father in that way, whom we've affectionately nick-named the "heat mizer". But I digress ....

So lately I've been looking at lists.  Partly because I'm a weirdo list maker anyway, partly because we really have no idea what we're doing, and partly because, well - they're out there.  I googled "must have baby items" to see if I could get a list of things we really need vs things people think they need.  I suppose it's very subjective since one list I found was only 1 page, while another list was 3 pages.  Helpful?  No.  I think my inner Girl Scout is coming out because I'm finding I tend to gravitate towards the longer lists.  Better to be prepared and not need something than to be pulling my hair out at 3 am because I don't have a pacifier because 'so-and-so' told me I didn't need one but it would sure come in handy right now.  And a bottle of rum.  Rum will always come in handy.  I'll be sure to have plenty of that on hand as well.


Back to my original question - What do we really need?  I'm asking for suggestions here - and it's rare for me to actually ask for anyone's opinion or advice. So mark this day in history, and take advantage - give me your opinion!  What do we really need?   


Photo Update: 
Here's my belly photos from weeks 9 - 20

    

Half Way There!

We have officially made it to the halfway point!  20 weeks down .... 20 to go. 

In retrospect, the past 20 weeks have flown by.  But at the same time, when I think about the day-to-day .... it feels like an eternity.  Oh what I wouldn't do for a nice cold glass of wine after a crappy day at work.  Let's take a look at what's going on right now:

How Far Along: 20 weeks, 1 day

Size of Sea Monkey: Banana - I know, the photo above says Mango, but I took that snapshot from my app the day before my fruit got updated. 

Cravings: Ice Cream.  Normally, I am not a huge ice cream eater ....

Gallons of Ice Cream Eaten: 2 .... trying to be good

Sleep: What's that?  I get a few hours at a time, but Sea Monkey thinks my bladder is his personal trampoline so I'm frequently getting up at night.  Not to mention it's nearly impossible to find a comfortable position (yes, already).

Sex of Baby: It's a boy!

Weight Gain: I'm not answering this.  Let's just say, everything I lost before the wedding is back.

Names: The one and only thing Mike and I are keeping a secret until Sea Monkey enters the world.

Symptoms: FATIGUE ....

Fetal Movement: Lots!  We might have a little athelete in there as he moves around a lot.  It's still very strange to feel him moving but I can't wait for Mike to be able to feel the kicks from the outside!

What you’re looking forward to: Flip Flops, potentially cutting down to working 4 days a week, and the end of my school career (I graduate from my Master's program on May 19th!)

What baby is doing this week: (Taken from What to Expect) How big is your baby? About the size of a large banana — and speaking of bananas, if you eat one this week, there's a good chance your baby will get a taste, too. That's because he swallows a bit of amniotic fluid each day (for nutrition, hydration, and to practice digesting), so he eats whatever's on your menu — and gets to put those developing taste buds to good use. So go ahead and nosh on those nachos (or crunch those crudités): Your baby may develop a taste for them when he’s older.

What your body is doing:  (Taken from What to Expect) You may start to notice some stretch marks as your body expands and your belly and breasts just keep on growing. These pink, red, or purple streaks appear when the supporting tissue under your skin gets torn as skin stretches (and stretches and stretches) during pregnancy. Not every woman gets them, though you're a likely candidate if your mom had stretch marks during her pregnancy or if you've gained weight rapidly. So go ahead and slather the cocoa butter — at least it’ll keep your skin from drying out, even if it won’t keep those marks at bay.

There's also a growing list of things that are getting harder to do each day:
* Shave my legs
* Pick things up off the floor
* Get off the couch (THANK YOU MIKE for going to storage and getting the recliner for me. It's more firm and much easier to get out of!)
* Use the sink without soaking my belly
* Tie my sneakers
* Cross my legs

But as much as I know it sounds like I'm complaining, Sea Monkey is worth every little bit of sacrifice.  Mike and I are getting so excited and just can't wait to meet our little guy!  We are still working to get the nursery put together.  We decided to take a break this weekend - we are still worn out from all the work we had to do when the new carpet was installed.  There's 1 piece of furniture we still need to buy, and the glider has a broken piece we're waiting to have replaced.  I think I also need a retail vacation - I'm surprised I haven't had a heart attack at how much we've spent so far, and I get a little anxiety thinking about all the things we still need.  We did, however, make a trip to the Carter's outlet and got 2 cute outfits for Sea Monkey.  I gotta give it to Mike - he picks out some really cute things!  

Mike's Pick:

I can't find a photo of the one I picked out online .... trust me, Mike's is cuter. 

What's Next?  I suppose we're still adjusting to the fact we're going to be parents.  The animals are still adjusting to the fact they're going to have a human little brother - Hooper is taking it the hardest.  I found him sleeping in the bassinet of Sea Monkey's pack and play the other day:

 I'm hoping by the time Sea Monkey makes an appearance that Hooper realizes all these cool new places to sleep are not for him.  The dogs appear to be adapting far better than Hooper.  

Well I'm sure that's about enough from me today.  On a non-Sea Monkey note, I've got to finish a paper on Jack Welch (*yawn*) this week, and I'm praying I get some sleep tonight. 

How many parents does it take to put together a pack and play?

 Pack and play .... sounds simple enough, right?  WRONG!  But they're supposed to be easy to put together, right?  That's what I thought.  And I guess it really was easy to put together until we had to add the little bassinet and changing table thing.  That's where it got very complicated.

First of all, the instructions booklet for this thing is like 50 pages long. You'd think for such a long instructions manual it would be super easy to figure out what to do.  Well we did alright until we had to put together the changing table part.  The manual said to "insert metal poles as shown in the picture".  So I look at the picture which is about one square inch.  Ok, I can barely make out what you're showing me in the picture.  Thinking, "how difficult can it be?" I put the manual down and try to just figure it out.  Yeah that was a failure.  It took both Mike and I a good half hour just to figure out how to get the stupid support pole through the fabric.  We were pulling and pushing and wishing the damn thing was made of velcro instead of sewn shut.  Who the heck writes these manuals?!  They need to fire that person and hire someone who can be a little more descriptive.  FINALLY, we figure it out.  Small victory for the parents to be!  Now, onto the bassinet ....

The bassinet wasn't too bad.  My struggles with the changing table helped me with the bassinet part.  But .... once we had it all put together, proud parents standing looking at their achievement, we realize ..... we have 2 extra pieces.

Do you see those two poles in my hand?  Yeah, we have no idea where they go.  (Sidenote: Mike really needs to take a photography class.  I know it's an iphone but is it too much to ask to get a clear picture?!  Love you Mike!!!!) Anyway ...... we gave up trying to figure out what step we missed and why we have extra pieces.  Of course we still have 5 months to figure it out so I'm not terribly worried yet. 

Here's the best part of the story - we decide to put the pack and play in our bedroom.  This is where Sea Monkey will sleep for the first few weeks.  I know, why do we have it set up so early?  Well a few reasons -  #1 we wanted to be sure we know how to use everything and #2 - we want the dogs to be comfortable with all the changes happening in the house.  So back to getting the pack and play in the bedroom.  We have it all put together and we don't dare take it apart to move it since it took long enough in the first place.  So we try to carry it through the door.  Ok, great. We're in the hallway.  A creative "pivot" and we're about to bring it into the bedroom when we realize it doesn't fit.  What?  Are you SERIOUS?  It fit through one bedroom door, why won't it fit through the other?  I thought they were the same size.  We didn't take the time to measure, but apparently they're not the same size.  So we do what any other completely exhausted and frustrated parents would do ..... we try to shove it through.  We tilt it, we push it, we pull it.  Nothing.  It's not working.  I also don't want to ruin a brand new pack & play.  So we realize the hard truth and half take it apart ... just removing the top portion with the bassinet and changing table, and finally get it in the bedroom.  Ahhhhh FINALLY! 

I really didn't think we were going to need a Ph.D to put the darn thing together, and in all honesty, it made me feel pretty stupid.  How are we going to raise a child when we can't even figure out how to put his pack and play together?  Sort of makes you think about all the fun things we'll do that will make us feel stupid.  But then again, I think about the day we were in Babies r Us and we saw this very young couple who looked like they should have been going to a party instead of pushing a 2 year old around in a carriage and Mike said to me, "Hey, if they can do it .... we can do it."  :-) 

Gender reveal cupcakes

I heard of this neat idea from a neighbor - when you're expecting you have the ultrasound tech write down the sex of the baby and you take it to a bakery.  The bakery makes cupcakes with either pink or blue frosting on the INSIDE of the cupcake.  You plan a party with friends and family.  Everyone takes a bite into a cupcake to find out if you're having a boy or girl!  Sounds fun right?  Well I had to do my own twist on it for several reasons:
A. Mike and I wanted to be the first to know
B. I called a few bakeries and it was crazy expensive ($3 PER CUPCAKE!)
C. My family does not live near me so throwing a party was out of the question.

So .... I decided to do this with my co-workers and bake the cupcakes myself. Here's how I made the cupcakes:

Step 1: Bake cupcakes.  (duh)

          I made chocolate and vanilla.  I hate chocolate.  Actually, the batter made me gag because it smelled too sweet.  See the sacrifices I make just to do something for Sea Monkey?  Don't worry, I didn't puke in the batter.

Step 2: Make frosting.

          When I say "make", what I really mean is - Use blue food coloring to turn pre-made vanilla frosting into cool baby blue frosting.  I know, bad photo.  Trust me, it's blue.  

Step 3: Cut a hole in the top of the cupcake and fill with frosting.

          I forgot to take a photo of this step, but I'm pretty sure you get the idea.  

Step 4: Frost cupcake and put a cute ? on the top.

          This is one finished cupcake.  I had to test it out to be sure I did it correctly. 

          

Here's what it looks like when you "bite" into it.  Sorry, it's chocolate so I couldn't BITE into it ..... I cut it in half.  Dad - it would have been really helpful if you were around.  Then I wouldn't have felt so badly about throwing this one away.  I couldn't give it to the dogs and I didn't dare eat it since I had already gagged just smelling the batter. 

YAY! Finally done!  It took forever but they came out cute don't you think?  Too bad I ruined about half of them trying to put a cover on them so I could transport them to work. 

The cupcakes are done, I've somewhat successfully transported them to work, and there's a party to attend!  Here's to hoping my co-workers have fun with this ... 

It's a .....

Well the big day is finally here, and I know you're dying to know so I won't hold out any longer .....

It's a .....

YAY!  We are so excited to be having a little boy, or as one of my friends said, it's a "He" Monkey!  Mike is over the moon thrilled.  But even better than having a boy, he's healthy which is really the most important thing.  The ultrasound tech was great and showed us all the different body parts.  Whenever we'd see something new I'd say, "Yay, he has a <insert whatever body part we were looking at>".  You hear so many horror stories about babies who develop without kidneys, or don't have 4 chambers to the heart, or have half a brain.  So yes, I was excited Sea Monkey had kidneys, a stomach, a perfect heart, and everything else that makes him the most perfect little thing EVER!  

Wow, it really was a big day.  Mike saw Sea Monkey in action for the first time and my mind was put at ease that I'm doing everything right and Sea Monkey is developing perfectly.  Grandparents learned they're having a grandson, and we finally got to buy something blue!

Here's a roundup of some of the photos we got to take home

Sea Monkey has feet!  And they're really, really cute feet aren't they?

Here's a profile shot .... 

He flipped around in this one, but you can see him yawning!  He's in for a big surprise if he's yawning after floating around in amniotic fluid all day.  Poor kid.... :-P

One of my favorite photos - a full body shot.  Love that he's got his feet kicked up and just chilling out in there.  Except I feel him moving around a lot.  Guess he was just being shy for the camera or maybe just taking a nap because he definitely likes to throw dance parties in there at night when I'm trying to fall asleep!

Mike and I wanted to have some time to let it sink in that "it's a boy".  Although I will admit we called and wrote to some family members first.  It's something special we wanted to share with those closest to us before sharing it with the world.  We hope you're as excited as we are!  

In other news: 

New carpet is being installed tomorrow.  Depending on how hectic it is, I may take some photos and document the craziness I'm sure will be going on here all day.  But even better than new carpet is that we'll finally be putting the nursery together!  So it will only be a few more weeks until we *hopefully* have it pretty much done.

Hooper has taken up residence in the basket underneath the stroller.  I think he's still having a hard time adjusting to the fact that Sea Monkey is taking over what used to be his room.  

Well, that's about all I've got for this one - and it should be enough because it's BIG NEWS!  (Call CNN will 'ya?!)

Where do my organs go?

Have you ever wondered what happens to a person's organs during pregnancy? I did .... I found this neat animation online.

{Click here to go to animation.}

Pretty neat, huh?  Although I think near the end it's not going to be so neat when Sea Monkey is pushing on my bladder all the time.  I already need to go to the bathroom too much ... Maybe by July I should just wear Depends.  (Yes, someone .... *ahem* Aunt Pat, actually suggested this to me).  But I don't realistically think I could consciously pee in a diaper as an adult.  Thanks for the suggestion Aunt Pat but I think I'll just get my exercise running to the bathroom all day! 

Right now I'm 18 weeks pregnant ... so in the 17 - 20 week range of the animation.  Looks like my intestines are the only thing impacted right now.  They appear to be squished up above my uterus.  But I don't feel like I'm digesting food any differently.  Strange how the body does these amazing things! 

It's Monday ... Which means just a few long and agonizing days until the big ultrasound on Thursday!  Mike and I both had dreams over the weekend that Sea Monkey was a boy .... we'll see if our subconscious is right or not!  We also did a few errands this weekend - one of which was to pick up Sea Monkey's first books!  We decided to get our childhood favorites:

Mike's was Corduroy

mine was the Poky Little Puppy

I was surprised to see the Poky Little Puppy still in print so I HAD to buy it.  This was hands-down my favorite book as a child.  My mom read it to me so many times I had it memorized ... and I would call her out when she tried to skip pages.  :-)  Hopefully Sea Monkey will have his or her own favorites, but we hope these get lots of use as well!

Well, this is probably my last post until Friday .... for the big announcement!  Here's to hoping Thursday 2:00 PM comes quickly and shows a healthy Sea Monkey boy or girl! 

True Confessions of a coupon addict

I've got to admit ... I've started a mini stockpile.  It started out with just diapers and wipes when I realized how expensive they were.  But I've added a few other items as well; Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Puppy, Diaper Pail, Beechnut Rice Cereal, crib sheets ....  Hey, can you blame a girl for seeing a good deal and not being able to let it pass by?  I didn't think so. 

Today, Mike and I made 2 trips; one to Target and one to Walmart.  Walmart was definitely the better trip but both were still good!

Target

Circo Crib Sheet $9.99
Used $5 off Target coupon .... $4.99

Huggies wipes 56 ct $1.97
Used $1/2 Target coupon and (2) $0.50 /1 manuf. coupons
Ends up being 0.017 per wipe

Pampers Wipes  $1.97
Used $0.50/1 ... Makes them 0.022 per wipe - a little more than I like to spend

I had made a trip to Target last night on my way home from work as well - couldn't pass up these deals:
Circo Crib Sheet $9.99 with $5 off coupon making it $4.99 (yes, I got a sheet last night and another today).  And the Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Puppy - $15.16 but I had a $5 Target Coupon and a $5 Manuf. coupon making it only $5.16.

 Walmart

Huggies Wipes 56 Ct $1.97
Used $1/1 making them $0.97 .... 0.017 per wipe

Beechnut Rice Cereal $1.50
Used $1/1 making it $0.50 .... Expires 2014 so plenty of time to use it.

Huggies Pull Ups Flushable Wipes 42 Ct $1.64
Used $1/1 making them $0.64 ..... 0.015 per wipe

Huggies Snugglers Diapers Size 1 40 Ct and 32 Ct Huggies Wipes  $10.93 total
Used $2 off when you buy both .... Not the best deal now that I do the math .... So I may return the diapers because they're about $0.09 more than my stock up price. 

I promise this won't turn into a coupon crazy blog.  I just wanted to share the good deals I've been getting.  Sea Monkey is going to cost us a lot over time so the more I can save, the better off we will be.  I know I'll be too tired and busy to sit in front of the computer for hours trying to find good deals after Sea Monkey gets here, so I figured I'd start now while I have the time and energy.  Some people have told me that stocking up on a diapers is a waste of money; that maybe that brand won't work or I'll buy too many in one size.  And that *may* happen ... but I suppose it's a risk I'm willing to take.  We're not in the poor house so if a certain brand I bought doesn't work out, I'll donate them.  But I'm hoping my research and deal seeking skills pay off for us! 

In other news:
*  Sea Monkey's room is almost clear of everything that doesn't belong.  I have to find a home for a few items and Mike has a few bins of copper he's promised he'll get rid of. 

*  Carpet has been confirmed and will be installed next Saturday!  I'm still trying to figure out how we'll maneuver 3 rooms of furniture within our 900 sqft and still leave enough room for the install guys to do their work.
*  We have an ultrasound this week (5 days!) to make sure Sea Monkey has been developing correctly and of course we hope to find out if Sea Monkey is a boy or girl if he/she will cooperate! 

I'm feeling good, but tired and I love feeling Sea Monkey moving around.  Although it's really cool, it's still kind of weird to think there's a teeny tiny person inside me swimming around.  I can't wait to get the carpet installed so we can start setting up the furniture in the nursery. 

That's about it for today.  Cross your fingers the next 5 days go by quickly, that Sea Monkey will cooperate and let us see if it's a boy or girl, and that the carpet install goes smoothly next Saturday.  Stay tuned for the gender reveal post .... I hope to have something up next Friday (3/8).