Getting Ready for Baby Brother!

The fact that I've had contractions off and on for the past couple of weeks has really made us feel like we need to get moving on our preparations for Baby Brother. We still have some things left to do but here are some of the things we've done so far:

1. Preparations for Labor:

• Doula - This time we are opting to go with a doula in an attempt to have a more natural birthing experience. The one we chose is really awesome and actually makes me excited to be in labor. I know that sounds weird, but it's true. We have had both our prep meetings with her to make decisions about interventions, write our birth plan, and to talk about comfort measures during labor. She has been very helpful in helping me answer any questions we have as get closer and we've been updating her on what happens at our doctor's appointments. We will call her once we are in labor and need her and she will be with us until Baby Brother is born and will stay to help us get breastfeeding started. Then, we will get a post-birth meeting a week or two afterwards to be sure everything is going well. Well worth the money in my opinion!
• Doctor - While we had no real complaints about the doctor we used to have, he was more medical-minded than we were. We have switched to a more natural-minded doctor who is on board with everything we have asked for. We know several people who have had births with him and have been extremely happy with him. He is an awesome doctor and if anyone is looking to switch, we would highly recommend him!
• Birth Plan - With the help of our doula and doctor, we came up with a birth plan that we are happy with. We realize that things do not always go as planned so some things may have to change as we go, but we at least have some idea of what we hope will happen and know that our doctor is aware of our wishes.
• Playlist - We are hoping to use some Music Therapy Assisted Childbirth techniques in our birth so I have a playlist of music divided into the different stages of labor.
• Comfort Measures - We have a small bag of "goodies" to help with labor that we plan to bring to the hospital. This bag includes some homemade heating pads (made from material and corn) that can be heated to help with pain, lemongrass essential oil (the smell reminds me of Jamaica), non-scented massage oil, massagers, a Pretty Pusher (a cute little "dress" to wear during labor that is super comfortable), snacks to help me keep my energy up, etc. Our doula also has a lot of things that she uses during labor that she will be bringing as well.

2. Preparing Anya - It seems like this is where most of our energy has been devoted to!

• Anya is now completely potty-trained, both day and night. It was not as hard as we thought it would be and we are so proud of her for catching on so easily.
• She has been out of her crib and in a "big girl bed" since before Christmas. We also redid her room in a Minnie Mouse theme to make her feel more like a "big girl."
• She has put together a gift for her baby brother that she plans to give him at the hospital. Baby Brother also has a gift for his big sister and we also have something for our "big girl" once he is born.
• We are in the middle of helping Anya write a letter to her Baby Brother but she is easily distracted, so it is taking some time....
• Perhaps the biggest "fight" has been trying to cut down her bedroom routine so we are not spending an hour every night trying to get her in bed. We have a pretty decent routine that involves brushing her teeth, going potty, and reading usually 1 or 2 short books, but when you add in all the temper tantrums that go along with being 2, it can be time-consuming.
• We have been doing a lot of talking about being a big sister and all the things she will be able to help with. She is going to be such a good big sister!

3. Preparations for Afterwards...

• As I've mentioned before, we've been cooking and freezing meals. So far, we have 13 meals: Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche, Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli and Chicken, Baked Spaghetti (with ground turkey), Lasagna (ground turkey), Spaghetti Squash Lasagna, Calzones, Deep Dish Pizza Casserole, Layered Pasta Dish, Chicken Pot Pie Casserole, Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup, Broccoli Cheese Soup, Potato Soup, and Taco Casserole Bake. Most of these are light recipes, too, so that I can try to lose the weight as fast as possible.
• We have Baby Brother's baptism scheduled at our church and have godparents chosen. Everything is set for that so we won't have as much to do regarding this after he is born.
• We've installed both car seat bases and washed what can be washed with the carseat carrier.
• We've washed all the clothes we have

Stuff We Still Need to Do:

• We still need to order a few things like nipples for bottles, valves and membranes for the breastpump, a Baby K'Tan, a few pacifiers, mirrors for the cars, and a couple of sleepsacks and swaddlemes.
• We need to wash all of the bottles, bottle parts, and new pump parts so that they are ready, though it will be awhile before we should need these.
• Eric needs to go out to the barn to get the bouncer and the swing so that we can set them up in the house and wash the material. We used both of these quite a bit with Anya, so hopefully Baby Brother will like them, too.
• We have started packing for the hospital, but I would like to make a quick list of things that need to be added at the last minute so that we can do that quickly once we go into labor. If our labor goes as quickly as our doctor thinks it will, we won't have much time to worry about this!
• We still need to officially decide on a name. We have some ideas but nothing 100% decided, but he will have a name before we leave the hospital!

We have also been working on the nursery but I think that deserves it's own post at a later date!