final preparations

This pregnancy has gone by quickly and fairly uneventfully.  Since I've done this before everything is much less noteworthy.  I have had quite a bit of heartburn and now I'm only two months out from d-day I'm getting big and uncomfortable.  I had a cold for over a week and that was annoying.  I was pretty congested and I was afraid of getting an infection, but it seems like I'm okay now.

The little guy is kicking like a mad mad.  He'll kick consistently for an hour.  I don't remember if Quentin kicked quite so much.  It seems like a lot.  It's surprising mostly because during my three ultrasounds he barely moved at all.  I was afraid there was something wrong with him.

We've been trying to get Quentin used to the idea of having a new baby in the house.  It's hard to make something that is so abstract a little more concrete to an almost two-year-old.  It was hard for me to visualize an actual baby when I had Quentin so I can't image what he thinks about the baby.  We talk about him a lot and have Quentin feel him kicking whenever he'll sit still long enough.  My husband and him come to all the midwife appointments.  At first he would cry whenever they would touch me, but now he seems to like the idea of hearing the baby's heart beat.  We also bought him "I'm a big brother" by Joanna Cole and he likes to read it daily.  I think it helps make it a little more real.

We've been busy trying to get all the gear ready.  We decided to get a double stroller since Quentin really likes being in the stroller whenever we use one, but it was hard deciding which one to get.  We liked the Graco DuoGlider Classic Connect ™ Stroller at Target because it was pretty cheap, had two full seats, folds up easily, and is fairly light for a double stroller.  You can also put the infant carrier in either seat, but unfortunately it doesn't take Chicco which is what we have.  We figured that since the baby won't be in the infant carrier all that long and we don't actually use a stroller that frequently we could use the Snap n' Go for the car seat and Quentin can walk most of the time. 

We also bought a Joovy Caboose Ultralight Stand On Tandum Stroller on Craigslist.  We got it for only $85 otherwise we probably would have waited on that.  It has really great reviews and is really light weight.  The only problem is that you have to put the baby carrier in the front seat and you have to buy a back seat if you want one, which we would right now since Quentin likes to be comfortable and wouldn't like to sit on the bench in the back.  We figure that once he gets bigger he'll like being able to get out easily and will like the the bench. So thus we wanted the Graco as well.  Since they were both so cheap we figured it was better to just go ahead and buy both of them.

We also decided to have two play yards.  We already have a Graco one with a bassinet and diaper changing pad we used for Quentin (we sold the one we used for him when he was a newborn because it was used and not that nice and bought a new one before we moved to Oklahoma) and figured we  would use that one in our room while the baby is little.  We then started to think about getting another one for downstairs.  I decided that it would be good to have not only for frequent diaper changes and napping, but also because I don't feel comfortable leaving a newborn on the floor with a toddler running around.  When I just had Quentin I left him on his play mat or a blanket while I did other things, but I don't think that'll work with baby #2.

We opted to get the S1 by Safety 1st Satellite Premiere Play Yard.  We haven't seen one in person yet so our opinions may change when it arrives, but we liked this one because it has a lot of storage and the changing pad looks sturdier than some of the others that are sort of hanging over the bassinet.  It also isn't over the bassinet so you don't have to move it up and down.

We are in the process of organizing what used to be our junk room so that we can make it into Quentin's new room.  It really needs a paint job as well.  We want to buy bunk beds since eventually the two boys will be sharing that room.  It will be nice when both rooms are finished, but I'm afraid that it might not happen by the time the baby is born.

We are also working on the back yard.  You know, in our spare time.  We bought a pavilion that my husband is going to put up during his weekend and we've been looking for a play set.  We also bought a little raised garden thing.  I'd like to have something out there besides dirt so Quentin can go out there and play while the baby is little and we can't really go to a park.

I'm nervous about when the baby will arrive.  If he comes too early my in-laws won't be here to babysit Quentin, and if he comes too late we won't maximize the help they will provide.  I'm figuring I will need more help than last time.  My midwife says she has a plan on helping me go into labor naturally, but I don't put much stock into those sorts of things.  She also says that she doesn't like to induce until 41.5 weeks, which would be fine but then my in-laws will be sitting around most of the time they're here and I'm not going to have any sleep after they leave, which worries me since I had postpartum depression last time.  I'm thinking if it comes to that I'm going to request to be induced by 41 weeks at the latest.