Same-Sex Households
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
PCP/TTC Wednesday
It's that time! What are the updates ladies?? Checked anything off your PCP list? made any cute purchases (brit!)?
QOTD: what would you say are the top 10 most needed/wanted items for baby? (this question is completely self-serving as you'll see 
)
Blogs: Our Growing Family - CT Working Moms
Re: PCP/TTC Wednesday
I've been browsing sperm. Otherwise, no...we're torn on the start date due to C's job situation. Sigh.
QOTH: breast bump (i want to use as much as possible), crib, compact stroller, job stroller, carseat, a million burpee clothes, and a Digital SLR
our update is pretty long this week! bear with me...
We had our initial foster parenting consult with a state social worker last night and have been "fast tracked" to begin training classes in 2 weeks. Its a 10 week program which includes parenting classes, home inspections, personal interviews, background checks, ect ect....so we're certainly not going to have a child in our home tomorrow, but its looking pretty good. The social worker told us that in situations like ours, they usually have a child lined up "before the ink dries" on our license - which would be about 12 weeks from now. eeek. Although i've been told its rediculous, i'm still somewhat nervous that they are going to decide they dont like us at some point and yank us from the program!
We're feeling excited, nervous, unprepared, elated, scared, butterflies.....and so much more. I imagine this is what a BFP kinda feels like
I'm currently panicing about our lack of stuff needed for a baby. We have nothing right now! excuse me while i head to the bathroom and practice my deep breathing....So i have to make a list and start searching craigslist for some good deals. The trouble is, the items needed for a 4 month old are very different from the items needed for a 3 year old! hence the panic. So please - help me by sharing your lists!
Blogs: Our Growing Family - CT Working Moms
Well, I've started working out more. This is on our PCP list for both of so that when we and if we do decide to walk down baby lane, we are in shape. So, it feels pretty good.
QOTD: what would you say are the top 10 most needed/wanted items for baby?
1. New Car. I want a new car for baby.
2. A House. Fitting baby in a one bedroom apt just isn't going to happen.
3. Books, Books, and more Books. I want my child to have so many books at their fingertips. I'm big into reading, I want my child to appreciate literacy as well.
4. I would really really like to have an awesome crib, and changing table. I have looked a few just to kill time on the internet, but definantly modern.
5. We both need to have our bachelors degrees, this goes along w/ above, but we want our children to recognize how important this is. We also want to be done, so we don't have to attempt both w/ a baby.
6. An Awesome Stroller!
7. I want a gift certificate to a company that will wash my dirty cloth diapers!
8. A piano, I never got a chance to explore music, and julie plays guitar, I'd like our child to have the chance to at least try.
9. I need to think about these
10.
Well we are still plodding along and are now in week 5 with a sesame seed embryo. I have my intake exam with the ob in a week. I spent this week going crazy thinking about what to do regarding prenatal and delivery. I heard about this awesome ob in cambridge who does all her own deliveries and has a midwife as well. Sounded perfect until I called and got put on the waiting list. So I am going to an ob practice that delivers in the very good hospital in the town I work in that has a brand new l/d facility. But I still don't know if they are the one or I will continue to shop around. We did love the midwives who we did our iuis with but I want an ob. Ask me in a few weeks though I seem to change my mind every 2 seconds. Other than that I am doing well with very minor symptoms.
So my top 10 list (I have been researching this for years! also what I found very important while being a nanny)
1. Swing
2. spit cloths
3. onesies
4. Swaddle blankets/recieving blankets
5. breast pump/good nursing bras/breast pads
6.bouncy seat
7. car seat (peg perego or britax highest safety rating)
8. socks (my grandmother felt that babies always should have covered feet and I somehow inherited this, may come from the fact that she raised 5 kids in a farm house heated with wood with no running hot water and also cooked on a wood stove as well)
9. stroller ( am totally obsessed with the peg perego skate at the present moment even though I totally know I don't really need it) I went on a trip to Europe at 13 and have been obsessing over european strollers ever since. Crazy huh!
10. pack'n play for trips to grandmas!
Well I"m determined to order donor profiles by the end of February and make a decision by the end of March. I will do it. K has given the green light and now it's up to me to put aside my fears and jump in. K has started to mention kids much more and that helps easy my fears.
QOTD: crib, stroller, car seat, bouncyswingthing ;-), clothes, toiletry supplies, bottles, toys, blankets, etc, etc.
I think the list could go on forever.....
Lets see... I just looked at a ticker I have (I'm 5w, 3d today), and it says that our little blobs heart is now beating!! I can't believe I have a little living thing inside of me! The shock/worry has worn off for Trav and now he's just thrilled and super excited about this baby. He sent me a Harry & David's Pear Tower yesterday with a note that said, "thought you might need a snack." He's such a sweetie!
My symptoms so far are peeing a ton, constant hunger (hence the pears), and a huge craving for anything salty. Plus a big stupid grin.
QOTD:
1. Car seat... you can't even legally take your own child home without one of these properly installed!
2. Crib or bassinet or pack-n-play (plus appropriate sheets)
3. Bottles/cup (and formula or breast pump, as appropriate)
4. Sling and/or stroller
5. Clothes!
6. Diapers, wipes, and a changing mat
7. For an older baby/toddler, some simple toys. For a very young baby, a swaddler and nuk.
8. Books
9. Prefolds... they are great for everything, as burp clothes, to wipe up baby, etc.
10. A baby med kit with ear thermometer, baby motrin or tylenol, grip water, and destin.
Honestly, that's all I can think of that you need. There are so many things that people want to get... but you don't actually need most of it. I think you could honestly get away with buying only 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10.
Of course, I want more. Lol.
Good luck Elise!! What an amazing and scary time for you!!
Maybe I don't have a heightened sense of smell, but I've never smelled any vagina on my pants. -- TSD
Bloggity Blog - You know you want to...
We met with our new RE on Monday. He was very nice and we will start trying with me as soon as finances allow.
We are well into our foster parent training. We just finished our fingerprints and have another class tonight. We are starting to gather what we need for our home visit too.
I am excited but it's a little bittersweet for me. I always thought we would be shopping for our bio child first. Plus, there are no registries/showers and congratulatory calls when you foster. At least not from our family and friends. No one really knows what to say, no one is excited and it makes me cry, a lot :-(
QOTD:Elise-I know what you mean. We have to have a little bit of everything ready too. Here is what we will need:
Crib, rails for bed for a toddler, travel system for an infant, carseat, swing, bottles, formula, highchair, bouncy seat, diapers/wipes, first aid/grooming kit, childproofing kits, bath tub and washcloths, clothes in assorted sizes and colors, monitor, Swaddleme, potty seat....there is more but my head is spinning.
Oy, now I may be sick looking at all of that.
What do you NEED or what is nice to have?
All you NEED is a place for the baby to sleep (crib, bassinett, pack -n-play, snuggle nest), some clothes (I found that gowns were AWESOME for bedtime - no snaps or buttons to do at 3am. Other than that my kids were in one piece footed sleepers forever!), a car seat, bottles (if you are planning to formula feed - and really some even if you are breast feeding), diapers, and a few blankets.
Now if we are talking what did I find really helpful and wonderful to have?
Swing (God, I couldn't have lived without it), bouncy seat, pacifiers (don't buy too many of one brand - you never know if your LO will like what you choose!), burp clothes (the thick Gerber cloth diapers work better than anything - and when you are done using them, they make great dust rags!), a mobile (we loved our Symphony in Motion one, It isn't the cutest, but the kids loved it and it bought us time to take showers/get ready.) A baby bath tub (we loved the Primo one - it is big, but can be used for infants and older babies), blankets for swaddling (we loved our Miracle Blanket - well, Carter loved it. Grayson hated being swaddled.), a good pump if you are pumping. I had a used Pump in Style that was awesome (even used that thing was a work horse I pumped 4-8 times a day for a year.) Bottles (once again, don't buy too many since you never know what they'll/you'll like. We went through 5 types of bottles before settling on Dr. Browns. Once you settle on a type buy enough for 1 day + so you don' t have to wash them all the time and can run them through the dishwasher at the end of the day.) A playmat (great for tummy time), baby soap/lotion (California Baby is great and safe.) Infant Tylenol (not Motrin - they can't have Motrin till 6m), Gripe Water (this was a GODSEND in our house.) Mylicon (buy the generic target brand 1/3 the price of namebrand Mylicon.) Nail clippers/baby nail file (you can't believe how sharp a babies nails can be.) Baby wash cloths (the big ones are too bulky and you'll use them for awhile - we still use them on the kids.) A carrier (I had a hand me down Bjorn, but would have done a Becco or Ergo had I not had two kids.) And most importantly....a sense of humor.
I think I still have the crazy spreadsheet L made of what we needed if anyone is interested.
Oh, after I posted, I see top ten. Oops.
yes please! ec371@aol.com and your 10+ suggestions are very appreciated!
Blogs: Our Growing Family - CT Working Moms
I'm so so sorry Blue. That seems so insignificant when obviously you're hurting, but I really am sorry.
Maybe I don't have a heightened sense of smell, but I've never smelled any vagina on my pants. -- TSD
Bloggity Blog - You know you want to...
would love the spread sheet
genierster@gmail.com
Sorry Blue
I am thinking about you and hope you get a + soon. Wish saying sorry would make it go away. Hugs-sam
ditto. big time. ((hugs))
Blogs: Our Growing Family - CT Working Moms
So sorry Blue...
We have a consult today with the midwife (in an hour to be exact). We have our sperm waiting for us at the center and can pretty much start as soon as possible! We think we may have our first try this month, well that would be in two weeks. We both are really excited about it!!!
As for things I want... Michele and I both really love Dr. Suess and grew up reading those books. We were thinking of somehow incorporating that into our nurery theme so we were both really excited to find that Pottery barn Kids has just come out with a Dr. Suess Nursery! I really like the artwork and think it would be very cute.
-Meg
Meg good luck at your appointment. We had such a great experience with there. You will love it. I will be interested to hear how it goes. GL
sam
Meg good luck at your appointment. We had such a great experience with there. You will love it. I will be interested to hear how it goes. GL
sam
I'm sorry Blue darling. It's f0cking miserable and I hurt for you.
I'm 11dpo and trying desperately not to go off the deep end. Testing Saturday.
For my list of stuff, I'll share my registry. I know that seems so tacky, but I use Find Gift which is such a handy way to keep track of where you find things all over the internet. I've been building up ideas for a year now and have tried to do my research and balance it with what is important to us.
Go to findgift dot com - click on "gift registry" - on the left hand side, see "find a gift registry" - put in "Sarah" and "Bluemont" and select "Idaho".
Click on "buy online" to see the item on it's own webpage.
I'm sorry Blue ...
I stopped doing registrtys when we MC'ed because I couldn't stop looking at the stuff on it and the due date, and yea it was very hard and depressing. So pretty much I just think of what I want vs. dont want and keep it in my brain.
1. a breast pump, I want to breastfeed and not formula feed but E has expressed a great desire to feed our child.
2. bottles and burp cloths.
3. co-sleeper crib for next to our bed.
4. rocking chair.... more like a glider w/ottoman
5. a book on making homemade baby food, and supplies.
6. Cloth diapers.
7. onesies, and tshirts, and socks.
8. "nanny cam" for main rooms in home, with wireless uplink to monitor sitter if and when I am forced to leave baby.
9. A house (5 years out!)
10. Either a Toyota 4runner or a Toyota RAV4 (in 2010!)
My heart goes out to you, blue and Duchess. I can only imagine how the long wait for the bfp plus the stress of ttc feels - as we draw closer to starting ourselves, I can't shake the worries about all the possible difficulties. I really hope you'll both have good news soon.
QOTD: something to sleep in, something to eat in (high chair/booster seat - they make some great ones that go from baby to toddler which would be nice for you, Elise!), something to travel in (carseat, stroller), and then the housekeeping type stuff (burp cloths, first aid kit, etc). It's stressful enough preparing for a newborn - but having to prepare for a range of ages, yeesh! I say stick to the basics.
My update: As you all know, I made a baby purchase
. It actually just arrived in the mail today! I'm really glad I bought it. Now I just need to decide where to put it away...
I also have created a spreadsheet to keep track of the red-headed donors at all the sperm banks. There are not many, that's for sure! Especially when you factor in that we want someone who's willing to be contacted by the child in the future. I figure with TTC only about 7 months away, I may as well start compiling data and just update it as donors appear/disappear. Plus, it gives me something baby-related to do, and feels good.
Finally, in the next few weeks we will be designating an official "Family" savings account for all TTC expenses.
sahm ~ toddler breastfeeder ~ cloth diaperer ~ baby wearer
Sam, Thanks for asking. It went really well and everything is set for us to start. They really are very nice and accommodating there. We potentially could be starting in about 12 days! I can hardly believe it.
I was also really glad to learn that my name will go on the birth certificate as a parent and at least in MA I will have complete rights to our baby. I wasn't sure if I was going to have to go through any type of adoption process. I guess that's only if we were to move which we have no plans of doing.