Prepping For Number Two

I know I have said it before but it finally feels like this is really happening, that this pregnancy isn't some abstract experiment. Lists are being created, nesting is happening people! The advantage to a second baby is that most of the baby gear bases are covered, especially when new baby is the same gender as number one thereby allowing a reuse of all clothing. Regardless of the overlap I have a small and tightly selected list of pieces we will be adding to make life easier with two. Another advantage to a second swing at parenthood is we have a solid idea of what works for us and what doesn't so it is easier to wade through all the gimmicky items and know exactly what we need. Here is my condensed list so far:

• A rocking bassinet stand for our moses basket. My mother in law scored us a beautiful basket when we were expecting Cora.  I am sewing a new organic cotton liner for it this time around. This stand allows us to use it as a bassinet and easily move baby around the house. With Cora we used the pack and play more but our new apartment is smaller and I think this will work much better for the first few months.

• Photo credit: wee textile blog, amazing, you should check it out!

• Ikea Minnen bed for Cora. We have managed to buy one of these in fantastic used condition from Craigslist but need to replace the mattress with something nicer. I scored a new down comforter for her at Target on clearance for $8 (!!!!) and am sewing her fitted sheets and a comforter cover this week.

Photo credit: I am still trying to find my original link. If any of you recognize this let me know.  This photo has been the inspiration behind the girl's room here at our new place. I used this same paint color as well, it's Benjamin Moore Robin's Nest

• Baby swing, something small and simple. My fantastic sister in law bought us one for Cora and we used it so much the motor burned out. I will be scouring used children's stores for one.

• A 22" flatscreen tv for our bedroom. I have never thought it a good idea to have a television in the bedroom since it interrupts sleep habits, however, a temporary placement of one will be a godsend through the first few sleepless months. I also think it will buy me a few more minutes in the mornings when Cora can snuggle up with me and a nursing baby and watch sesame street. I am thinking this will be another Craigslist acquisition or perhaps Target with a coupon.

• A few pieces of Organic layette clothing, I loved these long sleepers with the open bottom. I am a big fan of Kate Quinn, Kickypants and Hannah Anderson organic cotton. We will be in Seattle next weekend and are going to check out the Kate Quinn outlet store and there is a Hannah Anderson outlet here as well, the hope is to score some of these pieces at a decent discount. I have also been checking our used children's stores but so far am only finding pieces for 6 months and up.

• 2 new nursing bras. Pretty self explanatory and an absolute necessity.

• 2-3 of these amazing Gap nursing tops. I nursed Cora without owning even one official nursing shirt. While is is completely possible, I sure would like to have something designed for the job.

• And the cherry on top. The one item I am most hoping for on this entire list, the item that we are saving and saving for. The Phil & Ted explorer stroller with second seat. Let me say this, I underestimated the need for a great stroller with Cora. We got by for awhile with a really nice umbrella style stroller but a few weeks before I found out I was pregnant again we upgraded to a Joovy Zoom and life has been so much easier. The only problem is the Joovy doesn't fit two kids. So copious research and "test drives" later and I am sold on this model. It even has a car seat adapter so I can pop the infant car seat onto it while Cora rides comfortably in the lower  seat. I still can not believe that strollers can cost so much but with the amount of jogging, walking and urban navigating (trains, buses, crowded sidewalks) we do it is a necessity.

Photo credit: www.jilliansdrawers.com

There you have it, a second time mom's wish list. I am also working on a whole new cloth diapering system but this time around I am sewing them from scratch. I completed the very first diaper cover yesterday and even though it turned out way too big for Cora, I am shocked and excited that it actually looks like a functional diaper cover (complete with waterproof layer). So far the experiment is going well and I will be making more in even smaller sizes for the new baby as well.

Changing Family Size, Changing Transportation

So we have some transportation issues to decide ASAP. We currently have 2 cars which happened almost by accident. We love our Buick that was given to us by G&G. That car has seen us across the country and back and on numerous adventures for the last five years. We also have our much loved 88 Volvo wagon which drives like a tank and shows no signs of slowing down.

For the first few years living in Portland we were a one car family, the Buick met all of our needs. We used the bus and train all of the time and whoever had the furthest to drive that day got the car. Of course those were simpler times without car seats and strollers. Since then I've become really, really used to having my own car. I drive more often then I should, driving to the grocery store or my office which are both only a few blocks away.

All of these thoughts are fresh in my mind because unfortunately the Buick is not faring well. In the last few weeks the blower fans have stopped working, the turn signals have stopped working, it's developed a gas leak and then last night the starter went out. We were ready to take it into the shop until the starter went out. Now I'm not so sure it is worth the cost of all those repairs.

So here we are with a baby due any day wondering what we should do. We are still about a year away from being able to purchase a new car so that leaves us with the option of taking a chance on a used car. We don't want to finance anything because that would require taking out full coverage insurance which would be a huge monthly strain to pay. We are also not excited about the idea of hitting our savings to pay for a used car with the hope that it holds up mechanically.

After all these options I am warming more and more to the idea of just being a one car family again. This would have many benefits including less money spent on gas and insurance and of course a lower impact on the environment. However, the day to day reality of being car less would inevitable fall upon baby and me as Scott has to drive across the city to get to work every day. I am now trying to imagine what it would look like to have the babe and no car. In theory it wouldn't be too painful as I have purposefully constructed a lifestyle that is all within close range to our house. The grocery store and my office are all within walking/biking distance. I have done a bit of research and found two possible day cares very close to my office. I am beginning to believe this could be a good thing.

The change to a one car household would require investing in a nice/comfortable/functional bike for me and a baby trailer for baby and groceries to ride in. A quick Craigslist search shows a plethora of nice trailers of for reasonable prices. I called a local bike shop today that specializes in family transportation and they have both of these beauties on markdown because the new models are arriving soon:




Decisions, decisions, decisions.......
What do you think? I would love to hear from anyone who uses alternatives to get around with a kiddo.

The other question I have to ask myself is what if there is an emergency and I need a car asap? For that I have checked out Flexcar which some of my friends use and really like. This is a program where you sign up and use one of their cars for an hourly rate whenever you need it. There is a Subaru Flexcar that is permanently located just a few blocks from our house. So in theory if I needed a car I could always walk down to that one and for under $10 an hour use it to run errands or go to doctors appointments. Gas is included and you have access to a car without paying insurance or any mechanical upkeep. Hmmmmm.......

There will be lots of discussion around here tonight and mainly me pondering if I can do it. Can I make a big change in our transportation situation while simultaneously welcoming a new baby into the mix and saving us a ton of money in vehicle maintenance? Time will tell and I need to decide soon while the nice bicycles are half off their normal price.

Oh yes, and no baby yet. And Olive's obsession knows no bounds. This is me typing this post: