Monday, 3 May 2010

16 Weeks To Go - Baby Checklist...

So today we have made it to 24 weeks and I still can't believe how fast the time is passing! It's only really just sinking in now - in 16 weeks (or less!) I'll have a beautiful baby girl. Mister A - my little boy is 3 already and he's really excited. He kisses my bump every night and wishes his sister good morning when he wakes up - hopefully things won't change too much when his baby sister actually makes her appearance!

As it's my second child you'd probably thing I'd be more prepared but as it stands I'm probably actually less prepared than last time - I just keep thinking - "Oh it's ok, we have everything already, no need to panic." But the days are going so quickly that I need to take a step back and think about what I have that can be dusted off and re-used, what can't because it's blue and what I borrowed last time and need to buy this time around. So I've dug out my old list of off 2007 and I'm starting again...

Cot - We do already have a lovely white cot that we bought for Mister A. We put it right next to our bed - my side obviously (those men have it easy). Unfortunately it doesn't have a drop down side for easy access so for those of you that are looking for a great new cot take a look a look at the 'drop side' variety - trust me it will save you from hours of back pain!

As we already have the cot we'll just be buying a new cot mattress. I've always been told that you must buy a new mattress for each child but I never knew why. I recently had a look online and the reason for this is that it is thought that bacteria in the mattress increases the chances of cot death - it's better to be safe than sorry in my opinion.

Crib/Rocking Cradle- We borrowed a crib last time but we've decided to buy one this time around. It's definitely a must as far as I'm concerned. We'll be keeping the crib in the lounge for daytime use and the cot in our bedroom.

Quilts/Bumper Sets - I can't wait to buy a gorgeous cute pink bumper set. There's quite a wide range to choose from and I'm still deciding but I do like the Ladybird Button Tree Meadow Set - it's great value too at only £25.

Baby Sleeping Bag- These were a God send to us with Mister A. He was forever kicking his blankets off so it was great when we discovered the baby sleeping bag! We knew he was safe because he couldn't pull the covers over his head and we chose the right TOG level for the time of year - we'll definitely have a couple of these on our shopping list!

Baby Monitor - We invested in a baby monitor with a sound and movement monitor for Mister A. It has a special sensor pad that goes under baby's mattress. It senses your baby's breathing and if no movement is felt then the alarm goes off. Remember to turn the unit off when you lift baby out of the cot though - I frightened myself a couple of times (and woke daddy up) when I forgot! You can also get monitors with cameras now so you can check on baby without creeping in on them and possibly disturbing them - what a great idea!

Nursery Thermometer - You can never really judge the temperature yourself so we bought a Grobag Egg last time and I can highly recommend it. It acts as a night light too and it's easy to read colour coding means you can adjust the temperature to suit. A must have I'd say.

Blackout Curtains - If you haven't already got blackout curtains or blinds then this is definitely one for your list! We have them in every bedroom in the house these days - it's great for these Summer months when the evenings and the mornings are so light. I've also just discovered the Gro Anywhere Blind - it's great if your off on your holidays or even to a friends house for the night as it can hang on any window with its special suction cups.

Changing Station - We have a chest of drawers with a built on changer but there are some great portable changing stations around at the moment.

Nappy Bin - I'll definitely be buying one of these. You place the dirty nappy in to the bin and it individually wraps each of baby's nappies in a fragranced film, proven to be at least 25 times more effective than nappy sacks at odour protection. Hygienic and easy to use - another must!

Changing Box - Great for keeping all you baby bits in one place for changing and bath time.

Baby Bath - We do have a baby bath but it's been in the garage, full of dust and I just can't bear the thought of putting my little girl in it - silly I know - it would clean up but I'll do anything to spend a bit of money so i'll be getting a lovely new pink bath with matching top and tail bowl for my little angel! If you really want to treat your new addition then you could invest inn the Summer Deluxe Spa Bath Spa Centre - it has a special relaxing spa option and a little shower attachment on it making it easier to wash baby's hair.

Travel System - First time around we bought a travel system - a pushchair/pram with a car seat that slotted on to the pram for when baby was first born. There are some fab systems out there at the moment but my favourite has to be the Ladybird On The Go Travel System - it's great for those on a budget as the pushchair system includes a carry cot and car seat that can be quickly adapted to the pushchair and all for just £269 all in! And it's available in 2 colours!

Car Seat - The hospital won't let you leave without site of your car seat. We do have a car seat from first time around but we have a car with Isofix now so we'll be investing in a new car seat base for baby no. 2.

Baby Sling/Carrier - If you like to get out and about without the restrictions of having to take the pram everywhere you go that you have to investing in a baby carrier - very has them from as little as £16 so it's worth having one, even if you only use it a couple of times.

Baby Bouncer - Mister A loved every minute he spent in his baby bouncer. We bought a Mamas and Papas bouncer with a built in massage function and auto rocker - it may seem lazy but it's better than getting RSI and baby will love it! You can also buy baby swings now too - a bit more adventurous but I'm told that babies love these even more than rockers - I'm still not convinced so we'll save this for the gift list!

Next thing to stock up on is baby clothes and bottles - but that's another list! Let me know if I've missed anything!

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