Preparing for Baby #2- First Trimester

For me, being pregnant again is a time of reflection....thinking back on all those things I thought I knew first time around, when really I had no idea what I was getting myself into! Preparing for our next baby looks COMPLETELY different than my crazy list of things I did to prepare for Lorelai's arrival. Lorelai's arrival meant finding the PERFECT going home outfit from the hospital, making sure the dresser was just vintage enough to fit into her room, and making a million headbands. Things that really didn't NEED to be done, but in my mind they were the most important things in the world.

1. Save for the hospital bill. The minute we found out we were expecting, we started saving. We put a short term hold on paying down our mortgage (obviously still making the regular payments, but holding off on making additional payments) until we had what I've budgeted for our medical bills. We know this baby will by default be more expensive, as we have a higher deductible and out-of-pocket max now that we are on a family health insurance plan and this pregnancy will be split into 2 calendar years (the only perk of having a December baby....all your bills are in one calendar year, helping you hit those medical insurance maxes faster!) 

2. Save for being out of work. I love where I work, but I also really love that they stepped up their maternity benefit up since my first baby. Revisiting their new maternity policy allowed me to budget the amount of money I need to have saved and set aside for while I'm out of work. 

3. Start thinking of doubles and watching used sales. There may be a few things we need/want doubles of, but not very many. We don't know the baby's gender yet...so we aren't looking at any clothes. If it is a boy, we will try to buy used, and if it's a girl...we are set!  Our main item was researching double strollers, and negotiating a great deal on the one we decided to purchase. Rather than buying a new $300 double stroller, we got a great deal on a gently used one via facebook for $100. We also decided we wanted a separate changing area for new baby in his/her new bedroom, so we purchased a gently used changing pad for $5. Right now, we don't need to be buying an extra high chair or anything similar.... we will wait until we get there and decide if Lorelai is done with hers! 

4. Set up the Nursery. Not everyone needs to do this, as many people leave baby in the parents room for the first few months. We were not that couple, and Lorelai was sleeping in her room on the first night home from the hospital. We tried for maybe 5 minutes with her in our bedroom, decided she made too much noise and moved her downstairs to her own room. We converted our guest room into a combo guest/nursery in preparation for where baby will stay!

5. Gather up Maternity Clothes. My sister and I have unintentionally timed our pregnancies pretty well to be able to share maternity clothes, and I have a few friends who are done having children but haven't yet gotten rid of their maternity items. There is no way I'm getting a bunch of new stuff for this pregnancy...borrowing clothes is a great way for us to stay on budget. 

6. Set time aside for updating a will and financial during maternity leave. I live by my google calendar, and that means while I'm not sleep deprived I'm putting something on my calendar to update our will while I'm on maternity leave. As a lawyer that previously handed estate planning for my clients, I'm comfortable writing my own and am making a draft (minus the name of the new baby and birth date) that I can easily change come maternity leave.  This also includes making a list of all the beneficiary designations I need to change on life insurance and bank accounts to include my next kid. This is the time to revisit your financials and estate plan. There isn't a lot you can do during first trimester to prepare for baby, so this non stress time is a great time for me to revisit some of these items and make a list of what I need to do when baby arrives. I took this time to also apply for additional life insurance, as it was the kicker I needed to get a more robust policy. 

7. Refresh my Do's and Don'ts. Yes, Lorelai and her new baby brother or sister will be just 2 years apart...but it is amazing how quickly you forget everything. The what not to eats, what medicines not to take, what to increase and what to decrease (increase protein, decrease intake of high mercury fish).

8. Start to plan for other items that will come up during leave. Our baby will arrive around the time I start doing our taxes, and if you are a Schedule C filer...you know how crazy it can be when tax season comes around and you have 2 businesses to report for. That means rather than wait til the end of the year to add up deductions and expenses, I'm starting now so I only have to add a few months worth at the end of year. What else will come up during my leave? Everything from birthday gifts, planning my photo clients and coworkers for me being out of work, and collecting freezer meal recipes. I refused to make freezer meals during our first baby, my rational being that I never cook anyway...so why would I need meals on leave? Wrong. Even though I didn't cook, I didn't prepare myself for always thinking I was STARVING those first few weeks of leave. Snacking wasn't going to cut it. I'm collecting freezer meal recipes now, and seeing how many I can collect that are MSPI friendly as we struggling with a milk allergy with Lorelai while nursing last time.

9. Enjoying my time with Lorelai. I know things will be more different than I can imagine once the baby arrives. That means I want to spend extra time with Lorelai, doing things outside, trips to the zoo, cuddling and reading. I've seen a lot of people do mother/daughter photoshoots to capture the special bond they have right now, and we will likely do something similar.

10. Sleep. Nap, Eat, Sleep, Repeat.