At 19 I had no idea what a baby would need.  I followed everyone else’s advice closely (cause what did I know?) about cribs, swings, cruisers, bouncers, feeders and all the other stuff I would need to raise the baby right. 

I clung to all baby/kid stuff after that.  Hauling it across the state when I divorced, moving it from apartment to apartment to house and then to dorm when I started college.

I noticed during those years that there was a great deal of stuff I never used and that she never played with. 

I bought and gave away a lot of things over the next 12 years (considering she was only one child). 

12 years later, when I was pregnant with Boddhi, I felt some of the same pull (you would think I would have known better, but it had been so long it was like having the first all over again) -- I thought I would need a crib, a changing table, a swing, a bouncer, an exersaucer, a rocking chair -- because I was going to do it right this time.  I had visions of myself using all these things and how each of them were going to make my life easier.  In some cases (like with the exersaucer) it only took me a few weeks to realize my folly (on to freecycle it went), but others I clung to for a while --hauled a “free to me,” old changing table across the country when it had never been used for anything but dirty laundry. 

Since then we have downsized (into a 900 sq ft dorm apartment) and upsized (into a 2500 sq ft home) and downsized again (into a 1600 sq ft home).  I know myself a little better now, and I trust my gut a lot more than I used to.  I do not watch television (so no advertising there), and I am much more resistant to advertising than I used to be. 

I am beginning to think about what I will need for this baby and where I will put it. 

These are the things I think I don’t need this time:

1 - a crib (Boddhi never used his IKEA crib, but we did use the mattress).  We co-slept with Boddhi and plan to do the same with this baby, so no need to spend money or space on a crib.

2 - a changing table (while it is a nice place to store things, it never gets used for changing in our house.  We change diapers on the bed, the floor, the couch, the car (wherever we happen to be when the deed needs doing).  I also live in a house full of droppers.  Folks who consider moving something from one place to another cleaning.  For example -- picking up a toy off of the floor and setting it on top of a dresser = cleaning up.  A changing table is just too much temptation for them I think.

3 - a playpen (never used it with Boddhi) -- again we co-slept and never really had a use for the playpen. 

4 - a swing (only used it a couple of times with Bo (and he did not like it).  It takes up a lot of space for a little bit of benefit. 

Things I think I might want:

1 - I think I might want a boppy seat like we had with Boddhi (wish I had not freecycled that).  It was fun for him to sit in and look around, and we used it for feeding and because our floor was always covered in dog hair. 

2 - (Eventually) a walker (I know they are bad and research shows blah and blah and blah), but I love to watch them when they first realize they have some control over where they are going.

3 - Foam letter play mat  - we just sold Boddhi’s at a garage sale -- seemed it was always dirty.  BUT...We have hard wood floors, and it was a good solution with Boddhi to create a large, soft play area (we had stone floors in New Mexico when he was very small, and I was worried he would bust his lip scooting around). 

Things I definitely want:

1 - a crib mattress (like the one we had for Boddhi from IKEA).  It was not too expensive, and I can lay it down beside my bed (which is a floor bed) for easy access to the baby (while leaving room for Dude and I and the visitor that usually climbs in our bed around 3 or 4 AM every morning). 

2 - a Montessori wooden floor mirror - this is one of my favorite things that we had with Boddhi.  We splurged and paid the big bucks for a nice one, but it has been passed on, and we no longer have it.  He loved it and spent a great deal of time in front of it (pictured above).

3 - a breast pump (although I am not planning to go to work, I still think I might want to have a supply of frozen milk just in case). 

4 - a rocking chair - because it is a relaxing place to breast feed and an alternative to lying in the bed.  I loved the little corner I made in our old house with my rocking chair and pillows set up beside a window with a side table for my drinks and food.  

Things we have:

1 - cloth diapers - thanks to my sister-in-law, Nicole and my friend, Carla, we have a good start on cloth diapers.  I am not sure how much I am going to need in each size, so I am waiting to see if we might need more. 

2 - slings, carriers - I saved one from Boddhi, got a few from my sister in law, and received a free one in the mail, so I have a nice collection of things to try. 

3 - Bumbo seat - Boddhi’s is still at my mom’s house, so we can use it for the baby.

4 - infant car seat - we got a great one from my sister-in-law, Sarah. 

5 - onesies - a small collection of onesies from family

6 - Montessori baby toys - I saved my favorites

7 - a boppy pillow - I loved the one I borrowed (for Boddhi) so much, I bought one when I gave it back.  Boddhi uses it as a pillow on occasion (and sometimes I use it as pillow on car trips). 

I feel like I am forgetting something -- I guess I can come back and add to this list as I remember (a good reminder to myself not to spend, spend, spend!). 

The baby will be in our room for a long while (most likely), so all her/his stuff will need to be stored in there probably.  I don’t have a lot of extra space in there, so I may try to clean out the closets a bit and make a shelf just for the baby -- just have to convince Dude not to throw his stuff all over it.  We also have an extra set of plastic storage drawers now that we have pantry shelves, so I could use that if I need to (just have to find room in my room). 

These are all just thoughts.  We are just making our first steps at getting things organized and comfy in our new home.  Next steps will be making it comfy for the baby :)

I am 22 weeks today -- over halfway there :)

All the best -- Sadge.