I am now at week 19 of my pregnancy and everything is going well. I am healthy, the baby is growing and I have not put on any weight yet which according to my doctor is a very good thing as it means I am not putting on wasted kilos that I just have to try and loose after the baby is born.
We are now taking steps to get set up for the arrival of our first child and we are focused on only buying a few key items new (car seat and pram), not over spending, borrowing where we can and buying second hand as much as possible.
Hubby's mum recently handed down to us items she had used on Hubby and his brother ( 40 + years ago) as well as some sheets they no longer had a bed to fit.
She has gifted us 18 terry towel flat nappies, a assortment of cotton cot blankets, a couple of heavy woolen cot liners, 2 single flannelette sheets, 3 double fitted sheets (plus 2 other double sheet sets that we will keep for our spare bed). I plan to cut the flannelette and fitted sheets down and turn them into cot sheets and although we plan to use modern cloth nappies the terry toweling flat nappies will make good spares and are the right size for burping cloths and change mats.
There was also a carry basket that we probably won't use as it does not have a matress but time will tell.
I picked up a baby change table at an op shop for $35 and it just needs a change mat on top. We could have not bothered with a change table but we also needed a set of draws so this one covered that need as well.
I also picked up a baby bath for $5 at the op shop too. I was thinking that I would just bath the kid in the kitchen or laundry sink but for $5 I could justify the spend.
Later this week we are having our next scan and are excited to find out what sex we are having and that everything is on track. I am also starting pre-natal yoga this week which I am looking forward to as they cover breathing for labor as well as stretching and strength for child birth.
I also had another day op shopping with my friend Sandra on the weekend and came away a massive winner but more about that later in the week.
If anyone has tips on things that are not worth buying and should be avoided please let me know what and why.
Well heirloom might be a bit of a stretch but it has had quite a long life already.
When Hubby's parents mentioned to us they still had the cot Hubby and his brother had been raised in we were more than happy to take it off their hands. It is a metal cot with 2 sides that drop down and may have even been used by their older cousins before them (so at least 45 years old)
Now before doing anything I checked the current safety standards for cots in Australia. This cot meet all current regulations other than the year it was made. This means it cannot be sold or purchased for use, but we did not buy it so no issues there
The cot has a wire base and we were surprised to find out that it takes a standard size mattress so that is all we have to buy now along with bedding which I am sure I can get second had or make up from bedding we already have.
The paint was chipped and because we were not 100% sure of the age we did not want to take any risks with lead paint so we spent $100 and had the cot sandblasted.
Then Hubby started painting. It was not really practical to spray paint due to the paint wastage so Hubby painted it by hand, plus since he is off work it was a good use of his time. He ended up using up paint we already had (the same paint used for the antique door knob and knocker) which is why the cot ended up high gloss black but we had plenty left and did not want to waste money buying more.
We are really happy with how it turned out and now that the paint smell has gone and the paint is really hard it is great.
We also acquired a few other bits and pieces that I have not really sorted through yet so that will be a surprise when I go back for a proper sort through.
We are really focused on second hand for this baby as we believe there is no need for much to be purchased new when it comes to babies. There will be a few things though as both my Nan and my Great Aunt have already asked what I would like them to knit for our baby who will be in NZ for next winter. I was thinking some singlets would be good.
Suggestions anyone?
So you might have noticed things have been a bit off and on with my blog over the last few months and it is time to fess up.
Yes I have been studying (about 40 hours a week) and working (30 hours a week) plus trying to have some sort of a life and making plans for our move to NZ in early 2017.
On top of this as I mentioned last year Hubby and I have been trying for a baby. After more than 6 years of trying we went down the IVF path and now we are expecting our first baby in Early October.
The first 3 months have gone relatively smoothly and now as I head into the second trimester the all day nausea has stopped and just a bit of tiredness remains. Obviously it is still early days and we hope everything will go smoothly.
We are now making plans for the new life that will join us in what I am sure will feel like no time at all. We are already having some serious conversations about how we want to parent and so far the verdict from the family is that they think we will be quite strict.
We are also thinking about the way we live and how that will impact on our parenting style.
I know there are plenty of parents among my followers so I am sure I will have a solid sounding board and positive suggestions which I look forward to. I know we will find our own way but there is not harm in getting a variety of ideas from those who have been there before.
Stay tuned for more news.
