My cheap preparations for baby #2

I’m 37 and a half weeks pregnant!  Once I hit the half mark I like to round up to the next week.  I should go ahead and consider myself to be 38 weeks pregnant.  I’ll feel more accomplished that way!

A couple of weeks ago I had an entire day of contractions.  They never escalated to more than 5 in an hour, and they never got closer than 9 minutes apart.  Even though I knew they were Braxton Hicks contractions, it still made me realize that I was not prepared to have a baby.  At all!

My bag wasn’t packed.

Robert was out of disposable diapers (I’m not going to make my brother in law use cloth while we are in the hospital).

We only had 1 (!) package of diapers for Jackson.  Even though we plan to do cloth diapers, it is nice to have disposables around just in case!

I only had one freezer meal prepped.

Robert had no easy prep food.  He also had grown out of most of his shorts.  And he was down to one snack cup.

My nursing bras all mysteriously disappeared or were really disgusting.

And I had no easy snacking food for breastfeeding sessions.

All of this stressed me out, which probably made the contractions even worse.  I made a big list of things to do and stores to visit.

The next day I decided to stop by Target first.  I fully expected to visit 3-4 stores that day.  Instead, I was able to get everything I needed in one stop and for only $143.44.  I was shocked that I was able to get everything and for such a good price.

I did have to practice restraint though.  I really wanted these pajamas.

Then I remembered my spending moratorium for Lent.  Nursing bras seemed like an okay purchase since I’m really buying those for the new baby.  Pajamas though, I couldn’t find a way to justify those.  Not when I have an entire wardrobe of yoga pants that fit the bill for pajamas.

Anyway, I did pretty well.  Here is my haul and how I plan to utilize everything:

Instead of doing traditional freezer meals, I decided to buy a big bag of frozen chicken tenderloins and a few bags of frozen veggies.  Tom can manage to cook those for us without messing anything up too bad.  I had really wanted to make a bunch of crock pot meals until I remembered that I don’t like the consistency of veggies once they are frozen and then cooked.  I’m fine with the veggies that are flash frozen, but I can’t ever get my fresh veggies to freeze and then cook well in the crock pot.

I also splurged on a P.F. Chang’s frozen meal.  I don’t love these meals but figured it would be an easy meal to have when we get home from the hospital.

My final food prep purchase was for my DIY frozen burritos.  I made a big batch of these to freeze for lunches or dinners in a pinch.

Next, I picked up a bunch of snacks to have an hand for breastfeeding sessions.  These will also entertain Robert.

Speaking of entertaining Robert, I bought bubbles and a new Thomas the Train engine to give him as a gift when he comes to visit the new baby.

I was able to get two big boxes of diapers and get a $10 gift card back!  Robert needed shorts and a new snack cup so I stocked up on those too.  I don’t want to have to run to Target in the first few weeks with a baby.  If I go to Target it will be because I want to, not because I have to.  Hopefully!

I saved money by not getting bras designated for nursing.  Have you seen how expensive those bras are?  And how cheap they feel?  I bought four with Robert and they are not in good shape anymore.  The ones I liked the best are $22 for a pack of 2.  I was able to get these bras instead for $14.99 for a pack of two.  They slide down for nursing just as easily as the nursing bras.  I was pretty excited to check this one off my list!

And of course, I had to get something fun for the new baby, Jackson.  This is some of the stuff I used to make his wreath for the hospital.

Baby prep is officially complete!

Bag is packed, freezer is stocked, and we are ready to go!