Tag Archives: baby

40 Weeks and 3 Days Pregnancy Update

Posted on by
Reply

Today’s visit to my gyno was a little disappointing. My cervix is still completely closed, not even a hint of dilation or ripening. Before my visit I was pretty sure that something was happening, since I had quite a bit of cramping for two days in the row, just couple of days ago.

It’s pretty different from my first pregnancy. The first time around, my cervix was 1.5 centimeters dilated for 2-3 weeks prior due date. And sure enough I went into labor on the 5th day after my due date.

This time Continue reading →

Preparing for a New Baby Minimalista Way, Necessary Baby Equipment

Posted on by
1

My other posts from this series:

Furnishing a Nursery

Choosing a Stroller and a Car Seat

Choosing a Jogging Stroller

In this post I am going to focus on other baby gear that I personally found important to have and why. If you’re about to have a baby shower for your first child, walking through the baby store’s isles can be overwhelming. So many articles, they all seem important and possibly necessary. Monitors, crib mobiles, swings, playpens, bath tubs, changing table pads, diaper disposals etc, etc… I think it’s important to separate these items into three categories, “not needed”, “I could possibly use that” and “I definitely need it”! From that point you can make a decision for what you need to purchase based on the necessity level and the budget.

Even with my first one, I used careful judgment at picking baby items (yep, I’m a minimalista!).  I evaluated how long I would be using the item, how much it costs and what is its necessity level. And since I knew ahead of time that we were planning on two kids, I picked the colors to cover either gender.

This is a list of items that I’m glad I got, since they were well worth getting.

Playpen/bassinet combination with changing pad is a definite necessity and will serve your child from birth until 2 or 3 years old. I decided not to purchase changing table, see why in my previous article and started using playpen from the time my daughter was born. I didn’t use it as a bassinet, since it’s bulky and not easily movable. When my daughter grew up a little, I got rid of the changing pad and started using it as an actual playpen. It’s definitely a lifesaver when you need to leave the room to take a shower or if you’re cleaning the house or when they simply misbehave! Since it can be folded into a compact bag, it served Continue reading →

Preparing for a New Baby Minimalista Way, Choosing a Jogging Stroller

Posted on by
3

Before I even start talking about choosing a jogging stroller, here are some questions I think you should ask yourself:

  • How often are you planning to use the stroller? Once or more per week, once a month, when the opportunity comes up? This could decide the quality of the stroller you want, besides just the features. You know the saying, you get what you pay for! The more you use it, the higher quality stroller you would want. (always check reviews!) If you’re not planning on using it much at all, maybe going with a used one is a better option!
  • Are you planning on having a second child and when? This can decide whether to invest your money in a new or used, top of the line or a less expensive version. If you’re planning on the second one pretty soon, then buying the top of the line single jogging stroller may not be the best option financially. With the second child, you would probably want to upgrade to the double stroller.
  • What activities are you planning on doing with the stroller? Are you mostly a walker or runner, what type of surfaces are you planning on covering with it? Again, this decides the durability you would want to expect from the stroller. Many people use their jogging stroller to walk on the paved path in their neighborhood or at the mall. Well, then you don’t need a top of the line, highest quality stroller. If you’re planning on running on the beach or over uneven surfaces, like the wooded paths, grass, rocks…, then you would want something sturdier, with quality wheels that won’t twist or pop and would deliver according to your expectations.

Like I was saying Continue reading →

Preparing For a New Baby Minimalista Way, Stroller and Car Seat Selection

Posted on by
6

In my earlier post I talked about saving money on furnishing and decorating the nursery. In this post I’ll be talking about picking the right stroller.

In my opinion, an every day stroller is not a thing to buy at the garage sale. Since it has a few nuts and bolts, moving parts, folding mechanism, you want these things to be sturdy, last a while and work well. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be using your stroller a lot. I use it to go on the walks in the neighborhood, shopping, play dates, adventure parks, etc.

Before purchasing I would strongly recommend Continue reading →

Preparing For a New Baby Minimalista Way, Furnishing Nursery

Posted on by
6

Baby news can put anyone over the edge considering the upcoming medical bills, acquiring all the baby gear, nursery furnishings, clothing. All this is besides the upcoming every day expenses, like diapers, formula, health insurance, etc.

I am a minimalista and in less than three weeks we are expecting our second child, this time it’s a boy! We already have a 2-year old girl, and by going through her stuff the other day, I realized that we hardly need anything for our new baby boy! I would like to share with you how I managed to spend very little on both of my kids and still have all the necessities.

In this post I will be talking about setting up nursery. You can spend a ton or spend a little, it’s up to you. All I’m going to do is provide the information that could help you make the choices that are right for you!

1. Relieve yourself from extra work. If you’re planning on more than one kid, Continue reading →

Litter Fight

Posted on by
Reply

Today my 2-year old daughter gave me about 1 hour of extra work that I didn’t ask for! It all started with me changing an old litter box to a new automatic litter box.

As I was pouring the litter into the new litter box, I realized I didn’t have enough. So I dug into the old litter box for extra litter. While I was cleaning out the old litter box in the laundry room, cat decided to pee into the new box that was sitting in the living room. She doesn’t waste any time!

Then I started hearing exciting laughing from my 2-year old. Something was making her very happy. As I picked into the living room Continue reading →

4D Ultrasound of Our Baby Boy

Posted on by
2

Today we went to do a 4D ultrasound at my OBGYN’s office. I’m 32 weeks and 3 days pregnant and apparently the best time to do a 4D ultrasound is between 28 and 32 weeks. For some reason I was under the impression that I needed to wait until 35 or 37 weeks to do it. But luckily I asked my doctor about it 2 days ago and they managed to squeeze me in for a 4D ultrasound appointment this week!

The technician told us that the pictures came out great. Apparently it has to do with the clarity of the liquid in the womb, and mine seemed to serve the purpose well. Technician told us that 32 weeks is one of the best times to get a clear pictures. She took total of 39 pictures and uploaded them on a CD. I picked 4 best ones to share with you.

The 4D ultrasound experience got a lot cheaper in the last couple of years. Today it cost us $149 at my obstetrician’s office. Two years ago when I was pregnant with my daughter, my obstetrician didn’t even have the 4D machine. We would have to go to a place specializing only in 3D US and they charged over $300 for a similar experience. We decided not to pursue it at the time.

I am so excited about our soon to be born son! He is definitely a kicker. I don’t think I had nearly as much activity with my first one. It feels like he kicks and stirs all the time. I actually had to ask my doctor whether there is such thing as too much movement. She laughed and said no.

I think when we just started the ultrasound he was sleeping. But he probably got woken up by the pressure from the ultrasound mouse that the tech was sliding all over my stomach. So we got to witness him move around and open and close his mouth. The technology today is amaizing!