Getting ready for the bean to sprout!

We're excited to meet you, bean!

Well, the midwife thinks that these are the last few days before the bean arrives, so it's been a flurry of activity around our house. Though the plan is to deliver the bean at home, the hospital bag is packed and the car seat is installed, just in case. I managed to get out and get one last hair cut too.

The bean's grandparents were here over the weekend for one last visit before the anticipated arrival. During their visit, I enlisted them to help us with some of the final details. The first was to purchase a breast pump. Wanting this one meant that there was a substantial investment to be made. Luckily, our coworkers (yes, the bean's dad and I worked at the same place together for six years) had taken up a collection for us and presented me with with what every new parent really needs: cash. We used some to top up our cloth diaper supply, some for wipes and a snowsuit and the rest went to chip in for the pump. My parents put in the rest as an early Christmas gift for me, which I very much appreciated.

Next, we needed to set up the swing that we borrowed from another coworker. Some parents have told me that this is an invaluable item, so we are happy to have one. A colleague of my mine slipped me a lovely gift on my last day of work that included a Sophie, who I hear is THE toy of the 0-2 year old set, a bath towel and a fantastic stuffed giraffe who is keeping the swing warm until the bean arrives.



Lastly, we needed to set up the bassinet. As a cost saving measure, I chose a stroller that had a bassinet included with it, rather than purchasing one separately. My thinking was that it's something you only use for a few months anyway. After an extensive Craigslist search, I found this new stroller. Because it was a floor model, it was dramatically reduced. The bean's grandparents generously purchased us the stroller (which comes with a another seat option for when the bean is older). The bean's great auntie (on dad's side) sent us the money for the car seat that can also fit onto the stroller frame, which is a life saver. So, this is where the bean will sleep on those first nights.



The bean's grandma and I had learned how to use the stroller when we first purchased it, but since that was August, we quickly forgot. It was quite a session as both my parents and I struggled to figure out how to unfold the stroller and then how to attach the bassinet at the right angle. YouTube to the rescue! We gathered around the laptop to view this video which helped. I joked later that even with three adults, and four university degrees between us, it took the internet to get the job done.