Tis the season. Right?! Only my list has nothing to do with naughty or nice… or presents under the tree.
It’s all about Boy #2. After my last post, I had a realization. I’ve done nothing to prepare for his arrival. OK, I may have painted some walls and sewn a quilt top and purchased some cute clothes and books… but nothing of real substance. Nothing that makes us ready for a toddler to join our family.
When we were waiting for Mini Michelangelo, I was much more productive. I learned “baby Korean.” I designed and decorated his room. I knit him a blanket. I made his crib set. I gathered bottles and toys and clothes (oh my!). I read attachment books and parenting books. I read books on Korea. I baby proofed the house. (Actually, that’s not true… I bought everything to baby proof but our travel call came quicker than expected and my amazing friends baby proofed while we were gone.) Anyway… you get the picture. I was *ready* for Mini Michelangelo to come home.
This time around?! Not ready at all. I know that part of it has to do with not having much faith in the process. I wasn’t willing to pass by an empty toddler room daily or see the sippy cups every time I reach for a mug or glass. I was protecting my heart. But, now that we’re nearing the end (I hope!) of this journey… it’s time to get serious here.
I have bins of clothes I need to sort through. I need to figure out what I have, and what I still need to buy. I need to go through the toy bins and segregate them into “safe” and “not safe.” I need to stock up on supplies. I may even need a carseat still. Granted, some things carry over seamlessly… we do have the baby gates, we do have the strollers, and we have dishes somewhere. I think we even have some toys. Some things are just a matter of putting a list together and hitting up Target, some things I probably don’t even need. And I’m sure a quick refresher course of baby Korean will bring me back up to speed. Maybe.
What I really need to do is sit down and makes a list (or ten). Carve out some time and focus on them. Break them down into manageable tasks instead of the overwhelming reams of paper and post-it notes I have everywhere. The last time I parented an 18-month-old, we were in the mindset of “one and done” … so I saved essentially nothing. Nor do I remember the little details of what we used/what worked best. I need to remind myself of what I need for that stage… And tackle it piece by piece. I have about 2 months left to go. That’s plenty of time, no!?
Hive, what would you put on *your* list to prepare for a toddler to join your family?! Please help me refresh my memory!
Baby Paintbrush’s Adoption Journey part 7 of 14
1. Just when you least expect it... by Mrs. Paintbrush2. Winning the {photo} lottery by Mrs. Paintbrush
3. Packing it all in... by Mrs. Paintbrush
4. One by Mrs. Paintbrush
5. The Birthday Box by Mrs. Paintbrush
6. Mile 18 by Mrs. Paintbrush
7. Making a list, and checking it twice... by Mrs. Paintbrush
8. 163 Words by Mrs. Paintbrush
9. Tis' the Season... by Mrs. Paintbrush
10. We're leaving on a jet plane... by Mrs. Paintbrush
11. Christmas Care Package by Mrs. Paintbrush
12. The Waiting is the Hardest Part... by Mrs. Paintbrush
13. It's "go" time! by Mrs. Paintbrush
14. Finally Four by Mrs. Paintbrush
blogger / nectarine / 2600 posts
Good luck but no matter what all baby needs is love and a warm safe place to sleep
I think part of this is normal when it comes to adding another one to the family. The first time you do everything because partially you can; you dont have another child to care for. The second time around your adding to a family not a house with 2 adults so its harder to focus, find time. In the end itll all get done even if its not right away Juliet is almost 5 months and her nursery isnt done yet so what does that say about my focusing lol
cherry / 187 posts
My mind is completely blank on suggestions for you, but I agree that it seems to just happen this way with #2. I finally pushed myself to go visit some daycares and get our name on an infant list since it’s really competitive in our area. Last time, I did this so early and this time I’m 5 months along and just starting. Oops! Who knows how long I’ll wait to handle everything else – name, nursery, clothes, etc!
blogger / persimmon / 1398 posts
@Mrs. Chocolate: @tipperella: thanks for making me feel better! I’m not alone… Woot!
blogger / pomegranate / 3491 posts
As a mom with an 18 month old (almost) now, you don’t need too much. Convertible car seat, stroller soppy cup and crib – everything else is a bonus :). Yay for baby #2!!!!!!!!!!
apricot / 274 posts
I would probably buy some seaweed laver (gim) , Korean miso paste for soup and Korean side dishes so he can have food that he’s familiar with. He may be hesitant of the new diet and may not eat well. Also bookmark some Pororo episodes on YouTube so he has something familiar to watch (if you’re ok with a toddler watching tv, of course). Maybe you can buy some Pororo books or coloring books too. I’m so happy for you and your family that you guys have an approximate date now.
blogger / persimmon / 1398 posts
@Mrs. Confetti: Trust me, I looked carefully at your post about what you leave at your parent’s place… I figure I have most of that, so how bad can it be?!
@BunnyDragon: Oy! I haven’t even thought of food. We always have laver and banchan staples here because of S… but I really need to stock up on the miso paste and some of his (known) favorite snacks. And good point on Pororo episodes. We have a Pororo stuffy (both our boys do) but I should order them some books. Good ideas! Thank you!
pomegranate / 3225 posts
So exciting! Hope they time goes by quickly for your family!!
blogger / persimmon / 1398 posts
@kml636: Thank you!!
apricot / 274 posts
@Mrs. Paintbrush: You’re welcome! My thoughts went immediately to food because if my toddler didn’t eat so well all of a sudden, I would totally stress out. And besides, I love Korean food. Haha.