Prepping for Baby #2: To Do List

Last week, I wrote a pregnancy update, and it reminded me that we're now in the home stretch of this whole maternity business (as if my ever expanding belly would allow me to forget). It seems a little crazy that in a mere 3 months (or less??!?!) we're going to have a brand new baby.

Crazier? I've done...ummm...practically nothing to prepare. Last time I was stressed and wanted everything 100% tied up at like, the 2 month mark. Now I'm all laissez-faire about it (that's french for SO LAZY) and haven't done a thing. Ok. Not entirely true. But it seems like I was much further along in the prep process last time. (perhaps because I needed more last time?!) 

When I start thinking about what I need to do, I feel all scattered and overwhelmed, so I'm in need of a bit of a brain dump (and brain sift) in the form of easy, checkable, type-a lover, lists! (That's how my brain is structured....open up my skull and I swear there are a bunch of whiteboards just waiting for the swirly info to be linear-ized) ((yes, that's a word. now, anyway)). (((on to the lists)))

Small disclaimer before we start: 

Because our kids will be close in age, and both girls, we're excited to have them share a room....but not quite yet. The littlest B. will be in our room for the first few weeks (or months) and then we'll have her move into the "guest" room...which will be known as "the baby's room" until she's able to sleep through the night (aka: by her first birthday). Because this is just a temporary home for her, I'm not going all out with nursery prep (I know....How I wish I had unlimited rooms and unlimited money to decorate those unlimited rooms...but alas...). We're pretty much throwing a crib in there, and calling it a day. We need to maintain a guest room (for anyone crazy enough to actually want to stay in a house with 2 under 2) so it'll be a hybrid for a little while, which I'm hopeful will work out well. It does mean I haven't gotten to spend endless hours on Pinterest dreaming of new nursery schemes...but don't worry...I fill that time with plenty of Real Housewife watching, and ice cream eating.

Ok...now that you've got the lay of the land...here's where we stand. 

Things I've done: 

• Set up a crib
• Organized all the baby clothes (and set up the newborn wardrobe in the baby's room)
• Looked at video monitors (the only thing I really think we want to purchase for baby #2. And by "we" I mean, I'm hoping my mom takes hints. It's this one....)
• Bought a "big girl" carseat for Piper (because she's getting too big and too heavy for the carrier. Plus someone else is going to need the little kid seat soon, duh.)

Things I still need to do:

• Hang new art in the baby's room. I'd love to update the frame wall with some more "kid themed" art...some quotes, some drawings of animals wearing shoes...you know: The essentials. (I say *need to do* loosely here...I realize the baby will survive without a customized art installation, but if it doesn't get done before she comes, it may never happen).
• Set up the changing table (inclusive of: removing all that crazy breakable stuff from the dresser). We've decided we'll try only having a changing table in the baby's room. Piper doesn't require enough changes to warrant two, so we'll consolidate, leaving more room in Piper's room for....books? Toys? Items I want to keep out of her reach?
• Ask someone to watch Piper when we have the baby before my parents arrive. Any takers?
• Build Piper a dollhouse. Again, not a necessity, but I want her to have something special that's just hers when the baby comes and steals her thunder (and stuff..and attention...) We're pretty much just copying this one- it seems fairly simple, and I love the look. We already got the wood and it was only like $20. Now I'm bidding like a maniac on ebay for silly dollhouse furniture. (Apparently this is where my nesting instinct kicks in.)
• Pull out all the newborn gear: pack & play bassinet, infant ergo insert, bouncy seat, etc. Basically- all this stuff. 
• Buy a few things...I've done INCREDIBLY well holding off on purchasing more things. Do I want more adorable teeny tiny clothes? Absolutely. Do I have the urge to shop just because I can? You betcha. But in all honesty, the last thing we need is more stuff (and less money!), so I've controlled it. I'm trying to make a short list of a few necessities we didn't know about the first time, to make Baby #2 a little easier. This unfortunately, does not include more adorable rompers....
• Make a few things: (again...totally not necessary...but I don't want the second born to feel like second best...She needs a east a couple things that I poured my heart into). I'm obsessed with the idea of attempting this quilt, but if I can't pull that off (which is likely) I might settle for whipping up a few of these door jammers to keep things quiet around here.
• Pack up my desk at work. We'll be moving offices while I'm on leave, so I need to box up everything so it's ready to roll when they are. (Have you seen my desk? This will be no small task.) I also need to pack up my office mini-fridge and get it ready for Pump-fest 2013. (catchy, no?)
• Work on our organization strategies- or....come up with an organization strategy. If I have a home for things, I'm actually really good about picking up and putting them away. If not though? Things tend to form piles that grow exponentially by day. Our foyer is especially challenging, as it has turned into a dumping ground with shoes, coats, packages, bills and containers of bubbles (why so many bubbles?!) everywhere. I know the mountains of junk will only double with the second child, so having some more systems in place is a necessity.

Now that I see it all in writing, I'm torn between thinking it's too much, and worrying that I'm forgetting a lot. But mostly I'm thinking- "we will survive". If we have everything we need, and the house is immaculate- we'll survive. And if we don't prepare a thing, and the house stays in the semi-shambles we've known for years- we'll survive. I'm trying not to put too much pressure on myself to do everything perfectly this time around. I remembering that even if with a full registry of gear last time, we were still woefully unprepared for the actual task of raising another human. And we still are. And always will be. 

But thankfully, the ticking time bomb that is my due date doesn't signify the expiration of all opportunity to prep. We have 24 hour drug stores, Super Targets, and grandmothers who are willing to empty the dishwasher for me. And more important than that? We have a God who will grant us unending grace as we continue to work on this whole parenting thing. And I'm pretty sure He'll give us a pass if we don't get that dollhouse done...

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So what do you think? Anything I'm forgetting (or rather...how many things am I forgetting?) Any other advice as we close in on the start of our two kid adventure?