These are a few things on my mind! People have began to ask me what we need as we anticipate the arrival of our Little C. I don't know seems to be the answer from me. There are a few obvious things I am aware of, her bed (we ordered yesterday!)- sheets, comforter and pillows, pretty rugs and drapes that match. OK that will be easy, but what else? Clothes? I am not sure what size she is (I am trying to guess based on the "measurements" we got) but who knows now! How about toys...well we don't know what she will like and she is 6.5 so while she won't even know what she likes the first few months, I don't want her overstimulated or with a lot stuff she does not even like..books- OK yeah books are good- but what books- she needs to learn english what will stimulate her? initially- I am thinking preschool books (pinkalicious, knufflebunny...type books??) maybe some DVD's fun movies for kids?
But on my commute (at least an hour a day each way) I start thinking about other things like band aids, we rarely have these in the house, we will need these for sure, then the other day I was unloading the dishwasher and thought my little girl cannot drink out of these big glasses she will need her own cups and plates. What else do I need? I feel like there must be more but I don't know what! Any suggestions from those who brought home older children?
I will continue the search of what else I need- I walked through Target the other day to see if I saw other things that seemed appropriate but I got overwhelmed bought myself some lip gloss and left!!
You are already a terrific mom. Congratulations on your referral!
ReplyDeleteI can definitely give you some advice here :). Don't go crazy with toys. Our kids never played with anything, and if they did, it lasted for a day. They loved DVDs...Kung Fu Panda, Shrek, Madagascar, etc. Water, anything to do with it! We bought a pop up pool and it was the best money spent! They grew quickly..6or some reason, they liked to wear sweatshirts and long pants when they first came home..socks were a big deal for both of them. They still enjoy sleeping on the floor...hair accessories and kids jewelry were a big hit with Biskut. They also LOVE the swings..,ot sure if you live close to a park or could put up a tree swing? I could talk to you too! Let me know :). So excited for you!
ReplyDeleteI think Amy will be a great resource for you. I just want to echo not going too crazy with stuff. We are trying, but our very nice friends and coworkers are making it difficult. =) Friends threw us a shower and instead of gifts we asked for Target gift cards. Like you, we don't really know what we need yet and will likely have to wait and see what the kids are like before we purchase too much crap. That being said, you can definitely get the first aid stuff, plates, cups, a water bottle for outdoor ventures, some books and DVDs. We bought several Sesame St. DVDs off Ebay for a great price!
ReplyDeleteMy boys are Curious George and Sesame Street fanatics. I would NOT buy anything or almost anything... I seriously wasted money on things not used. I am sooo glad I had a shower AFTER they were home. Heck, the baby isn't even into the diapers I bought for when he came home. ;-) My kids did not grow yet, and I way overestimated their growth. I have no clue when they will be able to wear the clothes i bought for them when they got home. I did try to measure Big A's feet while I was there, but again i expected growth.. and no. The shoes haven't been worn since he got off the plane, and they looked like clown's feet.
ReplyDeleteI know people say to buy as little as possible, but seriously do it.
I wouldn't go haywire with toys, but I would have a few things around that you could use to work on her fine motor skills - things like Play Doh, those big blocky puzzles or crayons. I am a NUT for children's books, and I would think the ones you mentioned would be at about the right level for you to read to her. You also might want some of the simple "baby" books with pictures/words that she is learning in English. Don't know what kind of phone you have, but I have an iPhone and have looked at apps that are flash cards for babies - I figured kids could scroll through and we could talk about the pictures. At her age, I wouldn't get new cups/plates, etc. Although it will take some practice, I bet it won't be long before she is using the same stuff as you (unless your everyday dishware is a lot nicer than mine...) In addition to the band-aids, I would recommend having some Children's Tylenol and Children's Motrin (so you can alternate). When kids are sick, the last thing you want to do is stop at the drug store. And an ice pack that you can put in the freezer and have ready. (These days when one of my kids gets hurt, the other automatically walks to the freezer and pulls out the ice pack.) An ear thermometer. Toothbrush, kids' toothpaste. Also, and I know people will roll their eyes at this, I would get a booster seat for your cars. Most kids should be in a booster until age 8, and I'm assuming that she is small for a 6.5 year old. I am a car seat tech, so if you have any questions, email me and I can talk through it with you.
ReplyDeleteI just love this community!! You guys are awesome (I hope you go back and read this!!) I now have a new list (1 of 7!) but it seems very sensible! I definitely don't want to waste money! Depending on when she gets here, we are surrounded with parks, bike trails (that will be new and fun!) and love to be outside- Amy I will be calling you and Kristen I am crazy about books as well and car seats!! Your "first aid" list was really helpful! thanks ladies!!
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