Bringing Home Baby #2

When I think about our second born being here it seems like a long ways off in terms of what is happening before then...finish the school year, teach a little summer school, run up to North Dakota for a few days. But when I think of it in terms of days it seems like tomorrow. And as the days pass my excitement grows and I'm again getting that surreal feeling that I had with Natalee--that this can't really be happening. It's excitement and nerves and anxiousness mixed with blessed calm that just can't be explained. The other day I packed a few things to take to the hospital with us...and tonight I repacked them for the first of probably 20 more times. It's like pack for church camp. You just can't help putting everything in and then taking it all out and refolding it. When I went to deliver Natalee, Andrea suggested that we take our own clothes and I'm so glad we did. Although the hospital was great and never tried to take "ownership" of my baby it just made it all that more personal for us. So we're doing the same thing with this baby...and knowing the gender made it even more fun to pick things out!

The "bring baby home" outfit. Tradition in my family is that the daddy goes out and buys the outfit after the baby is born and then brings it to dress baby in to bring home. However, since we are delivering in a smaller town with very slim shopping choices Mike picked this out awhile back to bring this little man home. How handsome!

And the back-up (just in case it's freezing in July) "bring baby home" outfit! This is the very first thing I ever bought when we found out we were pregnant the first time.

Two clean Boppy covers. Took my Boppy along with Natalee and loved having it there--was a nice blessing to help with nursing and just snuggling since I was sore.

The gown for baby to wear directly after he is cleaned up...it's the same one sissy wore! (and I'm sentimental like that!)

More gowns and matching hats to get us through our stay.

Onesies to go under gowns and clothes...or to lounge in if it's very warm. Daddy picked these out--one in every color he said!

and socks!

Super sweet hat to bring Xavier home in!

And awesome shoes that match absolutely nothing but I don't care. I also don't care that I will put them on him and they will directly fall off--they are cute and so they shall at least sit in his car seat so others can ooo and ahh over them!

Pacis that I still need to boil. We decided on this brand for 2 reasons: I like the shape better and Natalee used to use these but doesn't like them anymore, therefore leading me to believe she won't steal them from you. Good luck, brother!

Extra big flannel receiving blankets...Mike picked out the material at left and I picked out the one on the right. Mike's great aunt made us some extra big blankets with Natalee and I couldn't have lived without them. They are the best swaddlers!

And matching burp cloths. I got this idea from Homemade by Jill, but did mine in a more rectangle shape instead of the curved shape. Love the frayed edges, though...so cute AND easy!

This is the blankie for his car seat...I made it (ahem, don't look closely at the seams). It's dinosaur print that Mike picked out with light blue satin backing and leaf green blanket binding around the edge. And, of course, a matching burp cloth.

stacked neatly in the suitcase

I'm curious...what did you or would you pack to bring your baby home? What were your "musts" and your "frivolous" items? Did you pack in advance or wait until the last minute?

And just so we're clear let it be known I haven't and won't care to pack my bag until last minute. Because big people clothes aren't near as cute and sweet as little people clothes!