The Final Countdown

Baby Quinn's official eviction date is June 16th, but womb mates have minds of their own. They emerge whenever they feel like emerging. Take Olive, for example:

                                                     

Kiddo lived rent-free in my belly for an extra week. You just never know. Considering the unexpected, I've been doing some quality online shopping in preparation for rug-rat number two. Having run the gauntlet once, I know good and well that there really isn't a point in fretting too much over what I pack into my hospital bag. The following are my bare necessities.

1) A good baby straight jacket.

The one pictured is a Woombie and was recommended by my doc. Will your baby look ridiculous in this zipper swaddle? Why, YES! But my obgyn swears by this invention. Seeing that Olive was a horrendous sleeper (we swaddled her with Aden + Anais blankets, but she'd routinely Houdini herself out of our attempts at bondage), le huz and I are determined to start this second baby off on the right foot - even if it means she will look like a mental patient.

2) Sexy mesh knickers

My entire stay at Good Samaritan upon Olive's delivery was spent wearing the hospital's breezy backless smocks paired with mesh granny knickers and disposable hotel slippers. I had hoped to break in some new Hanky Pankys, but the low-riding underwear I usually wear rubbed against my surgery wound, and weren't nearly as roomy as these sexy babies. For those who've been there, done that, you'd know that post-delivery, us mamas wear massive pads (sometimes two) in case of bleeding. Your hospital should provide you with these practical knickers, but it never hurts to have a few extras on hand.

3) Nipple cream

Babies aren't robots. They're all different. Fortunately and unfortunately. Olive the newborn was a total barracuda and insisted on feeding every 45 minutes. Needless to say, my nipples ended up dried, cracked and bleeding. LOVELY! I took huge comfort in applying nipple cream to my sad nips and resorted to using a breast pump to express milk while

I tried Motherlove as well as Lansinoh and preferred the latter. Order here.

4) Munchies.

Breastfeeding a newborn every 45 minutes left me with little time to sleep, let alone enjoy a movie off an iPad. It also left me feeling a tad hungry. Having snacks within arm's reach can't hurt. If I don't eat them, I'm pretty sure my littlest visitor, Olive, will. We both have been really into Skinny Pop popcorn lately. I like that it's not too salty.

5) Fashionable duds for the little one.

Upon our departure from the hospital, le huz and I didn't even bother changing Olive into one of the outfits I had so-thoughtfully selected for her out of fear that it'd lead to unnecessary waterworks. She was a mega-crybaby and resembled Garfield when she cried:

Olive left the hospital in a very practical hospital grade onesie and beanie. Should Quinn's disposition differ from her sister's, I hope to squeeze her into the above-pictured little polka-dotted J.Crew wonder. Order here.

6) Attractive departure outfit for mama.

So I'm no supermodel. My genes are completely unlike Miranda Kerr or Gisele Bundchen. I breastfed Olive with little, next to NO ease, and it took months of Crossfit training and a half-marathon before I could get into my old jeans. Needless to say, I still sported a sizeable soft gut after Olive's deliver, and if memory serves me well, I left wearing non-trendy tapered sweatpants to accommodate my jiggly gut and a baggy sweatshirt to accommodate my lactating, free-hanging breasts.

Depressing much? Well, this second time around, I am determined to reemerge into the world looking slightly more presentable.

I've been wearing a version of this awesome dress from HATCH through out my pregnancy. (I'm obsessed with Ariane Goldman's collection.) This baby-doll gem has the potential to hide a world of flaws without looking too maternity; more importantly, my postpartum belly will have no problem fitting in it. Paired with a wireless bra and nursing pads, I'll leave the hospital looking and feeling human.

7) Massive tote

Hospitals provide lots of freebies should you choose to take them. Diapers, bottles, formula, swaddles, sexy mesh knickers, and so forth. Le huz and I didn't know this the first time around, so we left the hospital with our free gear housed in a massive clear garbage bag. How very Jersey Shore. In an effort to appear classy and human this second time around, I plan to pack a foldable extra-large tote in my delivery bag. The one pictured above is by Herve Chapelier (I've owned it for over eight years and it makes for a fantastic travel companion). Order here.

Happy packing. Happy birthing.

Love Affair

Le huz travels regularly for work, so like it or not, living out of a suitcase is his thing. I, on the other hand, am a house-bound martian who gets a strange kick out of being faced with the challenge of editing my life (and my munchkin's) to fit in a carry-on-sized bag.

Seeing that we've been traveling a bunch with Olive - and will be traveling even more in the months to come (read: Taiwan and Iceland) - I began researching luggage. With a baby strapped to my front, a diaper bag in my right hand, and a collapsible stroller in my left, I'm left with no limbs to spare for all our other creature comforts. There must be a durable yet light backpack out there that one, doesn't make me look like, well, a backpacker; two, maximizes the amount of items a baby and sometimes fashion-conscious mommy would require; and three, functions as international carry-on. Imagine scrambling to purchase baby-necessities in a foreign country due to lost-luggage. Gawd. There's a nightmare I never want to experience.

Luckily, I found perfection in the Tom Bihn Aeronaut. My first trip traveling with the bag and baby was to Portland for a mere two days. Not a huge challenge. But this weekend, we're meeting up with le huz in NYC. Finished packing last night, and I was amazed to find that I didn't need to sacrifice outfit options for me or the munchkin. I was able to fit four outfits for me, six for her, plenty of diapers, formula, fruit pouches and extra bottles. The bag's smart design keeps me organized (all of Olive's clothes and belongings fit into the two side compartments (I bought two of their packing cubes), while all of my clothes, toiletries and gadgets fit in the center. The satisfaction of being able to comfortably fit all our crap into a neat little package is huge. And ooh, because I am able to carry the bag on my back, hopping on and off public transportation will be painless. It was painless in Portland!

I'm not alone in this love affair. This rad Seattle-based company has more rabid fans here. Can't wait to take this baby (and my other baby - Olive) to see more of the world!