Getting Ready for Round Two

In some ways, the impending arrival of Baby 2 seems quite distant and abstract. Other moments, I feel something bordering anxiety when I think about bringing a newborn home. Honestly, some days it feels like we have just found our rhythm with the resident two-year-old: what could we possibly be thinking having another one?

All in all though, I am very excited to meet the newest little man, and finding great pleasure in getting a few things ready for him. Let's face it, most of his possessions throughout his childhood will be hand-me-downs, so it feels especially important to do a few things just for him.

Not much needed to change in the nursery, just a few things needed to be switched out on the walls. First was a photo collage with Bert as the main attraction. Scouring the house for ideas, I came across an old Curious George calendar from college. (Seriously, the things I save astound me.) Trimmed out, backed with a wallpaper swatch from a collection of wallpaper sample books I've been saving, and placed in a frame that used to hold a Bob Dylan album, it became a fun addition to the room. Bert was very excited to see "George! And the cows!" on the wall.

Bert still likes to come in here and read books, hence the perpetual mess on the floor.

Next, over the changing table we had a wooden "C" for Bert's real name. Since we aren't 100% settled on a name for Baby 2, it didn't make sense to buy a letter for him yet. We might still do that, but in the meantime, I found this Picasso print I had bought years ago. It was already in a frame, so all I had to do was hang it on the wall. And it is level on the wall; I apparently just do not stand straight.

One addition we made to the room while Bert was still in it and I'm glad to have for the new baby is a little bookshelf next to the changing table. It is actually a spice rack from Ikea, but it works perfectly for holding a handful of board books, or even little toys, to amuse antsy babies during diaper changes.

I've sorted through the newborn and 0-3 month clothes we have from Bert and put them in the dresser. We received some hand-me-downs from one friend and a bunch of clothes on loan from another that should fill the gap for tiny outfits for a baby born in a completely different season than his big brother (because Bert pretty much just lived in onesies for the first couple months).

I took on one knitting project for Baby 2, and I'm really excited about how it turned out. It is a little vest, and I can't wait to put him in it!

I love, love, love the little owl buttons I found for it.

You can find the instructions here if you are interested. One note I will make is that when I purchased my yarn at a shop in Maine, the owner explained that if you aren't using a homespun yarn, you should use size 6 or 7 needles, not the size 4 the pattern recommends.

Another quick little project I made was a taggie blanket. I hadn't heard of these while Bert was still little enough to enjoy one, but have since made several as gifts. I thought Baby 2 certainly should have one, and it really didn't take long to put together. And now that it's made, if Bert can get his hands on it he says it belongs to him. Go figure.

So mostly, I think we are ready for Baby 2. There are peach, green bean, and carrot baby foods in the freezer, there are clothes in his dresser, there are newborn diapers under the changing table, and there are lots of arms anxious to hold him.