We’re closing in on 4 weeks until baby #2 arrives. I’ve just sat down with my smoothie, iced coffee, and a huge water bottle (pregnant life, am I right?). My brain immediately has gone to “what else do I need to do before the baby arrives?” I made this Newborn Checklist when Remy was born and it’s still one of my best yet!

Pregnant with your first? Here is our Before Baby Checkilst for the first time around.

I’ll admit, with a toddler running around the house, prepping for the baby has been less of a priority than it was the first time around. Becoming a parent for the first time felt like a huge lifestyle change. Knowing we’re adding a second baby to the mix doesn’t feel as daunting.

But still, there are things I want for baby #2. I want bringing home the new baby to feel just as special as it did when we brought Remy home. I want to feel prepared for labor & delivery. I want Remy to still feel just as loved and have a plan for meeting his new baby brother or sister. I want the nursery to be a calm, functional space where I can bond with the baby. And of course, I want to prepare as much as possible so that those first few weeks go smoothly and I can soak in all the baby snuggles!

Here is what I am doing to prep for Baby #2:

ORGANIZE & EDIT

Aside from buying a few new things for the baby (which I’ll cover below), we have a lot of what we need already, so dusting it all off and organizing is essential. We don’t know the gender of baby yet, but it works out nicely since we didn’t know with Remy until birth either! I have a lot of gender neutral clothes from newborn - 3 months. After that, there is a bit more boy clothing mixed in, but I’m holding onto it all until we know!

• Baby Clothes - Toss anything that is stained or ripped. Keep anything neutral or sentimental. Organize by size so it’s easy to find clothes that fit baby. Here are some of my favorite Gender Neutral Baby Clothes that we are reusing.

• Linens - From swaddles, to baby blankets, to crib sheets - we have a lot of baby linens! Most of them are in great shape still, so all it took was a quick edit and I was able to wash and fold them all.

• Toys - I went through Remy’s toys and edited any baby toys out. I moved those toys into bins in the baby’s closet. It worked out nicely since Remy just had a birthday and got lots of nice new age appropriate toys! Here are our favorite Baby Toys 0 - 3 Months

• Maternity Clothes - Working from home and pandemic life has definitely made this pregnancy easier in some ways. Namely, I didn’t have to get dressed up for work at all! I wear leggings every day and oversize sweaters or fitted tanks work great, depending on the weather. I hardly bought any new maternity clothes and barely touched my old maternity clothes.

• Bottles / Feeding - I saved all of our bottles and accessories from Remy. All I need to do is give everything a good wash and I think I’m set! Aside from a new cordless breast pump, I don’t think I need much in the feeding department.

PREPARE & REFRESH

Even though it seems like Remy was just born yesterday, the reality is that I am rusty on a few of the newborn basics. This is what I am refreshing myself on, along with a few new tasks.

• Register at the Hospital - this makes everything easier on the day we go into labor. Pre-filling out paper work, etc.

• Infant CPR Refresher - We took an in person course the first time around, but with Covid I think we can find a video online.

• Notify Pediatrician of New Baby & Due Date - our OBGYN and Hospital recommends this so they can all coordinate when new baby arrives!

• Sleep Training / Feeding Schedule Refresher - I’ll be re-reading my Moms on Call book. We followed it for Remy and he has slept like a charm since 6 weeks. This is exactly what we did for sleeping: Baby Sleep Gear.

• Pack Hospital Bags - One for me and one for Dad. Here is What I Packed In The Hospital Bag the first time around. I’ll be using this list again!

• Sitter on Standby for Remy - A huge difference with baby 2 is that when we go into labor we need a plan for Remy! We have our friends on standby until my parents can get into town.

• Prepare for Remy Meeting New Baby - this one I’m reading up on. I also might buy a gift for baby to give to Remy.

• Schedule Newborn Photography Session - we did this in-home with Remy and I want the same with the new baby! Such a special way to remember the nursery, the home, and how the family looked at that point in time.

WHAT I’M BUYING

• Crib - Remy has JUST turned two and we are not ready to transition to the big boy bed yet. So we simply bought a second crib. However, both cribs are convertible, meaning they will change into toddler beds… when we’re ready :)

• Owlet Video Monitor - We used - and still use - the Owlet for Remy. Since he is two, we just use the video monitor. So we are able to reuse the socks (that monitor heart rate and breathing) for the new baby. But we did need to buy a second video monitor. Very much worth it!

• Hatch Baby Rest - We bought the exact same sound machine / nightlight that we use for Remy. It has worked like a charm, so we aren’t changing anything. One for each kid!

• Baby Carrier - I want to have my hands free as much as possible with a toddler to chase around. I never used a carrier with Remy, but I hope to change that with baby #2.

• Cordless Breast Pump - Again, thinking about being hands free with a baby and a toddler, the cordless breast pumps were calling my name. I still haven’t decided on the Willow or Elvie at this point, but I will be making my purchase soon!

• Stroller Attachment - Luckily, we thought ahead and bought the Uppababy Vista Stroller originally. It can fit up to 3 kids! So we just had to buy the adapter and make sure we had the right seats. Remy uses the Rumbleseat and the baby will use the bassinet or the car seat.

• Coming Home Outfit - Something special for the new baby to come home in.

• 1-2 Maternity Dresses - For special occasions. I happened to have a wedding to attend at 35 weeks and my friends are throwing me a little sprinkle shower. Otherwise, I wouldn’t need ANY new maternity clothes this time around.

• 1-2 Loungewear Outfits - I am treating myself to a few loungewear outfits. I want to be comfy while hanging around the house those first few weeks with baby.

And that’s it! Overall, I feel much more confident going into labor and delivery with baby #2. And the excitement of bringing the new baby home to meet Remy is also pretty great. We can’t wait to be a family of four!