We’re still unpacking, rearranging, cleaning, organizing and decorating, but it feels great to settle down a little bit.
In the meantime, I turned 7 months pregnant this weekend.
Whoorlita (is that what we are calling her? Whoorlito and Whoorlita? Wito and Wita?) is kicking like crazy, as well as making my hips feel like I’m an 80-year-old arthritic during the nights. Good thing I donated my maternity body pillow to Goodwill TWO WEEKS AGO. Seriously. How ridiculously stupid could I be? Ridiculously stupid, apparently.
Over the weekend, my extremely agile and handsome husband (forever indebted, D) put California Closets to shame when he turned the kids’ run-of-the-mill closet into a shelving haven. And it only took 13,000 trips back and forth from Ikea! Which means 13,000 ice cream cones!
If you have followed this blog over the years, you know nothing gives me more pleasure than organizing. I had a maniacal grin on my face for the entire duration of unpacking clothing bins and setting up this closet. (I even rearranged the clothing that will remain in the clothing bins for the next couple of years. By size. And season. FOR I AM AN ORGANIZING GODDESS.)
(Or crazy.)
Although the new place has 3 bedrooms, we’ve decided that the children will share a room. To be completely honest, I transitioned from OMG THAT COULD NEVER WORK to BEST! IDEA! EVER! in the span of 10 days. I’m truly super duper excited. Speaking of children sharing rooms, have you read this post by Rebecca? Beautiful.
I’m curious, though. How many of you have children that share rooms? Any words of wisdom? Obviously, Wita will be in our room for several months until she can make it through the night, but I’m excited for the day she and Wito can say goodnight to each other from across the room.
Which brings me to the next question…what should Wita sleep in for the first couple of months? Wito slept in his own crib in his own room at 2 weeks old, so we haven’t dealt with this issue before. We have a Moses basket, but frankly, I would really like something not so close to the floor. Should we assemble the crib in our room? (We have the Stokke Sleepi, so it’s pretty space-efficient.) Buy a bassinet? (I am so in love with the Cariboo Folding Bassinet, but not sure I can justify the cost for the short time being used.) You should know that sleeping in the same bed is not an option for us personally, although I have absolutely no problem with you doing it. Peace be with you!
You see? THE QUESTIONS. They burn. Please help.
The Arms Reach Co-Sleeper (http://www.armsreach.com/ ) is awesome. We had the mini. It can stand alone like a bassinet, but is best attached to the adult bed. So convenient for breastfeeding! The baby is right there with you and you get all the benefits of co-sleeping but she has her own sleeping space.
You look great!
.-= birdie´s last blog ..Take it to the Limit… =-.
I also got the cosleeper for our little man due in July. I got it used, off of CL, because I didn’t want to spend full price on an item used for a few months, either. I’ve heard nothing but good things about it so far!
PS – what shelving is that from Ikea? I may need to make a trip…
Hey Emily, it’s the Antonius and Hensvik shelving and brackets.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/bedroom/10398/
.-= EmilysHollow´s last blog ..Another List =-.
I have 4 kids. Two in one room, two in another. They all slept in a bassinet in our room for the first couple weeks/months. As for words of wisdom… I don’t really have any. We haven’t had too many problems with it.
.-= heidi´s last blog ..My mind, in bullets so you don’t get lost =-.
My two younger sisters shared a room from the minute they were big enough for bunkbeds. And when my parents bought a bigger house, they still wanted to share rooms- they got lonely. It may just be the jealousy talking, but they are still so much closer than I am to either of them.
It worked until they became teenage girls and insisted that no one touch their things. I’d recommend being sure everyone has a space that is just for their own personal stuff and no one else is allowed to touch it.
.-= Eleanor’s Trousers´s last blog ..Spring Cleaning =-.
Bassinettes are great, but they really only last for a few months at the most. I might go ahead and set up her crib in your room if you suspect she will be in there for longer than three or so months.
My boys share a room (they are 4 and 2) and they love, love, love it! I think it is a great bonding experience for siblings.
As for sharing rooms, it can work out fine. My brother Luke is 8 years my junior, and we shared a room. I was especially impressed with his dexterity; he could wing an empty baby bottle and land it right on my head from across the room. I suppose there is the thing about sleep disruptions for one child or the other, but they would likely both adjust.
I realize that my vote has less weight than those of your friends who actually have children, but that never stopped me from having an opinion before. I say, use the Stokke Sleepi until she is ready to move into her own room, that way the bed remains familiar even though she gets transitioned to another room.
.-= Jessica´s last blog ..Details of My Awesomeness, in list form =-.
We used the bassinet portion of the pack n play until he was four months old (AND NINETEEN POUNDS) and couldn’t sleep on it anymore without fear of BREAKING it so then he went to his room. That worked great for us. I thought about the co-sleeper but I wanted something we could use afterwards too, like the pack and play. But I know people who loved it so there’s that as well.
YEAH FOR BABIES!
.-= samantha jo campen´s last blog ..Considering a polygraph =-.
We were given a bassinet a few weeks before our first was born and it was perfect and our baby ended up sleeping in it for six months! It had wheels and could be moved room to room for, ahem, adult time. It had a short shelf life, but is much smaller than a crib or pack-n-play … Was so worth it! We have it stored until next baby!!
.-= Manda´s last blog ..The new sheriff in town =-.
I’m pregnant with our first child, but we are planning to just use a pack-n-play in our bedroom at first, then moving it into our second bedroom (our office). We live in a 2-bedroom apt, so it saves us space not to have a crib at all… Hopefully by the time he outgrows the pack-n-play, we’ll have a living arrangement that accomodates a big-kid bed by that point. We have a lot of friends in similar space-issue apartments who have been able to have this work well. :)
I have the Cariboo, and although it is pur-ty, I don’t like the fact that you have to stand up to check on the baby (I compulsively check to see if the baby is breathing….I know, coo-coo). The mini co-sleeper is nice b/c you can look right in and even touch her….. Or use the crib you have — I hear great things about it and then you don’t have to buy something that will get used for just a couple of months!
I love the idea of kids sharing room, BTW!
.-= jora´s last blog ..Inspired By Soulemama…. =-.
I actually got the Cariboo Folding Bassinet and LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVED it. Did I say love? We have a two story home and we could take it downstairs during the day and upstairs at night during his itty bitty stage. My kiddo was/is not a good sleeper and so he stayed in our room til about 4 months. We also got the changing pad attachment and would use that as a our downstairs changing area. After he stopped using the bassinet to sleep in, we just kept it downstairs for changing him for a good while–you know until he became a super duper flip flopping machine. Anyway, I highly recommend it. And it’s easy on the eyes too…
Woohoo! POINTS FOR CARIBOO!
No insight here, but at some point our kids are going to share a room. Once I can figure out a design style that works for both genders I’ll be really excited.
My sister and I shared a room off and on throughout our childhood and even though she was a total pest and got into my stuff I was actually sad when we moved into a house that allowed for us to have our own rooms.
Looking great, I can’t believe you’ve only got a few more months!
Oh we have been there. At 8 months the boys started sharing a room and I thought I was bidding my sanity goodbye, but they LOVED it.
Brighton started sneaking into Levi’s crib to sleep with him. NOT something we advocated, but really sweet :) Proof: http://www.flickr.com/photos/minismith/2485878889/in/set-72157605015839304/
Now at ages 3 and almost 5, they refuse to sleep in their separate twin beds, ALWAYS opting for curling up in a twin together. I think it’s worth the initial upheaval for the bonding that happens. Nights are such a hard time for kids and to have each other is really special.
That’s the most precious photo I’ve ever seen!
The Co-sleeper is the BEST:)
.-= MO´s last blog ..Cool kid =-.
My son and daughter started sharing a room a little over a year ago (they were 3 and 1 at the time). We all still think it was the best idea ever.
Oh just dump out the contents of your dresser drawer and shove her in there. That should work fine.
My mom did that with me. Just don’t forget she’s in there and close the drawer. I still have nightmares of being buried alive.
OMG HAHAHAHAAAAAAA. I mean, I’m sorry for your nightmares. ;)
I don’t know what they’re called but there are those babybeds that are designed to stand right next to a normal bed… they look like
this.
.-= san´s last blog ..Happy Easter (Bread)! =-.
My son slept amazingly well in the Arms Reach Mini co-sleeper for 4 months. It was the best sleep either of us had, totally spoiling a new mama and he’s now 21 months. It was small and portable (it had wheels). I’d nurse him, lay him back in it and he’s sleep. It was heaven.
After he outgrew it however we have failed to find something he will consent to sleep in alone. So we have been bed-sharing since then, which was not my intent.
We did a bassinet in our room for the first couple of months with Leah. Cam slept w/us (he was a co-sleeping kid until 5…yeah, FIVE!) and Leah had her own room for 2 years of her life (lucky girl!).
But now, Cameron and Leah share a room – I just transitioned Leah into a twin so now they are both in twins, within arms reach and yes, they say “good night bro-bro” and “goodnight Lili” before they go off to night night land.
It’s the sweetest ever!
I’m in the process of redoing their room right now since we got rid of the crib. We’re going for beach bungalow/surf style (of course ;) )
It’s way more fun than I thought it would be and the kids LOVE sharing a room!
I bet you will do the room fantastically – can’t wait to see it!
And you look marvelous, woman! Makes me want to be pregnant again (so not gonna happen!)
.-= Sarah, Ohana Mama´s last blog ..Easter, Maui style =-.
Chicco pack & play w/ the bassinet in the top! The bassinet is very comfortable & of course you can use the pack & play for many uses afterwards. If you already have one, you could take it to your parents house so they have an extra one for travelling.
I liked sharing a room with my sister when I was a kid…until I didn’t. I think it lasted until I was six or seven. :-)
.-= sizzle´s last blog ..Bet On It =-.
I mean, I’m nowhere close to being a mom, but the whole “Peace be with you!” bit at the end about co-sleeping made me laugh out loud.
Also, I can’t wait to see how adorably dressed and coifed Wita is sure to be.
This might be my first time commenting though I have worshipped the ground you walk on since you shared how to curl hair on Hair Thursdays (I believe) with a straightening iron. No jokes, I did a whole post on my love for that post. It changed the life of my frizzy curly hair as I know it.
ANYHOW. We just had our 2nd babe (a girl as well) 3 months ago and I would suggest NOT buying anything until she arrives. I know as a lover of all things organized (I am one as well) you are thinking “CRAZY WOMAN. HOW DARE YOU SUGGEST SUCH A HORRIFYING THOUGHT!” but the thing is we had a bassinette that my mom kept from when I was born and though both kids used it – it was for such a short time on both counts. 6 weeks for our son and 4 days for our daughter. I vote you use your Moses basket for the first little bit and if it just isn’t working you this post would indicate that you could have a backup (The Stokke Sleepi)that you can send set up right away.
I only suggest this because we also are NOT co-sleepers. And yet, my recovery from my c-section was such that getting up (even to the bassinette) quickly to a crying baby at night was not easy so for the first 4 weeks she stayed in bed with us. GASP! I was more shocked than anyone about it because it was something other people were more than willing to do, but it was NOT FOR ME! All that to say that things could easily not be the same with Wita as they were with Wito so you might want to hold off on making big new purchase until she’s here.
Also, I think the idea of the kids sharing a room is great – even though ours don’t. I shared a room with my little brother growing up and I LOVED it. The good and the bad. My hubby was an only child though so he doesn’t get it and figured since we had the room the kids could have their own. Pros and cons to both.
What fun to be planning all of this! Enjoy! Oh, and the closets? MARVELOUS!
Point well taken! Thank you, Nicole.
My kids kind of share a room, and there is an 11 year age gap between them (older is a girl, younger is a boy). They have sliding doors between their spaces that can be opened or closed, and they each have their own doorway to the hall.
There is nothing cuter than when they leave the doors open at night, and in the morning, all you hear from the toddler is Hi! Hi! HI HI HI! because he is SO EXCITED that he can SEE HIS SISTER!!!
This is a terrible suggestion expensewise but I loved the bassinet function of our Bugaboo stroller for both kids. I parked it right next to the bed, then sort of inched it further and further away as they got older, before eventually transitioning them to their room.
Also, with Dylan I had NO desire to cosleep and yet for several weeks he ended up on our bed propped in a Boppy pillow, which of course is hideously dangerous and I’m surprised he lived and I do not recommend such a course of action.
DUDE. I didn’t even think about our Bugaboo. Thank you!
.-= Sundry´s last blog ..Peptalking out loud =-.
This is what we opted for (although of course we don’t know how it’ll work out yet!)
http://www.amazon.com/DaVinci-Futura-Cradle-in-Espresso/dp/B000OP795A/ref=br_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=IEBVIWLSHEO7P&colid=1FCCEA8666TRV
We chose it because it looks nice in our bedroom and isn’t made of plastic or painted in pastel colors. We even got black sheets for it (from Sheetworld.com)
.-= HollyLynne´s last blog ..Beanself =-.
We just had our daughter Christmas Eve and friends were kind enough to lend us their Mini Arms Reach Co-Sleeper.
LOVED IT. We used it up until about a week ago because my baby is a giantess and very wiggly and keep getting herself wedged sideways at night and so I’ve moved my cradle that I kept downstairs up to our bedroom and retired the Co-Sleeper.
The cradle is nice and oh so pretty but I liked the fact that the co-sleeper could be right up against the bed and I could just scoop her up, feed her and put her back without getting up.
If you have a moses basket you can buy a stand for it. My girlfriend used one and she had a stand that she’d put it in at night.
.-= Amanda´s last blog ..Bits. =-.
We’re planning to have our boys share a room when the baby is older… Andrew is 5 months old and sleeping through the night, but that’s because he has his own room. There’s no way he could fall asleep with our almost-4-year old Oliver’s LOUD bedtime shenanigans. Maybe after the baby’s first birthday? We’ll see.
I don’t have any advice on what the baby should sleep in, since both my boys refused everything but their cribs. We put Andrew’s crib together in our own room and he slept there for 10 weeks BUT that was only because my mother-in-law stayed with us during that time. (Yes. I know. SCENARIO PLEASE TO AVOID. Unless your mother-in-law is really really awesome.) Otherwise we would have moved him into his own room after a month or so, because a) the crib took up too much room in our room, and b) my husband CANNOT be quiet when getting ready in the morning (is that a guy thing?) and always woke up the baby (and me) unnecessarily.
I’m sure your baby girl will make her own preferences known too. :)
Also: You look incredible. If I could look like that while pregnant, I’d have 6 more kids. Or at least one more.
.-= Melissa´s last blog ..losing it: update #3 =-.
We have enough bedrooms as, but the boys share a room. The baby has a nursery, but his older brothers have cleared the spot for his bed when he outgrows the crib. It’s so much fun for them – and cute!
(Plus, it simplifies bedtime for Mama and Papa.)
We have Matthias in an Arm’s Reach, but it was a gift. If I were you I’d use a Graco Pack and play with a bassinet. Then you can take it with you when you travel, or when Wita needs floor time and to be protected somewhat from big bro.
Okay. Here’s my beef with the Arms Reach Co-Sleeper. While I totally agree that it is the easiest, most comfortable arrangement to have your baby right there next to you (especially for breast-feeding and C-section recovery), I’m afraid that the baby will get so used to sleeping next to me that she will never transition into her crib. Like EVER. And then I will die 1,000 deaths.
(God, I sound like such a tyrant.)
We had a bassinet and found it to be a waste of money (used for a short time, and most are kind of rickety feeling). If you have room just put the crib in your bedroom for the first couple months. Since you already have the Moses basket you could put that inside the crib for a more cozy feel for Wita.
I shared a room with my sister for years and really loved it. When space got too tight (and personalities too independent) in middle school, we could still say “goodnight” through the heating vents in my room and hers.
That made me grin, Kerr.
.-= Kerri Anne´s last blog ..Remembering =-.
My two girls ages 4 and 5 share a room….they love it and we love it. We had the baby in a crib in our room for about 6 months, I felt I had to get her really sleeping before I moved her in with her sister. In the end they really don’t wake each other up, they just get to used the noise :)
Good luck!
First of all – thank you for the link and the kind words. Babes sharing a room is the greatest thing ever. Pretty sure Archer and Fable will share for years to come. They love love LOVE being close.
Second – I’m all for the bassinet – because, like you said, it isn’t attached to the bed. (Fable slept with us in our bed because I couldn’t handle not having her close BUT that backfired and it took months to get her to sleep on her own.) With Archer, he slept in the bassinet in our room (several feet away) and slept great. Don’t remember what kind of bassinet it was – just a standard one from Babies R Us I think?
Good luck!!! I’m so excited for you! The big brother/baby sister thing is… just… well… yeah.
xo
.-= GirlsGoneChild´s last blog ..42/100 =-.
So happy for you, Whoorl! Hey, what about Li-Li emphasising the (li) in Whoorlita, or Lita? Congrats on everything!
The Bugaboo idea rocks. But if you don’t already have a pack n play, it’s really, really time to bite that bullet. Our house wasn’t done when Audrey was born (thank you William Lyon) so she slept in our room in our apartment for the first couple of months. The bassinet part of the pack and play, while ugly, is really, really functional. And, there weren’t any crib transitioning issues, other than the typical, I just learned how to roll over, why would I want to stay asleep stuff.
We’re doing separate rooms for now, but once baby brother is a little bigger, who knows. My sister and I went back and forth from sharing to not sharing. I just knew that if I didn’t task those two rooms as bedrooms, the kids would never get me to give up an office space…
I hope I don’t get blasted for this…but we had a co-sleeper for our first and it just wasn’t a great fit for us. He had a really, REALLY hard time adjusting to being away from my warmth and smell and it was a battle for 10 months to get him into his own crib. But I KNOW that all babies are different and that was just our experience. With our second, we opted for a moses basket on a stand (so we could move it around easily). I could still see him while he slept, but there was more separation (his own sheets, blankets, smells, warmth). Just wanted to toss our experience into the mix.
And BTW, you look gorgeous for 7 months. Gorgeous for any time, but especially 7 months pregnant :)
.-= Amy Smith´s last blog ..the mystery of female friendships [1] =-.
First things first – you look amazing! Second, the closets and organization skillz are very impressive. Third, I have no advice really but I do have fond memories of sharing a room with my brother when I was itty bitty. Here was the scene: me: Strawberry Shortcake sheets him: Sesame Street sheets that he called Snuf-fuck-up-olous sheets…(oops but hehe). We would wake up in the middle of the night and read books by flashlight to each other. Renegades we were.
Books by flashlight rule.
First things first: You’re just about the cutest pregnant woman ever. I seriously looked like a deformed torpedo at 7 months. I’m feeling a blend of warm fuzzies and extreme jealousy for you right now.
Second, I’m totally with the pro-bassinet people. A borrowed one, preferably, because babies outgrow them so fast. A crib in your room will take up too much space, and you’ll be forever stubbing toes on it and cursing.
I also love the idea of them sharing a room — they’ll never feel alone! Plus kids have a way of taking over a house… the more adult space you maintain, the happier you’ll be!
Congrats on finally settling into your new abode!
our cariboo folding bass..is in cambridge, do you want it?
ps i did not love it-that is why i did not hold on to it like everything else….
The dudes have been sharing a room for years and it was the best thing we ever did. Before then, they seemed to tag team us and get up at night “needing a cuddle”. Now, we only hear from them in the night if they get up to pee.
Emily’s in her own room and so far, she’s pretty happy with her girly room.
.-= Angella´s last blog ..Scenes From A Weekend =-.
i wouldn’t listen to any of my advice given my track record other than, my girls love sharing a room. The other bedroom is a full out playroom. It seems to help a bit with all the crap they can’t seem to part with daily.
Yes, it is crucial to get most of the toys out of Wito’s reach at night – otherwise, he just plays with them all night. IN THE PITCH DARK.
.-= gorillabuns´s last blog ..b-u-n-n-y, b-u-n-n-y….. =-.
I’m with Nicole. I RARELY co-slept with my daughter mainly b/c I was too nervous, but when I had my son 17 months later I was just too exhausted. We had a small pack and play/bassinet that we borrowed set up next to the bed, but Z spent a lot of time in bed with us so I didn’t have to get up to feed him (although my husband was far too nervous about the whole thing). Avery and Zachary share a room now and it is fine. They never wake each other up which was one of my concerns and it wasn’t that difficult to transition him out of our room (although now he is a big mama’s boy so maybe there is something there).
ps. you look FANtastic!
Just get a cool pack n play or bassinet or pnp/basinett combo and put it in your room – you’ll get lots of use out of it!
And it’s bigger then the arms reach
.-= Sarah, Ohana Mama´s last blog ..Easter, Maui style =-.
Little boy and girl sharing a room is no biggie. Although I wouldn’t recommend it further down the road – could get a bit awkward lol.
.-= Jammer´s last blog ..Just one of the reasons why I love Easter =-.
PS – I’ve NEVER seen a pregnant women with hair that looks as amazing as yours does in that photo. Heck, I can’t even get my hair to look that good and I have no adult responsibilites lol. Major kudos.
.-= Jammer´s last blog ..Just one of the reasons why I love Easter =-.
Why oh why did you give away your pillow so soon? That thing was my savior in the last few weeks…and the first few weeks after birth. You need a new one maybe ;)
I used a pack in play for the first few weeks and then transitioned to a crib. I, like you, was scared that the co-sleeper would create co-sleeping habits and although that is for lots of people, it was not for me. I have seen friends use the Bugaboo too.Whatever option you pick, it will work out great!!
Because I AM A DOUCHEBAG. ;) I’m carrying pretty small again and figured eh, I don’t need that gigantic thing. MY GOD I WAS SO WRONG.
I have used the Graco Travel Lite crib as a bassinet for all of my 3 kids. It is basically a mini-pack n play. It has a bassinet function that you can take off and have the baby sleep in the bottom, like a regular pack n play, when the baby gets bigger. One thing I really love about it for a smaller house is that it wheels around, through doorways, etc very easily, which the regular pack n play can’t do. It is also smaller and lighter than the regular pack n play if you need to travel with the baby until 4 months or so. And I love that it is so sturdy, I don’t worry about the big kids bugging the baby, I feel like he’s safe in there.
As for sharing rooms … my older 2 (girls ages 6 and 3) have shared since the younger one was 4 months old. We never had any issues. We put off some sleep training stuff for a few months with the younger because I was afraid of waking up the older, who is a champion sleeper … but when we finally bit the bullet and let the little one cry, the older never even budged, she slept straight through. So I guess that was a worry for nothing.
Love to hear that! I’m nervous about the whole one waking the other one up thing.
OMG, you don’t even look 7 months preggo! You’re still so tiny! I only say this because my sister is also 7 months along and she’s a lot bigger. Like she’s carrying twins! :)
My niece and nephew share a room. He’ll be 8 this week and she’s 4 1/2. They love it. They’ve transitioned to bunk beds and it works well for them. I think they love being able to talk to each other and have someone else in the room. It’s so cute!
I will preface this with the fact I don’t have a kid and know nothing about babies, but my sister was looking at this as an option:
http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=2002&e=product&pid=51903&ncat=thumbnail&pcat=bgpy
.-= Kristabella´s last blog ..Ding Dong Lent Is Over =-.