Is there a month-by-month to-do list sort of thing?

[onlyoneway]

We get to join the club, we found out about 2 weeks or so ago (seems like longer), we're wrapping up week 6. It's been uneventful symptom wise, but the nurse confirmed it. She's the breadwinner in our family, military. We're trying to keep it secret as long as we can, but we're overseas at a small command... so it's probably already out. I'm still trying to find employment (I have a pretty specialized career field), so I'm pretty bored day-to-day. So i feel like there is more I could be doing right now.

Anyways, couple questions from a first-timer:

1) Is there a good 'to-do' list resource? i.e.

• Week 8 - update will,
  
• Week 9 - learn to make birthday cakes,
  
• Week 10 - research 'how to clean up vomit', etc.
  
• Week 11 - Make budget, cry, research selling blood.
  

2) Tips for telling family who is far away? I'm bouncing between buying my mom a mixer with a 'grandma's cookies cookbook' or sending her the baby blanket she not-so-subtly 'found' a year or so ago and asking her to patch it before the due date.

3) Anything you wish you did early on in the pregnancy?

 

[hungphatads123]

@onlyoneway Read a good book about pregnancy and birth to get started. I read 'the birth partner' for the birth stuff but there are others just to go some perspective.

Find a comprehensive list of baby supply needs (Google 'Lucie's list') and start thinking and discussing with your partner how you're going to handle sleeping arrangements, baby carriers, car seats, etc etc etc. There's a ton of information and options out there and figuring out what we need/want and don't need/want has been the bulk of the 'research' I've done.

There's no need for researching cakes/barf (maybe you're just joking). That stuff you can figure out when the time comes.

There's probably no week by week schedule and that's not really necessary. Just figure out what you need to have prepared before the birth and do that before month eight.

 

[onlyoneway]

@hungphatads123 cakes/barf was me joking around, I'm pretty good with cakes... My cake decorating skills once got me the role of gluing a GPS transmitter to a sea turtle. I'm not so good with barf.

I'll check out Lucie's List.
Yesterday was learning about estate planning...

 

[walton]

@onlyoneway HA! Selling blood? You're better off selling a kidney. At least with that you're guaranteed to have daycare for a full month.

In all seriousness, just try to think of thing you and your SO won't want to be doing when she is 30wks pregnant. My wife is hitting 20 weeks on Thursday, but we are just about done with the nursery. I'd recommend doing that ASAP if you plan on painting (no painting for her) or anything else special.

Start looking around for daycares. Just collect info, then try to get into one a few months out from when/if you'll need it. They all have waitlists that you have to pay to be on...it's a bit of a scam, but what are we to do?

My wife and I are planning to do some double dinner nights when we're 2-3 months out as well. Make one to eat, then make one to put in the freezer. Cooking will not be something either one of you look forward to in those first few weeks/months of having a newborn. Having a casserole or even cooked chicken in the freezer will help a lot.

Keep you eye out for babystuff at yardsales/craigslist/Facebook marketplace. We got a basically brand-new glider for $35, and an ergo 360 carrier for $45. Never too early to buy some stuff!

Congrats and goodluck!

 

[onlyoneway]

@walton I like the casserole idea. Getting groceries is a pain as it is, still don't know the local language all that well. I'll put this deep freezer to use.

 

[forevermemorable]

@onlyoneway Read the expectant father. It is more month by month instead of week by week but does a solid job of giving tips on things to do.