Hospital Bag

I am notoriously known for over-packing (what women isn't though, right?!) so I really tried to think practical when I was making my hospital bag packing list. I used the information from some of our baby prep classes combined with a few checklists online and some helpful advice from friends, so hopefully I have all of my bases covered. I will undoubtedly still end up over packing and may even forget a few things, but I feel pretty confident with the items I have.

I am sharing my hospital bag packing list below in case any other mamas are interested. I also thought it might be interesting to update this post after my hospital stay to see what items I actually needed and those that I could have gone without.  

Just a side note for any men that may be reading this :: There are some "girly" items listed below. You have been sufficiently warned :)

• Toiletries (basic shower + hygiene necessities...I basically just raided the Target travel section for these items)
• Chapstick (I have had SO many people tell me to bring this, since hospitals can be very, very dry) 
• Hard Candy + Gum (again, hospitals are very dry)
• Hair ties (I pretty much always have one on my wrist, but I packed a few extras just in case...there is nothing worse than having hair in your face when you are hot & uncomfortable...I am thinking these will come in handy during labor)
• Nursing bras + breast pads (self explanatory...I also threw in some Lanolin cream)
• Boppy pillow (for nursing)
• Post-delivery clothes (I am STILL debating on whether to bring some comfy pants combined with nursing tank tops or just opting for a button-down nightgown...I suppose I will try to figure this out soon)
• "Going Home" outfit (I packed a pair of comfy yoga pants, a tank top, and lightweight hoodie...I am not trying to win any fashion contests here) 
• Underwear + pads ('nuff said. Most mamas reading this will understand why)
  
• Prenatal vitamins (since I am planning to nurse, these will still be a part of my daily routine)
  
• Bath towel (this one might seem excessive, but I've been told hospital towels are small & thin, so I threw in one from home just for added comfort) 
• Flip Flops (for the shower) 
• Fuzzy socks (for walking the halls & staying warm)
• Magazines (for any downtime. I also threw in my breastfeeding book I received from our breastfeeding class...even though I've read through it already, I will no doubt need to reference it once baby is actually here)
• Extra bag for dirty laundry  
• Note book + pens (for taking notes and tracking baby's feeding/diaper changing schedule) 
• Thank you notes (for any gifts we may receive while in hospital...I figured it couldn't hurt to pack a few of these)
• Cell phone + charger
• Wallet + insurance card (obvious necessities)
• Birth Plan (which I am almost finished writing!)
• Baby Book (we learned on our hospital tour to bring this with us and the nurses will gladly make a duplicate copy of baby's footprints inside the book)

In baby's bag, I packed:

• Wipes (the hospital where I am delivering uses wet "activating" wipes, which I've heard aren't the greatest, so I picked up an extra pack of wipes to use instead)
• Onesies + sleepers (I packed a few of these in NB and 0-3 m. I want to have these just in case)
• "Going Home" outfit 
• Hats + mittens + socks
• Receiving blankets + lightweight blanket for car ride home

I did not pack any pacifiers for baby, since it is now my hospital's policy not to give any baby a pacifier in the 1st 3-4 weeks unless it is for a medical procedure (i.e. circumcision). I agree, and am leaving them at home. 

I also have a small bag packed for Rob as well, as he'll be staying in the hospital overnight with me. Some of his items include: 2 days worth of clothes, pj's, and toiletries. Rob is also in charge of the camera gear :)

Well, there you have it...my hospital bag checklist. I am just about packed...I still have a few of these items to gather up around the house, but hopefully I'll have all 3 of our bags zipped up and ready to go very soon.

What do you think of my list? Am I a crazy over-packer? Or am I missing some obvious necessities?

PA Baby Shower

Rob and I were lucky enough to have two showers thrown for us (this is the 1st grandchild for both sides of our families, so both grandmas-to-be are very excited for Baby Schmitt's arrival). Due to our busy summer schedules, I wasn't able to make the trip down to NC; therefore, my Mom offered to come up from NC to throw me a shower here in Pittsburgh. My PA shower was a small gathering at our house with some of my local mommy friends. My mom, sister, and I had fun decorating the house with our teal/green/white color scheme.

Here are a few photos from the shower that Rob took before everyone arrived.

Here is a photo collage of the decor that I put together with my iPhone.

A big thank you to one of my good friends, Sherry, for making such an awesome jungle-themed diaper cake!

Thank you again to all of the ladies who attended! We had quite a few people who were unable to attend the shower due to vacations, weddings, and even a few babies being born :) We missed all of you and can't wait to catch up with all of you soon. Oh, and a special thank you to Sherry's husband, Dave, for entertaining Rob for the afternoon while us girls had our fair share of baby/pregnancy talk ;)

Between both showers, Rob and I are just about ready to welcome Baby Schmitt into the world! Once we get the nursery all ready to go we'll share some photos on the blog. Stay tuned! :)
 
 

NY Baby Shower

This past weekend we ventured up to NYC for our baby shower that Rob's Mom so graciously planned & hosted for us. It was a really great afternoon, and both Rob and I feel SO incredibly blessed and grateful for everyone's love and generosity for our little boy. One of my favorite (and most simple) parts of the shower was that in lieu of cards, guests brought books for the baby instead. All of the books are signed, so years from now we'll be able to look back and see who gave him each book :)

Here are a few pics from the shower.

Thank you again to everyone that came! To those that could not attend - we missed you! Also, a big thank you to Carmilla and Michelle for making the adorable jungle-themed diaper cake and chocolate candy favors. Love you ladies!! xo

 

The BIG 3-0

This week marks 30 weeks for me. As in only 10.more.weeks until my due date! Wow! I cannot believe I am 30 weeks pregnant! I just keep saying that over and over to myself. It's a great feeling, and we are counting down the days and weeks until we get to meet our little boy. 

Here are a few updates :)

Pediatrician 

We found our pediatrician! From the moment we walked in the office, I had a good feeling. Once we sat down with the doctor and had a chance to talk about the practice and our questions, Rob and I instantly knew this was the perfect place for our little guy. If any of my local mommy friends are looking for a great pediatrician, let me know and I'll be happy to discuss more details. 

Baby Gear

Our house is slowly but surely being taken over by all kinds of baby gadgets + gear, and I absolutely LOVE it!! I think Rob is just as excited for all of the gadgets as I am because he puts everything together as soon as we get it :) 

3D Ultrasound

We went in for a 3D ultrasound (just for fun), but little man didn't want to cooperate and was more interested in snuggling up in a corner than smiling for the camera (the ultrasound tech said he's a mama's boy - hooray!!). We go back in 2 weeks for another shot at it, so hopefully we'll be able to get a good picture of his face. Even though we didn't get a great photo, we did get a few glimpses of his face before he snuggled up. We think he has my nose and Rob's mouth/lips. He's a cute little fella and loves to play with his hands. We even saw him yawning, which was pretty neat to see! Oh, and we confirmed for a 3rd time that he is in fact a boy :)

Wedding Season 

Over the past 5 weeks I've had the privilege of being apart of 5 incredible weddings. I still have 2 more (gorgeous!) weddings before this season officially comes to an end, but I feel so incredibly lucky to have worked with such amazing clients, rock star vendors who make my job loads of FUN, my trusty side kick, Meghan, and of course my always supportive husband for all he contributes to the business. Maternity leave starts in July!