There's a new member of the Family Group Chat on the way.
Lucy. Due this September. ❤️
And with her comes the same problem every family runs into the second the news gets out: the internet immediately tries to convince you a newborn requires 14 sleep products, 9 kinds of bottles, an entire skincare routine, and roughly 700 burp cloths.
We're going to try the boring, sensible version instead: buy what we actually think we'll use, and figure the rest out as we go.
The basics we're actually tracking
Nothing fancy — just the categories that matter:
- Sleep — a safe, flat sleep space and sheets that fit it. That's it. That's the whole list.
- Feeding — bottles if needed, burp cloths, whatever the actual feeding plan turns out to be.
- Diapers — newborn size, wipes, a changing pad, diaper cream.
- Clothing — onesies, sleepers, socks, one going-home outfit that will absolutely still not fit right in the hospital photos.
- Health & care — thermometer, nail care, basic bath stuff, nasal care.
- Travel — a rear-facing car seat, a stroller or carrier if we want one.
But what does Mom actually need?
This is the part we're not skipping.
Lucy gets a registry. Abbey gets a survival kit — the giant water bottle, the comfortable pajamas, the robe, the slippers, easy snacks that don't require standing at a counter, a long phone charger, postpartum supplies, nursing supplies if she wants them.
And someone else is making dinner. Seriously. We're handling that part before she asks.
Getting the house ready
Before Lucy shows up, the plan is: stock the freezer, do the laundry now (not "eventually"), set up a diaper station, put chargers where they'll actually get used, and — maybe most importantly — decide who's coming over, and when, before the baby arrives. Not after. That conversation is much easier to have calmly in August than emotionally in September.
And then there's Luka
Luka — Lou, around here — is about to become a big brother, and that's its own whole thing. We'll have more on how we're getting him ready for it soon. Short version: we're talking about Lucy with him now, giving him small jobs so he feels like part of this, and making sure he still gets time that's just his, even when everyone else in the room is looking at the baby.
We're tracking all of it in BumpBestie
We built BumpBestie — our own pregnancy and newborn app — mostly because Abbey needed something that wasn't either clinical or trying to sell her a subscription box every week. It's what she's using right now to track Lucy's countdown, week by week, and it's free if you want it too.
More updates as September gets closer. For now: freezer's getting stocked, Lou's getting the news, and we are choosing to believe we have plenty of time.