Last Minute Shopping

Just 3 weeks more to go!

During the weekend a sense of urgency gripped me and I started to panic a little about Number 4's arrival.

I hadn't done much to prepare for her birth. Perhaps it's because I'm not particularly excited - she's going to be my 4th baby after all. 

Then again, it's been 6 years since I'd to go through the entire cycle so I have to jiggle my brains a little to recall what's to be done.

On Sunday, I finally decided to raid the cupboards and storeroom to check if I could recycle some baby stuff. All the milk bottles had been discarded - I would have thrown them away too because the plastic would've turned icky yellow with age. Since I'll be breastfeeding exclusively, the bottles will come in handy only at a later stage when I head back to work (or when helpful caregivers try to sneak in "water feeds" while I'm showering). 

So I trooped over to Happy Mom Happy Baby (which is conveniently next to our pet shop Woofy's Corner) and asked the ever-chirpy Jennifer for some help. I was a little overwhelmed by the range of products because the last time I scoured for baby stuff was 6 years back! 

Anyway, with Jennifer's recommendation I bought a Dr. Brown's Natural Flow® standard bottle, two Medela milk storage bottles, a pack of Unimom breast pads and a pack of Huggies® Newborn Diapers. 

Then it occurred to me that my trusty Medela Mini Electric pump (which served me dutifully since Xian's birth 12 years ago) may NOT be in working condition! Again, it seemed a waste to buy a new breast pump for over $200 since I don't intend to have any more kids after Number 4. So I got home, ransacked my drawers, pulled out the pump, assembled the parts, attached the funnel and switched on the electricity...

...and it STILL works! YAY!

To ensure it was REALLY working, I tried it out, just to check the suction power.

Yup, it's still able to urm, extract milk.

In any case, if I am desperate need to get a breast pump, Jennifer said I could rent one from her. Just the motor and pump, not the accessories of course, for personal hygiene reasons. 

That very evening I started worrying about my Saturday routine of dropping the older girls at various enrichment centres/dance classes/swimming lessons. Who's going to mind Number 4 while I'm carrying out my chauffeur duties? The only was was to bring her along with me.

And that was when I realised we NEED an infant car seat!

I dusted off our Maxi-Cosi Priori toddler car seat (which again served us faithfully for years) but it wasn't suitable for newborns/infants. With the 3 older girls, I didn't drive and we didn't really bring them out regularly until they were about 6 months and they could sit upright in the car seat.

The hub and I were reluctant to splurge on a swanky, brand new infant car seat that would serve us for only a couple of months. As the car seat's going to be installed in my little hatchback Pollie, we had to get one that would fit at the back and still have room for Wen and Wei since Xian would probably be seated in front.

I turned to the forums and auction sites to search for a pre-loved one. And managed to find a Maxi-Cosi CabrioFix for S$150. (New one's selling for about $380). The hub drove down on Monday afternoon to the seller's and texted me to say it's in pretty good condition, so he got it.

And here it is:

Pimp my ride, yo!

I know many people who shake their heads/cluck their tongues and slap us with a 'SCROOGE' tag for not giving "the best" to Number 4. Well, we aren't exactly rolling in riches and have had to watch our expenses in the last 2 years. The hub was taking a year-long break from work to sort out his career and he struck out on his own last year so admittedly we ARE counting our pennies.

And raising kids doesn't come cheap. If we have to scrimp and save to maintain a simple standard of living, I think it's worth the while. Isn't it more important for us to spend quality time with the kids?

Our girls aren't bred on branded goods, extravagant holidays and gourmet cuisine. We hardly go to the malls except for the occasional treat to the movies. They're happy chasing after the dogs (and each other), cycling, walking the dogs and dancing around the house. So far they're not shackled to technological gadgets (they don't own mobile phones or devices) and have no access to the computer unless I'm home. And I plan to keep it that way for as long as possible.

Anyway, I'll be hitting 38 weeks in a few days and still trying to remember if there's anything else I missed out. I'm quite sure I've forgotten a few things. Just hope I'll still have the time to buy/get them before Number 4's arrival.