At this point, I just take a breath and smile. I really do love that you are excited for us to have kids and am assured that one day we'll have a very supportive network of family and friends to help us when the time comes. But, as much as we will love our babies when they come, that time is not quite here yet. We are so happy living in this period of being just us as a couple. This is the only time in our lives (well, until we're empty-nesters) that we can just focus on each other - building and strengthening our relationship, working on personal projects all evening just because we want to, walking around Walmart for fun in the middle of the night, going out to a diner for breakfast at 3am and deciding to leave right then and there for Indiana... These are moments and memories that I'm treasuring. We are storing up experiences and love now for the future.
To be honest with you, I would love a baby. It gets to me when I least expect it. I could be having a fine day, and then I look out the window and see a couple moms walking past with babies snuggled to their bodies, in adorable pink and green strollers, or tiny tots trailing behind them. To say that seeing mommies and babies together tugs at my heart is an understatement. But I know in my heart that the best way I can love our future children is to prepare for them now to provide the best life possible for them. Ozzie and I have talked many times about what we would like to do before we have children. So I've put together a "Baby Bucket List" that includes some practical, real life things we want to accomplish and some wish list items that would be fun to experience as a couple before we have kids. Overall, it is important to note that this list is not extensive or restraining in any way. It helps us focus and makes the preparation season fun. We do understand that God's plans are ultimate, and that no checklist really fully prepares you to be a parent.
So have fun with us and enjoy our list! I'll add to it and update what we've completed as we go. Look for the most updated version under the Snuggles and Giggles page!
The Baby Bucket List
Seriously, We Need To Do This
1. Become more focused on The Lord and dedicated to daily habits of Scripture-reading and quiet time.
2. Continue learning and discuss how we would like to raise our children. (We are excited for this life-long process!)
3. Ozzie graduate from college
4. Ozzie get a good full time job he is happy in
5. Buy a second car
6. Get to and maintain my goal weight and fitness level. (It is very important to me to be fit and strong during pregnancy and as a mom. I want to be energized and able to enjoy the adventures God throws our way.)
7. Eat clean, healthy and home-cooked regularly. (We already do this for the most part, but I still want to get on a better schedule of clean eating for lunches and during snacking.)
8. Cut down on coffee, so I don't need it every day. (Taking one week/month to be entirely off coffee would help. I know, they say you can have some coffee now while pregnant, but why not go above and beyond to make sure everything goes as right as possible?)
8. Be comfortable cooking daily meals. (I've improved on this since we've been married, but I want to get to a point where I have ideas, energy, and skills to cook a good, healthy meal every night.)
9. Get into a consistent cleaning schedule.
10. Pay down most of our debt.
11. Have a sturdy amount of savings set aside.
12. Work on managing stress and emotions - Find and get in the habit of utilizing a sure-fire stress relief method.
We Would Prefer To Do
1. Buy our first home
2. Stay at an adventure resort (summer or winter)
3. Cultivate my friendships with my girl friends (I want to have a strong circle of friends when I am a mom. More on friends later.)
4. Develop my online homemade business into a solid income source that is enjoyable and fulfilling.
5. Sew our baby's supplies in a style that will be cute for either boy or girl: Reusable diapers with diaper covers, diaper bag, changing pads, crib set, and other nursery items.
6. Have family and friend's children/babies overnight and all day a few times.
7. Be able to hold a conversation in Spanish and understand Spanish children's books/music. (Ozzie's got this covered, but I have more to work on. We want to be able to teach our children Spanish in the home as they're learning to talk.)
8. Enjoy full nights of sleep now!
It Would Be Nice To Do
1. Become more focused on The Lord and dedicated to daily habits of Scripture-reading and quiet time.
2. Continue learning and discuss how we would like to raise our children. (We are excited for this life-long process!)
3. Ozzie graduate from college
4. Ozzie get a good full time job he is happy in
5. Buy a second car
6. Get to and maintain my goal weight and fitness level. (It is very important to me to be fit and strong during pregnancy and as a mom. I want to be energized and able to enjoy the adventures God throws our way.)
7. Eat clean, healthy and home-cooked regularly. (We already do this for the most part, but I still want to get on a better schedule of clean eating for lunches and during snacking.)
8. Cut down on coffee, so I don't need it every day. (Taking one week/month to be entirely off coffee would help. I know, they say you can have some coffee now while pregnant, but why not go above and beyond to make sure everything goes as right as possible?)
8. Be comfortable cooking daily meals. (I've improved on this since we've been married, but I want to get to a point where I have ideas, energy, and skills to cook a good, healthy meal every night.)
9. Get into a consistent cleaning schedule.
10. Pay down most of our debt.
11. Have a sturdy amount of savings set aside.
12. Work on managing stress and emotions - Find and get in the habit of utilizing a sure-fire stress relief method.
We Would Prefer To Do
1. Buy our first home
2. Stay at an adventure resort (summer or winter)
3. Cultivate my friendships with my girl friends (I want to have a strong circle of friends when I am a mom. More on friends later.)
4. Develop my online homemade business into a solid income source that is enjoyable and fulfilling.
5. Sew our baby's supplies in a style that will be cute for either boy or girl: Reusable diapers with diaper covers, diaper bag, changing pads, crib set, and other nursery items.
6. Have family and friend's children/babies overnight and all day a few times.
7. Be able to hold a conversation in Spanish and understand Spanish children's books/music. (Ozzie's got this covered, but I have more to work on. We want to be able to teach our children Spanish in the home as they're learning to talk.)
8. Enjoy full nights of sleep now!
It Would Be Nice To Do
1. Have a couple's photo shoot (before the maternity shoot!)
2. Get snowed in at a cabin around Christmas time
3. Go on a cruise or fancy romantic tropical vacation
4. Continue building up my stash of adorable various-sized baby clothes, for boy or girl. (It's important to me to really love everything my baby wears, since they're only wearing those sweet tiny things for a very short time. Between yard sales and what I make, I have time to really pick out the best. That way, too, it won't cost an arm and a leg to buy baby clothes when the time comes.)
5. Take photos of our life pre-baby (Favorite places to go, location of first date, where we met, where he proposed, etc.)
So let me know what you think! Leave a comment and share what items you have/had on your to-do list before having a baby. If you already have kids, is there anything you wish you would've done before having children?
You really do have this thought out.
ReplyDeleteDo you need some baby patterns?
It certainly is best not to have debts hanging over your heads---a worthy goal.
What will your homemade online business be? You can sink an awful amount of money in on-line business. Be careful!
Do enjoy your now moments! How about some singing?