Getting in Gear: pregnancy countdown 22 weeks

I was a little dumbfounded yesterday when I realized I am 22 weeks pregnant. I mean, sure, I *knew* in the back of my head where I was in the process, and I also acknowledge the fact that babies come when they want. But I am putting a date on things in an effort to ensure I will be "ready" when this babe comes.

There will be a six year gap between this baby and his or her older brother, and I started out this pregnancy with absolutely no baby gear save a couple of baby blankets. I've been picking up a few things here and there, mostly baby clothes, and pretty much have my list of what I want/need. I learned with my other two children that we buy/receive waaaaay too much baby gear. Going from that experience, I acknowledge that this is a pretty bare bones list, but it's in line with my low consumption lifestyle:

-carseat
-clothing in 6-12 month sizes: 12 onesies, 12 sleepers, 6 pr socks, 2 sweaters, cold weather suit, 6 caps, a couple of cute outfits
-change pad for on the go: I bought a vinyl one for $1 at a thrift sale and made a flannel cover from two baby blankets
-wrap(s): would love two so that when one gets dirty I can have a clean one
-cloth diapers: have 10 chinese prefolds so far, want to have at least 36 prefolds/inserts and 12 PLU covers or 4 wool ones
wet bags: for dirty diapers...one small for on the go and one large for home
-cloth wipes: making these from flannel I have in my sewing stash and some old receiving blankets I've picked up (my babies were too big to use these blankets for anything else), putting these in a plastic container with my own wipe solution
-knitted, large baby blankets: I have two of these and one on its way from a friend
-bouncy chair
-bath support
-new bag for baby gear, etc: I don't currently have anything other than tiny purses, and have fallen in love with a bag made by a local lady who sells at our Saturday Farmer's Market. Not a fan of diaper bags as many of them are made of synthetic materials that stink, and a few of them on the market now are even treated with Teflon!! Plus, when the material cracks or gets a hole, it's an eyesore. With a handmade cotton/poly blend bag, I can just throw on a patch...plus it's machine washable, and will have other uses long after its incarnation as a "diaper bag"


For later:
-Ergo carrier: I've tried everything on the market and this is my favourite for bigger babies
-high chair that pulls up to the table (let's face it though, they always end up on my lap, eating off my plate!)
-bigger baby clothes
-toys? we already have some fun things in our house, and don't all babies like spoons? :)
-a couple of sippy cups
-baby spoons
-a couple of stainless steel baby bowls

I'm going to periodically check in and report on this list, and possibly do a cost analysis. I haven't put bottles on the list, because I just don't need them. With my second child I didn't even make baby food; when he wanted people food I just watered down/mushed up/shared whatever we were having. When you carry your babe in arms (or in wrap) most of the day, you lose the need for things to distract baby or keep him or her contained. When you sleep with your baby, a crib seems foolish, and a bouncy seat or a safe place on the floor is a great place for baby to crash for naps (if they don't wake up as soon as you put them down). A hammock seems like a great idea too and I am going to check these out at the farmer's markets this spring. I might go for a stroller once baby is a fair amount older, as I tend to get more frustrated than anything at lugging a stroller around.

I just shake my head at the amount of gear we are sold under the guise of "safety" or "developmental needs". Our babies need our milk and our loving arms. The rest is fluff :) Check back with me later this week for my list of gear I am getting together for our homebirth.