So I found these tips at http://www.thesimpledollar.com
Reuse everything you possibly can from the first child. Well I don't know yet if I'm having a girl or a boy, and I haven't saved everything from the first but I am saving now, and I am also shopping at local resale stores for baby items that are in great shape and 2-5.00 for clothes and very inexpensive on furniture and toys.
Evaluate new purchases in terms of hand-down-ability. I don't know so much about this one. I like the idea and it will be super easy if I end up with two girls, but at two she is staining and ripping and thoroughly ruining clothes better than ever. I also think it would be hard if I have a boy because we wear lots of lovely little dresses, but even on the clothes that could be neutral, Sophia is very long and thin with everything being adjustable waist and if the new baby is shorter or fatter the clothes won't fit right.
Watch for tremendous diaper deals. I look, and I save coupons. But I don't think I've ever seen the diapers on sale for less than the cost of a case at costco. I will keep looking for sales and always be mindful, but it feels like a pipe drea.
Prepare lots of food in advance. I am going to try this. This one will be harder for me because it requires being organized and I am still working on that. I have also tried and never really succeeded at making up lots of food on the weekends to make weeknight meals faster and easier. But I will keep working on it and who knows maybe in six months it won't sound like a challenge.
Simulate the experience of having a baby around with the older child. No problem. Sophia has two or three baby dolls that she loves to take care of , and she loves playing with her cousin who is eight months old.
Clean everything. I try to do this all the time anyway, I am sure when I get that nesting instinct it will become a total overhaul. In the meantime I am trying to teach Sophia to help with this and learn the picking up habits.
Invite family to stay with you. This one is not going to happen. We have a very small house and it will be full with me, and two kids. But my family lives in town so there will be lots of visits and I am going to take advantage of all the help they want to give to the baby, so that I don't forget to spend lots of quality time with my older girl.
I found one other tip that is pure gold, and it hadn't even occurred to me: When your older one wants to play don't blame the baby if you can't give them time. i.e. you are nursing the new one and the older one wants to play with you don't tell them "I can't I'm nursing you're sister/brother." Try something more normal like "I'm busy right now, but do you want to come help me?"
I didn't even realize that this would become a problem but thinking about it is so logical, if you blame the baby then she will blame the baby and feel resentful.
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