Well, first I would try distraction to calm down. This can be done by walking outside for sure for mine. Also, a hot, steamy shower tends to help calm the coughs. Also, sometimes just sucking on something helps as well—like an icee of some sort. And warm tea is nice—and honey is safe for 2yo, I am pretty sure. Also, a doctor said that bundling them up and taking them outside into the cold helps. I don’t remember the explanation—something to do with the brachia and shrinking or something like that. But it is worth a try. Hope all that helps. Oh, and of course, asking Our Lady for her prayers.

I was going to suggest a bit of honey as well.  Perhaps in a weak tea?  (I’d go with decaf )

I never give cough syrup to kids,  I don’t know about the US but in Canada you can’t get kids cough syrup anymore it isn’t approved.  I usually get a humidifier going in whatever room they are in, vicks on the feet with socks…. Good luck.  I hate it when they are sick.  Mine has a cough right now too.

Nothing—if they are coughing it is probably because they need to get “stuff” out of their lungs/breathing passages.  If they are coughing a ton and trying to get junk out that won’t seem to come out, I would give them a little expectorant,  but never suppressant.  I would only use suppressant if it was bothering them so much at night that they couldn’t sleep

The medicine we were trying was an expectorant but we want find something to quiet the cough enough so she can fall asleep at night. The cough doesn’t sound like croup, but I’ll try the cold air anyway, and the honey. We do use some “Soothing Vapor Baby Creme”.
Thanks for the tips. She’s the only one of my six that won’t take anything at all, not even her 1/2 of a chewable vitamin.

I second the honey recommendation.  I’ve even seen it admitted on medical sites that honey works better than any of the cough syrups out there, and has no side effects.  Try to get your child to take a spoonful right before she goes to bed - it should quiet the cough very well.  It’s what I take anyway, and I tend to get really terrible coughing fits - honey is the only thing that’ll soothe the cough, whether I’m trying to stop it before I start gagging (TMI?), or just trying to stop long enough to get to sleep.
Best of luck!

We use a medicine dropper with a plunger so you can just shoot the medicine into the corner of the kid’s mouth, a little at a time. Sometimes it takes one parent to hold the child down and another to shoot it in. Also, we always follow each little bit with juice or water to help it go down.

When my oldest daughter gets a bad cold, she often has coughing fits too.  I usually rub some Vicks Vaporub under her feet before she goes to bed and put socks on too.  She may still cough a little but eventually, she settles and sleeps fairly well.  I’ve recently tried this with my 13 mth old and it also worked well.

NEwborns need diapers, onesies, a couple of light blankets and a carseat.  Strollers can wait as they’re so light you can sling or bjorn them with little effort.  I love having a bouncy chair too but it’s not a neccesity (at least for a few months - then it’s really handy to get things done in the kitchen)

If you have lots of friends and family who will shower you to abundance, register for anything and everything!  My aunt and her four daughters (and one daughter in law) bought my swing, which I used a lot in the middle of the night when my little one was tiny.  I also had a bouncy seat another aunt bought me, but I’m not sure it was essential.  For a changing table, I used a dresser complete with a mirror so baby could see herself eventually and then a $20 changing pad from Wal-Mart.  LOVED that setup.

I didn’t buy this until my daughter was 6 months old, but I pink puffy heart my Ergo baby carrier.  I bought it used from http://www.myfavoritebabycarrier.com as they have a money back guarantee if you don’t like it.  Not only was it comfortable on my bad back (still is at almost 3 years old and 28 pounds) but my daughter fell asleep on our first walk - something she never did in the sling or stroller.

When my daughter grew out of her “bucket car seat” I bought a Britax Marathon on sale and consider it money well spent.  It’s pretty easy to install, I think, and since she’s long and lean, I am hoping she can stay in it until she reaches the 40 pounds for a booster seat.

I also loved loved loved using cloth diapers - we live about 30 miles from stores cheap enough to buy diapers, though I have a friend in a similar situation that used diapers.com.  You can read my poetic waxing about cloth here and here.

I feel that we were blessed that I enjoyed nursing my daughter until she was 2 years, 3 months, but I will tell you that it was.not.easy for the first few months.  I read The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding and after my daughter was born, I spent some time researching problems we had on llli.org (La Leche League’s website with forums) and kellymom.com, plus I had a beloved lactation consultant.  (It’s true - she the mother of a dear friend.)

Looking back, I think our two major purchases were a crib mattress (I used a hand-me-down crib) and a glider.  Instead of the ottoman, I bought a nursing footstool from my LC and it was the best!  I also used a boppy nursing pillow until I took my daughter to a chiropractor at 3 months and nursing was finally comfortable for us.

The little one is up, so I’d better run, hopefully you’ll get a few more ideas!

Oh, one more - my daughter had a yeast diaper rash for MONTHS and I used Aquaphor dry skin ointment to finally clear it - with disposable diapers during that time.

Congratulations!  Our first is 8 months now, so I’ll let you know what was useful for us (though it varies for different people/babies).  We were blessed to have multiple showers and also receive many hand me downs, so we got to try quite a few things we wouldn’t have bought ourselves.  If you can have a shower or know anyone to borrow things from, definitely do that.
I would consider these necessities: a new car seat (we used a convertible, so it would last longer, but infant carriers seem to be convenient), a stroller (a cheap umbrella stroller works after about 6 months or so, but you may want a stroller that allows a younger baby to recline or a sling for the first 6 months), bottles and such if you’re not going to ebf (we bought a couple in the early days when breastfeeding was not going so smoothly), diapers and wipes (cloth or disposable), some clothes, blankets, and burp rags, and a place for baby to sleep (unless the baby will be in the bed with you).
We also got a swing and a breast pump, which proved invaluable to us early on, but they’re not necessities for everybody.  Eventually, you will probably want the baby to have some form of entertainment (other than you), so things like a play mat, exersaucer, and other little toys are nice (but not necessary).  Hope that helps!

I’d definitely skip the changing table - I just bought a leakproof pad, put the diapers and wipes in a basket - and set everything on my bed to use all day.

Also, I highly prefer the really cheap baby bathtubs to the more expensive.  Just buy a cheap plastic one and put a handtowel in it so the baby doesn’t slip.  The more expensive ones have foam that needs to dry out anyway.

Congratulations!

Hmmm. Kid #6 is now 9 months old. We didn’t buy much new stuff for him. What we absolutely had to have: car seat—the ones where the seat removes from the base are wonderful, you can use them as rockers/baby seats inside the house too, onesies and socks or the little footed baby outfits, diapers (we used disposables this time), baby wipes or a dozen washcloths, bottles if bottlefeeding, bottle brush. You don’t even need a baby bathtub if you’re going real cheap—a towel inside a very clean kitchen sink works perfectly fine, cushions the hard metal or enamel. A crib if you’re not co-sleeping, with a sheet or two. They’re now recommending NOT using bumper pads and comforters inside cribs, they’re a SIDS and suffocation risk.

Beyond that, I buy every baby their own very nice soft and warm blankie—the velour-like stuff is great and washes up nice when it gets caked in spitup. Recieving blankets are nice mainly as spitup catchers and impromptu changing place covers. Beyond that, the other stuff is sometimes nice but mostly impractical. The diaper genies are a pain to use and don’t actually stop the smell. I never found much use for the Boppy pillows. The exersaucers are nice once they’re 6 months or so and can sit up on their own. Some babies love swings, but some of them scream unendingly.

What’s a baby need? A diaper, some basic clothes and blankets for warmth, food, and love, in a safe secure location. That’s about it.

Kat:
Congratulations! I second that a baby registry is a great way to get many items if you have lots of family and friends - and a baby shower coming up! With that said, here’s a few things I recommend. These are things I found paid for themselves with their benefits:

1) A Boppy if you’re planning to breastfeed. If you will be working full-time, a Medela Pump In Style Advanced is a NO-BRAINER.

2) Dishwasher basket (made by Munchkin). You can put pacifiers, breast pump shields, baby spoons, bottle nipples, etc. in it and place it on the top rack.

3) A bouncer and/or swing of some sort. When you’re not carrying baby, there will be times you just want them to be content for a few minutes.

4) A baby carrier or sling is also a great help! However, it’s hard to spend $90 dollars on one - and I even LOVE the concept of baby wearing. So, I went to wearyourbaby.com and they are an excellent resource. You can spend about $30 (max) on 5 1/2 yards of material to make a no-sew wrap. I just tried mine out yesterday and it works so much better than the Snugli I have. Plus, baby sits properly on your front or back. The website teaches you all kinds of carries and such.

Good luck!

My #6 is four months old now and here are some things we use/used the most: A big square of hemmed flannel for swaddling, a sleepsack now that she no longer likes being swaddled, a very basic bouncy seat, a bassinet we bought at a consignment shop, and a car seat/carrier.  The hospital will likely give you a Soothie brand pacifier and a diaper bag if you want them, and some even have a car seat program.  I also have a sling from Lucky Baby that I find handier than a stroller for the places we go, like the library, though we use the stroller a lot outdoors in warmer weather.  The other comments have some good advice, so I’ll stop.

Everyone is different so you may well end up with things you don’t use.  I’ve had 3 babies and the things I’ve found the most useful are:
1.)  The sling!  A good comfy one.  I use a Moby Wrap.  (I reckon you could make one out of a very long piece of material.  Just learn the knack of tying it).

2.) Bouncy chairs.  The more the merrier.  It has been useful for me to have a couple of these strategically placed around the house when I need to put baby down for a few minutes.

3.)  A bumbo.  This is a specially moulded seat.  it holds baby upright and you can have her on the kitchen worktop watching you peel the potatoes etc!

4.)  Nipple shields!  Unfortunately with my first 2, I had failed with breastfeeding by 6 weeks.  This time a nurse whispered to me (because the midwives disapproved!) to get these.  For me they were a lifesaver!  We are still breastfeeding 10 months on and she’s never had a bottle.

5.)  A car seat.  In the UK you are not allowed home from the hospital without one. 

I live in the UK and belong to a group called Freecycle, where members offer unwanted items for free, so I was able to get things like extra bouncy chairs for free.  Car boot sales are very good too.  I got a pram on Ebay for £35, very good condition, but have only used it twice as I’ve always found my babies preferred to be carried.

All the best,
Debs.

Definitely check with your hospital to see if they have a car seat program. My sister was able to get a Graco SnugRide for free when her first was born (with no income requirements).

You can borrow a lot of things like bouncers and co-sleepers since they can only be used for a few months before baby outgrows them. If none of your friends have any, you could ask some moms of older kids at church if they of any that might be available. I’m sure lots of families keep such things around “just in case” there’s another one. (We have seven years’ worth of boy clothes in our closet for just that reason.)

Congratulations!

Congratulations!

The main things you will need to do are hold the baby, nurse the baby, and dress the baby.  Equipment for that is:

1) Over the Shoulder Baby Holder sling (family owned company with excellent customer service, AND my favorite slong after 20 yrs of baby wearing)

2) forget all the swings, walkers, pacifiers, etc.—just a few simple rattles, and if you get those plastic loopps that hook together, you can attach one or two to the end of your sling, if it has a ring—that is for later when you want toys for baby

3) diaper bag and diapers

4) onesies

5) rocking chair and boppy pillow IF you can afford them… i rocked babies just sitting on the edge of a chair when i had no rockwr, but a rocker is nicer… i have nursed with and w/o a boppy, and the boppy is sa nice extra, but not necessary

Thats about it!  baby can sleep with you in your bed, you can nurse when s/he wants and needs, and you won’t waste $$

I finally did cloth diapers with #3 and found them to be a big money-saver and not as much work as I had supposed.  You have a little time to research. . .especially if you are going to be staying at home you might want to give them a try.  Also keep in mind that if you plan to have more babies, you will use them again next time around, saving even more money.  Some of the online stores do a “free trial” where they send you a variety to try out, and you send them back if you don’t like them. (And you can always keep the bag of disposables handy for going out or laundry emergencies!)  Congratulations and enjoy all the precious snuggles with that first one!!!

Can you tell we love talking about babies?!  Here’s my list:
1)  feeding: a nursing bra/tank (I also recommend a belly band to cover up the tummy), bra pads, and burp pads.  I really really like my boppy. 
2)  diapering: for cloth, the flat (fold your own) dry waaay quicker than any fitted or all-in-one and also won’t be outgrown; do NOT buy the ones with the “absorbent padding”, as it’s really just fluff.  A good diaper cover (I like Stacinator), also cloth wipes (I bought used baby towels and cut them up).  IF it’s being bought for you, a wipe warmer is a nice luxury for baby!
3)  clothing: onesies, sleepers and receiving blankets
4)  traveling:  an infant car seat.  If you’re having a shower, I would definitely ask for a travel system car seat-stroller combo.  I used mine so much it completely wore out by my fourth - I loooved it!  For carrying, I used a baby bjorn, and do NOT recommend it…probably one of those expensive ergos everyone talks about, but it might be best to borrow one, or be gifted with one, to see if it works for you.  Swings, bouncies,etc are also things I’d recommend borrowing if you can, babies just outgrow them so quickly.  I’d also second Celeste’s list of medicine helps… I love the Vicks speed read thermometer.  Congratulations!

For frugality, I found I was very grateful for baby gifts off the registry (I have bought almost zero clothes in 15 months, except a winter coat and some pajamas), and for Craigslist.  Here’s some things I think are probably essential to have—

1) Pack and play.  We got a very basic Graco model with only the bassinet insert.  Our baby slept in the bassinet in our room for five months.  We still use this daily for an easy way to keep the baby (15 months) contained for brief moments like when we’re getting ready in the mornings.  We’ve also taken it on trips and just over to friends’ houses when we need a place for the baby to fall asleep either overnight or just a few hours so we can stay out later than 7:30 when we’re out visiting   So easy to use and I love it.

2) Diaper bag.  Does not have to cost much at all, but you need one thing to collect diapers, wipes, baby food jars, bottles if applicable, a book or teething ring or two, and a changing pad.

3) Changing table.  I know some people say you don’t need this (I heard the same advice!), but at least in my experience, I’ve use it multiple times every single day since my baby was born.  Maybe your type of house or apartment factors into this?  We have a ranch-style house, but if it was a two-story maybe I wouldn’t use it as much because I wouldn’t want to go up and downstairs all the time.  I got mine on eBay, but there are lots on Craigslist too.

4) Also, not a necessity but I found by 7 or 8 weeks that I really appreciated having a bouncy seat and Tiny Love playmat (can be cheap off Craigslist or nice as gifts).  I just didn’t have anything (including older siblings yet ) to put the baby down for a minute and let him have something interesting to look at and wave his hands at.  We used the playmat every day for a few months until he learned how to crawl off it.  So not necessary, but nice!

One money saving tip, I get my disposable diapers off Amazon with the “Subscribe and Save.”  With the discount, free shipping and no taxes (and using Target brand wipes bought in bulk) I found I spent about $30/month or less on diapers.  Comparing that to my friend who uses cloth we thought it was pretty similar, but I realize others have found cloth is cheaper.  I just didn’t want to mess with it!

I don’t have any kids yet myself, but one of my friends swears by gDiapers because she has the option to use a disposable liner in them when she’s out and about instead of having the carry home a bag full of wet prefolds.

Things we didn’t use/got rid of for our baby:
1. diaper pail: it was much easier tying it up in a little bag and directyl throwing it out then having a full diaper pail get stenchy and dirty.
2. swing: this is probably dependent on the baby.  our baby hated the swing.  i think we used it twice, just for photo ops!  we kept it though, just in case.
3. all of the swaddling stuff, except my sling; unlike other babies, our baby also hated swaddling unless it was on me or DH.
Things we found useful:
1. Pack and play: doubled as changing table and then later, play area before he was walking.
2. i never thought we would use a bassinet but he did use it way more than he ever did the crib when he was younger.
3. breast pads, a good pump and any other nursing supplies (again this can vary with your baby)
4.  cloth diapers and small baby blankets; although we didn’t ‘do’ cloth diapers, these items were handy for clean ups, messes and just general snuggliness.
5.  onesies for layering under everything. 
6. diapers…whether you’re going cloth or disposable…put them on your registry!  or try to have a diaper shower (everyone brings a box of diapers instead of wishing well type items)  they are darn expensive
7.  a good camera….all the photos were worth the cost of a good camera.
8.  LOVE LOVE LOVE…my baby just loved to be held and snuggled…i ignored everyone who told me i was spoiling him and i am glad i did! 
Enjoy and enjoy!

I have to disagree with the boppy; however, I know I am in the minority.  I breastfed and it was not the right height for me.  Firm bed pillows worked just as well to help me prop the baby in my lap.  Things I would invest in are good nursing bras and a few nursing tops; if you really want to spurge get the zipper top sheets for the baby’s crib.  I second diapers, onesies, blankets and bouncy seat.  Of course a carseat and stroller and a changing table.  I know lots do without and use the bed, but the height is perfect.

I second Debs’ response about the Bumbo seat, but NEVER, NEVER, NEVER put it on a countertop or table!  They are meant for the floor only.  These seats are fabulous for babies who can hold their heads up, but cannot quite sit on their own.  There aren’t any buckles with these seats and there have been several instances of babies launching themselves out of a seat that had been placed on a high surface and suffering skull injuries.  Bumbo had a recent recall because of the safety issues—apparently the packaging showed babies in Bumbos on top of a table even though the warning on the box said the seats are for use on the floor only.
Hmmm.  My security word below is head57.

I love, love, love both my Moby and my Maya wrap!  I didn’t have one for my first and did for the second and I don’t know what I was thinking that first time around!  I second http://www.wearyourbaby.com  Other than that, diapers, clothes, burp cloths, and somewhere to set baby when you need to shower, get something out of the oven, vacuum, whatever (bouncy, swing, pack ‘n’ play - not necessarily all of them, just something you can use when you need to corral baby)

Congratulations!!  Angel in the Waters is an absolutely lovely book… it doesn’t necessarily explain pregnancy or any biology at all, but it might be a gentle introduction to the idea that a baby (and his/her angel!) is now living inside Mommy and will someday come out.

are you me??  lol, i am in the same boat as you, so looking forward to hearing the responses.  when are you due??

i’ve seen “God Gave Us Two” and “Mama’s Milk/Mama Me Alimenta” by Michael Elsohn Ross which both look cute.

i’m also leary of “sibling” books because i dont want to introduce the idea of being jealous, more just the idea of someone else to love!

Well, I didn’t use a book or a video. Seems to me that a toddler really doesn’t need to know much about the process of babymaking, anymore than they need a book on the intestinal tract to learn about pottytraining. What worked for me was to simply make the baby a member of the family, speaking about him as casually as I would any other member. I talked to my toddler son about his baby brother, who was in my belly. He’d give him goodnight kisses before bed and we talked about how nice it would be when the baby was ready to come out of my belly. “The baby is growing bigger and bigger. He’s growing hair on his head, and fingernails, and soon he’ll be able to come out and see you. And then you’ll be the big brother!”

Of course it’s risky—I was ill throughout the pregnancy and the doctors were dubious about the baby’s health, but even if we had lost him, that’s a part of life too, and something shared in the whole family. As it was, the baby spent a week in the NICU, and even then we told the toddler little stories about how the baby was doing. “Oh baby Marcus drank from a real bottle today! He’ll be able to come home soon, and you can hold him on your lap.” Etc. It seems to have worked. There’s a bit of jealousy on both sides at times, but they’re more devoted to each other than any of my other kids are.

Congratulations to your daughter in preparing to receive her First Holy Eucharist!  I am a sucker for good books—I highly recommend all 3 of these for those receiving their 1st Holy Communion:
Patron Saint of First Communicants: The Story of Blessed Imelda Lambertini:
https://www.tanbooks.com/index.php/page/shop:flypage/product_id/332/keywords/patron+saint+communicants+imeld/

The King of the Golden City: An Allegory for Children:
http://www.chcweb.com/catalog/TheKingoftheGoldenCityAnAllegoryforChildren/product_info.html

The Weight of a Mass: A Tale for Faith
http://www.chcweb.com/catalog/TheWeightofaMassATaleofFaith/product_info.html

(the latter 2 books have wonderful, free study guides you can download from CHC)

Oops, that should have read, “The Weight of a Mass: A Tale of Faith”

Thanks Patricia!  I will be investing in some books

My 2 year old and 4 year old love to help with everything.  We don’t necessarily do anything special, but we involve them in everything (we involve all our children - many hands make light work).  Work may go faster without their help, but their smiles and sense of accomplishment in helping Mommy is something you just can’t forget!  We cook “eggs and opiemeal” (oatmeal) - they love to help crack the eggs, measure the oatmeal, mix and stir (before it gets to the stove) and eat extras of the raisins, as well as learn to clean up afterwards.  They help empty the dishwasher with things they can reach, set the table, get out the milk, and praise when they help - they love it! (I do too). Anything they can do safely, I have them help - we work on counting, sorting and patterns, colors, responsiblity, etc. throughout the day.

I agree with the suggestion about helping around the house. When my 3 yo was 2, he loved helping me cook and especially liked putting clothes down the laundry chute. He wasn’t able to manipulate crayons well at that age, so we didn’t color or do crafts too much. He loved to pretend to cook, though, and would do it with anything—legos, cards, blocks, etc. He loved to play “Crash,” which consists of me building towers with blocks and him knocking them down. Our families live far away, so I got pictures of each family member and “laminated” them with contact paper. These are just a few suggestions. Playing is learning at this age, so anything you do with your daughter will help her learn. Don’t worry too much about teaching specific skills.

What you should do? Oh just have fun.

Seriously—studies are showing now that pushing little kids to “education” too fast really does nothing for their long term educational outcomes. They don’t need to learn their letters at 2, or learn to add, or know a hexagon from a dodecahedron. All they need is to have time to grow and for you to have a bit of time to stay sane as well. Two is just entering the world of imaginitive play—let them use the pots and pans and wooden spoons, feed their dollies and stuffed animals. Let them build block towers and knock them down. Tell them stories from your memory, without a book, and let their imagination fill in the details. Recite nursery rhymes or poetry. Play in the mud. Let them flop on the rug with an old stuffed animal and just “be” for a while. That IS education for a 2 year old. Maybe they’ll learn to count to 10 while stacking blocks, learn their colors by sorting dirty laundry, or maybe they’ll be an astounding failure and not know their ABCs before the age of 4, but you’ll both be better off for not putting any pressure on the developmental process. God bless, and enjoy. Toddlers are wonderful little monsters.

Check out the Home School Legal Defense Association’s website for various insights, commentaries & studies on the effectiveness of home education:

http://www.hslda.org

Thanks for the great idea!  I love this!  I’m sure DD will be delighted to choose a charity to help out