From the "To Do Before Baby" list, we still have to do are finish the wills and powers of attorney that we're having drafted, and we have to get my husband life insurance. The hardest piece of those has been locating a reasonably-priced attorney for the wills and powers of attorney. The first price quote I got was outrageous, but we ended up finding another lawyer who can do it for much less. Since we don't really have much in terms of an estate (and nothing we own is complicated), we can get all of the proper documents drafted, notarized, etc. for just a few hundred dollars.
The process with the attorney has led to another thing we need to do, though: Figure out how to get my husband access to my retirement accounts in the event I'm incapacitated. If I die, they automatically go to him. If I'm in a coma, though, the situation is much more complicated. I have retirement accounts with two companies. One of these will accept a power of attorney (although they ask that you send it in to them in advance), whereas the other requires that I add my husband as a "delegate" to my account. Two very different situations that have to be managed differently.
From the "To Buy Before Baby" list, nearly everything centers around the nursery. We still need to get a dresser, and maybe a lamp or two. And some wall art. We're getting here in this category, too.
The complicating factor with the "To Buy" list is that it's nearly impossible to get everything from one place, so we're running around buying things from different websites, stores, etc. For example, the crib mattress that we already bought is not sold in Babies R Us or Target - we had to order it online. We're going to be getting the dresser from Amazon by using some of our credit card gift certificates. My health insurance covers a breast pump, and I can get it with a discount if I buy it through work. The baby wrap that I want is actually only made in New Zealand (you can read about them here), and the only place I've found to buy them here in the US is at a specific online store. If we still lived in a big city, there would likely be a specialty baby store that would sell these types of wraps (they're actually pretty well-known), but, here in Pleasantville, the best option seems to be to buy them online. I wish I could see the wrap before I buy it, but I guess I'll just have to trust that it'll be fine.
The last big thing we need to get is huge: A new car for me. I've decided on this one:
It's an Infiniti G37 sedan. My car is in great shape (it's a 2004 and has a little over 100,000 miles on it). I can't believe I've kept it this long, and I'd keep it for another 5 years if I could. Unfortunately, it's a 2-door, and a small one at that. If we really couldn't afford a new car, we'd keep it and make due. But, a new car is something I really should get. I'm trying to wait until the spring, though, because I suspect that the car I buy is going to come with summer tires. I don't want to have to buy the car AND new tires and rims at the same time - I'd rather spread the pain out a bit.
Wow, that turned into a pretty long post, and it's a little overwhelming to see all of that stuff all written out. We'll get there, though!
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