How Much It Costs To Have a Baby -In Progress-

When I found out I was pregnant it was a huge surprise! I was told that I wouldn't be able to have kids with out medical help so, my plan was to adopt once I finished my Masters in Architecture. Welp, low and behold: February 2013 I found out there was a bun in the oven!
Mind you, I am completely Pro-Choice. I stand by that. And my choice had always been that if by some miracle I could conceive on my own I would do everything in my power to make sure that I could raise the munchkin to be an amazing person.
Granted I know there are different circumstances for every situation but when I found out I was pregnant there was nothing I could justify to myself to do anything but give this little leech the best home possible. I decided to switch jobs in the middle of my pregnancy to a higher-paying but also higher-stress just to make sure I could afford to stay out of work as long as possible after the baby was born.
So for all the single moms, stay-at-home moms, single dads or hey, even to the 2 parent households who are just curious to see how much a kid costs, here is my break down.

Initial Purchases

Purchase	Location	Cost
Crib	Target	159.99
Stroller	Gift	0
Car Seat	Gift	0
Crib Mattress	Target	79.99
Rocker and Ottoman	Goodwill	10
Crib Sheet	Target	16.99

Maternity Purchases

Purchase	Location	Cost
Clothes	Target	65
Maternity Belt	Target	32.99

DIY Baby Wipes

In my attempt to be a DIY mommy I decided to make my own baby wipes. I found by researching online there are a lot of DIY products that can be made with coconut oil. So, I am basing my baby wipes off of this product. I have read a lot of comments on different sites asking when the wipes "expire". It is currently the beginning of July and I am due at the end of September. I guess I can find out and update this blog then.

The cost to start up this batch was $36.28. Just remember though, each batch after will be the cost of the paper towels that are used. And... you know what is in the product you are using!

What I purchased:

Organic Virgin Coconut Oil 16 fl oz (1 pint)- Trader Joes- $5.99 

Burts Bees: Baby Bee Shampoo and Wash 21 fl oz- Target- $16.49

Glass Jar - Target- 2 @ 5.99 each- $11.98

Viva (80 1-ply sheets)- WinCo- $1.82

Ingredients:

• 1 roll Viva Paper Towels
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Burts Bees: Baby Bee Shampoo and Wash
• 1 tablespoon Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
• 2 cups water

Steps:

1. Cut roll of paper towels directly in half 
   
   Note: Good idea to use a sharp knife...
2. Mix: Soap, Oil and Water together
3. Put half of roll inside jar. I put jagged side down.
4. Pour mixture over paper towels.
5. Pullout cardboard roll from inside. 
   
6. Pull wipe from center.

Follow-Up

I find the smell to be similar to and off brand honey and oat type cereal. I also found that it took a while for all of the paper towels to soak up the liquid. Next time I think I will purchase some essential oil of a fantastic smelling type. 

Welp, let me know what you think!