Well this one is a C-section, so I get to stay in the hospital for alittle longer than 5 minutes. Maybe I'll get part of the introduction done. New babies may sleep alot but their 4 yr old brother and 2 yr old sister doesn't anymore...:(((. Did you know that Children's Tylenol Cold & cough has the same stuff in it that NyQuil does, just lower doses! And yes, this little human is another girl, her name is Teagan. Poor brother and Dad will soon be outnumbered. And I will hopefully have another orchid accomplice,since my girl Campbell already shows great interest in the orchids! My husband says "every good shopper needs and accomplice". Maybe I'll have two!

Congratulations on your pregnancy! Having a baby is a wonderful thing and there is something special about having your first. I thought I had posted but I don't see my post and I wanted to share my thoughts with you. I have 5 children. If you can live with what you have, I REALLY don't think you should replace it, especially if you allow eating outside the kitchen, but even if you don't, kids are just plain hard on carpet. They ruin it with their art supplies, running in and out, spitting up, and in all kinds of other ways you probably can't imagine until it happens. Personally, I would clean it, maybe even invest in a steam cleaner, and keep it for as long as you can stand it. As far as having a young baby on the carpet itself, I don't think that's a good idea if it's new or old. Even when carpet looks clean it's usually not. If you could see underneath it, you'd be shocked at how much dirt, etc. is under there. Our pediatrician actually suggested we take up ours due to my son's asthma. When we took ours up and put down wood and tile his asthma improved, as did his allergies. Plus little ones can pull off fuzz, fibers, debris, etc. and put it in their mouths- and believe me, anything that within their reach that can fit in their mouths will end up there at some point! ;) You could use a blanket or what I did for my twins (they're 7 months now) might work for you. I bought interlocking foam tiles- not the kind w/ letters because babies will take them out and chew on them and because they stretch and start to come out easily and then you'll have to keep putting them back. Later when they're a little more mobile you can get a play yard if you want. I like my play yard because it keeps the babies from getting into things they shouldn't and because I know the area the boys in is always clean since nobody walks on it. The foam tiles are easily sanitized w/ 409 and a rag or a steam mop if you have one. I agree w/ the poster that said if you teach them to eat only in the kitchen you'll save yourself lots of headache in the long run by the way. And one more idea: Have you considered a tile that isn't slick? A slightly textured tile work for your dog and they're just as easy to clean. Congrats again on your upcoming addition.

That looks very healthy!

Congratulations! It's so amazing to see your child and their child - some very deep primal satisfaction, and to be overtaken by such love. I was on a baby cloud those first weeks! But not home. I was able to go there and help out for that first week. Some things to consider: how often will it be used and how much space do you have? My set-up is the pack'n'play (Chicco Lullaby) in the guest room where the parents sleep. What I liked from the start was the nice changing pad that attached to the top rail. That came in very handy, and grandgirl loved her little mobile friends. You'll see this set up has a seat too (on right), but we didn't use that part. The top level bed was great when she was small - easy to reach. As bpath mentioned, in the lower level, it's quite a stretch. The pads aren't cushy but that's for safety's sake so they can't smoosh their faces into the creases. I put an organic cotton pad under the sheet and she slept fine. But we live 250 miles (& covid of course) so she hasn't visited as much as your baby might. If you prefer something you can stow between visits, these work fine. I was thinking I would go used, but as I shopped, I got concerned about any snapped joints or such - these are plastic parts - so I bought new. I do often see grandparents selling outgrown gear on line though, and when she outgrows this, it will be nearly pristine if I do sell. (photo pre-baby & antique frame relocated - it's always something!) Edited to add: my niece's daughter has outgrown the pack'n'play my sister in law had, at ~18 months, so that supports going for a crib if that's feasible.