Ready for baby's arrival · Dec 9, 2026
Weekly Deep-Dive Briefs
Eleven weeks of concrete actions, owned and deadlined — plus one substantial deep dive per week. Start at the top; each brief links to the next.
11 briefs
Sept 28 → Dec 7
Baby boy · Prentice Women's Hospital
All briefs
Week 1 · Sept 28 – Oct 4 · 72 days out
Prentice logistics, the name decision & the pediatrician chase
Deep dive: hospital arrival, packing, birth-certificate worksheet & the surname decision
Week 2 · Oct 5 – Oct 11 · 65 days out
Feeding setup: pump, nursing station & backup supplies
Deep dive: insurance pump, nursing products & backup bottles/formula — all with verified links
Week 3 · Oct 12 – Oct 18 · 58 days out
Nursery: crib, mattress & the night setup
Deep dive: Babyletto Hudson + Newton Original, assembly timing, Hatch Rest
Week 4 · Oct 19 – Oct 25 · 51 days out
Car-seat class prep, registrations & the documents folder
Deep dive: getting full value from the Nov 14 Galt Baby install class
Week 5 · Oct 26 – Nov 1 · 44 days out
Pediatrician: closing the loop & the Northbrook plan
Deep dive: the Children's Healthcare Associates chase, intake questions, Northbrook as home base
Week 6 · Nov 2 – Nov 8 · 37 days out · booking deadline
Night nurse: pricing, options & interview questions
Deep dive: Chicago market rates ($30–$80/hr tiers), agency vs. direct, full interview list
Week 7 · Nov 9 – Nov 15 · 30 days out · move week
Yelena: the agreement, payroll & the Feb–Mar gap
Deep dive: term sheet, worker-classification nuance, Schedule H mechanics, backup care
Week 8 · Nov 16 – Nov 22 · 23 days out
Insurance enrollment, the hospital bag & comms plan
Deep dive: adding the baby to Blair's plan — windows, documents, in-network checks
Week 9 · Nov 23 – Nov 29 · 16 days out · Thanksgiving
The 529 decision: Vanguard vs. Bright Start, with real numbers
Deep dive: fees, the $495–$990 Illinois deduction, Ugift, gift-tax context
Week 10 · Nov 30 – Dec 6 · 9 days out
Postpartum support plan & the Dec 4 readiness checkpoint
Deep dive: overnight shifts, daytime coverage, food, recovery supplies, watch-outs
Week 11 · Dec 7 – Dec 9 · the birth window
Final readiness: Prentice, the name & the handoffs
Deep dive: the last-48-hours checklist — labor starts, the house, the paperwork chain
How to use these: open the current week's brief on Monday morning, work the 3–5 actions (each has an owner and a deadline), and read the deep dive when you have 10 quiet minutes. The amber Decisions due box is the non-negotiable part of each week.