Back in early February, I posted a list of the “projects”:/news/2008/belly-baby-notes-february-1-2008/ I was planning to work on before the baby arrives. As my belly grows, my energy is not quite what it once was, but I’m pleased that we are making significant progress on the list!
One of the best things that has happened in the past month is getting Lucy acclimated to spending the night at Grammie and Grandpa Boyd’s house. We’ve all been working hard at getting Lucy comfortable with the idea of sleeping over there, as it will be her home while Mama is busy squeezing out the baby. We’ve been working it through systematically, first with Jon and me spending the night there with her, and then transitioning to dropping Lucy off and going out on our own (which has been fun!). Thanks to the patience and overflowing love of Lucy’s grandparents, we have had a couple of very successful overnight visits there. It is clear that Lucy loves spending time with Grammie and Grandpa. Who wouldn’t, with such wonderful attention being lavished on her? :) —continues—
p{color:gray}. Note: If you can’t see the video, you may simply need to update your free “QuickTime”:http://www.apple.com/quicktime/ plugin.
Other success stories include:
* finding childcare. Hooray, I have found a flexible babysitter whose schedule fits with ours! And Lucy loves her.
* buy cute post-partum pajamas so I don’t feel like a slob. Thanks to Grammie Boyd for a special gift from this great “pajama website”:http://www.pajamagram.com/!
* move loveseat into Lucy’s room.
Things that are still in progress:
* plan “freezer meals”:/news/2008/easy-to-freeze-bolognese-sauce/ and make them. I’ve been scouring my cookbooks for recipes that I plan to make and freeze. So far I have a good list, but I haven’t decided which I’ll make yet. I figure that I shouldn’t really start making food to freeze until early March anyway, so I’ve got some time. In the meanwhile, we’ve been eating through the frozen meals already in there to make room!
* revise list of “needs” and “helpers” for post-partum. I’ve started on this, but I’m adding to it as I think of new things I might need and encounter new offers for help.
* make “truffles”:http://annagram.org/extras/truffles.html for baby’s birth. I’ve got all the ingredients! “Plugrá butter”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plugr%C3%A1 and everything. Hopefully Lucy and I will get to this next week.
* print out letters to put baby’s name on the nursery wall, next to “Lucy’s”:/news/2006/one-year-of-lucy/. I’ve purchased the paper for these, and now I have to print and cut the letters out. Aren’t you curious about what her name will be? We’ve even registered a couple of domain names, but everyone still has to wait to find out!
* pack hospital bag. I’m most of the way through this, but some things are just going to have to wait until the last minute.
* update scrapbook through summer 2005. I’ve been working diligently on this, but I’ve still got three years to go.
* organize basement. We’ve successfully given away many things and organized others, but this is a pretty big project. We’ll just get as far as we can!
* finish childproofing some areas of the house. We keep finding new things that Lucy can get into! She is just so clever.
* move co-sleeper upstairs and re-arrange bedroom furniture to accommodate. We’ve purchased some updated bedroom furniture (thanks to my mom!) from “IKEA”:http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40053930. Now Jon is busy building it all!
Things we haven’t gotten to yet:
* make more “cupcakes”:http://www.marthastewart.com:80/recipe/chocolate-cupcakes?xsc=stf_MSLO-RECIPE to freeze and frost for a “labor project”:/news/2006/labor-projects/
* organize recipe binder
* vacuum ceiling fans
* get a haircut in early March
* touch-up paint on foyer doorway
* purge kitchen cabinets and reorganize
* make a continuous “Lucy highlights video”:/news/category/baby/video/
* move newborn clothes upstairs (early March)
* move post-partum clothes upstairs (early March)
Things that have been abandoned:
* bleach bathroom floor grout. I actually tried this with a Clorox bleach pen, a tip I had seen recommended in a magazine. It didn’t work, and I also learned that I’m just not up to scrubbing the floor on my hands and needs in my current inflated state.
Not bad for 35+ weeks along! I’m feeling quite pleased with the progress we’ve made. Hopefully these projects will take away some of the agony of waiting if Baby Girl decides to show up late for her birthday party like her big sister did!
The week before Lydia came I empied an office at the church and made her a nursery there complete with crib, changing table, yellow walls (yes I painted them myself) and boarders. Now I think I was nuts to do all of that myself, but I had to do something or I she would have never come out! You will know when you are close…you will just get a crazy amount of energy even though you will know you need to rest while you can.
One thing that has surprised us with maddy is how much she wants to do with me. I NEVER go to the bathroom by myself, she is always “needing” to go when I go (she goes on her little potty). But the funny thing is that she insists on wearing “pads” because I have to….both in the underwear and bra (under her shirt). It cracks me up!
Good luck with the projects!
Katrina, that is so awesome to hear about your burst of energy! maybe I’ll get that and whip everything into shape. Maddy sounds so cute and funny — toddlers just love to imitate us, don’t they?? :)
Just wait til they are old enough to announce that you are wearing those pads! Then the imitation is no longer cute :) Ok it still is, but having your 75 year old father in law in the room when your 4 year old announces it, is extremely embarrasing.
Glad you found a perfect sitter! And I can’t wait to hear the name.
Oh and now I know who Jon looks just like! Ok back to all the other things I should be doing.
I know what you mean about the big belly giving you trouble when on all fours to scrub the floor, but I used to take an extra few minutes to do a few Cat/Cow yoga moves (rumored to get that baby in birthing position). At that stage of pregnancy, I always felt like a dinosaur – giant, slow, and strong. “It might take me awhile, but I WILL haul 1.3 tons of lava rock to the perennial beds.” That was during the first pregnancy. For the second one, my insane task was crawling through those inflatable moonwalk playscapes.
Sounds like your tasks are much more tasty – cupcakes, truffles, freezer meals. Yum! Enjoy these last weeks!