This and that

My mind is swimming. I'm 36 weeks pregnant today, and I'm so much farther behind in preparedness than I feel like I was with Ben! Fortunately, with the exclusion of decorations, the baby's room is done. Window shade and valance are up, doors are painted and hung. I think that was the final two things besides making it look pretty. We are still just going with the Pack & Play in there, but suffice it to say, if the baby came out tomorrow, we'd be okay.

Phew.

Now. When Ben was born, I was in the hospital for four days. I don't really know why I had to be there that long, honestly. I had had pre-eclampsia and some fairly significant blood pressures postpartum, but not four days' worth. If they had wanted to keep just Ben, I would have been heartbroken, but he was extremely jaundiced, not nursing... and you know what? I was a basketcase - maybe they thought I should stay for the support. Ha! Anyway, by the time I got home I was so glad to be in my own house again... for about 5 minutes. And then I started to think of things I needed! Like, nursing pads. I sent Josh out to buy nursing pads umpteen thousand times... poor guy. I eventually found myself some washable ones at Target, but even with those three pair I went through literally hundreds of disposable pads. I am trying to remind myself of all those items that Josh had to rush out and get for me, so I can get them myself, ahead of time, this time. Not that I actually leave the house anymore. But you know. If I did.

I still need to get the baby car seat out, and the swing, and the play mat, and the bassinet - oy! That is sounding like a lot of stuff to do... I also wanted to go to JoAnn's and buy a thin piece of foam to replace the crinkly plastic mattress in the bassinet. I swear every time Ben took a BREATH, I heard that thing crinkle and woke up. Oh! I need to get the baby monitor out... I need to pack my hospital bag.

See how behind I am?

What I have done is make myself an appointment for a prenatal massage and pedicure next Friday, at 37 weeks, and a hair appointment the following Thursday, one day shy of 38 weeks. I remember how fabulously gorgeous I felt after delivering Ben, and how l-o-n-g it was till I could get myself out of the house for some girlyness... after that hair appointment, the child is welcome to come out. I'll be all set. ;)

I nested a little today. Cleaned the toilet (even behind it, Amy, you would have been so proud!) and the sink and the floor in the bathroom, FINALLY scrubbed the cooked on who-knows-what that was on top of my cooktop stove, scrubbed down all the counters - behind the sink and the coffee pot, etc... and I purged one shelf of the hall closet, which basically amounted to throwing out tons of odds and ends of shampoo and body wash and old toothpaste and whatnot. (Side note: I found three bottles of Bath & Body Works hand soap that I'd put away months ago, woo hoo! I love good-smelling soap.) And I talked Josh into sweeping the floors for me. Isn't it hilarious that within a few days, all of that work will have been for nothing? Maybe I need this baby to come out before 38 weeks, so my bathroom is still clean...

...and that's the update for now.