Another list...

Well attempting to pass time waiting for the baby has been both easy and hard. Easy on days I let my mom entertain me all day, and hard on days where I sit at home real bored. I found this list of 100 things to do when your baby is overdue, and since you know I love lists, I thought I would go through and see how many I had done already, just for fun.


1. Read another pregnancy book
2. Take a bubble bath
3. Get a pedicure thanks mom!
4. Eat something spicy
5. Talk to an old friend
6. Learn to time contractions
7. Pick out a baby book
8. Go over your list of baby names one more time
9. Write a birth plan
10. Change the message on your answering machine to inform callers you're still around
11. Get your hair done
12. Get a massage
13. Go for a bumpy ride
14. Recalculate your due date
15. Hang out with us on the pregnancy forums
16. Watch reruns on television
17. Wash all of your baby clothes
18. Check out a matinee movie, alone or with a friend
19. Make a rice sock for labor
20. Try a new recipe for dinner
21. Pack your birth bag for the hospital or birth center
22. Look through your pregnancy journal and relive some of the better moments
23. Buy a new nightgown
24. Go dancing!
25. Look at some birth announcements
26. Put the baby's car seat in the car
27. Go window shopping
28. Daydream about the baby
29. Eat something else spicy
30. Buy a nursing bra.
31. If you have older kids, read to them N/A
32. Shave your legs.
33. Visit someone else with a new baby and practice holding them
34. Think of goofy answers to the questions about whether or not you're still pregnant Grandma: you still haven't popped that thing out yet? Kelsey: Yeah I have and I'm still this fat and have misplaced my baby! (ok not that clever, said in the moment)
35. Try a new nail color. Change it again
36. Call your mom
37. Sit in your baby's room for a while
38. Buy a cute baby toy
39. Get lots of fiber
40. Put together any unmade furniture
41. Buy stamps for birth announcements
42. Work out - go to yoga, aerobics, whatever you like to do
43. Practice a new position for labor
44. Walk around the mall
45. Check to be sure your insurance information is packed in your birth bag
46. Do you have batteries for your camera?
47. Listen to a favorite album
48. Buy a pack of diapers
49. Buy a new toothbrush for the birth
50. Make a birthday cake
51. Call your best friend
52. Play with your pets I changed the fish water, that counts.
53. Do nothing for a change
54. Give your husband a back massage. Show him how you like to have your back rubbed.
55. Buy any birthday cards or presents you'll need for the first 6 weeks after your baby is born.
56. Have a smoothie.
57. Recheck your birth bag for the hospital or birth center
58. Go to a La Leche League meeting or breastfeeding class
59. Take your husband dancing.
60. Pack some snacks for the hospital or birth center
61. Make a belly cast of your belly
62. Buy some sexy underwear, or at least not granny panties, for after the birth (a couple of weeks).
63. If you have older kids, make I'm a big sister/brother t-shirts for them --maybe I should do this for my siblings.
64. Bake a batch of cookies for the doctors and nurses at the hospital or birth center -- why, I will eat them all before the baby comes out!!!
65. Go to your last prenatal appointments
66. Order your favorite pizza for dinner
67. Think about anything but the new baby or labor
68. Tell your husband how much you love and appreciate him
69. Make sure you have a long distance phone card for the birth N/A
70. Have someone inspect your car seat for safety. Try AAA or local car dealer.
71. Get a new scented lotion for labor
72. Pack a diaper bag
73. Page your honey to make sure he's paying attention.
74. Bake a casserole to eat after your baby is born
75. Put your birth bag in the car
76. Make sure you have some postpartum help lined up
77. Start a scrapbook for your baby if you haven't already
78. Call your pediatrician to see if they have a recommended list of first aid items.
79. Look through your old baby books and pictures.
80. Have a lunch date with a friend
81. Read positive birth stories
82. Chat with your doula about any last minute worries midwife anyway
83. Feel your baby's movements. Remember how you waited to feel the first fetal movements?
84. Make a romantic dinner for your honey
85. Make a list of everything you will miss about being pregnant
86. Learn to knit baby booties
87. Ask your mom about your birth
88. Clean out the refrigerator
89. Rent a video
90. Take a practice drive to the hospital -- maybe I should do this, as the baby went crazy and seemed to want to come out last time I went to the birthing center.
91. Listen to a book on tape
92. Read a novel you've been dying to read
93. Go to work - why not? -- if only... :)
94. Think about your postpartum birth control choices
95. Read a new breastfeeding book
96. Practice a new relaxation technique
97. Refold all the baby clothes
98. Write a letter to your baby telling him or her how much you can't wait to meet them!
99. Make a list of everything you won't miss about being pregnant
100. Give birth! -- RUDE!!!

That means I've done over 75% of this list. Hahaha. And things like dancing I am not doing, pregnant or not, so. Other suggestions besides sleep and rest ? I can't believe you read this whole thing, or even skimmed it.

To-Do List

So since I have just over 6 weeks until my baby is supposed to magically pop out of me, I have realized there are a lot of things to do. Maybe if I write them here I will magically get all of them done. Or not, but at least I will know what needs done. And when I say "needs done" I mean "in an ideal world here is what I would get done".

1. Finish Baby's Quilt
2. Finish Baby's Halloween Costume
3. Make Caelin's Pillow
4. Wash all clothes & diapers
5. Pack birthing center bag
6. Buy carseat
7. Declutter house
8. Finish Baby Book (as much as possible)
9. Print and Frame/Photo Album wedding photos
10. Assemble co-sleeper
11. Find suitable home for Baby's clothes
12. Go to the dentist
13. Read camera manual and make my settings better
14. Write in my journal
15. Back up all photos on CDs
16. Get new music for squeezing a baby out
17. Clean & Box wedding dress. For real.
18. Review infant CPR
19. Finish reading 17 million books
20. Make some meals for the freezer
21. Make awesome halloween onesies
22. Make Nursing Pads
23. Create birth annoucements
24. Make more bibs
25. Buy co-sleeper sheets
26. Finish silly nightlight project
27. Transport rocking chair from mom's to here
28. Get changing table pad thing.
29. Get a pack of disposables to have on hand
30. Make more burp cloths
31. Type up "birth plan"
32. Buy Diaper bag
33.-45. TBA

I figure if I do about one thing a day I can totally get it all done. Hahahahahha. I hope we all had a good laugh. But boy I sure do love lists. I'm going to go do some of these right now.

Progress

I realized I have been reading A LOT. Here are my in depth book reviews:

1. A Mighty Heart by Mariane Pearl: Loved it. Excellently written. Story of her husband Danny Pearl who was the reporter kidnapped in Pakistan. A Must read.

2. Birthing From Within by Pam England: Useful, something my mom would call a "woo-woo" book. Not everyone's style, but had some good points.

3. Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy by Vicki Iovine: Some funny parts, some useful parts, but sometimes missed the mark.

4. The Joy of Pregnancy by Tori Kropp: I liked it better than most pregnancy books. Seemed to do a good job of presenting "all sides" without being overly biased toward any one opinion.

5. Gentle Birth Choices by Barbara Harper: Good ideas without being overly preachy.

6. What to Expect When You're Expecting by Heidi Murkoff: Exactly what you expect.

7. ABCs of Breastfeeding by Stacey Rubin: Silly formula for writing, but good material.

8. Your Pregnancy Week by Week by Glade Curtis: I could probably read a million books that tell me about each week, because I am weird like that. This one was good. Nothing special.

9. Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy: I confess I had seen this in several places and had wanted to read it, and when I saw it on the library shelf I felt justified in it. I laughed several times, but she is kinda an extremist. I suppose that's what makes it funny.

I've got some other books in the works too, reaching my 12 for the list will be no problem. Also I started a stinking hard puzzle that I wonder if I will ever finish.

Some Progress

So it seems I have done some things on my list, and started some others. I have managed to make my child 2-3 blankets, and 2 more in the works, so I consider it done. Had a 1st anniversary party which was quite excellent. It was kind of just like our reception, except Aaron got to do the BBQing. I made a maternity skirt, but it didn't fit right, so I took the waist band off and have to finish it. I did donate my hair to Locks of Love in the end of June, cutting off 12 plus inches and still managing to keep a lot of hair. Yesterday we started a birthing class based on "Birthing From Within" (a book) so that will count as well as when I finish the book. I bought several big puzzles (1000 and 1500 pieces) and intend to start them someday. I'm feeling pretty great about doing some things on the list. Except that some of them I am so far behind (journal writing, etc) that I will never complete. But that's ok. That's life.

Baby Teeth

It was brought to my attention I am currently growing a baby, so having a baby is in progress. I mean technically I have one inside right now. At least that's what they tell me.

Also I flossed every day for an entire month. I almost forgot one day at the end but luckily didn't. I found it both theraputic and nasty to see what's between your teeth EVERY day. Nasty.

Good Job

I used my iTunes giftcards today. I should be embarassed that I had to put it on my list, but it happens. Also I remembered I made a new recipe, some chocolate chip cookie bars. They were pretty good, but I like cookies much better. Good work for making progress on my tough goals self.

I remembered

I remembered I had a blog and a big list of things to do, and then I realized I did some things on the list!

I finished the work I was going to do on Lorena's quilt, today started reading the Old Testament, this week I got my ham radio license, and sent another piece of real mail for last month. I also realized that I am behind in my journal writing (shocker) and am trying to decide if I write more than once a week if that counts as a catch up.

That's my update. For myself. Or for you if you are reading and keeping track.