Here we are at 36 weeks, working like dogs trying to finish the many remaining items on our to-do list.
Last week, we got a lot done. Brian did a lot of clean-up downstairs, an area that basically gets ignored most of the year. We really don't spend time down there, for various reasons, but junk can build up easily. We are starting to store Caleb's old toys there for future use, and it is a battle to keep the place neat and not overly messy.
We set up the bassinet in our bedroom, and I was much relieved that no sign of mice had entered the bassinet box that had been stored in the garage since Caleb was done with it, but I will admit to taping the box to death so nothing could find its way in. I felt victorious when we opened the box to find no evidence that our rodent enemies were there. I washed the part of the bassinet that surrounds the baby, and I chose to leave the canopy in the box since the curtain was sewn onto the rod and I could not disconnect it (and it smelled musty).
We've got Baby's swing washed and set up in the living room, and Baby's bouncy seat also washed and set up. I've done tons of Baby laundry, with more still to do, but a little bit at a time :)
Brian's car is currently 50 minutes away for a safety recall and some other things that need fixing, but once we have his car back, we need to clean it out, move Caleb's car seat over, and install Baby's car seat. (Out of all the preparatory baby jobs, setting up car seats is my very least favorite. I'd rather wash ten loads of cloth diapers than install those seats.) My car was just fixed, and Brian's was fixed earlier from our flat tire.
Yesterday we bought a new camera, but I'm not sure yet if it works well as I am having some trouble with it. I am hoping it doesn't need to be returned because we bought it 50 minutes away and have no plans to go back to that area any time soon. (Please God, let it work correctly!)
We still have many cleaning jobs I want to get done, just because I know things get harder when a new baby comes and I still have one very demanding toddler. The downstairs bathroom needs a good cleaning before my mom comes to stay (not because it is used, but because it sits unused).
And of course, who can forget packing for the hospital? I have not started yet, but we brought the suitcase upstairs to our room just to have it ready, and I am making a packing list in my mind for the time being.
So, in a nutshell, the last item that absolutely MUST be done before Baby gets here is the car seat installation. Everything else COULD wait if it absolutely had to, but I still want to get as much as I can done. I know that after Baby gets here, I will be exhausted, and I want to take some advantage of resting. (Something I rarely every do.)
I have been getting increasingly more tired. We ran around to a few stores yesterday, and I was getting as cranky as Caleb. It is just not fun carrying around this extra weight any more. As much as I will be greatly relieved to have Baby wait to come until my mom is here, I will also be greatly relieved to be relieved of this extra weight. I can't wait to have my stomach back!
Though, of course, I will miss the movement inside of me. So active is our Baby these days, and I often find myself rubbing a protruding limb in my belly, trying to connect with our child in some small way.
It's almost here! We are so looking forward to the arrival of our second child!
