Getting Close???

Well, Friday night I felt for the first time naturally...CONTRACTIONS! I realize they weren't the real thing because here I am Monday morning and no closer to having this baby. It's still early yet, so I'm not too anxious. I know there are a few more things that need to happen biologically before the baby comes, but still, it's exciting to know that the process is beginning!

I had a little bit of a panic attack on Thursday night when I realized that Ryan would be gone all weekend for his drill in Texas. I realized that if by some freakish happening I should go into labor, I was not prepared AT ALL. I didn't even have a carseat! And none of the newborn clothes were washed. I had no furniture set up for the baby. So Friday, Ryan and I went to Other Mothers and found a carseat in GREAT condition with 3 years still left on it, and a crib set that seriously looks brand new. So I felt a little better. Then that night, I felt the contractions and I almost panicked!! But I didn't. They didn't feel like the hard contractions of hard core labor that I remember from the hospital with Monica, but they were definitely contractions.

So now I am completely motivated to get things done. I measured all the furniture and all the rooms and made little graph paper cutouts and rearranged everything on paper first. So now it's house rearranging time! I felt kinda cruddy this weekend with a cold and other unfavorable ailments, so I didn't get much done (or ANYTHING) this weekend, but I feel a lot better today. Sleepy, but much better! So here's my list of everything I would like to get done before the end of the week.

1. Rearrange all the furniture (don't worry, I'll wait til Ryan is home from work to do the big stuff)
2. Wash all the newborn clothes and get the room all set up.
3. Plan some meals to cook and freeze.
4. Plant my flowers.
5. Declutter every room so I don't have to worry about it later.

I figure that's only 5 things...maybe big things, but only 5 of them. I really want to Magic Eraser the walls and polish everything too, and deep clean/shampoo the carpets, but I don't want to go overboard. I just need to keep up with my tidyness and laundry and I think everything will be ok. Ryan has been soooooo good at helping out and making sure I'm not on my feet too much. And I have been trying to be smart about it too. I work for a little bit then take a break and then get back to it. I'm also trying to create a habit that when I am in the kitchen for meals, I don't sit down until everything has been put away and the counters wiped off. That way, only dishes await the end of the meal. So far it is working! I'm not so overwhelmed by the endlessness of dishes. Now, if only there were a way to ever feel done with laundry!