New Year!

New entry for the New Year! To be honest, I had doubts of still being pregnant. Apparently so did Mike but, smart man he is, he never voiced them to me until after the clock struck midnight. The possibility of making it to 36 weeks seems much more likely now. I’m not losing site of the fact that labor could hit at any moment, but my count down has rolled back again and now I’m thinking 4 weeks and 2 days to go.

There’s so much to do still, will we get it all done? Will we ever be ready? It’s a similar question to those that are contemplating having kids. I’ve often heard people say they just aren’t ready yet to start a family, but is anyone ever really ready? There will always be some sort of excuse. It can be professionally or financially or even mentally. Most of you that are able to get pregnant naturally will be surprised when they get pregnant. But for those of us that aren’t as lucky, we plan, save, count down the days to when we hope we get pregnant. And then when it happens, we’re still not ready! Of course, the unknown is part of the fun (I think). The answer is no one is ever really ready.

Mike and I have been trying for quite a while and now that the birth is somewhat imminent, I feel like we’re not ready. Actually I should rephrase that, we’re not as ready as I’d like to be. My parents were married on July 22nd and I was born on May 22nd. I was born exactly 10 months after they got married, think they were ready? No car seats necessary then, mom just carried me in the front seat with no seat belt on. I slept on the coffee table surrounded by cushions on the floor. And look how great I turned out. A few bumps to the head never hurt anyone, right?

So I’m in full research mode now. I signed up for a couple of classes today, ‘How to Breastfeed’ and ‘How to care for a Newborn’. If I didn’t sign up for these classes, would we be totally screwed? In all seriousness, does the hospital give you a manual? How else are we going to know how to give a bath? I’ve heard (from friends with personal experience) not to take showers with them - something about being very slippery. What about their belly button stump? How often are they supposed to be fed?

I’m also getting feedback on equipment and gear. Should we get a tandem, side by side or jogging stroller? Which is more practical? What features should I look for? I’ve also called medical supply companies to inquire about renting a wheelchair for my big day out next weekend. S H O P P I N G!!!

Past couple of weeks, my sister and SIL (sister-in-law) have been bringing over baby clothes their kids have outgrown. I’ve also finally opened the box from our friend, Devi. Good news is that we’ve got a lot of cute clothes, bad news is that everyone’s babies were huge (8lbs and over!) and ours will most likely be 4-5lbs or thereabouts. So I’ll still need to pick up some clothes so our little ones won’t be bare naked. And blankets, diapers (which kind?), bedding (do they have sheets for coffee tables now?).