February: Reflection & Rejuvenation
From the Nikki McClure Calendar
February is upon us! I am entering into the month of my birthday and the birth of my son.
January was quite the busy month, although my busy-ness also included daily naps and regular walks! I managed to accomplish all of the following items on my massive Birth To Do List:
- Create a packet for visitors who want to help us (it's not helpful if you have to answer a gazillion questions as they are trying to help)
- Schedule and attend an infant CPR class
- Get car seat installed
- Finalize birth announcement
- Make comfrey tea compresses and red raspberry tea ice cubes for the birth
- Go on a massive shopping trip for all the birth supplies we need
- Write birthday cards for the next couple months
- Create a "room service" plan for after the birth (including a list of places that deliver)
- Type up directions to our house
- Finalize our transport plan and post it
- Create a cheat sheet for birthing positions and reminders about drinking, eating, and urinating
- Visit the back-up ob/gyn
- Meet with the pediatrician for a new mom consultation
- Update our scrapbook
- Get the baby's scrapbook ready
- Read more about birth
- Buy everything off our registry that we didn't receive as gifts but still need
- Send thank you cards
- Finish bathroom changing station
- Schedule blog posts for my maternity leave
- Create new Life Binder
- Install the infant adapter on our BOB Revolution stroller
- Review notes about how to take care of an infant
- Watch Laugh and Learn about infant care
- Make e-mail list for baby announcements
- Set up auto-reply for e-mail
- Make sheets for co-sleeper
- Finish family mission statement
- Return a duplicate gift we got off our registry
- Return the baby's rug to Home Depot, since we found it for $100 less on Overstock
- Attend a La Leche League meeting
- Sync iPhone
I know the list was crazy-long, but I promise I just tackled it one task at a time, from more important to less important (however, I tended to do the more important things at the beginning of the day before work, and the more fun things as relaxing activities in the evening). I think it's important for mothers-to-be to feel calm and confident as they head into the birthing experience. For me, this means crossing off to-do items that will help ensure a smoother transition into motherhood. I want to be able to focus entirely on our newly expanding family and not worry about any other obligations.
I still have a few things left (and small things get added each day):
- Bring our living Christmas tree to school to be planted
- Work on the crafts on my craft plan
- Get my car emissions tested
- Go in for one more ultrasound
- Pick a name
- Learn how to use Moby and Ergo and practice swaddling
- Select the baby's first outfit
- Mail directions to the labor assistants
- Clean out the inbox in our dining room
But mainly, my intentions for the month are to finalize my preparations for the arrival of our baby and the start of my maternity leave, continue to prepare myself for the birth through reading and guided relaxation, and enjoy our first couple weeks together as an expanding family!
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9 comments:
Wow! Well done!
Good job!!
One thing I haven't heard you talk about in your journey to motherhood is post-partum depression. Have you read about it? It hits some women after birth for no reason. I know how busy you are and I just wanted you to be aware of it so you're not caught by surprise (although I'm sure hopefully your midwife has talked about it) because it can hit women unexpectedly and hard. My mom had it with me and she said that she felt like she didn't deserve me, though after a few weeks she said everything normalized (and I'm still here today : )
I pray that it won't affect you at all. Best of luck in your impending birth and have fun at your birthday party! : )
p.s. Will someone let us know on your blog that you've given birth? After you didn't post on Friday, I anxiously waited until Monday to see if you had!
guuuurl - you exhaust me!
nice work.
Best wishes on the home stretch of pregnancy! I am getting excited with you to welcome Coconut!!
@ Sherry: When I'm in early labor, I plan to do a lot of things to distract myself and get ready (like setting out our home birth supplies, doing my chores, etc.). One of those things is writing a post that says I'm going into labor! After that, this blog will still be updated four times a week (Monday-Thursday). I currently have one month of posts scheduled to run (that I've been writing over the past several months). We'll see how many more I get done before the baby comes. I'd like to take a six-week maternity leave from all obligations (of course I can still jump on and blog if I'm feeling up to it at any time).
Wow, you've been busy! Congrats on all your accomplishments, but also, and most importantly, on sounding so balanced and happy! You really seem like you feel good about everything! ENJOY all the moments! Sending you healthy, happy vibes for a healthy, happy birth (and the days before and after)!
@Sara: Just be sure you're ACTUALLY in labor. You can have some very real contractions (not Braxton Hicks) for WEEKS before the REAL contractions start. You probably already knew this, but I've had two friends recently who thought they were "going into labor" for two weeks... As a very general rule of thumb, which I'm sure your midwife has told you, the contractions aren't the real deal until you can barely breathe through them.
@ Carrie: Yeah, but at that point, I will not be wanting to write a blog post! I'll write one when I think I'm in early labor, knowing that I might be back in a little while with another "false alarm" message. It's the best I can do!
@Sara: What, you don't want to be blogging when you can't breathe? ;)
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