week at a glance

In order to process through all the things I need to get done this week (and to be able to turn my brain off in order to sleep), I've decided to make a list of what needs to happen on what day.  I know, you all are just DYING to see what I need to do :)

Monday:
*Go to the post office to mail Rolando's packet to Cuba.
*Get a key made for the nanny...that never happened last week...oops!
*Go to Birch (gleaning community) to shop and volunteer

Tuesday:
* i WILL walk to work!
*Research how to make great croquetas and empanadas (of course I promised my hubby those two dinner items for his birthday party....what was I thinking!!?!?)
*Research a good cheap drink...sangria?
*Put the clean clothes away

Wednesday:
* i WILL walk to work!
*Go shopping for all ingredients I need for the party food and drink
*Get decorations (crepe paper rolls and flags?)

Thursday:
*I have to attend a meeting that is outside of my normal 'in office' hours.
*anything of the above that didn't get done because, well, life DOES happen! :)

Friday:
*New mom's group
*Birch for shopping
*Jess's house for cooking and decorating

Saturday:
*Any decorating and cooking I need to do
* PARTY!!!!!!! :)

Phew!  It's going to be a busy week.  All of this is on top of a 40 hour work week!  But I know that this weekend will be SO amazing because of all the hard work I put in. 

Just because:

Okay, I seriously need my energy...off to bed!

Hospital Bag

Oh.My.Goodness!!!!! 

I'm a little overwhelmed with the amount of stuff recommended to me by all of my wonderful friends and faithful blog followers!  Thank you all so much for your suggestions.  If I were to actually pack everything that you guys recommend, I'd have to bring my biggest suitcase.  I never thought I would end up packing more for a two-day one-night stay than I did for my week long trip to London! :)  haha  But that is what might end of happening.

Here's the list that I have in my suitcase ready to go so far:

• toiletries
• shirts, shorts, pj's, undies and nursing sports bra for me
• baby outfit, socks, stocking hat for baby!
• blanket Tessa made for bringing baby home (hopefully it's not 100 degrees!)
• rice sock and heating pad
• massaging tool
• baby names book (just in case)
• hair bands
• iPod charger
• flip flops

Things I need to add:

• clothes for Rolando
• thick socks (no slippers)
• snacks for hubby and me :)
• apparently I need stool softner (big fat bummer! hahaha)
• baby book calendar thingy (if I find one that I like in time)
• breast pump (so I can ask questions about it and become familiar with it while their is someone to help me!)

Things I will need to remember to grab as we are heading out (and trust me, I'll have a sticky note on the mirror and the back of the front door reminding Rolando and me):

• Camera
• cell phone and charger
• batteries for camera (need to purchase)
• make up and make up remover
• Popsicles...I'm so excited to be able to bring them.  The hospital has a freezer for me to use and everything.
• Laptop and charger
• boppy :)
• diaper bag (already has some things in it, but mostly empty so I can SHOVE free stuff in it! :)

And you know what?  If I forget anything, I live 5 minutes from the hospital and after the baby is born, Rolando can run home and grab it...or better yet, we can just survive without it until we come home.  Really the most important things will be a the hospital: Rolando, me and Sweet Pea!

The Mile Long To-Do List

At our last birth preparation class, the teacher asked, "What is something that would have to be done right away if your baby was born tomorrow?"  Oh my goodness did that get my head spinning.  My immediate thought was, "Well I sure wish I had practiced relaxation techniques and breathing more." But besides that, what needs to be done?  What better way to keep on track and be able to add and delete things than to put it on a blog, right?  So, with no further delay, here's the list of stuff that I'd like to get done before baby comes...and some things that I've already done, but wanted to make it known :)  Really, if not everything gets done, I'm totally fine with that too!  I'll keep it categorized by 'must complete' and 'would like to complete' for sanity's sake!

Must Complete:
Install car seat (May 28th at a center that is offering free assistance) - the car seat is IN the jeep just not properly secured.
Receive a chest of drawers from co-worker and put all clothes away
Go through all of our stuff and get it ready for a garage sale (garage sale is May 21st so this needs to happen soon!)
Move co-sleeper into bedroom, prepare bed for baby, rearrange funiture in bedroom to accomodate
Buy a baby book (I've been keeping track of things in a book that my doctor gave me but it's not fancy or fun in any way and I'd like to at least attempt a baby book.)
Pack our hospital bags (also happening May 21st so that we know for sure it's all ready!)

• rice sock
• playlist for iPod needs to be created
• boppy
• slippers
• Scentsy candle and warmer (I think the newborn nursery smell will be most relaxing)
• Toothpaste/toothbrush and deodarant
• breast pump (to be able to ask questions about it)
• anything else I need??

Would like to complete:
Wash all clothes
Put stroller together and practice opening and closing
Start reading a book about the first year of life
Get connected to a new mom's group
Take Janelle to a child birth prep class

--Any advice for preparation for the big day?  Should I expect less?  Should I expect anything? What did you pack into your hospital bag?

bite and chew

You know that old saying, "Don't bite off more than you can chew?"  Can someone please tell me that again and again and again?!?!

This weekend was a very busy weekend.  Saturday I had to work in the morning, I had musical rehearsal in the afternoon, and Rolando and I had dinner at a friends house in the evening.  Sunday is the day that someone should have yelled at me to sit down for 2 minutes.  Here's what I decided was a good idea to tackle.

Last weekend my family made a trip to Idaho and came back with a truck load of baby gear! YAY!!!  Well, it was all piled into the garage (thank you Janelle, Tyler, Mom and Dad) and I wanted to dig in!!  There were buckets of baby clothes that needed to be sorted and looked at and washed.  Two loads of laundry later, task complete.  Not to mention the two loads of laundry that I brought over of Rolando's and my clothing! YIKES!  I better get used to that. 

I brought over bread mix to bake and little cubical storage containers to build.  I also wanted to start making a grocery list for Freezer Food Saturday coming up, but that didn't happen.

Rolando and I are going to sell the jeep so I decided (with the help of my dad) to fix a couple of parts that have been broken for a while.  Well, in the process of fixing one part, we totally pulled off the back window zipper.  The zipper has been broken for some time now, but Rolando and I just vowed never to touch it and it would be fine.  It took my dad and I two hours to zip the window back up.  We fixed it (WD-40 is a miracle worker)  and now I can take it through the car wash/detailer to get it looking good as new. :)

Well, all that work took a toll on my pregnant body.  I couldn't get comfortable last night, so I tossed and turned and shifted and groaned and grunted!  Not a good night sleep.  I'm feeling a little more than run down this morning.  Is this what sleep deprivation looks like?

I'm here at work today, but it's going to be a LONG 10 hour day!  Maybe I'll only make it 9 hours and go home, stick in a good movie, and FOLD all those baby boy clothes that I have. :)

Added a few hours later: I just wanted to let everyone know that my wonderful dad was the one handling the WD-40.  We were outside and he was spraying it on the window.  I was more than 5 feet away from the chemical so I don't think any damage was done to my little sweet pea.  Just wanted to clarify for any concerned mothers out there!  :)