If the baby were to come today, we'd be ready in the figurative sense (after the shock and awe subsided). On Monday we got the car seats installed by the CHP, who were very helpful and gave a bunch of information. Unfortunately they did not have Erik Estrada's glowing white teeth, but still... We took both cars in and the process went smoothly, even though we had a new style of base they had not yet seen. The CHP figured it out and I feel relatively safe about their installation jobs.
Now we can say we're done with the preparations. The wife's hospital bag is packed, we have diapers and wipes, we did about a dozen loads of laundry to clean all the boy's new and/or hand-me-down clothes, and now can bring him home safely. A newsletter I subscribe to actually helped remind the wife that she needed to bring an outfit to come home in, since I guess the hospital gown wouldn't look smashing in the photos. Admittedly, I still have to pack a bag since our hospital has private rooms and I can stay overnight. In my head I keep saying "I'll do it tonight" so hopefully this is the night the mantra sticks. The other thing I want to do is organize a few of the plugged in items in the nursery, either with a power strip or on outlet expander, then use our new outlet protectors to cover the unused ones.
Speaking of home safety, we attended a lame "class" on the subject the other night. The "teacher" just read off of her PowerPoint slides as we read along to ourselves, adding very little anecdotal or additional tidbits of information. From our readings and other classes it became dull very quickly since we were already pretty versed on the topic. When the teacher gave us a break with 45 minutes to go we grabbed our coats and made like a tree and blew outta there. We know we will have to pick up a lot of stuff around the house in preparation for when the boy starts being mobile, like candle holders, photo frames, our hanging wine glasses on the wine rack, etc. Setting up those chic bumpers for edges doesn't seem fun or attractive but I guess it has to be done (does it?). He's a boy, wouldn't he love just wearing a helmet around the house?
Also, to prepare for time constraints and lack of patience, the wife has begun to make food and put it in the freezer, with more on the way (she started her leave on Monday). Yesterday was split pea soup and lasagna with spinach, mushrooms and ground turkey. We sampled it and I look forward to sleepily re-heating the home-cooked goodies. She also has become quite proficient with a slow cooker, which will allow us to toss a whole bunch of ingredients into the pot and come home to a ready-to-eat meal, with leftovers. Makes me long for more freezer space!
Before I forget or miss the chance to do it more timely, I/we want to give a VERY heartfelt thanks to all the friends and family who have given us incredible support the past several months. We've received entirely too many gifts from you, many we never saw coming, and we cannot thank you enough. The support and advice I've gotten since embarking on this journey has made me more excited and anxious (in a good way) than I would have ever thought possible. I can't say I'm "ready" for the onslaught of (eventually rewarding) work that will hit us the moment our son is born, but I am quite confident that our friends and family will be there to help carry us through it all with love, care and guidance (cookies help, too).
P.S. Feel free to contact me with any "birthing gift" ideas either via the comments section or here. I have some thoughts but would like to know if it's cheesey or not... Thanks!
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1 comment:
First of all, LOVE the Erik Estrada photo. I have a picture of me on a CHP motorcycle, which is a story for another time. :)
Secondly, it sounds like you both are in the waiting game. Sucks because it gives you nothing but time to 'think', fret, and second guess yourselves, but don't. You are more than ready, classes and frozen meals aside (however, a crock pot is any working mom's best friend, with some great cookbooks out there. I'll share recipes any day). And the level of childproofing you have to do, I've learned, is completely based on the curiosity of your little man, and the level of time he spends without you nearby (which is likely very little). Having two I can tell you confidently that you won't need to worry about bumpers and outlet covers for a while, if at all, so hopefully you won't sweat it. A lot of it seems so silly frankly, in hindsight.
I don't know what your wife has already packed, but one thing that helped me in the hospital, especially because I was nursing, was to have my own nightgowns and bathrobe (slippers, too). The hospital gown is horrible and it was nice to have my own stuff to wear and be comfy. It was something that made me feel so much better for the few days I was away from home.
I hope you are able to relax these last few days/weeks because it's going to get messy soon enough. :) I'm geniunely excited for you, because I know how wonderful and scary and freakishly great it can be. Lots of luck and love to you; can't wait to hear the good news. :)
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