Waiting Game - it's almost time!

After months and months of preparation (one reason I took a break from the bloggin' world), our nest is ready to bring Chickadee home! Since we are at the point of twiddling our thumbs, just waiting for the "Go!" moment I took some time to empty my brain. And camera.

Tomorrow, I will be 39 weeks pregnant.

Though lil' Chickadee is measuring 41 weeks (oy vey).

This pregnancy has been nothing like my pregnancy with Samuel.

With Samuel...I was "high risk" at 36 weeks. Blood pressure was going up and up. Induction was definitely an impending doom. I spent the last three days before going into natural labor (yay!) on strict bed rest to keep that blood pressure from increasing even more.

This pregnancy is still low risk! Hooray! My blood pressure is normal. Baby is growing huge. Baby's heart rate is strong. My body is showing signs of labor.

I am horrible at this waiting game. I find if I don't keep my hands busy I start worrying. And worrying. And worrying some more. I also am quite prone to boredom. Wow, is it like this for every woman at the end of her pregnancy?

The crib in which I was raised! Yes, that's a drop-down side. No I'm not worried.
Mechanical engineer inspected and approved. 

  

I'm particularly impressed with my ability to let go this time around. My initial to-do list (created last spring) is FAR from complete. In fact, I scratched many things off the list not because they were done but because I decided they weren't a priority. The baseboards, trim and main house will be painted at a later date! Laundry room update, maybe next spring! Sewing window valances, give me another year. :)

But I still have accomplished quite a bit in preparing for this little one.

Yard is (well...was, before the weeds came back, and the wind blew more branches and leaves around) prepped for winter. Not to mention we built a fence, removed seven trees, thinned dozens of overgrown shrubs, and removed some invasive blackberries!

Freezer is packed with a month's worth of prepared meals or partially-prepped meals. David is particularly grateful for that accomplishment.

Nursery is clean and organized (for now).

Our co-sleeper (more like porta-crib) that my grandpa built is ready to go.

More importantly, I have officially (finally!) finished sewing the bumper for this co-sleeper. That I had started a month before Samuel was born. And hadn't touched since until about a month ago. I love how it turned out, don't you?

The bathrooms are clean, floors are vacuumed and swept...for now.

The washing machine is deep cleaned. The fridge is cleaned. The oven and microwave are cleaned.

Don't look behind my appliances though...you might find that I have yet to clean back there. :)

House is dusted. Most of the windows are washed.

Air ducts have been professionally cleaned. Furnace was serviced.

Smoke and CO detectors have been installed. Fire extinguishers are in place.

We have a new retractable drying rack, and an auto-on light switch in our mud room so I am not fumbling with the baby, groceries and shoe removal all in the dark. So nice!

Our hospital bags are packed.

The car seat (so adorable!!) is ready to bring home a baby.

Wow. We're going to be bringing home a baby.... another strange concept. This may be my second pregnancy, my second child, but these last few weeks and anticipating the weeks ahead...nothing like the first. It's like this is my first baby all over again. And you know, I guess I've been saying that all along. But now it's real. Now I'm really going to experience the firsts in the way I had always planned, hoped and prayed for.

Other than the giant baby part. The giant baby is a little alarming, though not surprising considering the daddy's contribution ;-)

While the To-Do list is pretty much done (save making an adorable mobile, finish sewing my last four receiving blankets, and finishing some art work for the nursery...all of which may not get done until after Chickadee is born), I am still working on preparing myself for meeting this little one. I would love to find to the courage to share more with you about how I have been coping with the upcoming change. How I've been managing my grief...I wish I didn't have to include grieving on my to-do list.