We're Having a Baby

It's true. The thought of having a baby next month is starting to really scare me. I know I always wanted children and feel so blessed to have gotten pregnant so easily and to have had such an "easy" pregnancy but now that we're so close to delivery, I'm scared to death.

I think it's more the fear of the unknown. I don't know if I'll deliver naturally or with a c-section. I don't know if the epidural will work. I don't know if he'll be healthy. I don't know if nursing will work.

I like plans. I like structure and organization and strategy. I guess I need to learn to like change and strive to be more patient.

I'm 33 weeks today and have a lot still to accomplish.

Pediatricians: we met with the most recommended practice in Annapolis a couple of weeks ago and neither one of us was impressed. We met with another group earlier this week and meet with the third option tonight. I'm really hoping to make a decision tonight.

Child care: I'm planning on going back to work after being home for 12 weeks after his birth. That means I need to find good, affordable child care. As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I put him on all the waiting lists for the top schools in Charlotte. Then we moved. So here I am, eight months pregnant begging schools to let us in.

There are only four places in Annapolis that take newborns. I visited one on Tuesday and almost cried when I left. I visited another yesterday and really liked it but it's really expensive and they can't take him until November. I have two other appointments next week so fingers crossed I can make a decision by end of next week.

House stuff: Mom thinks I'm nesting but for those of you that know me really well, I think I'm just trying to get my house in order after a move. This weekend we need to buy a snow shovel, buy and install shelves in the nursery, get the basement organized and unpacked (including rearranging furniture), hang pictures in my office, go find and buy harps and finials for the lamps in our bedroom that mysteriously disappeared in the move, and go buy a piece of glass for the side table in the nursery.

I also need to do some work to the spare room upstairs that Aubrey so wonderfully started to organize while I was in Greenville last weekend. Currently it contains my wrapping paper and supplies, our china and crystal and random serving pieces. I want to be able to fit a blow up mattress in the room for when the baby comes so my mom can stay on the same floor as us to help out. Oh, and we have our breastfeeding class on Saturday afternoon.

Sheesh. Now I feel overwhelmed. Oh well.

Next week starts the crazy doctors' appointments. Being high risk, they will start monitoring both of us twice a week with those crazy belly monitors. So from now until D-day, I'll have to lie in a hospital bed on Tuesdays and Fridays for 30 minutes each to be monitored. Thank goodness the hospital has WiFi so I can work from there, but how boring....

Fingers crossed we're both doing okay and they let him stay in until the 23rd....