Check Please!

For the last two weeks I have been in 'final prep mode' and it is paying off!!   My list labeled "Baby To Do" has fewer and fewer things that don't have a check mark next to them.   The important things are done, the necessities are prepared and if I had the baby today then I would be totally fine.   Ok, except for the part that I am emotionally not ready, but that is another story.........

I am going to share my list with you.   Yes, it might seem like a lot but really in the grande scheme of things, I am probably more prepared than I need to be, that is just the way I operate.

**Diapers - I was asked to have my cloth diapers on hand for my postpartum bleeding (much softer than traditional pads).  These are the old chinese prefolds like my mom used for diapers.   They also make great burp cloths. 
**FuzziBunz - These are the diapers I use after the first month or so.  Love them!
**Kissaluvs - The diapers I use after the ONE package of disposable diapers we use - smaller size, easier for newborns.
**Receiving blankets - Pretty basic, this is what we wrap the baby in after s/he comes out of the bathtub and is dried off.
**Baby Clothes - I asked my oldest to get 4 boy outfits and 4 girl outfits out of the boxes.... he came back with all neutral clothes that him and his brother & sister helped pick out.   *shrug*   Oh well........ guess we'll wait to see what we have and THEN get the clothes out.  
**Changing pad - Not that we ever change diapers on these, but I have one and they are nice to have around.
**Bassinet - We decided to skip the cradle in our room this time (don't use it anyway) but it is nice to have something to lay the baby in downstairs while I cook dinner or something.   This white wicker bassinet we use is special because it was sent to us from my surrogate family.   Mark (my husband) and Dada when shopping and picked it up together to use for Ethan.  When we got pregnant with Zeyon they sent it up to us.   *Warm Fuzzies*
**Couch - Once we took the tree down we moved the couch we had in our room since LAST Christmas back down to the livingroom.   Wow - my room has lots of room now!!
**Carseat - I am super anal about car seat installation and since I waited too long I couldn't get in and properly install the carseat with my big ol' preggo belly.   One of my girlfriends heard me say I was going to take it down to the police station and she volunteered her equally anal hubby.   So - he installed it for me just the other day!  I still need to put up the 'rear view mirror'....

Now the stuff that is still 'to be done' doesn't seem that long - I need to get a little bit more of a stock up for groceries since I can't leave the house for 2 weeks.  Directions to and from the hospital to my house need to be put up on my fridge 'just in case'.  Our cameras need to be charged and ready to go!   We cannot find our video camera's charger right now and it is driving us nuts!!  When our daughter was born we had the camera up on the towel rack and when I knew I was close I yelled at Mark "hit record!" so we were able to record the birth from a distance.  I have watched it a few times since then and it is so nice to know I have it.  Oh yes, and I need to get my sheets and waterproof mattress pad on my bed - probably a couple layers so I can just take off one layer and have a clean one underneath.  Again, something I have never needed, but nice to have just in case.

Not my supplies, but a reasonable facsimile.

I also have the all important REAL birth supplies ready and set up on a table (and changing pad) in my room.  I have everything from those little fingernail scrubbers with cleaner built in to a peri bottle.  Mesh panties to chux pads.   Maxi pads to cord clamps.  Crock pot to receiving blankets.  Newborn screening kit to a hand knitted baby hat.  Bowl for the placenta to a shower curtain.   Gloves to thermometers.  What I don't have on hand the midwives will be bringing including the oxygen, pitocin, baby scale and medical charts. 

The time is fast approaching.  My due date is 13 days away.   I am *praying* to make it to my due date.  My husband gets the pleasure of having a few surgeries this coming Tuesday (one week before my due date!) - 2 small hernia's and a vasectomy.   For most people this would be fine - surgeries happen in hospitals and babies are born in hospitals.  Not me.  Since we have to travel over the the mountain 2 hours (each direction!) to the hospital I am hoping to get over the hill and get back still pregnant!  Worse case scenario - I have an emergency birth kit in my car that is well stocked, I would just have to do it all on my own.  I can do that if I need to......... just not idea.  My husband is going to be a *little* sore for the first week and I really want to give him all the time he needs to recoup before the Little Intruder is born.  He plans on staying home with the baby and I for the first 2 weeks and be my caregiver (ahhh, gotta love the guy!), so hopefully that extra 2 weeks that he isn't running around at work will give him more opportunity to heal up.   If his surgery and me giving birth happen too close together we might have some issues......

Until then - I need to go get some more things checked off my list.  Better go find that rear facing mirror......

Oh yes - I did have my check up today too - everything was 'just perfect!'.  Head down but not engaged (that is great right now!), back along my left side and a relatively small head (yippe!!).  Ok, off to look for the mirror.........