This Week's To Do List

Every week we get an email from babycenter.com. This is our 31st week and according to the information they sent The Bean is measuring somewhere around 16 inches long and is nearing the 4lb mark (they suggest hefting around 4 navel oranges to compare). They also informed me (warned me) that we are headed towards a growth spurt. The information also says that the baby is "probably" moving around more now. Probably is an understatement. This is one active baby! The Bean could be renamed to Jumping Bean. People tell me that you can feel a baby move when you lay or sit still for a while - well there is no need to sit still or lay down here! I can feel movement all day long. Lots of the movement is definitely stretching and moving around but then there are times when it feels like The Bean just completely has a few minutes of complete freak out mode. I am just waiting for one of my students to notice while I am teaching. I am sure that will result in no productivity for the rest of the class period.

We will see if The Bean is as active on the outside of the womb as on the inside. I have heard it can go either way. I for example was quiet in the womb but a colic high needs infant outside. My brother on the other hand was very active until he was born. Then he sort of became a happy blob baby, content with eating and sleeping with little fussing. I guess he was a gift to my mom after her experiences with me!

I have had moments lately of wondering if we are getting enough things done before the baby comes. I don't mean things like decorating the nursery or anything. I mean more along the lines of having things arranged like a pediatrician and such. Now that I've started to go through my list, I feel much more accomplished.

Things we've been able to cross off the list:
* Starting bi-weekly prenatal visits (weekly visits coming soon!)
* Signed up for (and started) childbirth classes
* Toured the hospital (the labor/delivery/recovery room is AWESOME)
* Decided on a natural, drug free labor (decided on this a while ago)
* Decided to use a tub to labor in as long as there is a tub room available at the hospital
* Signed up for a breastfeeding class
*Chose a pediatrician for the baby
* Working on adding to our cloth diaper newborn stash

Then this week's email came. Our task for the week: Begin assembling a bag for the hospital. WHAT? Yeah that makes it a lot more real. Not any of this other stuff but that. Packing a bag. Being ready to head out the door at any moment. That's when it hits you. At least that's when it hit me. We are so close.