We here in the Smith house have gotten so much done so far this weekend that I’m considering changing our initials to “TCB” and getting an lightening bolt tattooed somewhere.
For God’s sake, my husband built a box spring yesterday.
Our home is nearing the home stretch of being “baby ready,” though we have another long day ahead of us. The good news is that after tomorrow, every last thing we need will have been either purchased, shipped, or is officially on its way here. I promise you, and I know this is a common feeling, I am so, SO over bleeding money right now. I’ll grant you that a majority of it has been want more than need, and probably has more to do with me being anal, uptight and persnickety, but just the same, the projects and purchases that have been part of our lives since November were what we wanted to do to prepare for our kid’s arrival. While nothing is perfect, I feel much better knowing that we were able to get certain things in place.
Thanks to everyone for their fantastic advice; I’ve made lists of everything. I love all of the tips. I went ahead and scheduled someone to come clean the house from top to bottom next Monday, and decided we should cut back our spending in some areas so that we could afford this much more regularly for now. You’re all pretty adamant about having someone to help with cleaning, so it seemed like the wise thing to do. It meant finding a cheaper service than the one we had been using, but I’d long suspected we were probably paying more than we needed anyway.
We will have a diaper station on each floor, and I took to heart the advice to make sure I had everything I would need on each floor. Now that we have the new bed upstairs, and a guest room downstairs, this should help do the trick should I not be in any shape to walk up and down the stairs.
I was also glad to hear about the breastfeeding, hunger/thirst tips as I had no idea. I’ll be commandeering a big water jug for each floor, plus some fruit/nut/granola mixtures and yogurt and cheese and crackers. Scott and I decided there was no time like the present to quit with some of the more revolting eating habits we’ve picked up, which is probably good if I’m about to embark on a time period where I’m even hungrier than I am now. And while I love how you all are very pro-ice cream, I’m not pro Not-Getting-Back-Into-My-Clothes! Besides, I can get plenty of calcium from other sources, and if I really need something ice cream-y, there are probably more sensible options. I’ve really enjoyed being able to be a bit more free about eating things like ice cream every day, and the wanton devouring of cupcakes every week, but I’m pretty sure that not nipping that in the bud is how I’ll keep the baby weight.
And because my friend Joey pointed it out: I DO NOT have any unrealistic expectations about weight-loss. I think I forget that not all of you remember the Lose the Buddha days, and how very well aware I am about weight loss in relation to my body. Especially after having a baby. My larger point here is that if I do hope to ever lose the weight in any amount of time, that won’t happen eating full-fat ice cream and cupcakes as though it were my job. ESPECIALLY with my body constitution. Managing my weight has always been incredibly difficult for me, and it takes some effort on my part, and so even if I do go by the “nine months on, nine months off” adage, it’s going to take work.
I wish I could say that this wasn’t important to me – losing the weight and getting back into shape – but alas. This is important to me, and no amount of chiding and discussion about how it shouldn’t be is going to change my mind. If I come to that conclusion on my own, huzzah! But until then, just know that this will be something I talk about here, and know that I don’t have a set time period or even a weight goal in mind so you don’t have to be worried that I’m setting myself up for disappointment.
I’m really achy and sore right now, to the point where by tonight as I was fixing dinner I just stood there and whined for a little while. Just flat out whined. The baby hasn’t dropped, and there is absolutely no position that’s comfortable anymore. My hips are a mess and even as nice as the new bed is, I am pretty sure I told Scott at some point in the middle of the night, as I woke up from the pain radiating from my hips and my IT band, that I’m not sure I can take this every night for the next few weeks.
And don’t get me started on how swollen and sore my legs and feet are. Jessie and I found a fairly cheap mani/pedi place last week and I’ll be going every Saturday until the baby comes because $30 is a small price to pay for someone to rub my legs and feet for more than an hour.
So yeah. I’m sore and I’m tired and I’m just 37 weeks pregnant and that’s how it goes. This will likely be our last weekend of running around and prepping, so if nothing else, I can rejoice in that if she doesn’t come early, I’ll have three weeks of just moaning and groaning and complaining, as opposed to three weeks of moaning and groaning and complaining and prepping the nursery.
For as tired and in pain as I am, this is a really good time. It really is. I wouldn’t trade a second of it.
Ice Cream without so much guilt – Skinny Cow. I love their ice cream sandwiches.
Try not to put pressure on yourself for fitting back into your clothes. The worst part to me was the first month post pardum because your maternity clothes don’t fit and your regular clothes don’t fit. Resign yourself to some sort of stretchy pants and large tops. I hope you are lucky with nursing in that it makes you loose weight fast, but the was a secret no one told me and that was some people hold onto weight while nursing. I was one of those lucky ladies. After Max is was easier because I just accepted it and started really trying to loose weight when he was about 3 months. I was really puffy too with Zoe and you will not believe the water you shed after! I would wake up soaked in sweat and pee like a race horse LOL!
Anyway, yes sensible options, but don’t be hard on yourself
It is truly 9 months up and 9 months down.
Getting things done? Sounds like nesting to me. Watch for that mucous plug. (Sorry. Didn’t mean to gross anyone out there.) I felt like that, with the sore hips and the swollen feet, at 37 weeks with my son, and he was born at 38 weeks on the button. So I hope you go soon.
Well, it is, I suppose, but when you consider we actually hadn’t done a damn thing in the past eight months, and I’m really not exaggerating about this, to me it falls under “getting things done.” I haven’t had the time or the bandwidth to consider even the most basic of things, so I think “nesting” sort of dismisses some of what we’re doing here.
Also, I really hope I don’t go soon, so go wish that on someone else!
Ah yes. Me, too! Even those I’m going to stray from for the time being because I’ll just inhale those by the truckload!
Oh, okay, keep on cooking that baby, then.
I went to Old Navy and bought cheap jeans that fit when I was post partum. I only needed them for a couple of months (I’m one of the lucky ones who loses it quickly when nursing) but they made me feel so much better than slobbing around in stretchy ex-maternity bottoms all the time.
I was worried about losing the baby weight, mostly because I’d always heard that getting to the gym would be hard, I wouldn’t feel like it, etc etc. But it turns out that the person I was pre-baby – who loves to work out and makes time for it – is the person I am post-baby too. Go figure. It feels SO GOOD to be able to work out again! I’m hoping Baby Girl appears right quick so you can get your exercise groove on soon!
So, as much as I enjoyed using nursing as an excuse for ice cream, I have a similar body shape to yours (and devoured lose the buddha back in the day. I also used to be able to squat 250 back in the day. Oh to be there again). Anyway, I was talking to a friend this weekend who’s nursing about diet and milk supply, and she said that if she increased the amount of dark leafy greens in her diet, it seemed to boost her supply. She’s tiny (both by nature and I think by food choices) and her 6 month old is chubsterlicious and she hasn’t had supply issues at all. She said she read something about the calcium in leafy greens being more bioavailable or something? So, if you’re serious about deleting the ice cream, it seems like replacing it with super-healthful stuff that has all of those important nutrients might be a good idea. I seem to be on a mind/body improvement binge (ready to get pregnant again!), so if I learn anything with a bit more evidence, I’ll comment here.
This IS a really fun time. I mean, the physical discomforts suck, but the anticipation is really awesome. Enjoy! (as much as you can)