I almost fell out of my chair today.

Literally. I was joining my boss and HR director for a meeting in our fancy schmancy conference room, and as I went to sit down, the chair lurched back and I had to grab the table to keep my skull from kissing the carpet.

Thank goodness I wasn't asking for a raise.

The meeting was just as big a deal, though, because it involved creating a list of "back-ups" to handle my responsibilities when I'm on maternity leave. The last few weeks, I've been swamped with things to do, and at first I thought the best way to handle all the build-up was work work work and deal with the long-term details of my absence closer to my due date. However, as time marches on, I've come to realize that I'd feel a lot more settled if I had those details ironed out now instead of later, because the last thing I want to think about when my water breaks is who's going to finish our winter newsletter.

Work isn't the only place where my to-do list runs a mile long; I'm constantly reminded of household projects I hope to complete before Freka makes her grand debut but have yet to organize into some sort of tangible reference guide.

Until now.

Project Freka: Prenatal Edition

(in no particular order)

• Write thank-you cards for shower gifts
• Purchase life insurance
• Create will-like document to secure guardianship and general well-being of Frema-Useless Clutter offspring
• Start Roth IRA for Luke (because if we don't now, we never will)
• Complete application for private student loan consolidation (who wouldn't mind saving thirty bucks a month? Not me, that's for damn sure!)
• Wipe down bedroom blinds (ours, baby's)
• Clean car (wash exterior, disinfect/vaccuum interior)
• Fill out engagement book (because really, enough with the procrastinating already)
• Order wedding pictures from photographer (for reasoning, see above)
• Print recent family photos and sort them into albums, seeing as eight weeks from now I'll be mostly preoccupied with somebody else's eating, sleeping, and pooping habits
• Renew domain registration and TypePad account
• Burn TLF soundtrack for Audrey out of gratitude for her mad summarizing skillz (I totally intended to create a kick-ass play list for the sequel, but...well...I didn't)
• Organize baby's room/assemble baby gear
• Research nursing bras/camis
• Prepare and freeze several meals for easy reheating during baby's first few weeks
• Explore cheap birth announcement ideas
• Purchase and wrap Christmas presents
• Find a pediatrician
• Install, inspect car seat
• Pack hospital bags
• Fuh-REAK out over the fact that in seven and a half weeks, I'll finally have my baaaaaybeeee

To keep me on task and give you something to read, I plan to post my progress every Wednesday. If you think I'm missing something, let me know. Any additions will probably cause me to break down at my desk, but you know, whatever.

Also, I think I can cross off that last one.

Comments

[Audrey]

You can move that TLF Soundtrack item to the "post-partum" list if you want. I am a very patient person, and honestly don't mind waiting a little longer (lord knows I made you wait long enough for that recap!) if it helps you and your stress levels out.

Good luck with the rest of the list!

[Katie]

Pre-baby lists - how fun!! I need to join you on the search for nursing bras. I'm currently sporting a years-old holey bra that is totally wrong. It's a 34D. I need a 32F or 30G. So I walk around all day sporting poky, saggy, quad-boobs. It's so attractive.

I've never bought a bra anywhere but Target. I just suffered through the indignities of wrong sizing. I knew department stores might have more options, but I wasn't going to cough up $80 for a bra! Imagine my surprise to find out that Dillard's does have weirdo-sized bras for $25 or less!! Yay! I'm totally buying a bra after our next paycheck! And then after I buy it, I'll immediately shrink down to a more reasonable size - I just know it!

[Katie]

I forgot to mention this. The super-awesome bras at Dillard's were not *nursing* bras. I'm just crossing my fingers that I'll be able to find some when I go to buy one!

[Ashley & Family]

Okay, so I have breastfed 4 kids ...... thats like a baseball team. I have always been one to spring for the "pricy" bras mostly because of support issues. I had Jackson a year ago and was simply not happy with any of the expensive nursing bras I had purchased. I was going to Target one day and figured I would pick up a sports bra to sleep in for added support & comfort......... ever since that day I never looked back - I used them all the time - I bought tons of them - also, they are very affordable!

[PaintingChef]

I don't know if you have one where you live but a friend of mine just had a baby and a few of us got her a gift certificate to Dream Dinners so she could go before the baby was born and stock up on pre-made meals. It's REALLY inexspensive when you break it down per meal, usually like $5 a person or so and they are GOOD. I think their website is just www.dreamdinners.com if you want to have a look. We actually all went at the same time and made some for ourselves to have on hand too. It was quite fun!

I can't help you with any other child-related to-do items. But food? I'm there for you!

[Lindsey]

Not to add one more thing to your list, but perhaps you can also fit in "pedicure" or something that isn't too expensive, but totally divine and relaxing!!! You deserve it!

[Becca]

If I lived closer I'd clean your cars for you. It's too hard to do that pregnant! We would never have made it without our lists.

[Sissy]

Man woman! That is some massive "to do" list. When I have a lot of things to do, I like to schedule it out for the week. I take each day and put attainable goals on it, and if I finish early, I can move on to the next day. You're doing great sister and just remember that taking care of yourself is the most important thing right now. I love you sooooooo much!!!

[wilddreemer]

didja already put in there to wash all the little teeny baby clothes, sheets and so on? I'm about tired of washing teeny socks at this point!

[Frema]

Wilddreemer: I'm lumping that in with the whole baby's room bit. I'm definitely not looking forward to that.

(Except I kind of am, because then I get to organize drawers! Whee!)

Also, I forgot to include packing the hospital bags. Doh!

[ambitiousmrs]

Can I make a few casual suggestions? Keep the boxes/packaging/receipts for your baby gear. I totally understand the need to open and assemble all of it, I did that. But then it turned out that some of it was not so useful for us (we could do without that swing, and mobile) and we really could have used that extra $100 at Target for say... diapers. Also, I think Target has the best nursing bra's and tanks. I love the tanks because I can wear layers and never have to truly expose myself. Good luck to you!

[Katie]

I'm going to second PaintingChef's comment about Dream Dinners (kind of). My mom gets dinners at My Girlfriend's Kitchen, which is the same idea as Dream Dinners. Some of the meals are very good. If you are comparing the price to the cost for the whole family to eat out at a nice restaurant, then I suppose it is reasonably priced :) We rarely eat out, and if we do, it's a $5 pizza from Little Caesars. So if I'm comparing to that, it seems like the meals are insanely expensive.

[Christina]

I give mad props to Target on both the nursing cami and the affordable announcements. I got a box of 50 that are adorable for $19.99 (wanna come help me put them together, try and get them addressed before Freka comes!) I also got a nusing tank there for $16.99. For a real bra try lactationconection.com- they have a lot of sizes and good prices.
I have 2 assvice additions for you. Post-Partum must haves I also got at Target but when Nathan was 3 days old (you do not want to go to target when your baby is 3 days old!) One is generic Tucks pads, I thought they would sting but they are heaven on the hoo-ha, the other, stool softners. Just trust me there, you cannot "go" if your afraid your gonna pop a stitch.
Also, do get your bag packed. I wore dirty clothes off the floor when I went into labor 11 days early cause I wasnt ready!
Good luck!! 7 weeks, so exciting.

[mjd]

I am glad that you are okay and really did not fall. Since you have created a list and have a plan, I sure that you will be able to finish all of this in an organized fashion.

I am glad that Christina mentioned packing your bag. As you know, my advice also is to pack your bag. (I think that is the only baby advice that I have succumbed to uttering.)

[Jen]

heehee... you are TOTALLY nesting. I had a list almost identical to this one of all the things I felt like I needed to get done before Our Lives Ended and The Baby Came. The day before I went into labor I decided that I HAD to organize our office because it had been a mess for a year and suddenly it was the perfect time. All the lifting and moving stuff may just have set things in motion!

You did forget one thing on your list: Try to relax and enjoy these last few weeks. And go eat some ice cream :)

[eva]

Don't forget to finish your cloth diaper research and purchase project! Reading the above comments, I think I have to cross the border and hit up Target for its apparently cheap and endless bra supply.

[AD]

Ever since your Nana took me for bras-it's only been cross your heart for me! (TMI?)

We have Dinner by Design here and I think they have been popping up all over the country by now. We(my company)purchased 12 dinners for my boss when his wife got blood poisoning and had to deliver 8 week early. (Mom and baby are fine!)They love them and everyday he tells me what a fabulous meal they had the night before.

My only suggestion for finding a Ped is when you go to your hosipital for a tour of the birthing rooms ASK the nurses who they use or reccommend. We did and 13 years later we're still very happy with their suggestion.
Love,
AD

[Isabel]

Holy hell. Um yeah, good luck with all of this!!

I HATE giving assvice...so I hope this isn't. But we did our announcements on costco.com and they were like $20. And cute. I think. You got one, right?? Easy, breezy.

GOOD LUCK! Let me know if you need help. I'll totally wash your car for you!

[Isabel]

Just read through the comments.

I got my nursing bras at Target and I loved them. Plus, cheap! Just my 2 cents.

I was also given witch hazel pads from the hospital. So, you might not need to buy any. (Don't forget to take EVERYTHING from the hospital room. You are PAYING for it. Seriously...take it all!)

We had people from church offer to bring us meals, but I never felt like we needed them. Ken was there and he was able to throw something together. Plus, I'm not too hip on eating what other people make. Two words...frozen pizza.

Oh, and I washed ALL my baby clothes and wished I wouldn't have. Some of the things I never used and would have been better off to return them and get something I would use instead...but I couldn't since they were all washed.

[Rachel]

The blinds? Man are you nesting or what!

I wish I could offer you some help for some of the things on your list, but, I got nuthin.

[daddy d]

Wow. That is some list. It can get done over time. If not right away, then later on in time. The key is to work on it and take one thing at a time. That is all that can be done any way.

[Ree]

Oh, add "be careful". The center of gravity thing can really screw with your balance!

[Virginia Gal]

I'm late to the party...

I'd say do the important stuff first and the rest can wait, but it all seems pretty important to me. I'll second Jen's suggestion of adding "eat ice cream and relax" to the list. It's important to schedule time for that too.

Good luck with everything!

[Erica]

Good grief. That caused me to freak out and I don't even have to do it. I think people call this nesting? Good luck. Deep breaths, and all that.