It's beginning to look a lot like...your mom

In an effort to avoid lugging Freka through crowded city malls shortly after her birth, Luke and I have been spending the majority of our free time Christmas shopping. I've always loved buying presents, and even though we've had to downsize our gifts budget, it's still a lot of fun trying to find things our loved ones won't want to exchange after the New Year. Even though all that walking around usually brings on those sonofabitch Braxton Hicks contractions. Hey, it's for a good cause, right?

I'm sure it's because of the baby, but nevertheless, I can't believe how excited I am for Christmas to come. I've already expressed to Luke my wish to decorate our apartment on Thanksgiving, seeing as we won't be able to travel north, and this Saturday, while he's enjoying a Purdue football game with his dad, I will most likely be watching A Very Brady Christmas while wrapping all the presents we've accumulated thus far.

Despite all the new-mom kinks I'll be working through, already I know that the high I'll get from smelling my baby's head, having full-time support from Luke for the first two weeks after my discharge from the hospital, abandoning corporate America for three blessed months, and filling our modest little two-bedroom apartment with family and friends eager to meet the newest member of our household will outweigh the suckage that is sleepless nights, sore boobs, and a halted paycheck.

(One thing making the "halted paycheck" thing easier to handle is the fact that Parents wants me to continue blogging for them after my contract expires at the end of December, at which time my "column"--that's how I think of it, anyway--will have morphed into a journal documenting my trials and tribulations with new motherhood. Luke and I have money stashed away to be used while I'm on leave, but dude, it feels so good to know that we'll have additional reserves coming in just in case we spend more than we anticipate. Which, let's be honest, is most likely going to happen, because hello, NEW BABY HERE.

In other fabulous financial news, this past Saturday I mailed out the last payment for our Chevy Cobalt, which means the budget we planned for our life post-maternity leave is now a feasible reality. Hooray for an extra three hundred and thirty bucks a month!)

Anyway, I'm ready for the Christmas music. I'm ready for the gift wrapping. I'm ready for eggnog. In fact, I've already had my first glass.

It was wonderful.

Comments

[Isabel]

You are so on top of the game. Good for you.

And CONGRATS on extending your contract. You go girl.

I've done some Christmas shopping, but I just can't get in to it yet. Maybe I need some eggnog!

[daddy d]

Christmas shopping, wrapping the gifts, and ready for babytime means you are ahead of the game. I have a hard time getting around to writing the checks to paying the bills.

[mjd]

And a very nice real post it is. Your baby and our grandbaby is lucky to have such an organized mom. Freka's paternal grandparents will probably wait (as usual) until the last minute to do Christmas shopping.

[Molly]

It's great that you're so on top of things. What a relief it will be to have it done once she's here. Also, dragging a newborn through Christmas crowded stores with hacking coughs and sneezing kids (read: myself and my children, holla!) is probably about as bad as it gets, so go you with the early shopping. Last but not least, your Very Brady Christmas is my Muppets Christmas.

Waking up with your baby girl on Christmas morning, or watching her sleep against the glow of the tree on Christmas eve, will make it one of your best holidays ever. Then it will get even better each year thereafter. It's one of the best parts of parenting. :o)

[Becca]

Me too!! I've had some eggnog and now that our CDs are unpacked I think I'll fire up the Christmas music! Thanks for the reminder. Christmas with a baby is very special! I can't wait.

[Christar]

I'm so excited for Christmas! Although, I can definitely understand why you're probably more excited than anyone!

It doesn't quite feel like it should be Christmas time yet, because we've had 60 degree weather every day. But I've totally been listening to Christmas music, and we're decorating our house this weekend. I'm super excited!!!!