Wednesday, January 7, 2009

not quite there yet

whenever i see a baby photo of me, i feel like that little person is a complete stranger. i don't recognize any facial features or expressions. in this photo i am the spitting image of my father's sisters. by age 5, my looks began to change. it's mostly the eyes, i think.


we returned from paris on thursday evening, by sunday we had purchased an ikea gulliver crib and mattress through craigslist. a part of me thinks it's unsanitary to have a used mattress, but it looks and smells clean. not sure what to do about that. the crib needs a good scrub, and then we're going to paint it a dark graphite. non-toxic paint is pricey! makes me wonder what i've been putting on my walls all these years.

considering i only have 4-7 weeks left (4 weeks to full-term 37 weeks), we are really really behind. there are lists and schedules of when you should do this or that during your pregnancy, and i have been very delinquent.

to-do list:
childbirth class
breastfeeding group
car seat (leaning towards the Britax Roundabout)
stroller (Baby Jogger City Mini (cheaper, less stylish, lighter) or Mountain Buggy Swift)
crib sheets and protective pads
grooming kit (nail clippers and thermometer)
refrigerator (ours is so tiny, even i'm taller than it)
extra tall safety gate
wall shelves for the 100 'new' book purchases sitting on our dining table
towels and washcloths
diapers in newborn and small sizes
bibs and rags
bottles and brushes
creams, soaps, and oils
keep exercising (i woke up with charley horses in both legs this morning. i stopped jogging last saturday because my right foot is experiencing numbness and tingling pain, which is only made worse by pounding the pavement)
wash baby clothes and things
re-arrange furniture to accommodate crib
apply for free infant health insurance (i love Massachusetts)
grade exams
write two chapters
remind my 'birth partner' to read 'The Birth Partner'
find more money under the couch
contest two unfair parking tickets
have daily panic attacks about the dissertation, lack of funding, poor spending habits, and imminent arrival of infant.

2 comments:

MrsEm said...

That list is nothing for a ivy league genius such as yourself ;) One tip I use, is to devote a specific day a week to such a project. That way, it's easy to commit time without being overwhelmed. Plus, a lot of these things you can take care of after the baby comes.

PS: I'm glad to help with the personal finance stuff if you have any questions.

erica said...

so true, emily! i really need to set aside time to do these things. even writing the list required a lot of deep breathing exercises and a cup of tea.