What to Do?

I joined a group called parentsconnect.com a few weeks ago. When I signed up, I kind of cheated, since I'm always induced, and changed the due date to my hoped for induction date (probably around July 3rd). They send me an email once a week to tell me how much longer I have. This is a good thing since I can't seem to remember on my own. Here's what today's email said:

"You've just entered the single-digit countdown (only nine more weeks to go!). Make a list of what you'd like to do in these final weeks: See the new Oscar-worthy movie, hear your favorite local band, have lunch with your BFF, go on a romantic date with your partner. Whatever it is, do it soon because baby is right around the corner!"

Hmm. That gives one pause to think. I have so many things I have to do, but I'd really like to do some fun things too. I'm seeming to forget that once she arrives we will be pretty much inseparable for awhile.

Here are the things I have to do:

• get an Anne Frank costume for DJ's report at school.
• finish L's blanket (just cutting the last stray pieces of yarn after securing them)
• one last week of tutoring A for my Teaching Children to Read course
• a final for this course
• eight more chapters in my Family Processes class
• two midterms and a final for that one
• finish up the family reunion plans (just a matter of making sure everyone knows their assignments)
• figuring out food with my mother-by-marriage for our August family reunion.
• continual loads of laundry
• finish cleaning out the garage
• plant the garden (mostly oversee the fam as they do this)
• get carpets cleaned
• write a bunch of thank you notes
• go get a boppy
• find a basketball hoop for the backyard
• finish reorganizing the file drawer
• opt out of the fifth-grade party I so foolishly signed up to help for when I was much less pregnant.

Sounds like a lot, huh? These are just the most important ones. There are others that should probably be done--like painting the boys' room, so they don't have to live surrounded by pink any more; get Q's ladder done for her loft, but I'm going to leave that one to Z; and put the retaining wall up in the backyard (another honey-doer). The happy thing is that I think most of the baby stuff is done.

I'm really clueless as to this summertime baby thing. With what the weather's been like here, you'd think it was March instead of May, so maybe I'll be just fine. I'm assuming you don't swaddle a baby born in July, which has been common practice with all the other six, so do I even need receiving blankets? Just to be safe, I'm going to go get some onesies and sleepers, but even then, will she wear them?

Here's the craziest part of all, and it just seems crazier the closer we get to having her....My family reunion is three weeks after she's born in Seaside. The week after that is Z's family reunion in Idaho. I hope I'm not going to be grumpy the entire time. We'll see. I love both families, but to be honest, I tend to be a pleaser, and I hope I don't feel torn between the baby and the families because the baby's going to win every time. I hope no one takes it personally and gets offended, but she's coming first, and I think if anyone were to stand in my shoes they'd do the same.

So, tell me, if you were going to be having a baby in nine weeks, what would you do now? What would you do for yourself?