My Pregnancy Checklist and Finally Nesting!
I’m a list person… Big time. I like lists so much I will write something on my list that I’ve already done just so I can check it off and feel more accomplished. My problem is I usually forget where I put them. My checklist are best kept in my binders or on my computer somewhere, though I usually like having them in my purse.
When I first found out I was pregnant (and it was still a secret) I used The Bump‘s website to figure out what kinds of things I should be doing… When should I set up my appointment, what should I be doing differently. I started using their checklist and have been a little bit of a slacker lately but I went in today to see how I’m doing and where I left off.
We decided not to do the genetic testing stuff so I crossed those off my list today too. It’s so weird because at 18 weeks I still feel like I’m just starting, but when I stop and think that I’m almost halfway there I can’t believe it! If the second half goes as fast as the first half this baby is gonna be here in no time!!
I’ve done most everything on my list up to where I’m suppose to be. I’ve been having my regular OB visits, exercising (for the most part) and preparing here and there. But am I really getting to the point already where I need to start looking for a pediatrician? Signing up for birthing classes? HOLY COW!
Granted I’m still looking a few weeks out, technically that’s a month away… But still! I get so excited seeing upcoming things to plan such as maternity photos (I’m soooo getting them done, and if you’ve had some done I’d LOVE to see them cause I want to have an idea of a theme to go for).
Most of the stuff in the upcoming weeks of my list looks like the fun stuff. Notice my extra excitement for one particular item below:
Yep! It’s finally beginning to kick in… The “nesting” mode. I’m turning our guest room into the nursery and I’m SO EXCITED! We find out in a week if Spawnie is a boy or a girl and then I plan to GO CRAZY! I will need a clean slate to start with and that means a clean room. I would put up a before picture of it now so you could get an idea but if you know me you know I’m messy so I won’t embarrass myself for those who still picture me as the organizational queen.
I told my husband a few weeks ago that soon my “nesting mode” would kick in and I’d want to clean and organize our house. The conversation went something like this:
Husband: *Silence*
Me: “What?”
Husband: *Laughs*
Me: “What?”
Husband: “I’m sorry but I just can’t picture that happening to you.”
Me: “No, it’s going to happen, it’s my instincts. I’ll just want to clean and stuff.”
Husband: “Yea right, I’ll believe it when I see it.”
If you know us you know that he does most of the cleaning, the laundry, the dishes and things of that sort, and you’d understand why that conversation went the way it did. But now as my friend Heidi put it, it’s a battle of my motherly instincts vs my messy personality.
Last night I told my husband that I wanted to organize the room today and tomorrow (my weekend) and he just gave me the same blank stare… He still doesn’t believe me. And granted I’m writing this post out rather than organizing right now but hey… I have the rest of the day!
I know once we find out what Spawnie is I’m going to want to shop and I want to have a clean slate in this room to have a place for everything. So wish me luck my friends! I have 21 weeks and 4 days left if Spawnie comes on time, and today‘s task… Turning the room from guest room/storage room to a baby room in the making!!
I’m having two separate showers. I’m having one this weekend (I’m due March) and one in March. My baby is now measuring 5-6 weeks ahead of schedule. Due to this, he might show up at the second shower!!!
I am getting maternity portraits done at 31 weeks (next week!) that’s what was recommended by the photographer I’m using.
Good luck!
I left the baby shower up to friends my husband. I wanted absolutely no part in it (sounds bad, I know). I felt consumed with everything else going on in life (in a good way) and did not want to take on another project. Fortunately, my friends and family agreed to take on the baby shower and only asked me for names and a date. Lovely. We had our shower May 17 and were due July 4 (although she came June 19)!
Funny thing about maternity photos. We were finding our photographer and had set up a session for the week after she was born. Who knew she would come early? Oh well…when they are ready, they come 🙂 I also had set up my hair appointment for the day after she was born (thinking I would be ready for whenever she decided to come). My hairdresser was also willing to come to the hospital and do my hair (quick braids) while I was in labor (she had done this before with another client). Only thing is that I was only in the hospital 2 hours before baby girl came!
In short, plan early. Planning early worked out for us with birthing classes, getting our cars cleaned, and having her room ready! 🙂
Everyone I know has had maternity photos done in their third trimester, though they’ve all varied as to when. Most of them just scheduled the photos to be taken when they felt gorgeous pregnant, and were in between the “I’m so pregnant I can’t move anymore” stage and the “No, I’m not fat, I’m pregnant!” stage.
As for showers, most of them also had theirs at about 30wks. One of my best friends said she had hers at about this time so she had enough time to go through what she got and organize everything, while still getting all the normal “nesting” cleaning done as well.
Both of my baby showers were one month before the arrival of our little ones. Our two youngest are 18 months apart, so we didn’t do a shower this last time. I like doing it that way though, because the rooms were ready, and everything had a place to go. Clothes had a home. Toys had a home. Bouncy chairs were put togther and placed in the room so all we’d have to do is grab it and use it when we needed it. I never did have maternity photographs taken. I wish I had.
I had 3 showers. I was due at the end of Sept. I had one in late June, one in early Aug, and one at the end of Aug. I think anywhere between 7-8 1/2 months is a good time to have a shower.
I had a baby shower at 27 weeks and 35 weeks. I would go for the earlier shower so that you know what you are getting and have time to set everything up/wash clothes before you get too tired (ie, after 32 weeks is when I got too big for most stuff). The shower at 35 weeks was smaller, so it worked out well, but I can’t imagine if that was my only one because I got SO much stuff at my first shower! 🙂
Hehehe- have fun decorating!
My baby shower was the weekend after Thanksgiving and I was due Jan 13th.
I also did it right after the holiday because all of my friends & family would be around. December wasn’t looking like a good
month to host the baby shower with Christmas.
I took my Maternity picks at 35 weeks!
I was really showing and they came out beautiful. I also did my 3D/4D Ultrasound pics around the same time. You get better images around this time. (Just in case you were thinking about it!)
Oh my goodness, seriously, start looking for a pediatrician. It took me forever to find one I like. As in: I was overdue without a pediatrician. UGH.
Sarah @ BecomingSarah.com
Great post! I am about 2 weeks ahead of you, so we are almost on the same stuff! I definitely plan on taking maternity photos, I probably will wait til I am a lot bigger though. I googled maternity photos to get some ideas, but I am going to be asking the same thing on my blog! I hear the best time for a baby shower is around 30 weeks. My friends are planning mine for the end of April and I am due in June….
I have a photographer friend.. she recommends between 30 and 33 weeks for photos.. your belly is good size and not to much risk of missing the appointment by early arrival..
I think 2 months out is s good time for a baby shower it gives you time enough to purchase things that you didn’t receive,
I am not into all the new stuff so if there are “RULES” as far as when to have a shower now. I don’t know about them..
I’d say wait a little longer for the belly shots and do them around 36-37 weeks. Then you get the big, beautiful belly and are still not likely to miss them. Here are some I had taken (mostly unphotoshopped–I still need to edit them a bit and get them framed!
I had my blessingway at 36 weeks, the same time I had the photos taken. It was great timing for me, because it’s nice to have something to look forward to as the pregnancy draws to a close.
http://rixarixa.blogspot.com/2009/04/belly-photos.html
I think that as soon as you find out the sex of the baby and decide on a theme for the nursery would be the best time to have the baby shower. Just make sure that you mail them out in advance of 2 to 4 weeks.
I think having a shower around the 8th month is usually best because that way you get to organize the baby’s room ahead of time and prep for your delivery so in the 9 month, you get to truly relax and focus on popping the baby out.
I didn’t have professional pics done for my previous pregnancies but I did get a lovely opportunity to be featured on a magazine for my 3rd pregnancy. Supah fun !:)
You can view some of the pics here:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/album.php?aid=325149&id=816235133
Let me know if you have trouble with the link.
Have a great day and best of luck with your list hun. 🙂
Your husband sounds so much like my husband! He laughs when I talk about cleaning ANYTHING. Um, I’m still babyless but I wanted to put my 2 cents in on your baby shower. I think you should have the shower around 7 months. WHY 7? That way you have time to shop for the gifts you don’t get at the shower. You also have time to set things up before you get super uncomfortable. In my ideal world, when I hit 8 months, I want everything finished so I can sit and watch reruns of House and not be freaking out about making sure all is ready in case baby comes early. I’m so excited for you to find out the sex of spawnie and go shopping!
Maternity photos are best at 8 months. You’re at your biggest before the horrible uncomfortable stage sets in.
I am 29 weeks and 3 days. My little boy is due on April 9th. I have yet to do maternity photos. I’ll probably end up doing those in the next couple of weeks. I’m having two showers. My co-workers are throwing a shower on March 5th and my family/friends are throwing one on March 13th. I think that’s about a reasonable time to do everything. For me anyways. 🙂
I had photos taken at 16 weeks and at 30 weeks, and it was SO FUN. I’m glad I had them early, because our baby surprised us at 31 weeks, 5 days. I’m also a photographer, so I took my own all the time.
I don’t have most of my 16 week ones online, but here are a few:
http://www.casadekaloi.com/2008/12/16-weeks-part-one-of-course.html
I can’t copy and paste into the window, but the 30 week ones are here:
http://flickr.com/photos/stephkaloi
in the 2009 set, on page 1 & 2. 🙂
ALSO, since I am a photographer, here are some we’ve taken:
http://thewhiterabbitstudios.com/blog/?cat=3
Hopefully you can get some ideas from that! 🙂
Super cute blog! Stopping by from mbc commenter’s
no maternity photos for me but I wish I would have.
have your showers as early as you can!
http://www.hackingthesuburbs.com
I only had a baby shower with my oldest – and it was about 3 weeks before she was born LOL
I didn’t ever do any “real” maternity photos but I do have just about every week of belly pictures with my 4th pregnancy: http://senilemomentia.com/2009/07/pregnant-belly-pics-4th-pregnancy/
As for the first half of your pregnancy going swiftly, enjoy that while it lasts. The rest of it will drag on and seem like YEARS … sorry to disappoint you LOL That last month takes an eternity! lol
Kat @ For the Love of Chaos
http://www.SenileMOMentia.com
That’s awesome!!! Will you be sharing pics with us?? 🙂
clothedmuch.blogspot.com
As a pregnant gal, I would prefer a shower in month 7 so it is easier to see what I have and what I need…but who knows?
The discussion about cleaning was very funny to me because on Saturday I decided my husband and I were going to spend at least an hour cleaning the basement. He agreed and told me he would come get me in a while. After I ate, took a nap and cleaned a few other things he came and asked if I still wanted to clean the basement. I said “no”. I guess “nesting” has its moments:)
I had my family/friends shower at 28 weeks because I was going on vacation at 29 weeks and still wanted to be comfortable enough to go exchange things/buy what we still needed. It seemed early, but I’ve known women who’ve waited until 37-39 weeks, which seems too late, given that babies can arrive any time after 37.
I say early is better. I had 2 work showers (hubs’ and mine) when I was 36 weeks and I was pretty self-conscious about my swollen face and feet.
My husband has been the one nesting, not me! Like yours, he does all the cleaning. I think it was only natural that he’d be the one to start freaking out and organizing EVERYTHING. (I’m 33 weeks along now.)
Thanks for sharing the checklists and sites. Good info.