1st day of "Maternity Leave"

Ok, so I put that in quotes because I figure if I work for myself, maternity leave is really kind of silly. If I don't work, I don't get paid. It's not terribly exciting that I have this time off. I'd actually prefer to be working still, but if I do go into labor before my due date, I can't leave my clients high and dry. Nonetheless, I am not working until 2010 and that is wild. I cleaned out my office yesterday, and I will be in pursuit of new office space in the coming year. For now, my attention is the baby, and preparing for his arrival.

I have a list of things I need to complete and then I'll feel a bit more secure.

1) Freezer meals. I just placed an order with Omaha Steaks and Let's Dish and they'll arrive in the next week or two. I'm also planning to cook a few staples this weekend (Pasta Bolognese, Corn Chowder, Chili, Ziti, Casseroles). I'd like to not have to worry about food much for the first month after Liam's arrival. That will be nice.

2) Nursery. This is 90% complete and I am beyond pleased. We just have a few aesthetics such as shades/blinds, as well as the wall letters I ordered from Etsy, and any other wall decor I want to put up. Everything is assembled and put in the right place.

3) Washing clothes. I had to re-wash mostly everything after my mother-in-law washed all the clothes with fabric softener (a big no-no!) and I am mostly done with this, but still have a few odds and ends.

4) Pack hospital bag. I have my list complete, but I actually have to pack it. The idea of this makes me nervous so I am going to wait until some time next week to actually do this. If anyone is curious, here's what is on my list:

Me
- Purse
- Birth plan
- Bathrobe
- Pillow
- Boppy
- Towel (in case of water breaking/leaking)
- Pajamas
- Socks
- Flip flops
- Nipple shield
- Lanolin cream
- Cell phone & charger
- Camera & charger
- laptop & DVD's (Friends and movies)
- Magazines/books
- Pads
- loose fitting underwear
- Nursing bra & nursing pads
- lounge pants & comfortable tops (something to wear home)
- Toothbrush/paste
- moisturizer/face wash
- Belly Bars/protein drinks
- hard candies (jolly ranchers)
- deodorant
- Shampoo
- brush
- hair ties
Liam
- going home outfit
- Mittens & socks
- Blanket & receiving blanket
- Baby book (for footprint)
- 10-12 newborn sized diapers

5) Finances in order. We're going to pay off a major credit card in the coming week and it's going to be great. We paid off our AmEx this morning (the APR was exceeding 10%) and it was blissful.

6) Wills. Not excited about this, but it's necessary.

7) Clean out fridge. I am waiting until that real "nesting" urge kicks in and then I will remove all the stuff in there, wipe and sanitize, put it back in. If I am really feeling a strong urge, I'll tackle the oven too. Probably not.

I think that's all I can think of off the top of my head. Luckily, none of those are too daunting.
I have my 36 week appointment tomorrow and an ultrasound to measure growth as well as the baby's position (head down unless he has somehow turned in the past day). Will report back after that!

36w2d