In my last post I talked about how I really haven’t done anything yet to prepare for the arrival of a newborn other than try to fully enjoy  myself to the max. I don’t regret taking the time to do this one single bit, but I’m approaching the midway point of my pregnancy and, let’s face it, there is a lot to be done whether I want to do it or not.

So I got to thinking that it might help me to write down an overview of things I need to do in the next 4-5 months. I don’t want to get into specifics yet, but I also don’t want to forget anything. Here’s what I’ve got so far.

Sooner…

>Find a home for Oliver. This is the biggest cloud hanging over my head right now. We’ve decided not to keep our dog Oliver because he just doesn’t get along with other dogs. He has fought with 5 different dogs, in different places, and he has fought with our dog Cleo several times, the last time producing quite a deep wound. On his own, he’s a sweet, loving pet. We shipped our other dogs off to our parents’ house for a week and we found that out. We wish we had the time and resources to train him, but in our current situation it’s too overwhelming for us, and too scary to keep him around our other dogs with a baby in the house.

>Finish painting the house. Originally I wanted to furnish and decorate the rest of the house as well, but I know that’s not going to happen. Painting, though, is a hassle that I want to complete. I have plenty of help from my family and friends, it’s just finding time to actually do it that is the problem. There are several rooms, a hallway, plus all the trim and doors to do.

>Start childbirth classes and formulate a birth plan. Since I’ve decided to do my best to have a natural childbirth, I know I need a lot of preparation. We settled on the Bradley Method classes, and I found an instructor in my area and signed up. The classes are 8 weeks long covering 12 weeks’ worth of material, and they start March 30. From what I hear, they cover everything from natural childbirth to breastfeeding to infant care.

>Start attending La Leche League meetings. I really want breastfeeding to work out, and I’m at least going to give it the best possible chance, so I need to be informed. I have a friend who’s really involved with La Leche League, and I want to start attending meetings with her soon.

>Meet with my doula. I’m lucky to have a friend who is completing her doula training and she’ll have her certification by the time my due date rolls around. I want to get together with her soon to get advice, recommendations, and to discuss my situation and desires in more detail.

At some point…

>Get our carpet replaced. This is an expense I’d rather skip, but the future nursery used to be the dogs’ room of choice to have all of their “accidents.” We’ve since kept that room closed off, but not only are there stains galore but it smells. The rest of the carpet is stained too, as well as chewed and eaten in some places.

>Create a nursery. This is obvious, but it still has to get done. I see so many nurseries that I love, but I need to figure out what kind of style will flow best with the rest of our house.

>Register, have showers, & stock up on supplies. I’m a little bit terrified of this whole process, but kind of excited, too.

>Choose a name. Right now we have several boy names that we like, because we just cannot fathom having a girl. Even after we find out (next week!) what we’re having, though, I don’t know if I’ll be able to commit to a name until the last minute. It’s so much pressure!

>Read up on childbirth and parenting. So far on my list: Creating Your Birth Plan by Marsden Wagner, Nurtureshock by Po Bronson, The Birth Book and The Baby Book both by Dr. William Sears. Any others along the same lines that I’m missing?

>Make a post-baby budget. I’m dreading this and will probably continue to put it off until I can’t anymore.

>Take a short vacation or two. I can’t go crazy with my days off since I’m trying to save them up for maternity leave, but one of my best friends & her family are coming to stay with us in April for a long weekend and I’m looking forward to a couple extra days off to be with them. My husband and I are also planning on taking a long weekend trip this spring to visit my uncle & aunt in South Carolina.

>Figure out maternity leave. This is really just a matter of talking to my manager. It shouldn’t be a big deal because she’s very supportive and just had a baby last year herself. I think I get six weeks plus whatever PTO I’ve managed to save up, but I’m not sure of the details and at what rate I’ll get paid.

>Hammer out childcare details. I’m SO lucky that my mom has decided to retire and stay home to take care of our baby once I go back to work. We’ll be paying her, but it won’t be near as expensive as daycare and I hope it’ll be a little easier leaving the babe with her.

Later…

>Book photographer (maternity & birth). My friend Cio has agreed to be our birth photographer. I know it might be hard to coordinate since she lives a couple hours away and births don’t always happen at convenient times, but I really hope it works out!

>Prepare birth details: phone tree, hospital bag, plans for dogs, birthday cake. Not gonna worry about this for awhile, shouldn’t be too difficult.

>Pick out and prepare birth announcements. It’d be nice to get as much of this done as possible ahead of time, anyway.

>Last minute stuff: go to the spa, have the house cleaned, stock up frozen meals. All very important things, am I right?

So tell me, is there anything else I should add to the list? (Please don’t tell me I’m missing something major. Well, DO, but I just hope that I’m not.) Anything on the list that isn’t really necessary? Help me!