On Sunday, I was twenty weeks and I am definitely nesting. It's actually nice, because this pregnancy I have been feeing really good. I remember feeling this way with Ashtyn, but my pregnancies with Rylee and Parker were both a lot harder on me. I had a harder time emotionally (hormones) and I had a lot less energy. This pregnancy so far has been great!
Because I'm nesting and because I'm a planner, I wanted to make a list of everything I need (or want) to do, and decide about when I want to do it. I did this with Rylee's pregnancy as well and while I didn't do everything exactly to plan, it was nice knowing when I should (or could) do things in preparation for the baby coming.
Deep cleaning
I always like to get some deep cleaning done before the baby comes (I've done with all three of my previous). My personality likes things to be clean and orderly; having my environment that way helps to lessen my stress.
My list is to clean the walls, baseboards, doors, door frames, and touch up the paint where it needs it. I want to sanitize the light switches and dust the lights, ceiling fans, picture frames, and the tops of the cupboards. I want to vacuum out the tops of the air vents and clean the covers of each one, including the intake vents. I need to wipe down the blinds (they need it desperately), vacuum and wipe out the window sills, and wash the windows in and out. I want to wipe down the table and chairs in the kitchen, wipe out the inside of all the cupboards (and declutter/reorganize as I go), and wipe down the outside of the cupboard doors. I need to thoroughly clean the fridge and both freezers. I want to move all the appliances and furniture and clean out underneath/behind them all. I also want to vacuum all the furniture, especially the couches. I want to freshen up the mattresses (I put baking soda on top of them to sit for a bit and then vacuum that up, then rotate the mattress to try to lengthen the life of it. While I'm at it, I will wash all the sheets and pillows. The last thing inside is the bathrooms. I will vacuum out the ceiling vents, scrub the tubs, shower, and sinks, and deep clean the toilets and around the toilets. I'll want to make sure the basement is all cleaned out and organized (I recently went through it, so it shouldn't be a big job) and make sure all our decluttered stuff is taken to DI. Then finally, I'll make sure all the yardwork that needs to be done (including cleaning out the garage and deep cleaning the car) is finished.
YouTube videos
I have a BookTube channel that I want to get some videos ready for in advance. I can set it up to where the videos publish on their own and all I need to do is keep up on comments. I usually do one video a week and I want to have September through November recorded, edited, and uploaded (privately, set to post publicly on the date I want). I took December off from YouTube last year and plan on doing the same this year.
Write as much of my first draft as I can.
I am currently working on the first draft of a new book, a Cinderella retelling. I would like to write 500 words a day, Monday through Friday, on it until I have the baby so that I can have 50-55,000 words done on it before the baby comes. I am guessing that the draft will be between 70 and 80,000 words total, so that gives me time to take a month off after the baby comes and still have time to get the last 30,000 words in before the end of the year.
I also want to get my first novel, a Rapunzel retelling, to beta readers before the baby comes. If I could get it to them in the summer, I'd be happy.
Set up baby stuff
We have our co-sleeper to set up, clothes to wash and put in the dresser, a second hand swing and exersaucer to clean, some things like a new breast pump to buy, and to get baby blankets and diaper stations to get readily accessible. I also want to make sure I have things like hair things and shampoo in the other bathroom, since I learned from Rylee that I will want to shower and get ready while the baby is asleep in my room/bathroom.
Prepare for holidays
Because we're having the baby in September, I am wanting to do some prep work for some of the upcoming holidays. I want to make the invitations and decorations for Ashtyn's birthday, plan our homeschool month activities for Halloween and Thanksgiving, and make our paper gratitude tree for November. These are things that I am not sure I will have time to fit in after the baby comes that I still really want to do with the older kids.
I am not currently planning on doing any prep work for Christmas. I think by that time, I should be back into a pretty good routine.
Birthing kit ready
Because we do home births, we gather supplies and sanitize certain needed items for the birth. This takes some time to go through and organize everything, gather the things I need and don't have, and go through the sanitizing process.
Freezer meals
This is my favorite part of prepping for the baby! I have some favorite meals I make (like chicken nuggets, waffles, and lasagna). I also like to make some treats to have around after the baby is born, like my favorite chocolate chip cookies or homemade ice cream sandwiches. I love that time after the baby comes, when I can just sit and hold the baby and enjoy the food I've made without having to make any new food.
For dinners, I plan on making spaghetti, meatballs, chicken parmesan, hamburgers, sloppy joes, lemon chicken, cilantro chicken, marinated chicken, marinated chicken thighs, taco soup, chicken and mushroom soup, chili, lasagna, tacos, bean dip, white chicken enchiladas, beef stroganoff, meatloaf, chicken pot pie, bacon wrapped chicken strips, chicken and broccoli cheese bake, chicken and broccoli macaroni and cheese, and sweet and sour chicken. I will also have chicken legs and steaks in the freezer.
For lunches, I want to make some loaves of bread, chicken nuggets, chicken quesadillas, chicken taquitos, beef taquitos, frozen burritos, and frozen individual pizzas.
For breakfasts, I plan on precooking bacon and sausage, waffles, pumpkin muffins, banana muffins, blueberry muffins, and rolls.
For treats and snacks, I want to make chocolate chip cookies, inside out chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, homemade ice cream sandwiches, zucchini bread, cinnamon rolls, and brownies. I also want to have some breakfast and protein bars, jerky, corn chips, and some organic candy around.
I also have some things I want to make sure I have plenty of in stock, like strawberry jam and my homemade salad dressing.
The meals should last me two to three months. It will cost me about $450. I plan on batch cooking whatever I can. I can cook much of the chicken and hamburger at the same time. I can also make a big batch of things like waffles, hamburger buns, tortilla shells, and refried beans. Many things I like to put in the freezer before cooking, like the meatloaf, because it helps it not dry out and it makes it very easy to prep.
Last minute things
There are a few last minute things I want to make sure I get in before the baby comes. These include getting a haircut, taking books back to library, reorganizing the toys and things I've already decluttered, keeping the house clean, switching girls' clothes to their fall clothes, typing up and printing the kids' schedule/instructions for whoever is watching them when I go into labor, packing the kids' bags, stocking up on food like cheese and milk as well as nonfood items, installing the carseat, setting up a baby monitor, repacking our diaper bag with the new baby's things, and downloading apps like a white noise app, a contraction tracker, and a breastfeeding tracker.
That's my master list of what I want to get done. Like I said before, if I don't get it all, that's okay. I will definitely prioritize some things over others (like making some dinners and getting the co-sleeper put together). Here is the schedule I have in mind for getting it done.
May
Deep Cleaning
Record Videos
Holiday Prep
June
Edit YouTube Videos
Find Beta Readers
Buy Baby stuff
July
Upload YouTube Videos
Birthing Kit Ready
Set up Baby Stuff
Buy a second deep freezer
Bag up ice
Freezer meals
August
Freezer meals
Hair cut
Last minute things
I want to have everything vital ready and done by the end of the second week of August. I will continue to work on anything else left as my due date approaches. I have delivered close to my due date in the past and am expecting to do so this time, but it's always safer to have things ready three weeks before.
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