Singing to Baby

Last night Hubby put his head on my belly and we sang songs together to our baby. He or she was doing somersaults and kicking like crazy! It was so neat to be able to interact with our baby that way and know that he or she will recognize our voices after birth.

The last major piece of baby "equipment" we need to get is some kind of rocking chair, and yesterday, out of the blue, a friend said she wanted to give us one. I am continually amazed and grateful at how God is providing for this baby.

I have been putting off cleaning the fridge for a long time, and it was getting really yucky, so this morning right after breakfast I gritted my teeth and started pulling all the food out and setting it on the counter. The whole job only took about half an hour, and it felt really good to have it done. So often "unpleasant" jobs aren't so bad after all, once I just get started.

Getting Ready for Baby

I am so thrilled to be expecting a baby! As Hubby and I are gathering more baby necessities, the fact that this little one is going to be here in three months for me to cuddle and kiss is becoming more of a reality. I got to hold a four-month-old baby girl for a while after church last night and coo to her and rock her and smother her little cheeks with kisses, but (sigh) I had to give her back. I can hardly wait until our little one is here to snuggle 24/7.

On Saturday, we found a good deal on Craigslist for a "travel system," so now we have a stroller, car seat, and car seat base. We also have a playpen, a bouncy seat that vibrates (when I used to babysit an infant in our apartment, she took her naps in the seat), and some boy clothes that were given to us (we don't know if we are having a boy or a girl, so we'll still need to get some girl clothes). A few people have offered to give baby showers for me "after the baby comes," so people can give clothes for the right gender, but the baby will still need to wear something for a couple weeks until the showers! :-) My parents are giving us the dresser that used to be my changing table, and they also want to get us a crib. So the major things are getting taken care of. Thank you, Lord.

We want to use cloth diapers, but the apartment we're in now just has a shared coin-operated washer and dryer in the basement, and I don't think other tenants would appreciate me washing messy diapers in the same washer they use, so we're thinking of using a diaper service, at least until we are able to move somewhere where we will have our own washer and dryer.

I love feeling my baby kick. He or she gets really active when I first start talking in the morning, after I eat, or any time I sing.

I am looking forward to meeting you, little one!

More on Staying at Home

We just got back from a nice visit with Hubby's parents. They are busily getting rid of most of their earthly goods, as they are trying to sell their house and move to another state to start a church among Persian people. I am grateful for the example of my parents-in-law, who are willing to give up everything to go where the Lord leads.

They gave us a hide-a-bed couch, which is a blessing because now my mom will have a place to sleep when she comes to help out for a few days after the baby is born. My mother-in-law also gave me several boxes full of yarn. I just started crocheting a star-shaped baby afghan with some of that yarn. The pattern is here. I am making it all in a soft yellow.

I am still working on my Home Management Binder. It has been very helpful already. I like to have some structure to my day. I am still tweaking my schedule, but here is what I have right now:

6:00 Read Bible and pray with Hubby
6:45 Breakfast, check E-mail, look at day’s schedule, brush teeth, contacts
7:15 Exercise (usually a brisk walk)
7:45 Shower, makeup, hair, get dressed
8:30 Start laundry
Make bed
Put away clean dishes
Wash dirty dishes or load in dishwasher
Wipe countertops, stovetop, and dining room table
Start Crock-Pot, if necessary
Empty trash cans, if necessary
Fill water bottles
9:15 Daily cleaning, including 15 minutes on a special project
10:00 Have a snack
Run errands OR do any baking, if necessary
Work on a craft (wedding album, crochet, etc.), if time permits
11:30 Prepare lunch
12:00 Lunch
Tidy kitchen
Nap
2:00 Bible study and journaling
2:45 Internet time, read
4:00 Prepare dinner
5:00 Dinner
Tidy kitchen
5:30 Scripture memory
6:00 Free/Spend with Hubby
9:30 Get ready for bed
10:00 Sleep

Hubby and I have just recently started memorizing Scripture after dinner. He is memorizing the book of Titus, and right now I am working on Proverbs 31. It is so good to meditate on God's Word.

I am really, really enjoying being "just" a homemaker. I am finding plenty to do. I am less stressed than when I was working 40 hours a week, and I am a better helpmate for my husband.

A Full-Time Homemaker at Last! :-)

Friday was my last day of work, and now I'm home for good as a full-time wife, homemaker, and (in a few months) mother. I felt giddy when I got off work on Friday. It was the same kind of feeling I got in college at the end of a semester, after the last final was completed and the last paper was handed in, except even stronger--because it's not just the end of a semester, it's the end of a stage in my life, and the beginning of a new one.

Now that I will have a lot more time on my hands, I want to make sure that I use that time well. I am working on a Home Management Binder, like Candy and a lot of other ladies use. I will post more about it soon.

Another thing I've been thinking about: for ladies with children, did you take any kind of childbirth class when you were pregnant? Did you feel like it was beneficial, or a waste of time and money? Does anyone have any recommendations for books about childbirth?

Update

Hubby and I had a good weekend. Friday night we went to the wedding of two of our friends from church. Saturday we spent almost all day going through our wedding photos and deciding which photos to enlarge to what size and to give to which people, and also picking out the ones we want to hang on our own wall and for an album. Yesterday we taught Sunday school and went to the morning service as usual, and then we took care of preschool-aged kids in the nursery during the evening service. For Mother's Day, Hubby gave me a bouquet of lilies still all in the bud, and he said, "Flowers-to-be for a mother-to-be." Isn't that sweet?

This is my last week at work before I get to come home and be a full-time wife and homemaker and get ready for our little one (the due date is August 27).