A pre-baby all about me checklist

Nov 15^th- I have a few little check-lists going for things I want to do pre-baby, some are post-wedding related- I want to finish our wedding album and get my name changed to my new hyphenated name on everything I need to, some are cooking related (I love to cook) I keep saying I’m going to try to make my own pizza sauce for our homemade pizza nights, also I want to cook a chicken- like an entire chicken. And a few are book related- I wanted to cross some of the big boys off my list- namely Crime and Punishment and Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude. I am also working on illustrating my own characters for a children’s book I hope to write and draw, just a ten page picture book for young kids. I would love to have it printed up in a small run and set up a Facebook business page to sell it to my friends and family (just to make back the money I spent to get it printed). I don’t expect to make any money on it it’s more of a pride thing. I’ve had this idea for some time now- of course it’s science-related. And I would love to actually have it made so I can have a copy to read to my own child. I’m making good progress on the wedding album, ok progress on the name change, I did make my own pizza sauce the other night and it came out good, not amazing but better than the canned stuff is a good place to start. And I have started to read Crime and Punishment, and got a copy of Marquez’s book as well. Also I’m hoping to crank through the cross-stitch I am working on now up until the baby is born because I know if it’s not done June 10^th it probably will not get done for quite some time after that. I’ve looked at the baby samplers since I did one for my niece and nephew but so far none are jumping out at me, but I’ll keep an eye open. I also want to go through my Hubpages articles and make sure they are properly edited and updated since I know I won't be on the site as much once the baby comes.

I recommend coming up with your own to do list while you are pregnant, one that is separate for all your lists that are baby-related. This one should be solely about you, some things will probably be boring like my name change, but it's important not to procrastinate on things now so that you won't be stressed about them later. But also the list should be fun and included the me time stuff you really want to do before the baby comes, check out a new restaurant, catch up on a television series, reconnect with an old friend, etc.

Nov 17^th- Baby’s first 5k! Ok that’s so misleading, I don’t run, I am a walker and I only sign up for one 5k a year to support my hometown’s education system. But still I’m pleased because it’s the first time I have walked for an hour at once since I’ve been pregnant due to my low back issues. Honestly last Sunday when I remembered it was coming up (seeing as it’s a Turkey Trot) I signed up my mom and I and I figured at the very least they would get my donation because at that point I wasn’t sure if walking a 5k was a feasible idea. But it was a good motivator to get me off the stationary bike and back outside, I walked a half hour 4 of the weekdays and did the other half hour on the bike those days (one day was way too cold to go out) so I ended up being ok for the trot.

Nov. 18^th- I’m getting into week 11 and it’s starting to get tough to keep it a secret. In a way up until now the first few months have been nice just having it between Chris and I. Ultimately it’s about him & I and the journey we are on together so I think it’s nice that he’s the only one that knows. I felt bad at times because he was the only pair of ears to listen about my early symptoms and stuff but he agreed that it was nice having it be our secret. Plus once it’s out there it’s out there so it’s been nice having it be our secret. But I feel like now I’m in the waiting period to tell my family and close friends- I’m really excited to tell them. Plus I think it will make it more real for me having them know, since it marks the time when it is safe to start to get excited about it. Up until this point we’ve just been focuses on my health and the first few appointments not so much how we are going to decorate the nursery etc. But as it gets closer to three months I know we can start thinking that way and that’s nice. I’ve definitely been financially thinking, trying to get some stuff paid off and give back to my savings account- although post-wedding that was the plan anyway. One thing that is getting me excited is that I am absolutely obsessed with the holidays- Halloween right through to New Years and as this whole thing becomes more real the idea that we are going to have a little one next year for the holidays makes me so excited!

Nov. 23^rd- Today kicked off my annual month long, self-inflicted, baking extravaganza, which starts with Thanksgiving (this year since I’m not hosting it is just pies), then goes straight into tons of cookies and homemade ice cream for gifts for Christmas, and ends with our New Year’s Eve party where I switch from baking to cooking for the day to feed our guests homemade Chinese food. This is my favorite season, I am obsessed with the holidays. Energy-wise I was really happy with today- I made two of each of my two standard thanksgiving pies- my mile-high apple crisp pie and my Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake with gingersnap/pecan crust. I made two for the Thanksgiving I’m attending with Chris’s side of the family and two to deliver to my family for their Thanksgiving. I also went out and did a 30-40 minute cardio walk in between. I was very happy that I was able to accomplish all of that and I think it bodes well for my Christmas baking.