Oh Baby! The Great To-Do List

If you know me at all, you know I'm the Queen of To-Do Lists.  I started this habit at a young age.  Scraps of paper, the backsides of envelopes, notepads, post its, you name it, and I can fill it up with a to-do list.  People often think I'm a list-maker because I'm just so organized.  That, my friends, is hilarious.  The truth is, I'm a list-maker because I have no brain half the time, and if I want to remember to do it, it must be written down.

Last week, after we returned from our trip to South Louisiana, I wanted to make a new list for preparing for baby.  Remember my "Things to do before baby #2 ? I created that list in August.  AUGUST.  Before the persistent morning sickness, before fatigue set in, and before the craziness between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Some things on the list were accomplished.  I even added to the list and made the bedding instead of purchasing it.  But many other items on the to-do list were not accomplished.  I needed a more realistic list that accurately reflected the limited time and energy that I have.

So without further ado, here's my

5 week countdown:

5 weeks left:  Organize Izzy's new room & get Izzy sleeping in new bed.
4 weeks left:  Sew piping and blanket for crib bedding
3 weeks left:  Sew wet wipes (30ish)
2 weeks left:  Wash clothes & set up nursery for Andrew
1 week left:  Rest!

In addition to these items, I need to purchase a few things, like a hanging diaper pail (one for each kid's room), prefolds & covers, and a coming home outfit.  I don't want to wash Andrew's clothes too far in advance because our church will be having a baby shower a couple of weeks before his arrival.  I deliberately kept my list short so that I can still nap when needed, read, have room for our usual weekly activities, and go through nesting mode (if I go through it).  And if I end up with time to clean out my closet, wonderful, but if not, it can wait. 

I also want to have plenty of time with Isabelle over the next several weeks.  I've noticed that when I get really busy, I get more relaxed with discipline.  She just turned 2 a couple of weeks ago, so this is not the time to slack up in the discipline department.  But primarily, I want to get in lots of play time with her.  She's pretty attached to her mommy, so it'll be interesting to see how it goes when Andrew arrives.  I might be naive, but I don't think she'll have a hard time adjusting to sharing her mom with a new little one.  I worry more about not being able to lift her and hold her as much after a c-section. 

What do you think?  Is it a more realistic list this time?  I've had to become much more aware of my limitations lately and relax my perfectionist tendencies.  This is not a season of life for a perfect house, as much as I'd like one.  But it is a time for loving children, training them, and getting much-needed rest so that I can be capable of raising them well.