Preparation

I'm in the last trimester of this pregnancy. I'm feeling great. But a nagging voice has started up in the back of my brain. "You need to prepare," it keeps saying. Prepare what? We already have diapers, we're not changing around any sleeping arrangements for now, and I've done this before (the whole giving birth thing). What do I need to prepare?

I don't know. But I need to prepare something.

I feel like I've been totally slacking in the pregnancy front. I haven't been reading up on birth options, or breastfeeding, or cloth diaper choices, or the bazillion other things I researched while pregnant with Doodle. I haven't read any of the labor and birth books on our bookshelf that I poured over last time around. I haven't even pulled out my prenatal yoga dvd yet.

What HAVE I been doing?

Well, I've been writing and rewriting drafts of my thesis. I've started putting together my presentation for the Botany conference in a couple of weeks. I've done laundry, dishes, vacuuming, sewing, some cleaning, some wall scrubbing, and lots and lots of food prep. I've traveled to SoCal and EWa to visit family and celebrate with them. I've trudged through the long drives associated with the family visits. Best of all, I've been playing with my Doodle: embracing the imaginary play, dancing to Metallica, filling up the wading pool, coloring on the sidewalk, and loving the moments of "Mama, I love you" and "Mama, come cuddle".

I may not be filling my brain constantly with the latest research on newborn eye drops or the merits of certain diapers, but I am certainly filling my days. And this feels like what I should be doing right now.