Truly now a soccer mom...

The Lexus has a car seat in it now.

I finally installed the infant car seat base. It was actually quite easy once I figured it out. We have an appointment with the fire department tomorrow morning to "check my work" and make sure we are all set. Having said that, I think this is pretty fool proof and did it right. (Famous last words, right?!?!) Well, we'll find out tomorrow.

I also installed a rear view mirror so I can watch our little man as I drive. How cute is this!

Leap Year Baby

...pretty sure, given we're just a few minutes from Feb 29th, that Monday will not be a Leap Year baby.

Monday, Mom and Dad are doing great - basically just waiting now for big show. We're getting our heads around the fact that any day now we could be panting and pacing, sweating and swearing, grinning and groaning...

We've been so busy as late with marking off the final items from the to do list. Our family and friends have been a great source of help and encouragement. Thank you all for the emails, calls, gifts and time. We hope you have more in you as we will likely hit each of you up for some bit of advice in the next few weeks.

Sleep patterns - getting into the rhythm

It's become very clear to me that my sleep patterns have totally changed, and I just need to go with it. I can't sleep through the night any longer at all! After I have to pee for the 3rd or 4th time, I am usually awake. OR, I am awake from about 3 - 5... Monday's River Dance Hour. That basically means that I slog through the day - except now I get to nap!

I still feel guilty about taking a nap on a Tuesday while Tim is at the office, but I am getting over the mental barrier of napping and am embracing it. It does shorten my day somewhat, but makes me far more productive while I am awake.

I am still doing laundry, making lasagna (baby brain has made this an epic task), doing thank you notes, and napping! Though far from accomplishing what I used to do in a day, I am 10 days shy of my due date and giving myself a little leeway - the world will be there tomorrow for me to conquer it tomorrow.

Gravity

Gravity hasn't always been my friend. I have had trouble staying on my feet, walking downstairs, and basic navigation of this world from a vertical position (read: totally klutzy!), I have a new found respect and appreciation for this universal force.

It seems that our little Monday is dropping. What were once serious kicks to my rib cage are mere dalliances to my belly. I noticed it at 3:00 am 2 nights ago. I kept tickling his feet, and he kept moving them around, but he never once kicked my ribs. Both my dad and Tim think that my figure has adjusted accordingly. Dropping is a great sign as he is getting ready to make himself known.

I have another doctor's appointment on Monday. Hopefully I will get some information back from them on how I am progressing -- and hopefully it will be that he indeed will soon be here. I am anxious to meet our little man.

37 Week Update from Baby Center

How your baby's growing: Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

First Maternity Leave Nap

I have just woken up from my first Maternity Leave nap!

My parents arrived on Friday night and we have been sprinting ever since to get things ready for Monday and enjoying a little leisure time. We've already:

1. Hosted a dinner party (not related to Monday, but fun none-the-less)
2. Attended a fabulous shower in San Francisco hosted by Mom's friends for me
3. Had drinks with Aunt Jean
4. Had lunch with Aunt Patsy
5. Purchased the last of the infant necessities online and at babies r us
6. Been to Home Depot twice
7. Done about 12 loads of laundry
8. Mostly finished up the nursery - we're hanging window valences now and will pick up sheers on Thursday

After not much deliberation this afternoon, we decided a nap was in the works. I started out with my book and woke up an hour later having read not much more than a page. I do like naps, and have a feeling that before our little man arrives, I'll be trying to schedule some more!!!

So Long For Now!!

I am wrapping up my final day in the office today before I go out on Maternity leave.

Our organization uses a very strict process for projects that makes you answer specific questions at specific check in points. Though the following may not make sense for anyone who doesn't speak Intuit, the following was my leave email out to my team:

Subject: PEP Define Tollgate: Monday Reeth

Background:
I am currently 9 months pregnant with our first born and beginning maternity leave at the end of the day today.

Problem statement:
My husband Tim and I need to develop a “go-to-life” strategy for the upcoming launch.

What we’re solving for:
Primary Goal: Have a healthy and happy baby boy and raise him to be a thoughtful and productive member of society. (No pressure there.)
Secondary Goal: A little sleep along the way for me and Tim would be nice.

DACI:
Driver: Lina Reeth
Approver: “Monday” Reeth
Contributors: Tim Reeth, the proverbial “village”

Project Investment Size:
Large – these guys can get expensive quickly!

Projected Date of Next Tollgate:
March 10 – our son’s due date!!

I anticipate that our lives will quickly turn into chaos, but we are truly embracing a Launch and Learn mentality. In fact, the mindset of Rapid Learning and Change has well prepared me for this next step. Can you truly say it better than “Be open to change based on learning”?

I will be in touch as we hit critical milestones and keep you in the loop. In the meantime, if you need to get in touch with me, don’t hesitate to email me at lina_chickering@yahoo.com. Though I can far from promise an immediate response, I am sure a little intellectual stimulation and adult interaction could do me some good.

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As I finish filing documents to the server and cleaning off the top of my desk, it is certainly with mixed emotions that I leave this place. I am thrilled to have the time off of work to prepare for Monday, but it means that from here on out, I am totally out of my comfort zone. I am not an expert in what lays ahead, I can only hope that Tim and I navigate our unchartered water smoothly.