Day 379

I'm sorry I've been a little scarce around here, I'm trying to get everything ready for our precious baby boy! 45 days, today. Can you believe it? Given Rebekah's pre-eclampsia and low amniotic fluid levels, I'm freaked out that I'm going to get the call that she's headed to the hospital, and we're not ready!

Only one way to remedy the situation...I spent the weekend getting baby boy packed (it was so much fun!!). My sweet, bloggy friend, Holly, sent me a detailed list of what she packed/used/didn't use/wished she had, for their interstate adoption (they, too, were out of state for a couple of weeks).

I treated that list as gold! There were so many items on it that I would have never thought of and some that I had to Google....because I had never heard of them before! I realized just how out of my element I was, when I had no idea what should be packed in the diaper bag for the hospital...Holy Cow I'm going to be a Mom and I don't even know what my baby needs...However, after some quick research and a few phone calls, I feel a little more confident [dare I use that word?].

I'm going to start on Ben's and my stuff, this week. I figure I'll just buy brand new toiletry items so those can be ready to go and then I'll make a list of everything else. I don't know if you're like me, but when I'm rushed, I always forget important items...and believe me, I'll be in big time freak out mode when we get that call! (You'll be glad to know that "Update the Blog" is on the to-do list, before we jump in the car!)

Everything is really coming together! We bought our cross-country map, have directions printed, the hospital and nearest hotel (if needed) mapped out. I also found us a small cottage to rent once we bring baby "home" from the hospital. Our hospital call list is ready, pediatrician chosen, important contact information typed out, and birth announcement supplies purchased.

My plan all along has been to be packed and ready by June 1st. Any time after that day is reserved for date nights with Ben, long, indulgent naps, and fun with friends and family! So far the plan is working beautifully...baby boy just has to keep cooking for a few more weeks!

I, of course, can't close this post without mentioning Mother's Day. It was the first time in years that my heart didn't bleed from heartache...

A few of the highlights:

1. I talked to Rebekah's 11 year old daughter on the phone and she told me that she had send me a Mother's Day card and she wanted me to call her as soon as I opened it...I didn't end up getting it in time, but her thoughtfulness reduced me to tears.
2. Rebekah wished me a happy Mother's Day and sent me a note telling me that she was thinking about me...I choked back more tears and thanked her for making me a mom-to-be. I still can't believe she's doing this for me.
3. We took Ben's mom to a Mother's Day brunch and when the waitress brought her flowers to the table, his dad said, "We have another mom at the table, today..." A few minutes later I had flowers in hand (after, of course, explaining why I looked so good for being 8 months pregnant!).
4. A blog friend blessed us with $150 toward our adoption fund. This has been quite a week with a lot of surprises (not the good kind)...this generous gift was exactly what we needed, at exactly the right time.
   

I am indebted to the kindness of others; my heart is so full.