10 weeks to Baby

In 10 short weeks I will be welcoming this baby via C-section #5! 10 weeks seems like it is so far off, but really it's not. With the older kids starting school soon and all the craziness of the back-to-school time of year, I am going to be out of time before I know it. I have put together a list of things we need to get done before Baby Day.
So what are we doing to get ready for Baby?

-Locating all the baby clothes and washing anything neutral colored, as well as picking out a blue outfit and a pink one for coming home from the hospital. Because we don't know the gender. We know ~where~ to look for all the clothes, but the storage room got piled with boxes so fast (the movers were on high speed, the boxes were coming in to the house so fast, there was no real organizing them) that I am quite sure the boxes I need are at the bottom.

-Washing all the baby stuff...car seat, baby seats, bassinet. Unearthing the double stroller from my mom's garage where it has been for about 8 years and disinfecting that.

-Stocking up on diapers and wipes.

-Buying a new pack and play. The awesome one I had broke due to cramped storage space at the old place.

-Getting a head start on Christmas shopping. Yes, Christmas shopping. Before I go on leave and am still getting full paychecks. I have a huge box full of Christmas gifts I got on clearance at the end of last year that I can use for teacher gifts...plates and mugs that I can fill with candy or homemade goodies. Christmas cards, wrapping paper, and a ton of other stuff I can't even remember. But all stuff that makes awesome gifts for extended family and teachers. Probably enough stuff for several years worth of gifts on the cheap. Plus I saved several rewards gift cards I got for new TV services as a sign-up bonus, which are for stores that sell everything under the sun. So mainly, I need to worry about the kids. I already know what they are getting, it's just a matter of getting it. The past few years we stopped all the "extra" gift exchanging with people because it was getting out of hand and expensive. My siblings and I draw names for our kids but stopped exchanging with each other. I do homemade treats for my husband's office staff. This year, he has a week of vacation left to use, so the week after Christmas since I am on leave and kids are on break, we are going to take an inexpensive "retreat week" somewhere to get out of the house, so that will be our gift to each other. Other than our mom's there might be one or two people left to actually shop for.

-Arranging kid care for the week I am in the hospital. My hospital lets me go home on day 5. This is almost situated, I just have to make a schedule since I have kids in two different schools that start and end at different times. Just to make sure everyone is on the same page and accounted for. My husband is going to work a modified schedule that week so he can still be with the kids after school for homework and hospital visits.

-Getting some dinners made and frozen. This is one of those things that I am not going to stress over too much if I can't get it done. I have gotten good at cooking to have leftovers, so if I cook most nights the week before Baby, there will be dinners for when I am in the hospital. This worked out good the last time, because my husband would pack the leftovers in a cooler and use the family lounge to heat up the food and we would be together for dinner every night. There is also an actual food place in the hospital just down the hall from where I will be, so that is an option for them, too. When I return home, I should be able to jump right back in with the meals, it just might be a bit hectic at first.

-Stocking the house and freezer. The last time, I really made sure we had tons of essentials: toilet paper, laundry detergent, snack foods and school lunch items, pantry items, juice boxes, all the freezer meats, bread (I always have a freezer stocked with bread because we go through so much bread so quickly), and all toiletries. I did a huge shopping trip the day before my scheduled surgery. It really helped us when I wasn't getting paid (although I do have partial paid leave this time), plus I only had to get things like produce, milk, and luncheon meats every couple of weeks. It cut down on me needing to go to the store, and it was all stuff my husband could easily help pick up without it becoming an ordeal for him.

Other than that we are pretty much set. I am really starting to get excited about things. Doing all these things just makes it seem more real and not so far away. I am so thankful beyond words to be here.