Today marks 50 days until my due date. This being our first child, everything has been new and exciting and just a little surreal. But these days it’s truly starting to feel real and my nesting instinct has gone into overdrive!

I feel like I am back in school. I have been reading book after book about childbirth and baby and breastfeeding. Even my husband has gotten on board and is reading the Birth Partner in preparation for my labor and delivery. Since I am hoping to have a natural birth, his support will be instrumental in getting me through the big day. I have also been soaking up all the advice the blogosphere has to offer. There are so many wonderful mom bloggers out there! We have just finished our childbirth and parenting classes and still have an infant CPR class and a labor consultation class with a masseuse doula coming up. So in theory we are prepared, but really, we have no idea what’s in store for us!

I have found that baby is the best motivator out there. i’ve been meaning to take up knitting for years. My last real attempt was a cowl scarf which took me over two years complete! but now I’m a knitting machine with chevron blanket, hat, carrot shaped rattle, and monster stuffed animal already complete.

For such little things, babies need so much! This being an urban baby in a small apartment, I first needed to figure out what was really essential and what I could leave off the list. This step involved further research, as there is an overwhelming quantity of baby products out there. Then came the purging portion, where I got rid of things of ours that we simply did not need to have around (like that guitar I have not played in over a decade). And once the baby stuff started arriving (due in large part to wonderful and generous family and friends) came my favorite part – organizing! All the toys and books are in bins. The clothes are sorted by size and type. And the Tidy Tot diapers are put together and waiting for baby in my dresser drawer.

With 50 (give or take!) days to go, I can’t stop thinking about what our baby will look like. I feel him kicking and poking and turning and hiccupping inside, and on some level I feel like I already know him. But I cannot wait until we both finally get to see his tiny face and hold him in our arms. A (sleep-deprived!) adventure awaits!