Bags Packed...and Packed Again.

While I wait for this baby to arrive, I've been doing all sorts of little things like:

• loading up my iPod with Rockabye lullabies (we LOVE these)


• loading up my iPod with music I may (or may not) want to hear before, during, after delivery.


• putting together an arrival gift for the au pair


• reading Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp


• reading up on breastfeeding


• doing laundry over and over again (super paranoid about it backing up like never before)


• and finally...packing and repacking my hospital bag

After consultation with other mommy friends, family, doula/nurse instructors from our childbirth and breastfeeding classes here's what I'm bringing...

For the labor/delivery bag (a small backpack):

• babybook


• a magazine for me


• iPod


• breathmints/candy


• cozy socks


• nursing cream


• massage aids


• toothbrush


• a touch of makeup

For the recovery room:

• my HPmini netbook (yes! I just may blog from the hospital bed-lol)


• toiletries


• nursing gown


• nursing bra/pads


• thank you notes


• my going home outfit


• baby's going home outfit/optional hospital pic outfit


• postpartum support girdle

Some other things:

• I decided against bringing my boppy to the hospital after our breastfeeding nurse advised against it.


• I am also bringing my DSLR


• Charm City Daddy is bringing his Flip Mino camcorder in his bag. Yes, he has a bag too, and in it he has been advised to bring Champagne! :)

What did I forget? What else would you suggest? I am really trying to bring as little as possible. If it doesn't fit in these two bags, I don't want it.

False Labor or Preterm Labor?

All I can say is there is nothing like a sleep-awakening 5 a.m. contraction to motivate you to get your hospital bag packed.

Yep. That happened this morning.

I suffered for a good 10 minutes (2 contractions) before Charm City Daddy woke up, turned on the light and told me to "just breathe through it babe." Prolific. Yeah--he lasted about 45 more seconds before he was sleeping--actually SNORING- again. lol.

I laid there trying to change positions to get more comfortable during random contractions for another hour before I finally got back to to sleep for a little while--only to wake up to another big one at 7:30 a.m.

I debated staying home today--but decided that getting up and moving around and getting additional work done would be a better way to pass the time. So far, I'm glad that's what I decided. Zero appetite for breakfast though when your tummy is all knotted up.

I have actually continued to have contractions, off and on---but no more crampy, waves of pain--just the Braxton tightness.


I guess it would be kind of nice to have the baby this weekend. Plus tomorrow is my older brother's birthday! The only problem is my mom is out-of-town visiting the relatives in North Carolina and would be so upset if she couldn't be here.

I'm sure I'm getting ahead of myself. I bet in a week or two (I'm optimistic) when I REALLY go into labor, I'll look back at this post and think--I thought THAT was labor? HA!