Baby Prep – 2 More Weeks Left!

Do you ever feel like the more you do, the more you had to do?

That’s how this week has been. The more items I check off of my to do list, the more I add to it. Sometimes, it feels a little like drowning, but I do enjoy staying busy, so I won’t complain too much.

Early this week, I finished cleaning our third bedroom (AKA pantry), moved the mattress into Garrett’s new room, and got all his clothing into his dresser, but failed to convince him that sleeping there was a good idea.

Yesterday, I got a laugh when I, thinking that the temperature was cool enough for him to nap in here with a fan, took his pillow and put on his bed. I then suggested that he could take a nap there in a little while. I though he’d immediately lay down and pretend to nap for a minute, but instead he just shook his head and said “Uh, no. I don’t”.

Well, I went about my business in the kitchen with Garrett helping me until he got bored and wandered off. By that time, I’d forgotten about the pillow incident, but it must have been bothering him, because a few minutes later, he came running through the kitchen with it, and threw it back in the crib.

That made me chuckle, but I don’t know why he’s so opposed to the idea. He even cried this morning when Gabriel took his Pack ‘n Play down and made a bed on our bedroom floor for him. I had no idea it would mean this much to him. Fortunately, it only took a few minutes for Garrett to decide he liked that particular bed, and he went to some effort to spread his blankets out nicely on top before sitting on it with my jewelry box (that he wasn’t supposed to have!) to play.

Anyway, in other baby prep, my freezer cooking seemed a little lame this week. I decided to make a different enchilada recipe that my family really likes. This one has rice in the filling so I figured we could serve them with refried beans, and then serve the bean-filled enchiladas with Mexican rice. Now that’s diversity. but it only ended up making four meals worth.

I also froze two loaves of bread – and then someone got a sandwich craving and ate half of one (hint: I wasn’t me). I didn’t mind too much, because it gave me an idea. Why not freeze the bread in halves? One loaf is really more than we’ll eat in a meal, or a day, and then we have to find a use for the rest before it goes stale. Problem solved.

My other freezer cooking session took about 20 minutes this morning. I had some odd pieces of pork in the freezer, so I cut them into small cubes and sautéed them for stir-fry meat and froze them in little baggies. I figure well have plenty of stir-fry veggies from the garden in a few weeks, and having the meat all ready to go will help out a lot.

Another thing I got to thinking about was how I used to have to have a babysitter just to grind flour when Garrett was a baby. Hopefully this baby will be a better napper, but I’ve still been grinding and freezing extra flour whenever I be the chance.

I do hope to do some more freezer meals next week, but I have to say, all this freezer cooking and storing – well, my freezer is just about full.

Next week, aside from freezer cooking, I hope to finish getting my birthing supplies together (I think I have most of them, but I lost the list so I’ll have to ask my midwife again), and get the rest of the house cleaned and organized. The idea is, that if I can get it good and clean, and then just maintain it for a few weeks, birth recovery should be a lot less stressful. Nice thought, right?

Also, considering that I currently wash dishes at least twice a day, and usually 3-4 times, I’m even thinking about buying some paper plates (gasp!). There’s no way Gabriel can keep up with all that, and I can’t sit here and look at a nasty kitchen.