Has Anyone Seen My "To Do" List?

Two days left until my due date and still no baby... one would think that after doing this three times before I would have it all figured out. I wish it were as easy as waking up one morning and saying "I think today is the day I would like to have this baby" and presto chango, we have lift off.

My husband packed his bag last night. I had to giggle a bit. I have never packed a bag in all of my labor and delivery days. This makes my husband crazy because he is a preparedness expert. I always argue that I do not need to be so prepared because I have him... who not only makes sure we have extra underwear for every person in our family in the car "just in case" but also makes sure windows are locked, all seats are in the upright position and snack trays are secured and fastened... oh, and that we have extra fast food napkins in the glove box.

I prefer the "running with my hair on fire" preparedness technique. The one that will not allow me to pack an overnight bag for the hospital at all... which means that my husband will have to come home after my delivery and pack me a bag to bring back to the hospital. I can't help it-I am a thorn in his side.

I have been nesting though... but I nest differently than most women. I have not really cleaned my house-you know the nesting "clean the floors with a toothbrush" neurotic routine. My cleaning lady is coming on Friday so I figure I am good with the whole "is the house clean enough?" paranoia. Besides, if I clean today and the baby does not come for another 5 days... that means I will have to just clean it again. No thanks.

I nest by buying things. I can go an entire pregnancy and not buy one thing at all-I am not a shopper. The last few days though, I have this need to buy all of those things that have been on my mind to buy for the last year but have never gotten around to it.

For example, yesterday my "to buy" list consisted of:

1. New drinking glasses that match one another. We have a cupboard full of mismatched glasses... and most have various restaurant logos on them. I could not stand it any longer and needed to get real glasses-ones that matched. How could I possibly bring a baby into this house with mismatched glasses from Applebee's, TGIFridays and 7-11?
2. New flatware. We have very nice flatware, but not enough. I was tired of having to wash forks from the dishwasher each night before dinner because my children have to use 17 forks each on any given day. So I felt compelled to buy an additional 48 piece set-how could I possibly live another day with a half-empty silverware drawer?
3. Bike helmets. My children all needed new helmets for the summer. I could not bring a baby into this house and be nursing quietly and have one of my children fall off of their bike and crack their head open from the lack of bike helmet wearing... I would not be happy having to take them to the ER in the middle of a milk let-down.
4. Sandbox. Well, that one was on the list for principle alone because my husband was so adamantly against buying a sandbox. Listen, I am about to give birth here... no one is going to tell me what I can or cannot do! He is just lucky I did not want to buy a new car.
5. Haircolor and sunless tanner. One has to look good in the delivery room-for all of those post-labor photographs.
6. Flowers. I need to make the house look pretty for the baby the first time she sees it! There was no question that I needed to go spend $100 on flowers!

Today's list:

1. New silverware tray. The old one does not fit all of the new silverware we have.

Once I have purchased all of those "must have" items, I am sure my water will break and I will be running around the house yelling things like "Don't I have any clean underwear?" or "I forgot to buy maxi pads!" That is how I roll... I can't help it.