1. Diaper changing bucket – I picked up a cleaning bucket like this one and keep diapers, changing pad, wipes, wet bag and some extra clothes in it. I can move it around in the house to change anywhere, important when Josie sleeps in the room with the changing table and diapers. I took it to bed with us each night for the first many weeks until she stopped needing to be changed at night because then I didn’t have to get out of bed. (Note to first time moms: limit getting out of bed at night as much as you can)
2. Extra freezer – This isn’t entirely novel but I would recommend this to anyone who is willing to do some cooking ahead and wants to save money. I stuffed mine full and lived from it for two and a half months without having to cook dinner and some breakfasts. Even if you stuffed it full of things from costco, there’s nothing like knowing that every day you can just go downstairs and grab something for dinner rather than having to go to the store. Then when people asked me if there was something I needed from the store I could list one or two things most of the time (like eggs, milk, or bread) and we’d be pretty set. It was serious relaxation, home cooking that my toddler would eat and good nutrition to keep us relaxed for the early months of the new baby.

(Works for me Wednesday is a concept I’ve found on other blogs for ideas for how you do things that others might find useful, like here’s one)

Today I’ve been a bit more tired and sore but I’m feeling good about myself as a mom. I figured out the library book interloan system and got a big pile of books for Josie delivered to our local library that she has been dying to read (more Elephant and Piggie, Cat the Cat, Clifford the Dog in spanish, etc). Took Josie to sing-a-long and then after nap spent a solid three hours in child-led play including making a cool Halloween/fall themed art project. We don’t get too many afternoons where I can totally ignore the house (I figure I better practice ignoring it now for when I have two) and not take breaks from playing. I even got the camera out and took some pictures. And I got dinner on the table, which Josie rejected except for the cheese, but Jordi and I enjoyed.

Tonight I also got some good news/bad news is that our favorite Chinese restaurant, Qingdao Garden, is under construction until November.  Which is good because they haven’t answered the phone the last two times I’ve called so now I know they haven’t closed, but bad because I wanted Chinese tonight. Chinese food seems to cause contractions in me, I don’t know if it’s the salt or MSG or something, but I was hoping to piggy-back on the acupuncture to get things started.

Exactly tonight in my pregnancy (40 weeks 6 days) my water broke with Josie at 2am following a birthday dinner for our friend Wing at a (now closed) chinese restaurant. You can bet we’d have been back if they were still open. You may also remember though that that labor lasted for 42 hours from water breaking to birth, so we’re hoping for a non-repeat in that aspect.