In 6 more pounds, it shall be mine...

I'm a fairly laid back person, but I will admit to having some Type-A, control freak tendencies. I like to organize and plan things and this is just the thing to help me:

Behold, the momAgenda Home Office Edition. It's a bit bulky, but it's spiral ringed, which I love, and it will hold everything--every schedule, plan, note I can think up. I might switch it up and go for the more compact Desktop edition, too.

The next edition is for the academic year so it starts in August and ships 7/1. I should be able to meet my goal in 6 lbs to be able to order it soon after and I am stoked. I'm really getting into finding organizers and things that make life simpler. I soo look forward to converting to one organizer. (Though I like the reminders in Outlook, I get more satisfaction from being able to write in something.)

Now. Turquoise, hot pink, or zebra?

How did I not know about this?

I just stumbled upon the greatest thing to happen to organization since the manila folder. If you're obsessed with organizing, you have to check out Evernote.

I've been struggling to find a way to organize recipes and just from playing around in Evernote for a few minutes, I'm thinking this. is. awesome. You make a note for each recipe. You can copy/paste from the web or just type it in. Then the key is to enter tags. For example, I'm putting everything from "freezer" (as in recipes that are great to triple and freeze for later) to individual ingredients so that if I have green peppers to use, I can search for recipes that use green peppers so they don't go to waste.

The best part? You can download it for Mac or PC and there's an App for all you iPhone types. Everything syncs up. They're also geared up with FaceySpace and Twitter. There's a lot more to it than just a cool way to organize recipes and I've just hit the tip of the iceberg, but I am seriously stoked about this discovery. If you discover or know other good uses for it, let me know!

The to-do list and I might just be friends after all.

That or it seems the to-do list is very close to have served its purpose and will fail to exist anymore.

::deep breath, followed by enthusiastic and literal "round" of applause:: (I believe only the Hubs and his dad will appreciate the second part of that)

We are sooo close to being done with the to-dos, I am nearly giddy. Mainly just unbelievably relieved. Behold, the before and after:

The Before wasn't even the original. Some things had already been done and A LOT hadn't been put on the list yet.

...and NOW:

It's even deceiving because I could probably knock out a few of these tonight, should I feel inspired to do so. Half will probably be done this week and as I've said, I won't be terribly heartbroken, nor a "chicken without a head" should the rest of the list not get done. Yes, I'd like it all to be done, but we're good even if we don't. For example, I'm getting less and less convinced that the playroom needs to be done before she's born. We'll more than likely not have her out there much when she's so young anyways.

So there we have it. I might just survive the pregnant woman nesting psychosis after all...not to mention the condition's other victim, the Hubs, who will hopefully get out without a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder.

The infamous to-do list.

So the to-do list is less scary. Just basic stuff left really. I feel a lot more comfortable with what's on there, that if most of the things don't happen to get done, I won't mind.

In my total movie geek manner, I think of the scene in the Wizard of Oz, where the green faced Wicked Witch of the West simply gets splashed with a little water and starts combusting before our eyes. "I'm meeeelting..."

Yes, that would be the to-do list. It's a tiny version of its original form and it's lost a lot of its power on me.

(Going back to the Wizard of Oz reference, I always found the flying monkeys to be far more intimidating than the hunched over witch, for the record. But that, you know, is--oh look, shiny object...)

ANYway, so this is a pretty monumentous occasion. I think I'm to the point that I feel ready. Scratch that. I feel ready enough. No one can be completely prepared to embark on parenthood. Or childbirth. Tip: Do not read people's accounts of recovery from labor soon before you yourself are going to go through labor. Your body is going to go through a lot. Come on, she's the size of a honeydew melon for crying out loud. One can't be expected to go skipping out of the hospital.

35 days until my due date. She could come anytime though. Anytime after 37 weeks, that's a welcome idea to me. So as soon as 14 days or as many as say, 49, but I'm getting the impression it'll be sooner rather than later and I'm going to get to meet our little girl. I'll be a mom. We'll have a daughter. Wow, wow, wow.

Most of the remaining to-do list is just to finish decorating, do some cleaning, and get the last of the essentials. Our first batch of Nubunz all-in-one cloth diapers is set to get delivered this week. We have a couple of Amazon orders coming our way as well, including Soothie bottles, which evidently are hard to come by in stores, but get high reviews. Hopefully Miss Kaelyn likes either those or the Dr. Browns we already have. I'll inevitably continue to nest a bit and get things organized, but I'm hoping to get some laid back days and weekends in. We have a hockey game night planned w/ friends. We have a sudden abudance of movie passes as well. Hopefully there are some movies coming out we actually will want to see. Other than that, I'd like to leisurely finish things up in the nursery, get some more freezer meals stored away (we had our first freezer meal reheat last night and it was yummy, not to mention easy so so far, so good!) and relax otherwise, if that isn't too tall of an order.

I definitely feel a lot better. More prepared, less...neurotic? Is this the same calmness that washed over me the day of our wedding? Ahh, that would be nice. In any case, I feel relaxed and more like myself.

Behold, the power of Oxiclean...

Our kitchen floor has bothered me on some level since moving in. This dislike of our tile increased when I realized our living/dining tile's grout was not meant to be dark. Ick. Then the nesting psychosis hit and then all the tile was really starting to bug me. The kitchen tile is worse as it's white and doesn't wear well because the grout looks dirty regardless of how many times it's cleaned. In my nesting state of mind, this isn't acceptable. I can't bring a baby home to house with grout in our tile's condition.

So I did what any sane person would do: I Google'd obsessively. I discovered that the concensus was that powdered oxygen bleach worked best for this particular kind of tile. I bookmarked product names. I planned to pick some up at Home Depot.

Then the crazy pregnant lady took over and one day, she decided the tile needed to be deep-cleaned. And now. She, of course, couldn't wait to get the highly recommended product either. Nope, she went for a similar product with less promising results for this particular endeavor: Oxiclean.

I mixed up a concoction and because I wanted it to really oxygenate, I may have added more Oxiclean than I was supposed to. I then proceeded to spray it on the "test area." The general idea of the process I found was minimal scrubbing (AKA time on the floor). I was simply supposed to spray, leave sit for 15-30 minutes, then basically mop over.

The Hubs left to run errands and gave me strict instructions to only do the test area. He wasn't thrilled with me doing any of it. He'd much rather have me propping up Shrek.

I started baking chocolate chip pumpkin bars, which actually turned out to be more of a cake...and gooooood, if I do say so myself. As I mixed the ingredients with our new hand/stand mixer, I felt my eyes wandering over to the flooded tile grout. I'd sneak over and see a little bit of bubbling action. If I ran the scrubber over it, dirt broke free of the grout. My inner "Monica" was practically giddy. I looked around me, squirt bottle in hand, and despite Budaj eyeing me as though to say "Dad said the test area only," I justified that the test area wasn't properly "flooded." Then the surrounding grout areas were particularly dark and we couldn't possibly have that.

And then the entire kitchen and bathroom floors were soaked in Oxiclean solution.

Long story short, the project was not as simple as initially thought. Particularly when the grout started to get white buildups of Oxiclean that did not want to come off. (For the sake of the Mama, I will clarify that during the fairly brief scrubbing process, I sat on a cushion and scooted. At no time was I on my knees and there were no fumes emitted from said Oxiclean solution.) After the scrub, I steam mopped the kitchen and living/dining rooms (no tile was safe) and found the Oxiclean was collecting on the steam mop cloth and when the floor dried, the tile was left with a thick white film that we (and the dogs) couldn't help but track around the house.

I used up my steam mop cloths and then was forced to wait for them to get cleaned in the wash. By that time, all's I wanted to do was sit. So I did. Over the next few days, I'd continue to try steam-mopping. I'm happy to report, the haze is finally starting to lift, although there are some spots that need the Oxiclean soaked off.

The verdict? It worked fairly well, but I think I'm over having the tile grout look brand new. It looks a lot better even though there's some uneveness in the grout darkness. I'm happy that I got as much dirt out of the grout as I did. (Enough to get 3 full-size towels good and grimey.) I certainly won't be flooding the floors with Oxiclean anytime soon.

Here are the before/after pics of the kitchen tile. I took a before of the living/dining room, but forgot to take an after.


It'll take more swipes with the steam mop to get those Oxiclean build-up areas off (not pictured). If I were to take on this project again, I'd use one of those sponge mops and clean it a lot with fresh water. I think that would have cut down the overall time quite a bit.

Like I said, not planning to do this project again for a loooong time...and next time, I'll go with one of the recommended products. No disrespect to Oxiclean, the stuff works wonders in the laundry, but it's pricey and we seem to go through it fast.

My to-do list is quite colorful

So the infamous to-do list I talk about? Here ya go:

I did a screenshot in print preview mode so the text is far too teeny to decipher, but that's what I'm working with. The blank spaces are things that have been completed. I tried having the text be crossed out, but that was looking pretty busy and I didn't want to delete tasks altogether in case I wanted to view the list in its entirety later or if I accidentally deleted something I shouldn't have.

The colors represent dates that those tasks are getting done. The plain black text are the things that haven't been scheduled to be done yet or can be done anytime between now and whenever Kaelyn decides to make her appearance.

Yes, this is full-blown OCD, nesting psychosis. This fact is further confirmed by my to-do list by dates file.

Am I concerned about the sheer size of this to-do list? Yes, but I know we can get it all done. Actually, I've just added five more things. Yikes. It doesn't concern me as much as the wicked heartburn that's hitting me full force today. Why do I feel it both in my chest and in my back and why are there no Tums here?

We'll call this one: "Krys has a moment."

Um. Tomorrow I'll be 27 weeks pregnant. This means in 10 weeks, technically I'm full-term. This is leaving aside the fact that little girl is measuring at least a week ahead.

Oh. em. gee.

That's 10 weekends to get our mammoth of a to-do list done. 10 weekends to get all the things on our 3 column to-buy list bought and with its own place in our house. Because I need organization. I also want date nights with the Hubs in that time frame.

Yes, I could very well be 41 weeks pregnant, still waddling around at work. Shrek feet will have completely taken over. I'll laugh at this very blog entry. I probably won't care if everything on my to-do list is done...and by that point, some of the things will need to be done again.

That said, it's not much time, people. Really. 10 weeks ago was 2 weeks after my birthday trip to Disneyland.

::breathes into paper bag::

It'll be okay. Oddly enough, it's just the stupid to-do list that's freaking me out. Not having a baby. Not having our lives forever changed by this little person. Nope, it's the to-do list and the fact that it's growing and there's less crossed off than not and the color-coded things I can't do until closer to my due date or else I'll have to do them again.

Think I'm displacing my anxiety or do I just have too many psych classes under my belt? It's funny, thinking about taking care of Kaelyn makes me calmer, not more nervous. Good sign, yes? I'm staying positive and optimistic that I'll be able to soothe her despite stories of new moms dealing with babies with reflux and colic. It's not anything you can prepare for anyway, so there's no reason to get all stressed and paranoid about it now I suppose.

It'll be okay. We'll get what we need to done. We will. When we get to the point when we can work on some of January/February to-dos, things will get crossed off quickly. A lot of things on the to-buy list really could wait. Some are for when she's a little older.

::breathes slowly and steadily::

I just thought of a movie quote from Meet the Fockers. "We're Ferberizing him." Then later, Barbra Streisand says (about Robert DeNiro): "Maybe this is a good thing. Maybe he's learning to self-soothe."

Maybe that's what I'm doing. I have a mild panic attack--I'm exaggerating of course--think it through, reason with myself, and voila. I've self-soothed back to normalcy and calm.

Much better.

Do I really like organization this much?

My current to-do lists include:

To Do List for before Kaelyn arrives
To Buy List for Kaelyn
To Do List for before I start Maternity Leave

I also have to-do lists for my to-do lists and a phone-based calendar where I put in reminders for the things on my to-do list I intend to do on a specific day (my phone beeps like it's going to self-destruct until I view said reminders). In addition, I have crazy amounts of bookmarks on my computer for websites that will help me complete my to-do lists. These include recipe sites for make-ahead and freezer recipes, sites with instructions for how to care for cloth diapers, how to clean the washing machine (I actually did this last week), even resources for when Kaelyn's a little older for activities, crafts, etc. I also have bookmarks for where I've found gear for Kaelyn the cheapest.

I should also mention my to-do/to-buy lists are stored on a jump drive that I take with me everywhere so I can update it on any computer. There is also a color-coding system involved.

I'm currently going through my work to-do list getting folders together, calendars made up, checklists done to help my coworkers through the steps of my job...all in tremendously obsessive detail.

This is for 3 main reasons:

• Perhaps they'll finally realize just how much work I actually do. Not that it'll make a difference.
• All the details are right there. There shouldn't be any questions about anything. Even the not-so-savvy one won't have any excuses.
• I can remain blissfully out of the loop for 12 weeks and prevent panicked phone calls from coworkers during my leave.

Why am I enjoying the organization process of this so much? Yes, I'm a Virgo. Yes, we generally like organization, but really?

You know, it sounds neurotic and control-freakish, but I think organization makes me calmer. I think I mentioned before, but it makes me feel better when I have a huge list of things to do to have time tentatively allotted to get everything done. It makes it less necessary to breathe into a paper bag out of panic. I can get it done. Then I can relax a bit.

Perhaps it's also the thrill of the reward of having 12 weeks with our little munchkin. Yes, likely there will be lack of sleep, lots of spit-up, some screaming, diaper blowouts, and other surprises the learning curve of being a new parent provides, but I can hardly wait because in all that chaos, I also get to snuggle my baby anytime I want.

Oh, I must add this. Perhaps organization is a requirement considering how spacey I have become. I was just talking to Brady on the phone and he was telling me about how for Black Friday, he might go to Walmart instead of Best Buy for Blu-Rays because they have them in their ad for cheaper. Not two minutes later, I proceeded to tell him how I read that Walmart had threatened to sue any website that leaked the ads early so I guess we're going to have to wait until Thanksgiving to see their ad.

This is what prompted my dear husband to issue me a new nickname or two. Ah yes, happy to entertain him as always. Seriously, I have no memory and very few brain cells to work with at the moment. Be nice to me.

So now I return to Excel spreadsheets and Word document checklists so that my coworkers are overly prepared for my absence...and to pass the time. I wonder what I'll do when it's all done and I still have 3 months to go? Prepare a Powerpoint presentation perhaps? ::raises eyebrow coyly:: Hey, don't put it past me.

To-do lists, to-buy lists, and Supernanny.

It seems my life currently revolves around a master to-do list of things that need to be cleaned, things I need to buy, projects around the house that need to get done before Kaelyn is born. It's a lot and I continuously add to it, but slowly, things are getting done. A good chunk of things can't logistically be done until closer to her due date. Yes, I can deep clean things now, but dust and dog hair happens. I'll have to do it again anyways so on the list it remains.

I mentioned in a previous post how I now have a new phone with a spiffy calendar. Well, my to-do list and said spiffy calendar work together to schedule out tentative times and weekends to get things done. This is, of course, for the sake of my sanity. I'm a Virgo after all. I like a sense of control and organization. Even if life happens and I don't get around to scrubbing the window screens on January 23rd, in my mind, I've allotted the time and mentally, I feel better knowing I have the time to get all of this done. Even if I don't. ::skims to-do list, glances over to calendar, and proceeds to breathe into a paper bag:: Despite being a Virgo technically, I also have my dad's laid-back attitude. If I don't, for example, get around to washing those window screens or organize the bathroom cabinets, in the great scheme of things, it doesn't matter. We'll still have our baby girl, we'll bring her home, and I probably won't get into the bathrooms as much as I'd like to shower, let alone be irritated by disorderly cabinets.

I like to think I'll go "zen" like I did with our wedding. I worked day in and day out on the programs, the invitations (I'll still glare at the paper cutter when I sift through the "wedding" cabinet in the garage), ordering wholesale flowers from Florida, forming our must play and do not play lists for the DJ, attaching drink umbrellas to placeholders...but you know, things didn't get done. The original roses the flower girls were going to pass out to guests, which I had stuck into those water tubes the night before the wedding, were left behind. (My wonderful uncle ran out and got replacements.) I had a specialty drink menu planned for the bar, which did not include tequila, nor shots. ::side eyes the culprits who strayed from the alcohol list when they went to Costco coughLukecoughRusscough:: There were other things too, but you know what? I didn't care. Really. I couldn't have cared less if there were programs (seeing as a miscommunication led to an entire section being skipped), I didn't notice the flower girls' roses were red even when they handed me two after the ceremony. I just thought they were beautiful. Someone could have told me the reception site had been infested with rodents of unusual size and I wouldn't have freaked out. I would have avoided it like the plague, yes, but I would have been happy having it in my in-law's backyard as a last minute alternative.

I hope I have the same calmness when Kaelyn arrives.

If the original to-do list wasn't enough, now I am tackling a work to-do list. Holy moly, I had no idea I do so much work. Really, it's second nature by now, but putting it into list form and then trying to calculate the amount of time it's going to take to train one of my coworkers on each task and get them situated with a step-by-step guide feels a bit overwhelming. Add to that the fact that one of my coworkers isn't exactly tech, software, or computer savvy, to put it nicely, and it seems like an even bigger headache. Totally worth it though. I keep telling myself that. And oh, am I going to treasure my 12 weeks of maternity leave. Treasure, I tell you.

On my work to-do list is that in February, I pitch a 4-day workweek to my boss. In my mind, I have this perfect presentation of my adjusted hours (36-38/week so not a big change), how this is really a wonderful thing for the department, and make it really easy for him to run by the other powers-that-be. I have a feeling he'll approve it since the idea has been brought up before, but there's a knot in my stomach anticipating the decision. I really can't pitch the idea until closer to my maternity leave because if he approves, he'll want to put it into effect immediately and I don't want to decrease my hours just yet. It would just mean a lot--and I do mean a LOT--to me to have a day during the week to be at home with Kaelyn. I can't emphasize this enough.

I also have my master to-buy list so I can bargain shop online when I get the chance and keep track of what we have already, and mainly, be able to clearly see what we still need to buy. Yeah, babies require a lot of stuff. It's mind-boggling and confusing. After all, I can't be all set with bottles because she might not like a certain brand. Some babies love swings, some hate them. These infant seats are listed as bouncers, but they're not actually bouncers. Half of reviewers love a jogging stroller, some say the front wheel is wobbly. These stationary entertainers are top-registry items at BabiesRUs, but some books say they can slow physical development. Most people say wipe warmers are a complete waste of $30. As are bottle warmers, but say I wanted one, will all brand bottles fit? Are they safe, even if the bottles are BPA free? It's almost enough to cause parents-to-be to break down in the middle of BabiesRUs and in George Constanza's dad style, shake their fists in the air and yell "Serenity now!"

But alas, BabiesRUs frowns upon such public displays.

So I've gone through Baby Bargains, a book that comes highly-recommended. I've done my internet research. Gosh darn it, I have my list! For if I have everything on this list, Kaelyn can't possibly throw us any curveballs we can't handle, right? ::crickets:: Riiiiight?

I kid. She's the product of her parents, after all. We already know we're in big, big trouble.

This is why I feel so fortunate to be having Kaelyn when a woman like Jo Frost exists. In case you're not familiar, Jo Frost=Supernanny. She's the plump British lady who's had an ABC show for years now because she can turn little devils into civilized children in 30 minutes...with commercial breaks. Basically, she's awesome. I watched her show years ago before Brady and I even met. I'm not sure why. It was oddly fascinating, even for someone not planning to have kids for years. What she says and teaches makes perfect sense. And it works. So imagine my excitement when I discovered that she had written a book about getting ready for baby and caring for a baby during her first year. I would have gladly paid the full retail price to have the comforting presence of this woman in my house even in book form...but remember, I'm a bargain shopper. It found it on half.com for right around $5, including shipping. Babies require a lot of expensive stuff, after all. I must be practical.

So I'm a couple of easy-read chapters in and I have to say, I love her. She's reassuring and realistic and positive. For example, when parents-to-be announce they're expecting, they seem to be automatically enrolled in a subscription for unsolicited advice and personal anecdotes. It's like spam in your email or junk mail in your mailbox. It just keeps on coming even if you try to unsubscribe. Just the other day, an acquaintance asked me how I'm feeling (after asking to rub my belly while rubbing my belly).

Belly-rubbing friend: "So how are you feeling?"
Me: "I'm feeling really good actually."
BRF: "Are you tired?"
Me: ::shrugs:: "Well, I haven't been sleeping very well so I'm a little tired."
BRF: "Get used to it. That's how it'll be from here on out."
Me: ::blank stare::

Now, I pondered how I could have responded differently to get perhaps a more positive outcome, but I've experienced this version of the conversation as well...

Acquaintance: "How are you feeling?"
Me: "I have a lot more energy--I feel really good actually."
A: "Enjoy it while it lasts."

Equally helpful.

Jo recommends, quite appropriately, to brush these comments aside. Along with stories about how horrible labor is, how newborns cry all night because these reflect personal experiences and everyone's experiences are unique. If, however, I take these stories to heart, my expectations will be negative and I could turn myself into a stressball and that isn't good for anybody. Also, if I go into having a new baby at home expecting her to be fussy and a poor sleeper, she can pick up on the fact that I'm not confident and voila, fussy baby. Babies are apparently very good about picking up on nonverbal communication.

She also acknowledges how pressured parents-to-be can feel about decisions they make during the pregnancy and once the baby arrives. Again, everyone has an opinion and it's easy to give in to what everyone is telling them to do, but ultimately, it's up to the new parents to decide what is the best thing for them and make sure the decisions are respected.

Ah, I feel so validated.

Also, if she weren't helpful enough she has recommendations and lists of what to have in the diaper bag, what gear and essentials are must-haves and what can probably be skipped. She doesn't force ideas though.

I especially like how she encourages continuous open communication between parents before the baby arrives. Brady and I have talked about how we want to raise our kids since we first started dating, but it's important to continue to do this and really talk about what kind of parents we want to be. It's easy to focus more on the color of the nursery and other details that don't really matter. Paint color doesn't help raise a happy child, but parents who are on the same page and communicate well, does. Again, makes perfect sense.

But, now about the paint. "Quiet moment"--good choice?

Structure is my friend. So is my fancy schmancy new phone.

I've started to develop routines for doing things, specifically things around the house. I have a laid back personality so it's easy for me to get so relaxed about things getting done that it doesn't happen in as orderly and complete of a fashion as it could...so it becomes more stressful than it needs to be.

Now mixed with this relaxed attitude is a desperate need to feel organized. The two don't always work together all that well. Add to that a severe case of pregnancy brain and it spells disaster. What's a girl to do?

Enter the LG EnV touch. Besides offering a slight improvement in cell phone reception at home (AKA the dead zone of North Phoenix), it also offers organization in one easy to use and sync calendar. It also features reminders (some audibly more startling than others) that will nag me to make sure I'm staying on task and so I don't forget about appointments. EnV, how I love thee.

In addition to making sure I do my part of the simple daily household tasks throughout the week so we have the weekends to either a) do our other big projects, or b) relax, it's also allowing me to schedule out those big projects so I don't feel quite so overwhelmed with our ever-growing to do list for before Kaelyn arrives. After all, I never knew it would bother me that we don't have freshly washed window screens. Hmm....