Holidays + Pregnancy= Overwhelmed

[Adaline'sMama]

So, next weekend is Halloween. Thus, the beginning of holiday season. Im almost 6 months pregnant and its really beginning to set in what my schedule is about to look like:

Halloween - Oct. 31
Empty Bowl Supper (charity event I throw every year and cant back out of now)- Nov 18
Thanksgiving- Nov 24
Secret Santa (where all the kids get together and swap their gifts around and have "kiddie christmas" with each other)- Dec 18
Christmas Eve (DHs extended family event)- Dec 24
Christmas- Dec 25
Boxing Day- (Im going to opt out of this)Dec 26
New Years (my parents 25th anniversary) - Dec 31
BABY- Jan 29

But, Im sure there will be other events, like MIL wanting to ride around and look at Christmas lights, my mom wanting to go to the big tree lighting festival, ect. My mom just moved back to this city and my Dad still lives in Ohio, so Im sure she will want to do everything and Ill go with her because I dont want her to miss Dad. 25 years and their first year apart.....


Its like something happens, and then I spend the next three weeks planning and waiting for the next thing to happen and I have to plan and do all this stuff before I get my baby! To be fair, Im not hosting any of this except the empty bowl supper, but I have to buy presents, coordinate schedules, bring a dish, and its all so overwhelming because I know its about to be the sleeping, slow, third trimester in the busiest, family event happening time of the year.

Im totally ready for baby, newborn clothes in the drawer and cloth diapers in the changing table. It wasnt hard considering DD is just 19 months and none of it was packed too far away. The only thing I need is a double stroller and a Bumbo seat, both of which I could wait several months after new baby arrives to buy.

So, I dont know why I have this anxiety about it. I guess it just feels like its coming so quickly, but not quickly enough. Like I have to dig out a whole mine to get to the gold

[atomicrocket]

I'm dreading Christmas shopping this year.  I think I'm going to try to do as much of it online so I don't have to fight my way through a crowded mall.

[lsandbaby]

UGH it does sound like a lot when you list it like that! Just try to relax and do everything you can NOW to make it easier down the line.

One thing I'm doing to hopefully make holiday shopping easier is telling ALL my family and friends to make holiday wish lists. I just can't deal with debating over what to get people this year and obviously I want to get everyone something they'll like! I'm using MyRegistry.com for my baby shower registry but it's more of a "wish list" site that let's you add gifts from any store and can be used for anything so I've been "subtly" telling everyone they should make a holiday wish list. That way when I go to shop for them I can get everything w/ just a click of the button online :)

I've also been experimenting w/ recipes now so that when it comes time for me to bring an appetizer to Christmas Eve and a dessert to Christmas I am good to go. It's a great excuse to indulge my pregnancy cravings and DH definitely doesn't mind haha!

Try to relax. It may be stressful but you'll manage. After the next couple of months, even labor and managing 2 kids under 2 will seem easy. You can do it all, Super Mom :D

[Kaydove]

Oh the Holiday dish making! I hate that! I'm a new cook and not very good - I'm a baker at heart. My mom still, after 4 years of me and DH being married and telling her, ask DH to make the dish, not me, she still asks me to make something. Stresses me the f out! DH is an excellent cook and makes wonderful dishes. I think I'll tell her that I'll bake something, but unless store bought salad and dressing is okay, I'm not bringing the salad (she expects Martha Stewart salads with homemade dressing). The thing is, I come from a long line of excellent bakers, so most people bring a baked good, so they need people to bring side dishes, which usually falls on me. My family is traditional where the men don't cook unless its to bbq. So, its either I'm bringing a baked good or she's asking DH to make the side dish.

I love online shopping and Amazon is amazing! They even tell you what shipping to choose to get it in time, although I have a rule where I won't pay more than around $7 for shipping, unless its urgent. So often you can get free shipping. If Amazon is the shipper, not another company (it'll say 'fulfilled by Amazon'), then it comes in the generic Amazon box and says its from Amazon, and no one can tell what's inside it, just in case you curious kitties in the house ;).

[Jaysmylilpunkin]

I'm a little overwhelmed too!

Oct 26-My parents coming (which means I have to clean my house!)

Oct 30- Our anniversary

Oct 31- Halloween

Nov 12- My brother's birthday

Nov 20- Driving to Houston

Nov 22- DD's Birthday

What day is Thanksgiving???

Dec 14- DS Birthday

Dec 25- Christmas

My parent's are talking Disney land as a family around this time... idk about all that...

New Years

Jan 23- My Birthday

Feb 8- BABY....

I feel like I only have a handful of weeks now to get ready and I haven't gotten her stuff ready at all! I still need to sort DD's baby clothes and... and... and... At the very least the busy-ness will make this pregnancy FLY by!