1 week, 2 days til due date

The nursery is ready, the baby seat is in the car, the bags are packed and my belly is as big as it can possibly get! It is so hard to believe that inside me I'm holding a full-term baby who probably weighs somewhere between 6 1/2 and 8 pounds. I can feel the outline of her little feet as she stretches against the very tight space she's in right now. I've read everything there is to read about pregnancy, labor and delivery and I keep waiting for the clear signs that all these books say will tell me when the time is near. I've had contractions that started and seemed to be progressing, and then stopped to my disappointment. I had no idea how frustrating the last few weeks/days would be for a type A control-freak with a touch of OCD. It's inconceivable that I can't control when and how our baby is going to come into the world! Truly this has been a lessen in deferred gratification, discipline, patience and love. We can't wait to meet, hold and name our baby girl!

The Diaper Bag Dilemma

I never expected that shopping for diaper bags, strollers, car seats or even baby mattresses could be so complex and confusing. It's been a social study on the paradox of choice. I have spent a good portion of the last two weekends on the computer and at stores looking at diaper bags, trying to figure out why this one costs $80 and that one costs $165. That doesn't even touch the ones in the $300-400 range (which frankly intrigue me, but don't interest me). I honestly can find better ways to spend the extra $200 than on a bag that is going to hold smelly diapers and rash ointment. I suppose you can say this is also a study in consumerism in America. The number of designer diaper bag choices over $300 is staggering.



Anyway, back to my own personal Diaper Bag Dilemma. I finally decided on a large bag and small clutch.




I chose a large bag from Oi Oi that we could use to throw everything but the kitchen sink for long days or overnight trips. One that is feminine enough for our little girl, but not too feminine that Steve would balk at carrying it. The bag I chose has some neat features - outside drink holders for baby or parents, inside there is also an insulated bottle bag and plenty of pockets, there is a wipe bag and a large changing pad that is relatively padded. It also has options for hanging the bag over your shoulder, on the stroller or on a shopping cart. Pretty much everything you need in a waterproof and easy to clean bag. My mom and I found one on the rack on Saturday, but I opted to buy one on line so that mine could be brand-spanking new. Also, I found found a site which features coupon codes which had a coupon for $10 off at http://www.diaperbag.com/, and that site offered free shipping SO - I got a bag which retails at $110-120 for $90. Yay me!







As soon as I saw how large the multi-purpose diaper bag was, I realized I needed something smaller for everyday use. There are, again, a large number of options for these as well. I selected a Reese Li option because of the ease of getting to the wipes, I preferred the removable changing pad to the connected one, and because of the fabric options. The one I chose will go with the stroller set we chose and can hang on the handle-bar or slip into one of my larger purses.