pre-baby bucket list recap

Now we're down to just one week left to the due date... holy smokes. People keep asking if we're ready, which I guess we could say yes to - we've done the classes, the hospital bag is packed, we've got the car seat installed, and we're VERY eager to meet this little guy. But that's about as prepared as it's possible to be I guess - not sure we can ever be fully ready for the major life changes and difficult things and overwhelming parental love we hear our headed our way.

But at least we can also say the pre-baby bucket list is pretty much done!

Here's a recap of the fun we've been having in the spirit of savoring the things that we love to do together and appreciating the great things about the final days of being just the two of us:

1. go to a movie - this is one thing people always say you can kiss goodbye once you have a baby. Not exactly something we'll miss since we go about once every 2 years anyway... but I thought we'd better fit one in while it's still easy. And In a World turned out to be really fun.

2. try a new restaurant - did this one several times over, actually, starting with Sotto for excellent Italian, along with Da Levee for Cajun/Creole in Columbus on our babymoon and Doodles for Chinese thanks to a gift certificate from Peter's sister.

3. go out for breakfast - easily accomplished because this is our favorite thing to do together, but given the number of weekend mornings Peter had to work in the past few months wanted to make sure to fit in as much as possible - which we did a few times to the National Exemplar for our usual order, along with Northstar Cafe on the babymoon.

4. DIY something cute for baby's room - I made this fun banner to hang by his vintage map and some embellished burp cloths to boot.

5. get a pedicure - I thought some pampering would be nice in the final pregnancy weeks, but it turns out it's actually somewhat necessary, since bending to my toes to take off old polish is rather uncomfortable. This way I can get someone else to do it! I'm up to two pedicures since making the list - so far.

6. spend a morning going to the gym and running errands and taking as long as I please at it - much as I can get frustrated by Peter's work schedule, I also relish my solo mornings and wanted to make sure to appreciate the ease of being in charge of my own time on a leisurely Saturday morning while it lasts. So spinning, nail polish browsing, and a little shopping it was!

7. go to Barnes & Noble and browse magazines - the only not completed one - something for next weekend if I'm still pregnant. Something to fit in now because while we enjoy doing it together, it's not exactly something you get a babysitter to go do...

8. go to the outlet mall - okay, actually scrapped this one because I didn't ever feel like driving there, but we did go to the mall together, which was fun but we very rarely do, and managed some almost outlet-like deals on dress pants for Peter.

9. sleep in - the other main thing people say you can kiss goodbye after baby, so we had to make sure to fit some in around Peter's weekend work schedule and my fairly frequent poor sleep nights... the most glorious was in the big, comfy hotel bed on the babymoon.

10. re-watch one of my favorite Jane Austen adaptations - so many favorites it was hard to choose, but it was fun to pull out Persuasion again.

11. finish watching West Wing season 6 - we're onto season 7 now!