36 Weeks & Counting: Things Are (Finally) Coming Together!

Dare I say, I think we might actually be ready for this baby by the time he or she arrives. As long as the arrival doesn't occur this week. But seriously, I'm finally starting to feel prepared, at least in terms of the nursery. Recent updates on that topic:

• My parents got us the glider/rocker with matching ottoman as a Christmas gift. It arrived last week and Paul already has it put together and more or less in the right position. We might have to shift some things around once the crib is in there...
• Speaking of which, we got the call today that the crib is FINALLY at the store and ready to be picked up! I think Paul is planning to swing by on his way home tomorrow and get it. He's also going to see about opening the box at the store so he can make sure all the parts/instructions are present before he gets it home. Assuming all goes well, he might even get it put together tomorrow!
• My friend B (Flash's godmother-to-be) wanted to get us something off our list that we really needed sooner rather than later. I had just gone through and made lists of things we definitely still need, things we would like to have but don't absolutely need, and things we need but not until much later. She asked to see the list and ended up ordering our digital/video baby monitor, which arrived today! 
• Aside from a little touch-up paint and a closet door that still needs to be hung, most of the construction work in the nursery is done. When the crib is up and in place, we can finish arranging the rest of the furniture and hang a few more items on the wall. Once we do that, I'll post some pictures :)
• All clothes, blankets, supplies, and other miscellaneous items have been mostly put away in either the closet, the chest, or one of the changing table drawers. We have about a million books that still need to be arranged on the bookshelf (once we know where it will be going), but that shouldn't take long. There are still some necessities that we don't have yet, but the plan is to hold off on using our registry completion one-day discount until just after Christmas in case we get more stuff as gifts. 

Nursery news aside, things continue to be busy, but I'm at least starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I only have 5-6 more gifts to buy for people, which isn't too bad. I do have a lot of wrapping to do still, but the majority of the Christmas (and Thank You) cards have been mailed. I had a couple of very frustrating, obnoxious days at work the end of last week. I was actually going to post about it in order to vent a little, but in light of the events of last Friday, I'm kind of glad I didn't. I read a handful of blogs on here, of which several are written by teachers. I also happen to have several friends and family members who are teachers. I hope you all know my thoughts and prayers are with you and your students as you face these difficult times in the aftermath of a tragedy so horrific there are hardly words to describe it.

And on that note, I'm going to do a modified version of the Happy List as a reminder of just how much I have to be thankful for (or how very little reason I have to whine or complain):

1. I have never had to witness or personally experience a traumatic event such as what occurred in Connecticut last Friday. Nor has my husband (who is a first responder) ever had to respond to anything of that scale. I hope and pray he never does.
2. I have wonderful, supportive friends and family who continue to bless us with gifts for baby Flash.
3. I have made it most of the way through this pregnancy with very little drama compared to some. I am still able to work and go about my daily life without major restrictions, which has allowed me to feel more prepared and organized.
4. I have a boss who is allowing me a lot of freedom in terms of preparing for my maternity leave. I've been able to give input on who will be covering what while I'm gone, and I've been able to set my own goals for what needs to be done prior to then.
5. I/we can afford to pay for the well pump we had to replace unexpectedly last week. This may sound like a strange one, and believe me, I would definitely prefer to NOT have to pay for this last minute, expensive, emergency repair in the midst of baby stuff, the holidays, and my upcoming maternity leave (of which a portion will be unpaid). But I'm thankful that A) it was only the pump and not the entire well that needed replacing, B) the total bill ended up being on the lower end of the estimate we had been given, and C) we will be able to scrape together enough from various accounts to pay in full without having to use a credit card. 

I think that is pretty much it for now. I will try to post more after my OB appointment on Wednesday. In addition to measuring Flash's size and position, they will be doing an internal exam to start checking for things like dilation and/or effacement. Not going to lie, I'm kind of hoping to hear that things are starting to move in that direction. I'm pretty sure Flash has dropped, or at least started to drop. I've had a few people (all of whom see me on a regular basis) mention that they can see a difference already. And for my part, well... let's just say there has been a noticeable change in the amount and frequency of pressure (and some pain!) that I feel in my nether regions! Anyway, I'll try to post at least a brief update on that later in the week. And stay tuned for nursery pictures, hopefully sometime this weekend once things are in place...