Third Trimester To Do List

So… not sure how we’re in the third trimester. When did that happen??

With a little over 8 weeks to go, I have quite the to do list still left to complete.

Nesting is in full swing over here, and T is basically being an angel dealing with me and my requests. (Which, for the record, have included moving light switches from one wall to another, moving a lot of furniture around the house, and painting the insides of closets. You know, the most important things you do before a baby comes! 😉 )

Here’s what’s on my to do list for the third trimester, including some of the things I’ve checked off over the past couple of weeks:

Make a plan for Sprout: One of the things that is weighing heavy on my mind is where Sprout will be while we’re in the hospital. He’s such a huge part of our lives that I’m worried he’s going to be upset, but we have a great family support system around us, and the current plan has him going to a really fun place for a few days. This is all set!
Pre-register for the hospital and fill out some necessary forms: I had no idea this was a thing, but you can actually pre-register at most hospitals to save time when you go into labor. That way, rather than sitting in the intake area answering questions about health insurance and your name, you can bypass that desk and go straight up to the maternity floor! I’m totally in on saving time doing paperwork. Already done!
Pack our hospital bags! I’ll do this probably halfway through this trimester, and it will include a bag for me and baby, a bag for T, and Sprout’s bag, too. (Although Sprout’s bag will be for going to grandma’s house rather than the hospital!)
Wash some of the baby’s clothes: I already bought the detergent we’ll use for the baby’s clothes, so we just need to wash some of her onesies and basic things that she’ll need the first few days she’s home. A few moms have told me not to go nuts washing everything, because she may grow out of some sizes so fast that I’ll want to return or exchange things. The plan for now is to have most of the basics ready, and then we’ll do more laundry as we go. I’m sure we’ll be doing laundry quite often anyway 😉
Finish setting up the nursery: This is probably the biggest to do! Everyone keeps telling me she won’t need it for a few months anyway, but I want it to feel complete before she’s here. This includes putting some of her clothes in the dresser, hanging up others, and stocking her changing area with lots of diapers, wipes, cream, and everything else you need for a newborn. We also have to hang up a couple of prints and rearrange a few things.
Maternity photos: I decided early on that I wanted to have a pro photographer take maternity photos for us. I actually wish we had done this during the month of July because suddenly, the weather in Boston has turned to really hot days with high humidity. Humidity is possibly the worst thing for my hair, and it also means I can’t always getting my wedding rings on! Scheduled, but we haven’t done this yet
Prenatal massage: One of the things I’m most looking forward to, I’m scheduling a prenatal massage to help with some of the back pain I’ve been having. I didn’t realize how much my back was bothering me until I said something about it while with my sisters recently and my younger sister reached over and started working on my lower back because she was being a saint… Yep, time to get to the masseuse!
Take a hospital tour: We have already been to the hospital where we will deliver because friends and family have given birth there, but we still need to do the official hospital tour. They have these scheduled quarterly, and the next one is cutting it a little close to our due date. I’ve seen the rooms where families stay right after having the baby, so I pretty much know what to expect there, but I haven’t seen the actual delivery room. (I have already learned the food/snack situation at the hospital, though, don’t worry 😉 )
Stock up on essentials: Things like paper towels, toilet paper, laundry detergent, and Kleenex are not items I really want to be worried about once the baby is here. I plan to stock up on those (…and trash bags!) well before the baby is here.
Freeze meals: I also want to stock up on freezer meals that we can easily pull out and defrost for dinner. I’d love to make lasagna, stuffed shells, and other things that freeze well. (If you have any recipes or meal tips for things that freeze and reheat well, let me know!!) I really want to avoid doing takeout as much as possible once the baby is here, but I know that we won’t want to be cooking every night. (To be honest, I don’t cook every night as it is!)

We got a lot done in the second trimester, which makes me feel a little more at ease. We picked out our pediatrician already, we talked to family members about making sure Sprout has a fun place to go to when we’re in the hospital for a few days, and both of us have made plans with work for our leaves. The nursery is (mostly) put together, we are stocked up with diapers and wipes, and I’ve been chatting with other moms about what to expect.

I have a feeling these next couple of months are going to go just as fast as time can go!

Btw, the dress I’m wearing in the photo above is what I have deemed the ultimate maternity dress. Comfy, classy, and perfect for the summer! It’s c/o Ingrid & Isabel and the color I have on is Metal. There’s also a long-sleeve version here!

Moms, I need your help… Did I miss anything on my to do list?