Well folks, the impending birth of this baby is starting to hit me. We've got nine weeks to go, if the baby adheres to the due date of Nov. 21. Less if he comes early. James and I made a timeline of stuff we need to do before he's born, and let me tell you, I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed right now.

We haven't bought a single thing that we'll need, except UC Santa Cruz and UC Berkeley outfits (hey, gotta indoctrinate the tyke to love our alma maters at an early age). We need to register for gifts for the baby shower. But before we do all that, we need to research products and safety and consumer ratings. We also need to buy a "family" vehicle (the three of us won't be able to travel together in the truck). We need to paint and fix up the spare room for the nursery. And then there's all the stuff I need to finish at work so I feel good about taking maternity leave.

Things we have done so far: Chosen the finalists for baby names, which we are keeping a secret until we meet the baby face-to-face and see what fits. UM, that's about it.

Tuesday we have our first childbirth class. Those will go for five weeks, then we have a two-week breastfeeding class. Hopefully these classes will help calm some of my anxiety.

In other news, my ligaments are still sore and tender, but feeling a lot more stable than before. I still get up slowly from a chair. But I went to water aerobics last night and felt great! I wish I had a pool so I could swim every day. The hardest part is getting out of the water. I feel soooo heavy when I emerge from the pool. In the water, I bob. On land, I bobble.

We are super excited to meet our baby boy, though. He moves around so much, I can't wait to see what he's like "on the outside." He sure seems to have a good time in my belly, though. I call it "Romper Womb." I feel like a human bounce house. But I love feeling him move around. It doesn't hurt at all (yet).

This weekend's assignment: Research cribs, strollers, cloth vs. disposable diapers, etc. Start registering for gifts!