I am now 35 weeks pregnant, and getting very close to the stage where, as my doctor put it, “things could happen at any time, so be prepared”. Yikes. I am not sure exactly what “being prepared” means, but if it entails having a bag packed and a full tank of gas on hand to whip up to hospital at a moment’s notice, then OK, we’ve got that covered. But if it actually means, have your life in order before the ticking time bomb goes off, then no, we are miles away from that.

This pregnancy has gone so fast, I really can not believe I am almost at the end. All along, I have felt like I have eons of time to get organized for the new arrival, to get Jasper adjusted to his new room, and to cross everything off of my to-do list. But here we are, one month to go, and my list is longer than ever. Jasper is STILL not out of the room that the new baby is supposed to go in to, due to various excuses on my part of the new room just “not being cute enough for him yet”. I am so late on this, I can’t believe it. My pediatrician told me that any big moves or adjustments in the older child’s life should happen a good 3 months before the arrival of the new baby… Hmmm… procrastinating, anyone??

Aside from the physical changes he is about to endure, I worry also about how Jasper will cope with all the emotional changes that are about to happen. Will he still feel loved once the new baby comes home? Will he feel displaced? Will he start acting out as he heads in to the infamous “terrible two’s”? These are the questions that whirl through my head in the wee hours of the night… Yes, it is no old wives tale, fellow pregnant ladies out there…. Your sleep is shot long before the arrival of the new babe. Between the FREQUENT bathroom visits,  a complete inability to get comfortable with the huge watermelon attached to my stomach, and excessive anxiety (some rational, some very irrational), un-interupted sleep for me is a thing of the past. Good practice for things to come, everyone says, which is very little consolation, if you ask me.

Instead of spending this past long weekend moving furniture, shopping for a double-stroller, or getting organized like a responsible person, I decided that a little pampering was in order. So with Jeremy’s blessing, I kissed both he and Jasper adieu for one night, and drove down to the lovely town of Stowe, Vermont, to meet up with one of my best friend’s in the world, who also just happens to be pregnant (and feeling similar woes to myself), for a lovely night at a spa. Stowe is the quintessential New England town, full of warm people and charm, and an easy getaway from Montreal. Jill and I had a very relaxing day and night, with great pre-natal massages, pool lounging and a yummy dinner, and even a good, if leisurely, hike the next morning. I returned to my boys feeling rejuvenated and refreshed, and amazingly, my sleeping has been better ever since. I guess sometimes you just need to take a break and get out of your head a little bit.

My little overnight getaway was also a great chance to stop in Burlington for a visit with the staff at the Hatley Factory Outlet Store. Smack in the middle of bustling Church Street, the store looks fantastic, and business has been booming in the past few months so that was great to see. Burlington is another amazing Vermont city – definitely worth a stop if you are ever in the area!

So as the final countdown officially kicks off this week, T-minus one month, I feel ready to take on my last bits of planning. Jasper will be enjoying his new room tonight (!), the stroller has been purchased, and the to-do is slowly but surely starting to whittle down.  Hopefully this baby decides to stay put a little longer but if not, we’ll be ready. I will keep you posted