Just 10½ weeks left!

Man, that just seems right around the corner. We've got, what feels like, a crap ton still to do:

1. The changing table/dresser - I'm still needing the weather to cooperate so I can finish stripping, sanding and restaining what was my grandmother's old dresser...that will be converted to a dresser/changing table combo for Evan. But since Kansas City got hit with some major snow storms at the last of December and first of this month...and since we lack an appropriate workspace due to our condo...I have to use our front porch. Now that we've come out of the deep freeze and the 18 inches of snow is now melting away, it makes it a bit difficult to get that restarted since everything is so soggy.
2. My leave of absence from work - I'm still needing to get a solid answer. Not the, "...well, this may work this way, or this might work that way...". Since I work part-time now, and I'm just about 100 hours shy of the 1,250 hours within 12 months needed to qualify for FMLA/Paternity Leave, it's been confusing to my HR people for some reason. It doesn't make any sense to me... Case in point; if I have a family member die, I would get 3-4 days off paid for bereavement, with the possibility of extending that out using vacation days or unpaid leave if needed...but for the birth of my child, I get nothing? Seems weird. If things go accordingly and we have no complications (knock on wood), I'm only wanting to take about a week or two off to get settled and adjust to life with a newborn.
3. Finding a daycare provider - One of my friends, Deb, who has two small children suggested her daycare provider. Deb swears by this woman. She said she is great and has been doing it for years out of her home...her kids love her. Deb gave me her number and I called and left her a message a few days ago, but haven't heard back. That doesn't sit well with me for some reason. I'm hoping...hoping hoping hoping...that I'll be able to arrange my work schedule with coworkers trading shifts to bunch up all my hours on the weekends and I would only work two or three days a week. If I can do that, then we maybe able to avoid daycare costs all together? That way, after Linda goes back to work, I'd take care of Evan Monday through Friday (since Linda's got the normal job with regular hours). But Linda's not so hip on me working 12-14 hours on both Saturdays and Sundays since we wouldn't be able to see each other as much and do things as a family. That's understandable though... I dunno what we're gonna do yet.
4. Finding a pediatrician - A coworker of mine suggested the pediatrician she uses for her two sons. At our last appointment, our OB also suggested the same practice with this doctor. I called earlier this week and they seemed really nice. They told me that once we deliver, we will want to schedule the first appointment 2 weeks after Evan is born for the check-up. They also said that when we are asked who our pediatrician is when Linda goes into labor...just mention this doctor's name. Seems weird though to use someone who you've never met. I want to arrange some kind of prenatal meet-and-greet...that way we know who he is before Evan arrives. Since we are planning on having him circumcised, I'd like to know who would be operating on him. (Yes, I know there is a lot of debate over having your son circumcised. I'm not here to talk about that, so please leave those comments for another discussion board and not our blog.)
5. Finish the window trim - Okay this has absolutely nothing to do with Evan's debut into the world, but our window replacement has been a work in progress for three years... I only have one more window to finish in our bedroom. I was gonna get them all done a few weeks ago, but when I was repainting the trim in the laundry room I somehow managed to develop tendinitis, or repetitive motion injury, in my elbow. I woke up the next day, and consequently for the next week with a throbbing forearm that felt like I had hit my funny bone, but that feeling would last for hours. And every now and then that funny bone feeling still occurs. I had wanted to get all this done before Evan gets here...so with finishing this project we will be one step closer to getting this condo up on the market and hopefully sold and moved into a bigger house in a better school district before Evan hits kindergarten age...at least out of downtown Kansas City.
6. The baby shower - Granted I really have no direct planning in this area...and thankfully Linda's friends and family are wanting to throw us one. I'm hoping Evan stays cooking until after the shower and doesn't make his big appearance before then... We only have a few outfits that my dad and future step-mom have bought him...and the crib, but no bedding... I hope he doesn't come early like my niece did... I believe my sister had my niece at 34 weeks. Also, my friend Deb (mentioned above) had her son at 35 weeks. Linda will be ending her 35th week when our shower takes place, on March 6th.

Will all these things get done?

Linda is in the midst of the 29th week. Evan would weigh about 2½ pounds now, or about the size of a butternut squash, and he'd measure a bit over 15 inches in length. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. His bones are soaking up lots of calcium. During this trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited into his skeleton each day. Evan's energy is surging and he is fatting up even more. His wrinkled skin should be smoothing out now with the white fat that is being deposited under the skin. This is different from the brown fat that was deposited earlier in the pregnancy. White fat is what we have outside the womb...it's primary use is for energy. Brown fat is found mostly in newborns and hibernating animals...and is more strictly for generating body heat. His tooth buds had formed weeks ago, now his permanent tooth buds are forming under his gum line, which will sprout his adult teeth in about 6 years. Space in Linda's uterus is getting cramped and it's apparent with Evan's kicks and jabs. Although, for some reason, he's still shy and hides on me. I've felt a few kicks, but whenever Linda wants me to feel, he squirms away! I can tell he's gonna be his mother's son...stubborn as all hell...a typical Aries.