I go on maternity leave next Monday, and although I can’t help thinking of it as a (glorious, hard-earned, much deserved) break, I know, intellectually, that I’ll have plenty to do while I’m not working. More than plenty, in fact, and none of it involves afternoons spent sipping lemonade or getting a foot massage or lovingly monogramming a stack of burp cloths as high as the moon. Nope, for however long I have off before the baby comes, all of that “extra” (HA) time will be spent preparing for the baby by finally taking care of things I feel like I should have dealt with months ago. Something tells me this isn’t unusual for working women who already have at least one child at home, but that doesn’t mean I’m not still frustrated with myself.

Last week we finally bought a box of teeny diapers, set up the crib, and washed and folded the newborn laundry. What more do we need, right? We’re lo-fi and adaptable! Bygone generations all parented children with less! It’s all going to be fine in the end! And yet…I need to pack a hospital bag (and a bag for my preschooler in case he needs to spend a few nights with a sitter), I need to find the breast pump and all its parts, I need to register the baby with a pediatrician, and I need to actually acquire, fill out, and file the paperwork that will make this much anticipated maternity leave an official, government-sanctioned reality.

So although my work load is getting lighter, my to-do list is getting longer and longer and longer. As soon as I mentally clock out of my job this Friday at 5 p.m., I’ll heave a huge sigh of relief, close my eyes, and listen to the silence for approximately three seconds, and then it’ll be time to take a giant breath in and get serious about work again: the work of preparing for baby’s arrival.

Part of me has toyed with the idea of continuing at my day job right up until my due date, but the sane part of me is SO GLAD to have planned some time off beforehand (pending the baby doesn’t decide to bust out in the next few days, that is). I’ll still be doing some freelance work during maternity leave (LIKE A CRAZY PERSON), of course, but I hope I can convince myself to use the hours I’m NOT working to actually get my house/life/self in order (before a newborn comes in like a tornado and whips it all to pieces again).

I’m not a natural multitasker, so it’s been really hard to do Baby Stuff when I’ve been consumed with Life Stuff. Here’s hoping that doesn’t end up biting me in the butt. And here’s hoping the little dude stays inside for juuuuuuust a bit longer.

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