Packing for the Trip

Most of today has been devoted to getting ready for tomorrow. We're so excited! Robert didn't make things any easier, the only time he was sweet today was early in the morning, and when I carried him in the sling down to the thrift store for our weekly trip. The rest of the day he was pretty fussy, when he wasn't being fed or held, and often when he was. He also got the last laugh on me, when I finally set him down, still screaming, to eat a couple of pieces of the Little Cesar's Pizza we got so as not to dirty any dishes. It was only about seven o'clock, and I was going to let him fuss while I ate, then give him a bath and try and put him to bed. I've given him a bath every night this week because it's been the only thing that would calm him down, but tonight he actually needed one, for the trip. Little stinker fell asleep five minutes after I set him down and is still asleep now at 10:30. I ain't waking him up to bathe him!

Packing for a baby is a much bigger operation than packing for myself. I hardly know where to start. I packed a bunch of his little outfits, and bibs, and baby bath towels, and baby washcloths. I'm going to give him a bath whenever he wakes up tomorrow, then pack his bath stuff. Mom and Dad are laying in diapers and wipes, so I just need to pack enough for the trip, but that still might be quite a few. He needs his blankie and his gripe water and his Vitamin D drops. I need my pumping equipment, and both the cameras, and the chargers and uploading cords for them, and for the phone as well. The stroller is packed, and the Moby Wrap. I'm trying to figure out how to pack the tunnel without completely disassembling it, and how to hang toys on the carseat.

The house is a mess, but that's the least of my worries at this point. The dishes are done, and we will empty all the trash and the Diaper Genie, so the house won't smell bad to come back to, just be extremely cluttered. M is off buying greenstuffs for the birds while we are gone, so they won't throw all their seed out of the cups and have nothing to eat. I went through the house and clipped the boxtops off all the Hamburger Helper and Huggies in the house, because Mom collects them for our school. Those are in the diaper bag, because I'm sure I would forget them. I am debating bringing my box of coupons along, just so I don't go into withdrawal. There are not many stores where we're going, but there's a Walmart and a Walgreens, anyway.

Oh, and I had a lucky find today at the thrift store. I can't drink coffee right now, but I normally like it very much, and I have long been wistful for a coffee grinder. Today at the thrift store I found a brand new one, still in the original packing, for only two dollars. Woo-hoo! Gives me something to look forward to in another four months or so. =)

(Illustration: How not to pack for baby.)