Surprise packages!

Usually when we get packages, the UPS or USPS people just leave them on our front steps. At first I was a little disconcerted that said packages would be outside all day in plain view for the neighborhood - especially when we were getting big things like Pack 'n Plays or whatever - but I came to realize that this was /safe/ over here and actually quite cute. Besides, it's fun when I drive up my street to turn into the driveway and I see packages blocking our front door.

Today, I pulled into the driveway, scanning the front door. No packages, which is okay because I'm not expecting any. (Jen ordered some shorts online and they came yesterday.) So I get in the house and start doing Important Business: put lunchbox away, put mail down, go to the bathroom ASAP, etc. On my way to checking on the cats, I see that they knocked down a bunch of stuff and I pick that up, then pet some cats, then chug some milk out of the gallon (heartburn), and then I open the back door to let some air in.

And then I see some boxes on our back deck. Big ones.

Now I know that sometimes there is junk on our deck, but I couldn't remember Jen putting any boxes out there. A quick inspection revealed that one of the boxes contained our travel stroller! And then I went outside to get it, and there was another box with our high chair in it! And then... another box with our nursery laundry hamper in it! So I slugged them all inside and thought about a) how kind it was for the UPS person to go around to our back yard to leave the boxes in a safe place, and b) how glad I was that it didn't rain today AND that we'd finally mowed the nasty back yard. (How embarrassing!)

And the cutest part? They are ALL from my old coworkers, who must have pooled their money to send us big stuff. How sweet is that? SO SWEET. The little packing slips say, "From your friends at BC." Awwwh.

- -

It's all fake money anyway.

I just dropped mad bank online. It's like pretend money, because I just PayPal'd it all. It's starting to hit me that we don't have a ton of time before this kid makes her appearance and we should get ready.

I ordered a bunch of stuff that is so "un-fun" that no one is likely to get it, ever. You know, like a diaper pail. Who wants to buy a diaper pail? (Well, I would. But I'm weird.)

So I just ch-ching'd my way through a diaper pail, a big old waterproof bag to line the diaper pail, two smaller waterproof bags to stick in the diaper bag, some anti-smell disks for the diaper pail, a whole mess of cloth baby wipes, a bunch of cloth baby wipe solution (I know we can make our own, and maybe we will later, but for now, I'm pressing the Easy Button), and a wipe warmer that promises not to turn cloth wipes brown or nasty. Either way, we should have all of this diaper stuff in a week or so, so that's another thing I can check off my list.

We also started talking about what to put in the hospital bag. YIKES, that is making this all seem far too real. SEND HELP!