Forming a plan

I do well with plans.  Everyone I know points it out...sometimes as a compliment, sometimes as a complaint.  But the reality is that that's how my brain works.  I need to know the variables and goals, then I get to work.  Otherwise I get to going crazy.  My choice.

Had an epiphany last night while driving home from work.  My hands might be tied with regard to Little Man's health right now, but they're not tied completely.  What I can do is prepare our home and our lives for his arrival, knowing now that it will look a little different. 

Even before we knew about his heart needs, I had a running list of things to do to before he arrived...finish big girl room, make the nursery more boy-like, get the basement organized, make some freezer meals.  Nothing crazy, but a full plate of ideas to make having 2 under 2 more manageable.

Now I suspect I will need a higher level of organizing to get through.  Instead of just having some dinners on the fly, I'm going to be that those first weeks of juggling Olivia at home and us at the hospital will be controlled chaos.  A big menu of healthy, easy, frozen meals is a must for us and those who come in to help out with O. 

I always planned to do a trip to BJs to stock up on essentials to save myself a trip or two to the store.  Now I suspect those trips will be pushed later and later and a more considerable stock of supplies might be needed.  And maybe a rack in the basement on which to store things, like tissues, tp/pt, canned goods, diapers, wipes, etc.  Our upstairs closets are just not going to be big enough anymore!

And it runs deeper than just these things.  I need to have our $%^& in order.  With finances, with the house, with the daycare situation (for O and hopefully, at some point, for LM), with planning O's 2nd birthday, which will arrive mere days after LM has surgery.  All of these things take time and energy.  Lots of it!

Right now, we have 113 days until his currently projected arrival date.  Time to make a list, delegate, and start tracking progress on the fridge.  My job in the next few months is to get our clan ready for its next arrival.  Now where is my BJs card again?