July 21st is in just thirty four days. Part of me wants to snarkily add, “July 21 isn’t for 34 more days! ::sobs into hanky::” but seriously? Thirty four days. That’s soon! And we still have a lot to do – like packing the overnight bag – oh and we need to put together at least the co-sleeper and soon the crib also. We need to assemble the baby swing and find all that other baby gear. I need to go through our various piles of baby stuff and figure out what we actually have and what we actually need. I need to acquire an infant car seat – my lovely bestie Andrea is trying to get me one from Graco to review on Mommas Review, but if that doesn’t work I need to head to the store and make some decisions – like – do I go for a travel system again or just grab a car seat – or grab a car seat now and get the stroller later? Or get one of those little stroller-like devices that the car seat attaches to but will only work during the infancy stage? Graco? Baby Trend? Evenflo? Pretty pink girly pattern or a cautious neutral? Amazon, Babies’R’Us, Target, Walmart, Burlington Coat Factory, sketchy back alley dumpsters?

We also still need to get MM a new bed before my grandmother shows up. Have I told you our plan? My grandma, the angel, is staying with us for two weeks – she’ll be coming the Friday before my c-section and then staying for two weeks – and our plan is to buy MM a new bed with a slightly better mattress, a box spring and a bed frame – so that she can sleep on something resembling a real bed instead of just a twin mattress on the floor or our terrible couch – and MM will move onto it after she leaves. His old mattress we will save for BB to use when she’s older. We were going to buy him the whole kit and kaboodle – you know headboard, footboard, etc. But then Dan was like, “Wait a minute – we don’t even have a headboard or footboard on OUR bed? We could save a ton of money if we just get him the same set up we have. And he was right. So I agreed. We’re thinking if the kids really like rooming together we might get them a bunk bed when they are older and eventually get ourselves a full bedroom set also – but that’s like way out there, daydreaming kind of thing. This is now – with less than thirty four days to figure it out.

Anyway – so I need to get the bed, weed through our baby stuff, come by an infant car seat and oh yes – the blog. I go in for my cesarean Tuesday July 21st and I’ll be staying in the hospital for 2-4 days depending on recovery, etc. I will not be twittering during the operation or anything like that and I honestly don’t know when I’ll get to my blog again, though I promise to post an update as soon as possible, hopefully with pictures – but as far as real content – it’s kind of dependent on when I come home, how I’m feeling and how demanding newborns are these days. But I was thinking I should make a game plan – arrange for some content for your reading pleasure now, and mine later – or … how about before?

See, I’m thinking guest posts – with your best birth stories, newborn stories, tips for either, whatever – hit me with your best stuff – but send it out to me before the big day so I can read the posts and soak up all that great advice, wisdom and I’m sure a good deal of wit and humor, too – beforehand, so I can USE it when it counts and read it when I’m conscious enough to actually take it all in and remember some of it. Lord knows I’ll be mostly incoherent for awhile afterwards. SO:

If you have a great (or terrible) birth story, some tales from the newborn days (first, second, third, fifteenth child – whatever, I’m not picky), some tips or well wishes that you’d like to share, I’d love to feature them as “Guest Posts” on my blog during the week of July 20th. Send me a story anytime between now and Thursday July 16th and I’ll schedule it to run during the week I’m away. If you want to post something meme-y or carnival-like in nature, let me know and I’ll make sure it’s scheduled to run on the appropriate date. You know, whatever’s clever.

Send any guest posts, ideas, questions or offers for free baby stuff to mommablogsalot (at) gmail (dot) com.

If this doesn’t work, I’ll have to make stuff up and that might get pretty dreadful, so please help a future momma of two out!