Things just got REAL up in here!

If I didn't already know I was having a baby or was mentally prepared for it... I sure as heck knew about it and was gearing up for it this past week! I had always thought that until that little guy was born and in my arms, that me being a father and having a child of my own wouldn't hit me (so to speak) until then! Well, looks like I was wrong.

Jei dragged me to our maternity tour at the hospital early in the week and boy was that a reality check! We pre-registered with admin and then got to see our soon to be private labor room as well as our private recovery room too. Something about being there on the maternity floor and knowing that we'll be there in a matter of weeks just really made me realize the extent to which my life will be changing in the immediate future!  It also got me nervous about not being ready. We got handed a checklist at the beginning of the tour and well, let's just say there were more unchecked boxes than there were checked ones! I know Jei wants little Allen Jess to pop on out already... but I'm secretly telling him to hold out for as long as you can so we can get our $@%! together!

Speaking of which, the rest of the week was spent painting Allen's crib and changing table...

 Washing, folding, organizing and putting away ALL of his clothes...

And finally, opening up and putting together all of Allen Jess's "essential" equipment!

Maybe it was because I had to open boxes and put things together, but it totally felt like Christmas morning... even though none of what I was putting together was actually for me.

None of it was complicated, but it took forever!

And finally... the finished products! Of course Ming & Bing were sad to see their boxes disappear, but thrilled to see that they had new things to jump on and destroy!

I swear this whole having a baby and being a parent thing has really been somewhat of a fantasy leading up to this last month. But now that Allen Jess could virtually pop out any day now... and projects are getting finished, diapers are being bought in mass quantities, clothes are being folded and hanged, and car seats are being installed... it's becoming all too real now, and we both can't wait for that little bundle of joy to change our lives!