This post is sponsored by Tom’s of Maine and all opinions are my own.

UPDATE: This post was written before our baby unexpectedly arrived 5 1/2 weeks early! You can find our snuggle bug’s arrival announcement in this post and photos over on Instagram! 

Y’all. How is it already August???

This month has absolutely flown by and I cannot believe that we’re already nearing the month of our due date. We’re going to have a baby this month! What?? How is that even possible! Seems like it was just yesterday that I shared my 30 week pregnancy update with you guys, and now here I am at 34 weeks. Let’s just say, I am READY!

How We’re Preparing For Baby

It’s crazy timing because while everyone else is preparing for back to school season in August, we’re preparing to welcome our little guy into the world! Here are some of the ways we’re preparing for baby:

Getting his nursery ready – we have so much to do to complete his nursery! While the essentials are there, like the crib, nursing chair, dresser, there are so many little projects and ideas I have for that space. Nursery reveal coming soon!

Getting the house ready – what is it about having a baby that makes you feel like every house project you’ve ever wanted to complete needs to be checked off before a baby arrives? SO many little things that we are “needing” to get done.

Taking birthing classes – this has been one of my favorite ways to prepare for the arrival of our little one! We have learned so much in our birthing classes and I’m feeling more motivated than ever for the arrival of our little guy!

Making freezer meals – we spent a couple of days making tons of healthy freezer meals (coming to the blog soon!) and are ready to go for healthy eating post-baby!

Getting ready with natural personal care – having little “stations” like a hygiene station or nursing station is one way we’re preparing for life after baby. And even though our little guy won’t be able to enjoy using everything in this hygiene basket right away, it’s a super adorable and fun way to get ready with natural personal care!

And hey, for some of you with kiddos going back to school, this hygiene basket station might be the perfect option for you! I’m loving Tom’s of Maine products (like this fun Silly Strawberry Fluoride Free Toothpaste) for natural personal care made with no artificial colors, flavors, fragrances, or preservatives. Grab your favorite products at Sprouts, place them in a basket, then take the basket with you into whatever room you need it in!

Becoming A Mom

While it can be fun to prepare for the arrival of our baby through tangible things, like decorating a nursery, I think it’s much harder to prepare for motherhood. How do you prepare to become a mom?

This is something that looks completely different for each and every mother. For starters, it has helped me to think about the things that I value to determine what will be important to me and how I will prioritize my life when I become a mom. An example of this would be having a clean house vs. spending time with my baby. Clutter stresses me out like no other, y’all! But I’ll never get the newborn phase of my baby’s life back, so it’s worth it to me to have a messy house in order to  spend more time with my little one. Another tough one for (if I’m being 100% honest) is balancing my career with motherhood. Since being a mom is a full time job, I know it’ll take some time to find balance as a marry my roles as a mother and blogger!

Another important thing that I value is not only taking care of my little one (physically and emotionally), but extending my role as a mother to others by partnering with companies and brands that help other children! This is why I’m loving supporting Tom’s Of Maine in their partnership with The Kids In Need Foundation as they donate 10,000 “backpacks full of good”. By supporting brands like this and partnering with them, I’m able to function in my role as a mother in a way that extends beyond the walls of my home and makes a difference!

P.S: If you’re interested in participating in the “Backpacks Full Of Good” campaign, be sure to visit Tom’s Of Maine for more info!

I believe that being a mom extends beyond taking care of your little one. It’s a role that goes deeper and further than I could ever imagine and I’m so excited to enter into the world of motherhood! For all you mamas out there, thank you for being amazing at what you do and doing it in a way that’s true and real to you. I’d love to hear what motherhood means to you and how you prepared for motherhood in the comments below!