I can’t believe it, but I am 90 short days to my due date.

I had a conversation with Hubby yesterday as we took our afternoon walk together about preparing the nursery and plans to go out on maternity leave. (Is it really “maternity leave” when you have no leave to speak of? I guess in my case, it’s “maternity LWOP” — leave without pay.)

Hubby has been making a great effort to convert the computer room to a nursery, not the least of which includes removing his desk to make room for the crib. I feel sorry for him. It seems that he’s always the one making the sacrifices. My 24″ iMac will stay in its original location and will likely reside there for a while — at least until Baby Champuru starts requiring her own space.

I have a lot to do, too, as much of the stuff in the computer room is mine: electronics, books, CDs, bags, and a miscellany of other junk that I’ve collected over the past few years since we bought the place. It amazes me how quickly stuff accumulates when you’re not careful.

We decided that we should have the nursery ready to go at least a month ahead of my due date, just in case Baby Champuru decides to be impatient and arrives ahead of schedule.

When considering this, Hubby asked me when my last day of work will be. As I mentioned, since I don’t have the luxury of paid leave, I have been trying to save as much money as possible in anticipation of no income for a period of time (six months) and decided to continue working for as long as possible. However, you never know what will happen in the next month or two, and I may find myself taking off sooner than expected. Hubby suggested taking off as early as September 1, to allow myself some time to rest and relax before my due date. That might be a wise idea, since I will undoubtedly hit the ground running after the birth of Baby Champuru and will have little or no time to rest. If I decide to go with that suggestion, I have only two full months of work remaining. That is both frightening and exciting at the same time.

Frightening because living on one income in Hawaii is nearly impossible. Exciting because the thought of being a stay-at-home mom — even if just for a season — is fraught with new challenges, experiences, and fulfilling moments that simply can’t be gained at the office. We’ll see what God has in store for us. If it’s His will for me to be a stay-at-home mom, he’ll work out the finances. If not, I guess my job will be waiting for me.

The countdown begins.