I am not an egg.

Dear baby,

I am not an egg. There is one and only one way out. Although I may be about to crack, continuously kicking me on my left will not get you out any faster.

I guess to be a mom is to first be beat up internally. Next, to be beat up in the chest (at least if you breast feed, from what several moms have told me). There is the part about being physically worn out, and then you get to be a teenager and beyond and it's about being mentally being exhausted.

After all these beatings, why would anyone want to be a mother? Here's the thing - I'd like you to come out so you can tell me yourself. But remember, I am not an egg.

Love,
Mom

"At Home" weekend

I'm not generally a "stay at home" person. One of the things that bugged me about being in my 3rd trimester of pregnancy was that I wouldn't have anything to do, and I would get bored really easily! Although this was true for about month 7.... month 8 (and now into month 9) have been a bit different.

There has been quite a lot keeping us busy lately! Friends in town over labor day, a big project finishing up at work, and birthing classes to name a few. I've also had lots of opportunities lately to explore new relationships with friends in the area - - dinners out here and there in the middle of the week. All of these things, along with the growing belly and general pregnancy woes, has worn me out!!!

SOOOO... I must say that this "low key" weekend has been much needed and relaxing! Friday was a bear of a day. I think I was completely depleted mentally and physically. Somehow - - after a couple of good nights sleep, and making progress on things around the house have helped give me some additional perspective! Yesterday, hubby and I ran some errands early in the morning, stopped by a new local joint for breakfast, and then went on a huge baby shopping spree! We got a stroller, a diaper genie, and a changing table, as well as many other smaller items. With the gift cards from the shower, it felt like everything was half price!!

Then I spent some time doing some organization in the baby room and such, and although it won't be coming together as much this weekend as I had originally hoped/planned, at least there is some progress! The paint was touched up a bit. The changing table has been assembled. Daddy made some progress on the crib. Yep, all - in - all, I am feeling a bit more ready!

This week's midwife appointment is a bit more "invasive" (although I think they let me do the 'worst' of it myself). More blood work to be done, also (which in my book does not equate to the worst!) It's also (unfortunately for me) the start of weekly appointments...

Last week, I was at lunch with a coworker, and she said something along the lines of, "I suppose by now with all the appointments you're probably 'okay' with the midwives touching you." I responded - truthfully - that I am most definitely not 'okay' with it. I have accepted it, and learned what to expect... but I still don't like appointments, they still make me very uncomfortable, and I still have not had a single appointment free of "tears" which is my outlet for the anxiety/phobia surrounding anything medical!

I am, however, a strong enough person to know that I will make it through the labor and delivery. Although I am certain it will not be the easiest day of my life, I am also certain it will be one of the most memorable.

Random thought for the day: With looser joints, snapping your fingers while pregnant just doesn't feel like it should!

Showering...

We've been showered - 3 times!

We've been quite a lucky family. Work, Friends, and Family have all given us wonderful showers for the upcoming baby! We've gotten clothes and toys, and even some homeade/handmade blankets and quilts!

We're not "ready" for baby per se- the crib isn't finished, the tree doesn't have leaves quite yet - but we are making progress in that direction. After 3 busy weekends in a row, we're recovering from colds and looking forward to an upcoming weekend with no "plans."

We're about a month out... baby is due Oct 17th... and I realize our life is about to change. But, for the meantime, we'll be trying to get rid of the "cold" bug that has attacked - resting - watching lots of TV - and making sure the dogs get some attention.

I just asked my hubby if 8pm is too early for bed... Although it seems early now, if I'm up feeding for over 2 hours in the middle of the night, I have a feeling it will soon be our new "normal."

Anyhow - hopefully my dear readers are not yet tired of baby updates. I'm sure there are plenty more to come. I have also been considering trying to blog every day for the first year of baby's life. We'll see whether or not I decide to tackle that before much longer!

Happy Fall!

More random thoughts...

For the moment, I've invested in Kleenex. They are doing some good business around our house lately.

Pregnancy is getting old/boring - but I do have another shower (work) to look forward to on Monday.

A few silly words that are fun to say:
boomerang
xylophone
schezwan
applesauce
mysterious

That's it for now. Maybe a more coherent update once I can type a sentence without blowing my nose....

Baby Room, Websites....

What does the baby's room have in common with websites?

I can't for the life of me think of how they might be connected. However, in keeping with the random nature of recent posts, this is what I'm blogging about today!

First, a picture of the tree I painted on the wall of the baby's room. No, it does not have leaves on it. Will it one day? Who knows!

And now on to websites!

I've been thinking perhaps I should post my top 4! So - in no particular order - here are the websites I am particularly fond of:

1. Amazon.com - registered there for both the baby and the wedding! Searchable for anything and everything... if you can't find it on amazon, it doesn't exist. Where I've bought dog food and my wedding dress and many items in between!
2. woot.com - (includes variations like shirt.woot and kids.woot) - One deal every day!
3. Facebook.com - Yes, I'm one of the millions who has become addicted. Whether it's "stalking" friends or playing ridiculous games - I like wasting time on there!
4. google.com - my search engine, map, email, and calendar site of choice!


Why not a top 5 - at least? Well, nothing stuck out so I figure whatever might be 5th is likely a "distant" 5th. I love checking my bank(s) daily, and my friends blogs daily (even though updates are typically weeks - sometimes even months apart!)... and there is a baby website or two. I love reading the "Becoming Mommy" daily bit of advice that is posted on my blog website. I also like travel websites (both aa.com and travelocity.com come immediately to mind). There are also some work related sites (Actuarial Outpost, Casualty Actuarial Society home page).... but again, those might round out the top 20 but I think my top four stand unchallenged for the current time being!