Hey Momma!

"I'm fooking Lassie, Momma! I'll help you."

Hunter has taken to "helping" us shut the garage door when we go there for the trash cans. It's an old-fashioned type door that opens toward you, then up above you. So when I'm pulling it down, Hunter jumps up about halfway and pushes down. He says he's "fooking Lassie."

I love having the yard we have with him. The front yard is completely fenced in, so he can sit at the front door and watch the street before him without fear of him bolting after something. The backyard is not completely fenced in but the driveway makes it a little harder for him to run after someone on the street. There is a huge rock wall on one side that prevents him from getting to the neighbor's house and Hunt seems content to just follow CS around as he goes from the boat to the garage. Or he eats grass in the backyard. Who knows, he's weird.

I'm trying to teach him to "kiss the baby" when he comes up to me while I'm laying down on my right side in the evenings as the baby has a kick-fest. So far, he's not buying this "baby" thing. He would rather throw his stuffed crab in my face. But in the mornings, he's a little more docile and we have rare, touching moments like this:






The Beast and the Belly

Worry

I'll stop worrying when the First Trimester is over.

I'll feel better when the baby starts to kick.

I won't worry when I can feel the baby kick with my hands.


(to be continued...)

Baby Wiggles

I spend quite a lot of time yesterday on my fake couch*, chatting online with a friend I have spoken to in YEARS (not quite but honestly. So long.) and in the evening, as I dragged my butt off the couch for dinner and dishes, I realize that baby did not move much all day long. So I told CS as he got into the shower, he was quite un-concerned. However, I was a little more worried. So when my mom called, I casually mentioned it to her. She said "really? It should be moving a lot." But then she covered for herself by trying to tell me that I might just not notice it much yet and the heartbeat was strong last week so it's fine, really. It's fine. So I settled myself back onto the fake couch but this time in a position that allowed my stomach some breathing room and it was like fireworks went off in my baby belly. SO MUCH KICKING. And when the kicking slowed down, I rolled over to the other side for even more kicking. This lasted a good twenty minutes and a time or two, I was able to feel the kicks with my hand. Of course, CS missed out on all of this because he was in the shower. After he got out and I gleefully announced that baby was moving like crazy, Baby decided not to kick anymore.

Baby Wiggles has been quite busy today. And maybe tonight CS will get to feel it too. You know, if he takes a shorter shower or something.

Dear DD

Maybe you think I've left your comfy couches and Anthropologie decorated bed (that sounds dirty, huh?) and forgotten all about that lovely little surprise you planned for me since I've been so busy with family visits, editing newsprint, and unpacking boxes o'junk. But I haven't! Thank you. Even though I'm easily brought to tears (hormones), I was so overwhelmed with what you put together for me. And even more grateful for your brilliant planning on blaming everything on Baby. I had no hopes of having a baby shower with all my Ohio friends because I felt selfish and focused on myself for trying to come see friends and then demand they bring presents for my out of wedlock child. So thanks for taking all those feelings away from me! But NO thanks for feeding me nasty, nasty Mac and Cheese baby food. Thank goodness for that chocolate cake. Your mom really came through with that one. Mmm, cake.

I'm really at a loss here. I know you're almost done with law school and I can't tell you how proud I am of you for getting through one of the hardest programs in education. You've gone from being an studious college student who rarely came out drinking with me to a well-balanced wine drinking partner in crime. I promise that the wine drinking days are not gone, and we will have a trip to the East Coast cities. I know you'll be a fantastic lawyer, as you've already shown me with your mad skills in finding out landlord/tenant laws when my landlords decided to be huge jerks. And to hear you talk about the incapable people in HP customer service, I have no doubt you can hold your own in a courtroom. One of those courtrooms with a real judge and maybe a jury! I really don't know what kind of law you'll be doing. I don't think a jury will be present. But you go, girl.

As crazy as our lives are going to be, with a baby on one side and crazy law hours on the other, I am confident that we can find plenty of time to engage in a few bottles of wine and maybe another hookah bar if we want to get crazy.

There, does that make you feel like Senior Wills/Poem Book time all over again? Good, I sure hope so.

Pantless

CS and I just had a conversation about getting rid of some of his clothing because he has bins full of shirts I have never seen him look at, much less wear. He informed me that he will be wearing them, even those fleece pajama pants I found months ago. Because when the baby comes, he's going to start wearing pants to sleep since he doesn't want to be holding a baby while naked. I'm not quite sure what this is about because he hasn't shown that being naked is something to be ashamed of, yet he's going to change his entire sleeping routine post-baby. I was confused because does this mean he will never be naked in the presence of the baby? I certainly intend to shower with my child and I'm not above sticking a sticky, dirty child in with CS while he showers. Nudity among family member is not something I am particularly ashamed of. Not to say I get buck naked in the living room while my brother is sitting on the couch, but I've certainly gotten dressed in my room with the door open. Or hopped into the shower while my mom was fixing her hair. JBelle has showered with me. I thought it was just something that happens. You have a baby, you are occasionally naked around the baby/toddler/child. I see no shame in this. Nor a desire to change my clothing habits when the baby enters the picture and/or the bed. (I'm not going for the co-sleeping thing though.) Maybe it's a little different for me because I am pushing said child out of my lady bits and plan on nourishing child with my breasts. All attempts at "covering anything up" is probably a mute point. But I certainly didn't expect CS to go all modest on me and actually wear those fleecy pants sitting in the rubbermaid for the past year. Just be naked, I'm sure I will be.

Come On Over, I'll Put The Kettle On.

I'm back from Ohio. Obviously. I've been back for almost a week actually but things have been a bit busy since I flew into Phoenix. The following morning I had an appointment with the OBGYN office, but all they did was measure my stomach and tell me not to have sex. (Actually, the NP told me that even orgasm can lead to bleeding. Point taken. And probably ignored.) After that lovely visit, I rushed back to Globe to pack up the trailer so we could move into our new house! A new house that would have no electric until the next morning and no gas until Friday morning. I also stopped into the newspaper to see if she had gotten my email about reference email addresses (no.) and see if I still had a job (yes.). CS and I moved into the house after he got off work and we spent the evening playing Phase 10 by candlelight at the kitchen table. I won nine rounds.

The next morning we waited around for the electric guy to come and turn on the power. He came around noon, just before CS's parents showed up for the weekend. They decided to stay with us even though we wouldn't be getting hot water until the next morning. They also brought the extra bed CS had sitting in his storage unit back in CO and his very orange, rusty new boat. The house has furniture in it so we didn't have to scramble to rent something until we can afford to buy our own. We spend the evening at the house and the next morning, CS and his dad left to visit the mine while his mom and I took Hunter for a walk. When we returned, we found a note on the door from the gas man. He had been by the house at 8:15. We showed up at 8:25. They would not send him back because I had told the company that I would be at the house between these times and I was not so I had to wait until the next day for service to be turned on. Except it was Friday and no one came out until Monday. Under no circumstances could we get them to dispatch him back. I even called him on his cell phone and begged him to come out, since he'd called me when I wasn't at the house. No luck. So we're on day four of living with no hot water. Do you know how much fun it is to shower with a bowl of microwaved water? I don't recommend it. In fact, I am wishing for one of those old-fashioned metal tubs I could fill with a mixture of tap water and stove boiled water to complete the rustic atmosphere we've got going on here.

Have You Packed Yet?

No, I have not packed yet. I haven't even dragged my suitcase out from the storage space in the trailer. I got travel toiletries from the Hotel Scottsdale (Rusk. Squee!) when I stayed with Audrey on her business trip last night. I feel that's progress. DD called to make sure I'm still coming, although I don't know why she would think otherwise. Even if the weather forecast is predicting typical Ohio weather of doom and gloom when I am quite happy in my dress wearing, 75 degree, sunshine all the time weather. Except for the fact that I am so looking forward to getting out of this RV box and seeing my friends! And making my friends pick out maternity clothing. That's the real reason I'm going. Ohio-Shopping Mecca of the Midwest.

I was supposed to get my rental forms signed today but the Realty Lady made a mistake and put us down for tomorrow. This is not possible because I am leaving tomorrow morning at 8 AM. This means CS has to go sign the papers tomorrow and I can sign when I get back. However, this stresses me out because I like to know that everything is settled before I run across the country on a shopping spree. Maybe they can put me on speakerphone.

I'm also terribly worried about Hunter. He doesn't like it when I leave and he knows that's what happens when I pull that suitcase out. I know I spend the majority of the day with him and he sleeps about ninety percent of the time. But I also walk him for thirty minutes in the morning and occasional trips to da River! I made sure he goes out to pee a few times a day and we have kissy time when he's being sweet and not sassy. I feel bad leaving him here when he will have to stay inside from 5:30 AM until CS gets home at 5 PM. My poor preshuss babykins. This is why I'm leaving him with a new stuffed cow.

Confessions

I have a sneaking suspicion that the baby is not a girl. But rather a BOY. I'm not sure if this stems from CS's refusal to refer to the baby as "him" (like our last conversation about how he "doesn't know why my boy won't kick you") or if it's just a feeling. I don't know if a girl would feel different to me, or if I can even feel anything at all. I'm semi-hoping that this feeling of BOY will turn out to be a huge surprise when I deliver said child and find out it's been a girl, a sneaky tricky little girl. So like a girl to turn a trick like that, no?

I want a girl because I have no idea what to do with little boys. I see them around and they are always running someplace they shouldn't be, testing the boundaries to see what happens, or causing mayhem. Little girls are so much more timid. They want to play Pet Shop and Barbie. Sure, they want to be chased down the hall occasionally or spin in circles until my arms are too tired. But they seem so easy. (Easy is a relative term here, OK people?) Boys don't want cute hair bows or to wear dresses. They want to play cars and rub dirt in it. (The wounds, I mean. If I can listen to CS about that kind of thing.) Besides, if I have a boy then CS is going to make his all macho and wrestle other little boys when he's five. Other the other hand, a girl, I get to to take to dance classes and fix her hair in the mornings. Of course, this will all terribly backfire on me if I have a girl because she will be a total Daddy's Girl and want to play sports and fish.

Closet Edition

Let me just tell you what I can wear right now.

NOTHING.

Almost. Since we've moved here to this little RV, I put most of my clothes away in storage until we get a place with a closet and maybe some drawers from Ikea. I kept a few items but you look into my closet right now and you will see:

9 Dresses- One doesn't fit anymore. Not over my stomach but over my boobs.
1 Pair Capri Pants- Getting tighter by the day. Also, plaid.
2 Pairs Gaucho Pants- One is too ratty to wear unless on a road trip.
1 Pair Maternity Jeans- Actually in the laundry basket because Hunt got gross poo of a wild animal on them at the river.
15 Shirts- Almost none of them I like to wear and about 5 of them I don't fit into without looking like a muffin top in stretch pants.

Even my work out pants are beginning to fail me. I need new underwear. And sports bras to grow into.

To top it all off, I'm going to Ohio in a few days and none of my pretty, pretty dresses are appropriate there because it's still in the 50's during the day and I'm well into the 70's here in Arizona. I figure I have about two days of clothing in Columbus before a trip to Gap Maternity is in order. Luckily, I'm going to be staying with DD and she's all over that. She'd probably like to to wear my too tight clothing, such is her obsession with the baby belly. And that's why I love her.

Nap? Chocolate? Ice Cream?

Afternoon hits me with the desire to take a little nap. I used to take twenty minute naps, just quick little snoozes. I'd wake up a bit groggy and need a few minutes to adjust but then ready to go. Now I fall asleep and drop off for about forty five minutes and need fifteen to get back to normal. I try to just avoid the whole thing in general. I should really get out of the trailer during this time but it's hot outside and I'm not ready to go grocery shopping.

Do you know how sick I am of the same foods over and over? I'm tired of spaghetti, steak, baked potatoes, and the occasional pork chop. It's frustrating living in the RV because I have no space for mixing multiple things up, nor do I want to cook in the oven. I'm also blaming a portion of this food aversion on CS. Because while he could eat fast food hamburgers for days on end, he doesn't consider it a meal unless it has a meat, starch, and vegetable. I, on the other hand, would like to have vegetarian meals once in a while. I read a couple of food blogs and I'm always wanting to try something new but might not because someone in the house won't like it. And then I make a semi-terrible meal of chinese noodles, water chestnuts, bamboo, mushrooms, and shrimp and he eats three bowls of it. It needed green onions and sweet peas, do I didn't eat much. I was just craving some chinese food and shrimp. Maybe CS had sympathy cravings. I'll only get worried if he puts on sympathy weight. Since I haven't been doing too much of that on my own.

Got any good craving recipes?