7 Quick Takes

1. On Wednesday night while we were at the hockey game, my mom came over to babysit the kids. After she put them to bed, she cleaned up my kitchen. LOVE. But she doesn't spend a lot of time at my house/in my kitchen so she doesn't know where stuff goes. Which is fine, I totally get that, etc. But what baffles me is that I discovered 2 specific instances where she moved stuff that was already in the cabinets to other places/cabinets. Does she think I put that stuff there by mistake? That I don't know where/how to arrange my own kitchen to the highest efficiency? I am not bothered by the numerous pieces she didn't put away, or by the handful that she put in the wrong place. But I am a little bugged that she moved my daughter's collection of sippy cups halfway across the kitchen from where they had been when I left.

2. Fuss gave herself a haircut on Thursday. I am heart-broken. She has these amazing little curls, and while I was going to have her hair cut eventually because the back grew in way faster/longer than the sides, etc. I certainly wasn't going to go quite as dramatically as she did, nor was I planning to do so 3 days before Easter. Sigh. I guess at least we already got her professional pictures done, so her longer hair was in that. She's probably going to end up with a ear-length bob. And her longest section of hair was more than half-way down her back, so that's a pretty dramatic change. We have an appointment with a recommended hair dresser on Saturday morning. (the pic above is the pile of hair she cut off shown with a tube of chapstick to show size)

3. Little Man has a tooth pushing through. I felt it Thursday morning. (right after he bit me. Thanks a lot, Buddy) I can't believe he's getting teeth already.

4. I got my first postpartum period on Tuesday night and by first thing Wednesday morning, it was back with a vengeance. It's reminding me of being a week postpartum. I hurt, I ache, I have no energy and my diet has been thrown out the window.

5. The Little Man seems to be going through a phase of rejection of the bottle, which is no fun. This effectively means that I cannot leave the baby with a sitter for any real length of time.

6. Do you know how hard it is to find a spring dress (read: not black) that you can nurse a baby in without completely undressing? I have a wedding to go to in June and I was trying to combine an Easter dress with the fashion needs of that event, but I'll have to feed the baby in both incidences. I bought 2 dresses tonight at Kohls, but I'm not crazy about either of them, but I like the colors and I can feed the baby and they are both comfortable.

7. My mom is hosting Easter dinner this weekend, and my in-laws are coming. I'm just glad that I don't have to do it all myself this time.

7 Quick Takes

Ugh. My head hurts.

1. Yesterday, I did my work out, but it was sort of half-assed and the baby started crying with 5 minutes to go and I just gave up. I had a bad attitude and I was sore and stressed and I just wanted chocolate. When I told that to my husband he said "sounds like you're about to start your period" and he was right - it did sound like that. But I'm not ready to start my period! Gosh darn it, I should still have MONTHS left of this non-menstrual thing.

2. My step-brother and his wife are pregnant. Like they just-got-2-lines pregnant, she hasn't even been to the doctor yet. And they've told EVERYbody. My other step-brothers and their respective significant others (one is married, one is dating) keep joking around about them having a girl. This is funny because there are no girls in the last 4+ generations of this family. (My step-dad has 3 sons, is one of 3 brothers, has only biological uncles and great uncles, etc.) But my step-SIL wants a girl and B usually gets what she wants. The family joked that she would get a girl no matter what, even if it meant trading babies at the hospital. Even if it meant HER MOTHER would have trade babies at the hospital. Ha ha. I hope it doesn't come to that, because I kind of wouldn't put it past her... (I'm kidding.) (Sort of.)

3. The night of Little Man's vaccines this week, he woke at 2am burning up. He responded quickly to Tylenol and then I rocked him for awhile and he went back to sleep. I didn't take his temp, but he was SO hot, poor little man.

4. We're going to the outlet mall this weekend. We're hoping to get new dishes. And I'm hoping to shop at a few other stores, too.

5. My mom got me one of those scrabble tile necklaces for Christmas. I love the ones she wears and I love the ones I've seen on Etsy, but the one she got me says "It is What it is" and I just don't get it. I'm hoping I can find a way to discreetly exchange it, but I don't know where the shop it that she got it from. There is an Etsy address on the packaging, but the Etsy store is empty. I know mom got it from a local shop, though. I'll have to see if she can tell me where she got it.

6. I want this dress from Modcloth. I can't decide why I love it so much. Is it just because it reminds me of something Emma Pillsbury would wear, or if it really is "me?" I've gotten really into the style of Emma lately, but can't afford it. But this dress is affordable. But I can't really wear one-piece dresses much when I'm nursing... so I'm delaying buying it. But I want it.
7. One cute pic of the kids for you.
Hard to believe this was taken a month ago and Little Man has gained a couple of pounds since then and no longer fits in any part of this outfit except the vest.

Some bits of randomness

• Today is the anniversary of my favorite uncle's birthday. Yesterday was the anniversary of his death. Ironic, huh? All day yesterday I kept thinking "there is something significant about this date" but I couldn't come up with anything other than an obscure former co-worker's birthday. (We haven't kept in touch for over 3 years, hence the "obscure" title) Last night during one of my many wake-ups I realized that it was the anniversary of his death. I'll call my Gramma today to let her know I am thinking of her today.

• Wouldn't it be nice to start the year off with a potty-trained toddler? Yeah. It would. But unless today and tomorrow get a miracle, I'll still be prodding her to pee on the potty instead of in her diaper/pull up/on my couch. (okay, so I stopped putting her in panties because of the one couch incident. Maybe I should say "on my floor" since that's usually what happened when I put her in panties.) She asked me for panties today and I told her that if she could keep her pull-up dry for a few hours, she could have panties. About 15 minutes later, she announced that she had to potty and we went, and she went, but we already had a very wet pull-up. Grrrr. So frustrating.

• I got a great deal on a J Crew cardigan today online. My first J Crew anything, actually. I usually find their stuff too pricey for my budget, but this was a final sale price, plus 30% off, so... a $90 sweater for $20, including shipping and I'm psyched. I'm looking at a lot of cardigans lately because of the Emma Pillsbury inspiration. Her skirts, while adorable, aren't practical for my life, but I can do the cardigans without issue.

• I am heading to Target today to buy some new bins. Fuss got a bunch of toys for Christmas that need to be contained, and they have these huge bins on wheels on sale that I think might fit ALL of our Christmas decorations. Wouldn't it be nice to just have ONE big bin and not have to spread 5 boxes all over my living room at Christmas time? Yeah, I thought so too. Step one to getting organized.
  
  

• My husband got his wisdom teeth removed yesterday (2 of them) and he was going to try and do it with just novacaine. He passed out on them during the numbing process, so they had to put him under. Poor guy was so groggy afterwards. But he was really a great patient and was helping out with the kids by mid-afternoon. He felt well enough to go to work this morning (it was a half day, and there's no reason to eat up his vacation days for a half day if he's feeling okay, I guess.) I wouldn't still be in my nightclothes at 10:45am if he was home, but...

Want to shop

I've been spending a lot of time lately online window shopping. By that I mean I look and I search and I play around, but I don't buy. I'm still at a size that I'd like to slim down and I don't want to go out and buy a bunch of clothes just to do it again in a short time. However, I'm also very aware that my closet is very lacking.

I spend a lot of time looking at outfit ideas that often include
A) Items I can't afford even if I want to (Who would buy a $2000 clutch purse? I don't get it.)
B) Items I can't justify spending money on (like really adorable shoes that I won't wear very often)
C) Items that just aren't all that practical for the life I lead (dresses, dressy skirts, etc. Keep in mind I'm still nursing full-time so I'm lifting my shirt up ever 2-3 hours during the day and I spend a lot of time crawling around on the floor with my kids.)

But a girl can dream , right?

I've lost one jeans size (compared to my pre-pregnancy size) so that's a step in the right direction, and I'm planning to start some exercise (I got the 30 Day Shred DVD for Christmas) within the next week. (I was planning to start Monday, but the combination of the cold weather and a few much earlier than I wanted mornings with the baby and... I WILL start sometime between now and the 1st. I will!) So it's silly to go crazy with the buying...

But I want to SHOP! And I want pretty clothes, not just jeans and t-shirts. But when would I wear them? My reality is that I wear casual, functional, comfortable, washable clothes 7 days a week. I wear somewhat dressy clothes for a few hours on Sunday mornings and I sometimes dress up for an evening out with my husband or girlfriends. (I would say that it would be generous to say that I do this once a month.) And honestly, I am too practical to spend a lot of money on clothes I'm not going to wear.

I'm both talking myself into and out of buying clothes, all in the same post. This is the life I lead, I suppose.

Random thoughts 2 days before Christmas

• I survived my awful headache, and feel a bit better today. I NEED to go see the chiropractor, but I have no idea WHEN that might happen...

• Anyhow, so lots of cleaning to do, but I think I'm done w/ the wrapping. Fuss is contentedly watching Mickey's Christmas Carol and my husband is "working from home" today and the baby slept through the night until 8:30 this morning! (Unfortunately, I was up for 2 hours on my own with a headache/neck ache. But I got to sleep in a tiny bit, so that was helpful.)

• I plan to back one more batch of Snickerdoodle cookies today and then hand out some cookies to our neighbors. I made these great (and simple!) chocolate pretzel things last night, plus my Oatmeal Toffee Lace Cookies. I think I'm over the baking, but I have commitments to keep...

• Last night my MIL called me, standing in front of some "play food" sets at a store. She said, "I gathered from our conversation last night that Fuss is getting a play kitchen for Christmas. Does she need food for it?" Apparently she didn't bother to read the email I sent her WEEKS ago after she asked what the kids would want for Christmas. I spelled out all the big gifts she would be getting for Christmas and listed some ideas for gifts. I practically did her shopping for her. And SHE NEVER READ IT. How hard is it to open an email that is labeled "Gift ideas for Fuss and Little Man" from your DIL? Why do I bother?
  

• I have become interested in the style of Emma Pillsbury from Glee. (I am slow to the bandwagon, but I'm really getting into Glee. I am getting season 1 on DVD for Christmas and I'm psyched. We have been getting it from Netflix and I'm addicted. Anyhow, I got a new haircut with layers like Jayma Mays's hair (I'm not doing the flip, though) and I'm suddenly obsessed with cardigans and pencil skirts. I'm psyched to have $25 worth of coupons/Kohl's cash to spend at Kohl's the week after Christmas. I don't think I want to dress like that all the time, but it's cute and fun and girlie and preppy - all things I like!
  

7 Quick Takes

1. I completely forgot to post yesterday. Just slipped my mind. Oops. I wonder if this is a sign that I'm getting old?

2. I am done - Done - DONE! with my Christmas shopping! I have some things to wrap and then all of my gifts are taken care of. I am thrilled by this, although I love Christmas shopping and giving Christmas presents! But dealing with the shops and the malls and such with 2 kids the week before Christmas sounds more like a nightmare to me!

3. The one exception to this is the gifts that my dad asked me to choose for myself and my husband. He basically gave me money and told me to find something for his girlfriend (birthday and Christmas), Little Man and my husband and myself. I am struggling with what to do for my husband and myself. On one hand, we could use the money for something bigger that we really want. On the other hand, he could have very easily just handed me money and said Merry Christmas if he had wanted to give us money, but he asked me to shop. I think he wants something for us to open on Christmas Eve at his house. I may have to venture out to the store and buy a sweater or something.

4. We are trying to decide if we want to do a non-traditional Christmas dinner. The current front-runners are a Cajun/Creole feast or lasagna. I would love to do the Cajun thing, but I fear that we would end up doing even more cooking than if we had a traditional dinner (everyone brings a side when we do traditional) and I don't really want to trash out my kitchen the day of Christmas with my husbands exuberant cooking fun new dishes!

5. My Christmas cards turned out beautifully. I am so happy with them! Thanks, Shutterfly!

6. The Little Man had a rough week with nighttime wakings/feedings. I don't know if it was weather related (it has been COLD here!) or what. Unfortunately, Fuss has also had a rough week, so both of us have been up with the kids multiple times in the night. Not fun.

7. I'm done working for my dad (again). I hope that both of these new people stick and that we don't have any more disasters in the employment department. I enjoyed getting a couple of paychecks, but it was SO hard on the kids. And on me. I'm glad to be done.

For more quick takes, click here.

Etsy Giving

I LOVE Etsy. I shop their all the time. And by that, I mean I window shop because before this holiday season, I had only ever looked, not bought. There are some seriously creative and talented people out there. And I love stimulating the economy of individuals rather than the box stores (though you all know I LOVE me some Target.)

But this Christmas, I took the plunge and shopped on Etsy.






I actually bought this for my mom's birthday, which is less than 2 weeks after Christmas. She won't admit it, but it's a big birthday this year. It's from Artisan Handcrafted and it's real leaf jewelry. My mom is a nature nut and loves artsy jewelry, so when I found this, it was a no-brainer... except for which piece to buy. I have already received it and it is beautiful in person.

This is mom's Christmas present. (Though, I'm considering switching the two. I go back and forth.) It's from PixieDust and again, with the nature theme (mostly, my mom is easy for me.) and they have beautiful items from birds and trees to flowers, plus they offer Free Shipping! Again, in person, it is gorgeous!

I got some gorgeous labels from PoshGirl Boutique for my step-dad's wine bottles. (I may have also ordered some address labels for me and something for my husband, but I'll never tell.) The labels were custom made, so I can't show you, but suffice it to say that Traci was wonderful and helpful when I had questions and comments. She also makes fabulous note cards and business cards. (which I really want some calling cards for myself, but I'm resisting until after Christmas, at least.) The labels turned out beautifully! I am so excited to give them to my step-dad!

I considered ordering a few things for my psuedo-step-mom (like this) and also for myself (like this) since I'm doing my dad's Christmas shopping for him. But I'm holding off for now. (While both she and I would love these things, I need something immediately for her, since her birthday is 5 days before Christmas and I have everything else mail-ordered and I need to guarantee her a birthday present for her birthday. Also, it's not really my dad's style to buy artsy stuff, and I want these things to appear to be from him.)

I am also madly in love with these wine charms, which I am trying to convince my husband to let me buy for our New Year's gathering. (We're having a small low-key gathering of friends, cocktails, snacks and movies.)

Things I Want

I love online shopping, but do you know how rarely I actually end up buying what's in my shopping cart? Sometimes, this is planned - I am actually researching what is available and where and I'm going to go out and buy it in-store. Sometimes, it's simply a wishlist. Sometimes, I'm planning to try and convince my husband that I need these items. So anyhow, here's a few things on my current wishlist for fall.


PartyLite Autumn Pumpkin Candle Holder.
Wouldn't this look adorable on my Thanksgiving table? I have a weakness for pumpkins (thus the reason Fuss's first Halloween costume was a Pumpkin). Which leads me to the next item...









Pumpkin Baby Hat from CheekyGirl Etsy store.
Wouldn't my little man be adorable in this hat? I'm tempted to order it so he can wear it for Halloween with his onesie.







Shoes. I'm dying for some cute fall shoes.

Christmas gifts (and then some)

Hi there.

This week has been hectic.

I have been frantically trying to finish my Christmas shopping and I will have everything done (with the exception of my MILs gift, which I have NO idea what to get her...) by tomorrow. I have found a bunch of stuff for Fuss and it's mostly little stuff, but I think she'll like it. Her favorite stuff these days are balls and books and I got her a bunch of new books (also this is a bit of a selfish gift, I admit. I have so many of her books memorized and I need some new material) along w/ new PJs, an outfit, playdough, crayons and coloring books, and a doll. I'm really happy to have a bunch of things under the tree for her this year - since she was so young last year and we had no money, we went really cheap and let the relatives spoil her.

I got a bunch of stuff for Daddy Fuss, but since he periodically reads the blog, I'm not going to write it here. (Confidential to my husband: Ha ha, ho ho, I know something you don't know.) But I'm pretty sure he will be pleased and also maybe pleasantly surprised.

I'm picking up the things for my mom and step-dad today and I got my dad a cool tool (he loves tools) and my psuedo-step-mom a bottle of wine that is better than my Dad's usual cheap stuff, but still at least of the proper description (red, very sweet). Tomorrow, I'm picking up the Christmas cards and pictures (along w/ diapers, since I'm getting them from Sam's and that's the place I get her diapers). I bought this cute little bowl to fill w/ the spiced nuts I usually make (my mom's recipe - they are excellent) for my friend Jo, but I haven't gotten around to actually making the nuts, so I'm really hoping to get that done on Saturday. Keep your fingers crossed.

So my Christmas cards will be a little last-minute, but I think it will all work out in the end.

I would be stress-free if my house wasn't STILL a disaster.

I can't seem to get my kitchen clean. I spend time working on it, but then I run out of time and by the time I get back to it, it's back to it's disaster state again. And did I mention that Fuss emptied an entire salt shaker on my bathroom floor the other day? It's still a little gritty, despite vacuuming, swiffering, rag-cleaning, etc. Will have to do something more about that, as well.

I did, however, get almost all the laundry done (including folded and put away - still have a little to do, but I am very impressed with myself about this) and finished cleaning almost all of the big pots and such in the kitchen.

Have I mentioned my husband's foray into wine-making? My step-dad started making his own wine in college and my husband and my sister both asked him to teach them how to do it. They had their first wine class over Thanksgiving break and my husband got very excited and began his wine making. We have 2 1-gallon jugs of wine-in-the-making on my kitchen counter (we have GOT to find a better place to store them!) and since there isn't that much space to begin with... that's part of my kitchen is such a disaster.

Temporarily back

I haven't had internet access again, so I'm pirating off of some neighbor's connection right now. I feel bad, but I'm desperate. I hadn't checked my email in 2 days, needed to drop a line to a cousin who is coming to Christmas, and needed to check a few things online to make sure they were what I thought they were. Crazy.

Add to that that Fuss threw a HUMONGOUS fit in the parking lot after my morning walk, throw in the in inevitable headache that is pounding in my head and pile on the list of things to do this week (I got so much accomplished yesterday and yet, my list keeps on growing, how is that?) and I am one very tired, stressed, and busy Mama.

We had a "Christmas dress disaster" over the weekend, where Fuss's Christmas dress didn't come out of the wash-before-wear process in the same condition it went in... The family photos we took for our Christmas cards are all out of focus (retakes tonight, I hope) and my house is a disaster. Seriously. I don't know what is going on here, but I'm not usually one of those Christmas-makes-me-stressed sorts, so I don't get it. Maybe it's just all hitting me at once.

I'm working on a couple of posts about what gifts I'm giving this year and which ones I'd like to give. Budget cuts, you know? I love giving gifts, especially at Christmas, so this whole buying on a budget thing kinda stinks.

My husband the computer geek thinks our IPS-supplied modem may have died (again) and so who knows what my internet status will be in the coming days. I hate being so absentee, especially since I quit journaling a few years ago and this is my only record of my life now. Sigh. Hope you all are having a great pre-Christmas time and are looking forward to celebrating the true meaning of Christmas - the birth of Christ and love and family.

More 7 Quick Takes

1. There was some happy drama at my Thanksgiving celebration this year. My step-dad has 3 sons, all younger than me, but legally adults (26, 24, 22) and we never lived together, grew up together, anything. Daddy Fuss and I have been married longer than my mom and step-dad. But through family get-togethers (read: major holidays) e've met several times and they know Daddy Fuss and Fuss, etc. I would not say they are close, though I wouldn't mind knowing them better. They are nice guys. The oldest, TJ is in the army and is currently deployed overseas. We recently found out that he and his fiancee' have been legally married for almost 2 years. In addition, the youngest - E, who is in the Navy, also got secretly married in Vegas. But we knew about that at least a week in advance.
2. My step-dad's first wife was in attendance, which I was worried would be... awkward? uncomfortable? weird? But it wasn't. She was very nice, personable, even got along well with Fuss and was just "part of the family." My great-aunt even took a picture of the boys, their dad and my mom and their mom all together. It was really cute.
3. I got to spend a little more time talking with my step-brothers (well, 2 of them - TJ is overseas) this time around and I really like them. And the fact that they played with Fuss and she was enthralled by them didn't hurt. I think she might have another crush on E. She would walk over to him, wherever he was sitting, tug on his arm and hold up hers arms. He always obliged. He even played dolls with her for a few minutes.
4. My youngest SIL, LP goes to the Black Friday Madness every year - she starts at whatever store is opening the earliest - this year and last the local outlet mall is opening at midnight - and shops and shops until she has either hit all the stores she wanted and basically completed her entired Christmas list or until she passes out from exhaustion. While there is NO WAY I would be able to go as long as she does, this is the first year in awhile that I really wanted to go out with her. I haven't done the Black Friday early wake up thing in at least 5 years. But I was itching to this time out. Of course, I had to work, so there was no option - not even to hit the outlet mall at midnight and then come home and go to bed, because I cannot function on that little sleep. But I'm hoping to hit the stores this weekend anyhow.
5. I am so tired these days. I think my lack of good sleep might be catching up to me. I sleep 7-8 hours each night, but they aren't always GOOD sleep. And Daddy Fuss has a cold, so he starts to snore and when I wake up, for whatever reason, I find it hard to fall back to sleep with him snoring beside me. I need a nap.
6. I will be going to my childhood best friend's baby shower this weekend. I haven't seen her face to face in ages, we mostly communicate on Facebook these days. But it will be nice to see her, see her mom and see some other old friends from back in the day. I seem to be in a better mindset than I was 2 weeks ago when my other friend had a shower, so I'm hoping and thinking that I'll do fine this time.
7. And on that note, AF is due sometime this weekend (oh yeah, maybe that's why I'm tired) and I'm hoping she shows up on time and without too much drama. I am ready for this cycle to be over, to put it behind me and begin anew.

And on that note, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and are getting geared up for a wonderful holiday season!

Conversion Diary took a break this week from 7 Quick Takes, but I didn't get the memo until I'd already written mine. :) If you want more 7 Quick Takes, I'd suggest a look at her archives... ha ha!

Wishlist

Amanda at The Mom Job did a post where she made her dream Christmas list in September, and II thought it was a great idea. Especially since I've been shopping-obsessed lately and have no money to spend, so I've been drooling over things online.

So, without further ado, here is my very own dream wishlist/Christmas list...

It's funny, because I have never spent more than $35 on purse in my life (I'm queen of the Target discounts, you know - and I have never really cared about labels) but a friend of mine recently splurged on a Coach bag and suddenly, I have purse envy. So I have several options for a purse that I would like to point out.

There is this Marc Jacobs number
and I found a similar one on ebay, but I can't copy that picture for some reason. I have decided that I really like this teal color and found another purse....


that I also really like, this one by Coach. (Again - there is one on ebay for about half my mortgage payment that is even more fabulous. What is up with not copying the pics on ebay?) I certainly don't need 2 bags in this color, so givers choice! Haha!


And I have loved the Burberry plaid since the very first time I ever saw it. I own a couple of knockoffs - one a very poor knock off without even a fake label ($10 at a flea market in New Orleans) and another that was a gift from my SIL's trip to NYC. But THIS is my dream Burberry bag.
Isn't it cute?






(Incidentally, while searching for that image, I ran across THIS LINK to the coolest cake EVER. How awesome is that? Anybody wanna make me a cool cake for my 30th Birthday? You've got 11 months to practice.)

In the winter, I also have a thing for boots. I could use a new pair - my brown ones have died and my black ones could stand to be replaced.
It's been so long since I bought a frivolous pair of shoes...







And for something sparkly... My mom's engagement ring (from my step-dad) is a blue diamond, which is quite possibly the prettiest thing I have ever seen. I would love to have some earings that were blue diamonds...








It's nice to dream, isn't it?
While I'm at it, I'd love a new bathroom with a garden tub, a newly landscaped yard, a new couch for the living room, some new clothes for all 3 of us and World Peace. :)

I don't ask for much, do I?

Aye charumba- IKEA

I spent Saturday morning with my mom, celebrating my birthday with a little mother-daughter time, where I am the daughter instead of the mother. We got pedicures and went to IKEA. I had been to IKEA once before - but we never went downstairs, since we were only there for ideas, not for buying.

This time, my mom and I went downstairs. Wow. It's like a whole second store. And while there were a ton of things upstairs that I liked and a handful of things that I planned to get, but when I went downstairs... I just wanted it ALL.

But shopping with my mom is AN EXPERIENCE. We don't have the same shopping style at all. She has to look at everything and I want to glance as I walk by the stuff I'm not interested, and focus on the stuff I am interested in. We spent more than 3 hours in IKEA. Two hours of that was upstairs before we even got to the buying part. Several time I said to myself "why did I think doing this with my mom was a good idea?" and then I reminded myself, "because she's paying."

Rescheduled

I had plans yesterday weeks in advance. I was going to lunch for a 3-generation luncheon w/ my mom, mom's BFF, her daughter and her kids. It was a couple of months in the making and kept having to be postponed due to schedule conflicts (mostly, my mother's). That got cancelled this past weekend when my mom (again) didn't get her schedule in line for Tuesday.

So I made plans with another friend for a shopping/research trip for that day. (Tuesdays are my day off. I like to have something planned to get us out of the house.) My friend, an old high school friend who I reconnected with via Facebook, is expecting her first child soon and wanted to get some advice on what to register for. We were heading to BRU to check stuff out.

On Tuesday morning, my friend called to cancel. She had aggravated some previous sciatic nerve pain and could barely walk, so shopping was out.

Daddy Fuss was working from home Tuesday morning. We had all had rough nights the night before for varying reasons, so I skipped my walk. The Fuss was all over the place. She couldn't leave her daddy alone - it was sort of like "well, you're here - why aren't you playing with me?" so when my friend called, he politely asked me where we WERE going to go.

I called my sister-in-law and we went to lunch at the mall. Overall, the Fuss did very well, except for when she wanted more of the Chick-fil-A Peach Milkshake (yummy - really, really yummy) than I wanted to give her.

We ended up stopping at Sears and I caught a sale in the baby dept. I found the cutest little shortalls for her - (I had her wear them today and this was probably one of her cutest outfits ever. I wish I had a good picture of it, but I'm sure she'll be wearing it again in the future) and ended up buying her a cute onesie when her diaper leaked and I needed a change of clothes for her.

I finally got my 3-generation meet-up today. It was very nice. It made me think about all the years we've known each other. My mom and her friend have been friends for over 30 years. Her daughter and I have known each other all our lives. I think The Fuss might have her first crush on the oldest son of my friend. She trailed after him all afternoon and then she wouldn't stop hugging him. So cute. He's 2. And adorable. So is she, so maybe they would be a cute couple. (I am so kidding)

Baby Love (names, the room and the stuff)

We have 4 name pairs (first and middle names) picked out that both of us like. I’ve stuck with these pairs for awhile now, though the order of preference changes regularly. I remember doing that with my dog, as well, alternating the 2 names I’d chosen during the drive back from getting him. I’ve been trying them on for size, alternating each day. We are not sharing our choices IRL because of the opinions of our family (we have different tastes and offense is often taken when their advice isn’t) and we don’t want it getting back to them, so… I’ve shared with a couple of online communities, though I’m not sure if I’m ready to discuss it here. Part of me wants to as a record of everything in my pregnancy, part of me is constantly afraid of family members finding this blog, though I’ve done my best to hide my identity.

I have 4 names – each evoking a different feeling in my own mind – my Southern belle name, my Irish lass name, my sophisticated tomboy name and my classic lady name. I have nicknames picked out for 2, but for one, I think I prefer using the nickname more than the full name. In theory, I’m not sure how I feel about that. I did not learn my own full name for years – and was almost never called by it. I essentially had to switch schools (college) to get people to consistently call me by my full name instead of my childhood nickname. Even my husband and my in-laws refer to me by my childhood nickname, since they met me before college. Do I want to saddle my daughter with that? Of course 2 of my best friends (my childhood best friend and my current best girlfriend) actually prefer their younger-sounding nickname to their full name and even in their late twenties, they go by these names – who is to say my daughter won’t prefer that as well?

There is always one name (and it is consistently the same name) that is my 4th choice. I love the names in general, but it has always been more of my “fall-back” name. Like “well, if we can’t come up with something we like, this will do.” I’m thinking of bumping it to the background and replacing it with another option. I may have even found one, but I really only recently proposed it to Mr. Moose (and by that I mean this morning, via email though it’s been brought up before).

We registered over the weekend – it was long, a little stressful (as Saturday’s at Babies’R’Us tend to be very busy) and a lot of fun. Mr. Moose got burned out well before I did, but once he finally convinced me to stop and settle down, I realized how amazingly tired I was, too. I bought a sleeper that is very girly and yet incredibly practical. I will be an ideal “going home” outfit if I don’t find something else, but no matter what, I bought her the first girlie outfit. Maybe that’s silly – but it meant something to me.

I’m quite excited about the preparation of getting ready for baby. We began looking at the guest room/soon-to-be nursery over the weekend. I’m frustrated because we’ve been using the guest closet as a catch all for storage since we moved in – extra blankets/pillows/wrapping paper, games, trinkets, decorations that are too delicate to be left in our sweltering garage, etc. I have no place to put these things yet (obviously, some of them will be discarded in some way) and therefore I have no place to put the baby stuff, either. I’m ready to get organized and I can’t. I’m raring to go and get the space ready for the baby.

Strollers, Stress, and Struggles

It’s horrible to think this, but every once in awhile when my back starts to ache or get really tense, or I’m leaning over the toilet or my head is pounding every time I inhale – I’d better have a great baby.
I always thought being pregnant would be fun. I didn’t think gaining weight would matter to me, though I knew I likely wouldn’t feel sexy, etc. I didn’t think my self image would really make me unhappy, etc. I expected some morning sickness – but I used to get terrible bouts of motion sickness as a child and so early on learned to deal with throwing up and moving on, knowing that I would feel better when it was over. I never expected to not feel uncomfortable or even a little added pain and pressure. But I’m not even half way through this pregnancy, and I’m already aware that I’m really not liking being pregnant.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m grateful that I am able to have a baby at all. I know that there is nothing (so far) that I wouldn’t do again if I was promised a healthy baby in the end. But pregnancy fun? Uh uh.

I’ve also started to think about the end of this pregnancy more and more. I’m not dwelling on the “how” yet – though I’ve given some more thought to waiting a little longer to request my epidural, etc. even to see if I can get through the majority of contractions before getting it at all (I’m doubting it, but I might be willing to try – we’ll have to see). But I have to tell you that carrying this baby for 40 or more weeks on the off chance she/he arrives late scares the crap out of me. My sisters 3rd baby was late and in Sweden they don’t induce hardly at all no matter what. I always expected my pregnancies to go like my BFF K – both of her boys came early, but the more I think about it – the more I realize that that is an unrealistic expectation – I have no indication that my pregnancy will end early or any reason to believe it will.

My chest has grown again. One of my favorite bras has been mostly outgrown – it leaves it’s outline on my body when it is removed. Unfortunately, it’s my only black one, so I have to keep wearing it until I have both time and money to go replace it.

I’m struggling with whether or not I want to purchase a pregnancy pillow or not. I really want to, but they seem so expensive to me and I’m afraid that I’ll get it and end up not liking it enough, or something.

I picked out my stroller this weekend and I’m very excited. We haven’t yet purchased it, but I know which one I want and we are going to start budgeting for it. It’s a Graco, middle of the line travel system and I cannot wait to bring it home. I am so proud of myself for hanging in there and doing the research and trying it out, etc. and finally making a decision. Mr. Moose saw it online and agreed with my choice.

Random thoughts and my weekend.

I’ve been reading several other blogs for over a year now. Several topics came up this week that I would like to mention.

Julie at alittlepregnant had a terrible loss this week. I was amazed and awed at the outpouring of sympathy that was posted in the comments section. When I saw the post where she mentioned it, about a day after it was posted, there were over 800 posts of sympathy. I think it is beautiful that she has had such an impact on so many people over the years as she has chronicled her journey.

Arwen wrote a post about the changes to her preconceived notions and plans in parenting that didn’t really come to fruition. She talked about co-sleeping and long-term nursing and all the things she wrinkled her nose up at before her baby was born and how her thoughts have changed since the baby came. I must say that while I’m sure my thoughts will change in some aspects as I adjust to actually having a baby to deal with instead of just the theories of parenting, however, I’m totally disturbed by the concept of nursing a 3-year-old or having a preschooler still sleeping in the parents’ room every night. I imagine that not being able to be a stay at home mom will prevent/allow me to end nursing when I planned (or there abouts), since our baby will be used to a bottle at least part time (though I do plan to pump and use breast milk during that time in case you’re curious).

Maybe I will be posting in another 18 months or so how my opinions have changed and how I cannot imagine quitting right away or whatever, but I’m totally flabbergasted right now as to the whole concept of some of those issues.

On another subject: Over the weekend, my mom and I spent the better part of Saturday together getting pedicures (my toes look so pretty and my feet are so soft) and make-overs. I had forgotten how much I loved to wear make-up and how much prettier I feel wearing it. A little more than a year ago I purchased Bare Essentials make-up and I loved it, but I have to go across the bay to get more and I haven’t had the money or the effort to refill it lately. I bought some drugstore brand alternative that was okay, but didn’t cover very well and had basically gotten to the point where I just wasn’t putting in the effort any longer. Mom and I spent 2 hours at the Prescriptives counter with a lovely French-Canadian woman who did my make-up and made me look amazing.

I recall being told as a young teen when I first began wearing make-up that I was told that I belonged in warm colors and that eye shadows should be neutral (no blues or purples, etc.) in order to look natural and not like a hooker. This woman “colorprinted” me and actually said that my skintone was a little cooler than I always thought and actually put me in purple eye shadow. I resisted at first, but the base she put me in was so nice that I just let her do what she wanted. The effect was amazing. It was obviously a night-wear look – much more make-up than I would wear to the office, for example, but it was beautiful. Mom bought me the basics, including the eye makeup and I’ve been playing with it the rest of the weekend. It’s not as thick as she put it on, of course, but it still looks great and even Mr. Moose commented on how great I looked. I’m feeling like a new woman!

$$, Family and a messy kitchen

We really hit the jackpot for Christmas this year. With company holiday bonuses and family gifts, we got several hundred dollars to Home Depot (new floors!), Wal-mart cash, Target, Lowes, Publix (our local grocery store), and enough to buy me a basic sewing machine and Mr Moose a grill (I guess we’ll both get benefits from both of those, but I’ll do the majority of sewing, he’ll do the grilling, etc.). We’re trying to get the most out of each of these things and plan and be practical while also enjoying our small fortune.

Mr Moose picked up the grill yesterday while I was at work because the family were all coming by for burgers last night. I felt like I was being swarmed. They take forever to get there and then they just TAKE OVER. When I arrived home at 6-ish, my kitchen was clean. Mr Moose's Aunt and Uncle are staying with us, and his Aunt finished the few dishes that were left over from Christmas and she and Mr Moose cleared the counters, etc. Mr Moose had been very busy and the great room was more or less back in order, our new picture was in place on the wall over the couch, the grill was ready to go in the back and all was right with the world. By 8:00 this was not the case. By 8:00 there was no visible counter space in my kitchen, various bowls, mixers, knives and spoons were being employed to hold the veggie tray, multiple dips, etc. His family is obsessed with dips. Fruit dip, veggie dip, chip dip. I'm all for dips, but I'm more of the "buy the premade ones because they come with their very own nifty container" sort of girl. No bowls to scrape clean, no mixer wands to scrub. But they don't do it that way.

I went to bed at 10 after a mediocre burger and some high-in-onions (ewwwwww!) homemade potato salad. Too much chaos around me and I just wanted some peace. I dreamed about waking up to the chaotic kitchen and begging Mr Moose to get it cleaned up while I was at work. When he woke up this morning, I asked him how awful the kitchen looked. He said "spotless. They all pitched in and got it cleaned up last night." I was amazed. And relieved. I'm not a perfect housekeeper by any means, and we do sometimes for for a couple of days without cleaning the dishes, but that's 2 people, and a half dozen dishes, not my entire counter space and bowls of rejected dip, etc. I was thrilled to see a clean kitchen when I came out this morning.

Holiday shopping

I've been trying to do more online shopping this year after many articles on the personal finance blogs I read have talked about how hard it is to go shopping without buying something for yourself and thus, spending money you don't have and making it harder for those buying for you.
Anyway, I keep getting these catalogs. I get them at work and at home and in my email. I love catalogs. I love mail and I love shopping, so what's not to love about catalogs? We got a Popcorn Factory catalog with these great holiday gift baskets for all these yummy snacks. We're planning to order one for Mr Moose's former workplace since 2 of his best friends work there and they occasionally pass photo work his way. But I can't help it - I want one, too. I've always loved those things. Last year we got half a dozen of them at the office and I was SOOOO excited by this. I had never really gotten a professional edible treats basket before. I was shopping for my mother and found the most adorable jacket in Coldwater Creek... I was shopping for her online and fell in love with the Girlmore Girls themed t-shirts from Cafe Press, too. But. I. Can't. Buy. Stuff. For. Myself.

So what do I want to do about all these options?

I remember thinking that I was finally an adult the first year I was more excited about the gifts I was giving than the ones I was going to get. I think maybe I have regressed.

My grandmother and step-father are done and my gift for the in-law family gift exchange was ordered from Amazon last night. Now, what to do about my mother...