Slowing down... sort of

I know it's been a while since I posted. I think I'm slowing down in pretty much every way. Ironically I spend all day long staring a my computer screen, often looking for things to do. I have been getting caught up in various projects, though, doing a lot of research on baby, and a little bit of shopping. Since this post could get pretty boring pretty fast, here's a briefing (although, you know that I'm not exactly brief once I get going - I bolded the topics of each section) of what's been going on with us lately:

- Finally finished our registries at Target and Babies"R"Us. I think I probably removed and added several hundred things, literally, over the course of the two months or so since that frightful day we began registering in-store a couple months ago. Had to get it done because...

- Saturday our awesome church community group leaders, Tom and Angie, are going to throw us a housewarming party/baby shower! We decided to do something co-ed since we wanted to have both anyhow, so the women can hang out and ooh and ahh over any gifts that are given and the guys can sit back and have a beer or glass of wine and talk about guy stuff. Most of them are graphic designers so they'll probably talk about designy things. They're not exactly the football and car lovin' kind of guys, which I don't mind - makes life easier for me! This was also the last weekend we could have it until January, at which point baby may be in the picture. We initially thought not many people could come because they'd all be out of town, but realized that those that are in town are going to be starved for friends and family, so as of now we've got about 20 who say they're coming, with more stragglers, I'm sure.

- Aside from the one here in New York, our moms are doing some creative showering for us. Jason's mom is having their church home group over to ooh and ahh over gifts and then wrap them up and send to us to open. And after the holidays when we'll both have cameras on our computers, my mom is having a virtual shower for us. She'll be mailing us gifts ahead of time, have my friends and family over there, and we'll be able to open our gifts online with everyone watching! This Thanksgiving I'm thankful for creative, incredibly thoughtful and giving moms and friends who are making us feel surrounded by love, even from afar!

- Thanksgiving will also be a day surrounded by friends for us. We're having four people over, though I can see a few being added to that number. Thankfully we're in a place with a decent sized living room at this point, and we have a table now! I think we'll have enough food to feed at least a dozen, and though I eat a lot nowadays, I get full very quickly with my diminished (thanks to baby growing into it, and often giving it a lovely kick) stomach size. Ironically this may be our last Thanksgiving in the city for a while, and it's sad that we can't go to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, but with my also shrinking bladder (which was too small to begin with) and the fact that I can't be on my feet for more than 30 minutes or so - an hour at the most, at which point I tend to be in much pain - I think the parade would be one of the more miserable holiday options this year. However, it's a possibility I might be into seeing the balloons inflated the night before, if there's a place for me to sit and watch and perhaps a good restaurant nearby - the Upper West Side has a few good hole-in-the-walls.

- Oh, and as far as my pregnancy goes? I have no more placenta previa (yay!) and as of a November 14th when I went in for my final ultrasound, the baby was 3 lbs, 11 oz. With gaining 1/2 lb. a week until the birth, we're looking at an 8-9 lb kid! I'm a bit freaked out by that, but the doctor pointed out that I'm not a small person so my baby's not going to be too small, either. Dangit. We were also hoping for a last, really good 3D ultrasound. Unfortunately baby had it's hand up by it's face, and it's face pressed against the placenta, the stubborn little sucker. I don't think she was that good of an ultrasound tech, though, because she only got two semi-profile shots and they weren't that good - not even worth posting here, honestly, because some of the earlier ones were much better. I'm also getting much more sore and tired much more easily. Back and hips these days? Not feeling so good. Sleep? I go to bed hoping for 11-12 hours and end up getting maybe 7 or 8, since generally there's a period or two where I lie awake for an hour or 2, too tired to get up but too awake to sleep. But, now that I've told them, I can finally make public that...

- I've got less than four weeks of being in the workforce, indefinitely! I've wanted for so long to be a stay-at-home-mom, and now my dream's about to come true! I had to tell my boss a couple weeks ago when they were figuring out Christmas week vacations, because December 19th is my last day. Jason gets almost all of Christmas and New Years weeks off, other than possibly having to work Friday, January 2nd, though that may not even happen. It will probably be the last 2 weeks of our foreseeable futures that we get to spend entirely alone, or at least with no worries about how kids are doing back home or with grandma and grandpa. Dave will be moving out next Monday and so we'll probably spend some time getting baby's room ready. Which reminds me (last thing, I promise)...

- We're finally making some headway into buying baby gear. We bought our stroller on eBay for over $100 less than at Babies"R"Us - brand new and it literally came overnight. We had to go with a Maclaren because everyone says it is THE brand to own in NYC (light and thin and easier to carry than most all the other ones, and, like I've said, we live on the 3rd floor and have a good 3-story walk up to the subway at our stop), and this is the only of the brand that works from birth on up. We've bought bedding and I have purchased a few swaddlers and clothing items, just in case baby comes early. Jason's family is also graciously gifting baby with it's crib and mattress. Super thankful for that, and for little things my mom has sent along the way. Baby will be so loved!

Things are coming together

This weekend we finally met with the doula I'd been hoping to hire. Her name is Danelle Brown and I'm so excited to have chosen her! She's a designer, specializing in green living, but has recently become certified with DONA. She seems very knowledgeable and will be a warrior (self-described, before I even told her that was something I really desired!) in the hospital for me when anyone tries to come at me with any drugs or convince me that something is "for the good of the baby" when, in actuality, it's better for the hospital and staff. She did actually read up on NYU and found that they have pretty good (meaning less) c-section rates. Jason feels comfortable with her, as well, which is just as vital, since I want him to be as much a part of this as can be (meaning he'll be feeling the pain... as I throw angry words and anything within reach at him! No, hopefully Danelle can help keep me under control and play defense if need be:)). Another great thing is she lives only about eight blocks away from us (how crazy is that in a city this big?!) and will be bringing by books and DVDs (including Orgasmic Birth, crazy name, I know, but I've been wanting to see it), and she can get to me fast when I actually go into labour (or, should I say, when contractions get to be around eight minutes apart - the first part of labour can go a loooong time and we all agree it would be really great just to have the two of us, Jason and I, for the first part). She will try to bring a back-up for our next meeting this weekend, just in case, and we'll be putting together our birth plan and knocking out more logistics, etc.

I've decided I'm pretty much done with my registries at Target and Babies"R"Us. There's probably more that can be done, but I'll just be fine-tuning things from here on out.

I've been feeling a little down because I don't know if I'll be having a baby shower. Self-pity is so unflattering, but being pregnant, I'm feeling like the center of the world these days (as most pregnant women can attest to feeling). Some of the people in our church community group may throw one for us, but time is quickly running out with the holidays at hand, so Jason and I may just have a house-warming/crib-warming party in the coming weeks. As of right now we have 3 things for baby: a bed set, a diaper bag my friend Mae sent and a pair of booties my mom sent. So if baby comes today we can wrap it in the bed set, put booties on its feet, and carry it home in the diaper bag. :) I did notice Babies"R"Us is having a sale tomorrow, so hopefully I can knock some stuff off the list. We're also praying that Dave finds a new apartment soon so that we don't have to kick him out (he's working crazy long hours for overtime and I know he doesn't want to burden and will probably be out before we even ask, such a sweet man!) and can get the baby's room ready during Christmas week.

One bright spot is that my best girlfriend Kelsye may make it out in February!!! I don't know when any of the moms will be able to come, which breaks my heart a bit (but they've all got so much going on in their lives and very valid reasons for not being able to make it right away). But to have Kelsye make it would be so beautiful. She'll get to be one of the first of people we've known for more than two-and-a-half years to see our little lanky, pasty white babe.

Neil's the Man!

My best girlfriend Kelsye knows I love Neil Diamond. Lord knows how I tortured her on my 16th birthday when she spent the night, I put his admittedly bad remake of Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen on repeat, and went off to get ready for the day, leaving her with the song for, I don't know, a good hour. Of all the things I've done to her, that may be one of the few she'll never forgive me for! So now it's become sort of a thing that she teases me about, but I know she finds it endearing. This weekend I received for my birthday from her an original Japanese poster from Neil's only starring role in a movie, The Jazz Singer. Probably one of the most creative birthday gifts ever!



So now we've decided to start up a "rock and roll" kitchen again, like we had when living in Seattle. That one was plastered with posters, particularly since Jason worked at Tooth and Nail and we had easy access to all we wanted. This one will be more upscale. I'm off to buy a poster frame right now!

Knock-knock!

My new favorite thing to do at the end of a long, stressful day, is to lay half on my back with my shirt pulled up and my feet up on the ottoman and play knock-knock with Baby P. In the last week he (I mainly say "he" just because it's easier and I still have a strong feeling, as do most of my friends, that it's a boy) has been very, very active. After last week's doctor visit (I'm up to seeing him every two weeks now!) and getting the quick ultrasound, I know that the head is down and angled towards my right side and he's got his legs crossed so his feet are up by my ribs/stomach these days. That means I can poke him around where his knees or feet are, or his head (although I feel like I'm pushing in his face), and get a reaction. I can almost hear a whiny voice saying "Mooooom, stop poking me!". The weirdest thing is when I my whole belly shifts as he rolls over, or does something to that effect. And this morning when I woke up my belly was noticeably bulging on the right side over the left. He's definitely found my ribs so I do my best to shake my belly around and get him to shift, but generally it doesn't work but get him more active, kicking up a storm. I find it mostly amusing, though. He also gets hiccups which is funny. In fact, I think he's got some right now... or else he's responding to the peanut butter and chocolate ice cream I just ate.

And apparently I'm looking pretty small. I'd much prefer that over looking as though I'm ready to pop! I'm just at six-and-a-half months and some people can't believe that. The big boss of our company, on leaving last night, commented that I must be eating healthy because I look really good (I myself was expecting to blow up like a balloon or at least get a fat face, which hasn't happened yet, thanks be to God!). I started laughing at that; everyone else that walks by and sees my eating habits knows what a joke that is!

Fall festivities!

Last weekend was Halloween and my birthday. Two parties in one weekend - unheard of these days for me! (And, for more photos of the event, including some of the Apostles Church women's retreat in the Poconos, click here.)

Friday night for Halloween we took the train with our friend Julie , whose husband Chris is out with his band on tour for a month, down to Bushwick in Brooklyn for a party with several of our church peeps. Julie was up for two nights working on her peacock costume, and I finally decided to go as a pregnant cat (painted the nipples and sewed them onto the top and painted the mask myself), while Jason went as the cat burgler who burgled me... get it? We had a great time (gooood food) and the costumes were a hit! I made it almost to 11:30PM before we called a car back to Astoria, and was wiped the following morning.






On my birthday Jason took me to an awesome brunch at what will likely become one of our constant haunts in Astoria, Sparrow, before I went and watched some of my shows I'd needed to catch up on and then crashed until it was time to head out. He'd managed to keep it a secret, though I was pretty sure he'd take me out to have tapas (my favorite food!) and sure enough, he took me to Pipa in the Flatiron district, where we met up with some friends.







I hadn't been expecting anything from Jason, as we're finally getting iPhones next week (our contract with Verizon is about to expire and our old phones are hanging by a thread, as is). Marilyn, an amazing artist whose been showing quite a bit around town and whose work I'd been wanting to purchase for a while, brought with her a large painting and mentioned she had a show up the street. "Oh, so you're taking that over tonight" I said, knowing that she wouldn't couldn't possibly gift me with such a large piece (and she'd already given me a couple awesome books). After running to the bathroom Jason was standing up saying "happy birthday!". I looked at him quite confused as he pointed across the table (I wasn't wearing my glasses so it was hard to see) and finally after much explanation (I'm a bit of an airhead these days!) I learned the piece that had been unveiled was his big gift to me! (FYI I wanted to steal a shot of it from Marilyn's website, but if you visit it here you can see it's the 2nd one down on the "Painting" page, titled "Field", and now hangs quite happily in our bedroom, on the wall I didn't know what to do with!

So far 30 is great. I had been anxious to get out of my 20s - the first many years of it were full of immaturity and uncertainty and I look back on with embarassment. The last few were when I'd met the love of my life (going on 5 years ago - we met when I was 25 and now I'm 30!) and married the man, and have held many struggles and pains (particularly physical on my part). Now we start a family together and I'm so anxious to see what the next decade brings!