1. I'm sick (not too bad, but enough to be annoying), and I can't use any conventional medicines to fight this sore throat and head/chest cold.
2. The Motherhood Maternity pants with which I was so impressed initially really let me down. Now that I'm getting closer to fitting into them, I decided to wash them over the weekend so they'd be ready for me to wear. Wouldn't you know the damn things shrunk four inches, even though I washed them (almost exactly) according to instruction. I'm going to try calling customer service tomorrow to see what, if anything, they can do for me. And for what it's worth, the pant shrinkage was the straw that broke the camel's back and initiated my second hormonal meltdown, to date. After a night of poker with the guys, Brian came upstairs at 11 p.m. Saturday to find me still in my bartending uniform, sitting on the floor in the nursery, having yet to eat dinner, staring at all the furniture boxes and packing styrofoam, and sporting a Gene Simmons look, with mascara and eyeliner running down my face via tears onto my tux shirt. I managed the Alfred Angelo experience earlier in the day, the low blood sugar and the overwhelming amount of work to do in the nursery alright, until I found that my pants had shrunken so much they became unwearable. Then I couldn't control the sobs, although my rational mind really, really wanted me to get a grip.
3. Speaking of Alfred Angelo, they're ordering me a new dress. No, the non-maternity dress they sold me and assured me would work in June with free alterations did not cut it. It fit almost perfectly now (OK, the boob area was a *bit* snug; helloooo new VS bras, now you're coming in handy), and although it was a beautiful dress, it simply did not have the "give" or extra room to accommodate an eight-month pregnant woman. The girl helping us calmed me by informing me they switch dresses out for pregnant women all the time. She looked up the notes from the file and told me that they'll make the call when I come in for alterations: if the seamstress couldn't alter the dress to make it work, then they'd order me a new one. Then I clarified for this young woman ("Merry" was her name, believe it or not) that I would not seek alterations or a fitting until about two weeks before the wedding, as I will likely be gaining a pound or more a week at that point. Yeah, she didn't think that far ahead, and I was right in assuming two weeks was not enough time to get a new dress. A different young sales clerk gave us all a laugh a bit later, when she said "well, if this is all the bigger you are at five months, maybe you just won't get big, and this dress will fit perfectly for the June wedding." Really, that's what she said. My dear mother-in-law quickly assured the early-20-something sales person that no, she was sure I would get big, and this dress simply wouldn't do. Now I don't at all mean to sound discriminatory against young adults, as I'm sure my comments here and about the staff at Bar Bleu may make me seem. No, I'm not judgemental toward young people; I'm judgemental toward effing idiots (who jut happen to be young) who are supposed to know what they're doing better than you, the paying customer. So Alfred Angelo is sending the old dress back, and they ordered me the maternity dress, big-belly-darts and all. Oh, and for the cherry on top of the situation, the new store manager (the manager who promised me free alterations to make the dress work has since departed or been fired - all that was clear was that she's gone) had NO IDEA what maternity darts were or that the store offered a maternity dress. Gotta love it.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Nursery Theme
We've decided. The nursery theme is "enchanted forest." Perfect for a couple of rural Pennsylvanians who enjoy hiking, biking, boating and nature. Just ordered the bedding set yesterday, and I'm hoping the tree comes in this week. No, we're not using any of the goofy wall decals from the picture.
All the nursery furniture is now in place and ready for dressing and filling.
All the nursery furniture is now in place and ready for dressing and filling.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
The Name Game
We're making progress, although the original plan has been modified. Neither of us was a big fan of five names on the other's list, so we decided last night to pick just our top three. And then, since each of our favorite names didn't make the other's top three, we decided to add them back into the mix for consideration. So in total, we're looking at eight possible names. We are literally going to post them on the fridge and keep thinking about them over the next few weeks, maybe months.
The good news: neither of us outright hates any of the names on the list of eight.
Yes, there was one name that we both picked for our original lists (Barrett), but that name isn't a front-runner for either of us. And the most ironic part of this process is that each of our favorite names is actually the same name: Brian's is the traditional English version (Nicholas), and mine is the traditional Scottish version (Caelan). Unfortunately, they're too far apart to use one as a formal first name and the other as a nickname.
Further, a couple of disclaimers on the final list. There are a couple of names on there we both really, really like, but that unfortunately just may not work. Caleb is a favorite of both of ours, but we're concerned the "b" at the end of the first name and the "b" at the beginning of the last name may be too cumbersome to pronounce. And as for Colin, it's another top pick for both of us, but we recently found out it's also a favorite of my brother and sister-in-law, should they have a son down the road. So it's possible names may come off or go on this list of eight, but I think we have narrowed it down pretty well so far.
Personally, I'd like to narrow the list of eight down to two or three by July, so we have some options when we first meet the little guy. It sounds funny, but I have heard from a couple of moms who, after spending the first few hours with their newborns, absolutely knew what names were perfect and what names just wouldn't do.
So here are the lists, as refined last night (click the chart to enlarge):
The good news: neither of us outright hates any of the names on the list of eight.
Yes, there was one name that we both picked for our original lists (Barrett), but that name isn't a front-runner for either of us. And the most ironic part of this process is that each of our favorite names is actually the same name: Brian's is the traditional English version (Nicholas), and mine is the traditional Scottish version (Caelan). Unfortunately, they're too far apart to use one as a formal first name and the other as a nickname.
Further, a couple of disclaimers on the final list. There are a couple of names on there we both really, really like, but that unfortunately just may not work. Caleb is a favorite of both of ours, but we're concerned the "b" at the end of the first name and the "b" at the beginning of the last name may be too cumbersome to pronounce. And as for Colin, it's another top pick for both of us, but we recently found out it's also a favorite of my brother and sister-in-law, should they have a son down the road. So it's possible names may come off or go on this list of eight, but I think we have narrowed it down pretty well so far.
Personally, I'd like to narrow the list of eight down to two or three by July, so we have some options when we first meet the little guy. It sounds funny, but I have heard from a couple of moms who, after spending the first few hours with their newborns, absolutely knew what names were perfect and what names just wouldn't do.
So here are the lists, as refined last night (click the chart to enlarge):
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Random News of Note
1. Pregnancy Portraits: I know how impressive our snapshots every two weeks are, but for something a little more sophisticated, I scheduled a session for Sunday, June 7 with Scott Church. I'll be between 33 and 34 weeks then, which I understand is a perfect time for pictures. I'll be big, round and glowing, but not yet swollen, uncomfortable and desperate to avoid a camera. Sooo excited, and I hope we'll be able to make some images as pretty as this, this and this (warning: there's a tastefully exposed boob in the last one).
P.S., I'm confident a session with baby will follow shortly after his birth, to get gorgeous shots like this, this and this.
2. Yay for GREAT deals! Yesterday I ordered this glider/ottoman combo for HUNDREDS less than MSRP. I thought the deal was too good to be true until a few girls assured me the company from which I ordered was reputable and legit. Not sure how they can offer this Dutailier -- kind of the Mercedes Benz of gliders -- for 40 plus percent off the standard price, but I'll take it. It should arrive within the month.
3. New Pregnancy symtoms. One normal, one I've never heard of happening to anyone else. The normal one is round ligament pain, or sharp stabbing pains and aching cramps around my lower abdomen. The round ligaments surrounding my uterus are stretching and thickening to accommodate and support the growing womb. Not too, too painful, but they let you know they're there. The one that is perhaps not-so-normal is the sudden presence of pimples in my hairline. Just as my backne disappears completely, I start feeling new little bumps every time I wash my hair. Oh well, at least I'm not breaking out where people can see it.
4. A fall. This morning I took a tumble that scared me and reminded me that I have to be more aware of my movements at all times. I got out of bed, threw on my sweats and headed downstairs to release Hercules for breakfast. (yes, we lock the little bastard up at night, so he doesn't wake us and destroy things by knocking every single item on a surface above the floor, off onto the floor) As soon as my bare foot hit the first carpeted step down into the lower level, I slipped and bounced down the staircase on my butt. I didn't hurt anything other than my ass and my shoulder breaking my fall, but the fall shocked me enough to make me sprout tears. Oh, and it TERRIFIED Hercules, who I found cowering in the corner when I opened the door to his lair. My balance still seems to be in tact otherwise, so I think this may have been a random fluke where I was moving too fast and not paying attention. I promise to be more careful in the future.
P.S., I'm confident a session with baby will follow shortly after his birth, to get gorgeous shots like this, this and this.
2. Yay for GREAT deals! Yesterday I ordered this glider/ottoman combo for HUNDREDS less than MSRP. I thought the deal was too good to be true until a few girls assured me the company from which I ordered was reputable and legit. Not sure how they can offer this Dutailier -- kind of the Mercedes Benz of gliders -- for 40 plus percent off the standard price, but I'll take it. It should arrive within the month.3. New Pregnancy symtoms. One normal, one I've never heard of happening to anyone else. The normal one is round ligament pain, or sharp stabbing pains and aching cramps around my lower abdomen. The round ligaments surrounding my uterus are stretching and thickening to accommodate and support the growing womb. Not too, too painful, but they let you know they're there. The one that is perhaps not-so-normal is the sudden presence of pimples in my hairline. Just as my backne disappears completely, I start feeling new little bumps every time I wash my hair. Oh well, at least I'm not breaking out where people can see it.
4. A fall. This morning I took a tumble that scared me and reminded me that I have to be more aware of my movements at all times. I got out of bed, threw on my sweats and headed downstairs to release Hercules for breakfast. (yes, we lock the little bastard up at night, so he doesn't wake us and destroy things by knocking every single item on a surface above the floor, off onto the floor) As soon as my bare foot hit the first carpeted step down into the lower level, I slipped and bounced down the staircase on my butt. I didn't hurt anything other than my ass and my shoulder breaking my fall, but the fall shocked me enough to make me sprout tears. Oh, and it TERRIFIED Hercules, who I found cowering in the corner when I opened the door to his lair. My balance still seems to be in tact otherwise, so I think this may have been a random fluke where I was moving too fast and not paying attention. I promise to be more careful in the future.
Halfway -- Woohoo!
20 weeks.
It's amazing how fast the first half of a pregnancy can go when you don't know you're pregnant until two months in!
Monday, March 2, 2009
How cool is this?
So I stumbled upon this picture last week (This is the nursery us+1 from The Bump is planning for baby lullabelle), and I fell in love with the concept. Since most of the bedding sets and themes we're considering are nature-related in some way, I think we're going to build our nursery around a tree!
Just ordered this decal online, and I can't wait to get it, get the furniture and set it all in the room! The tree is 78 inches tall, so it will reach almost all the way to the ceiling. And since it's a little off-center, I want to have the tree kind of hanging over the crib on the one big solid wall in the nursery.LOVE this.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
A weekend full of baby
Diaper consultation, creating the baby registry and clearing the furniture out of the nursery all went smoothly. Exhausting, but smooth.
Only major news from the weekend's activities is a lesson I was none-too-pleased to learn: baby clothes are really, really, outrageously expensive. Granted, I'm cheap, but there's no way I can justify spending $35 to $40 per outfit, especially when each outfit may fit the kid for three months. The little man clothes are undeniably cute, but if I won't pay more than $20 for a pair of jeans for myself (which I will wear year after year), there's no way in hell I'm going to spend $25 on a polo shirt and cargo shorts that might be worn four times.
My mom was generous and splurged on an outfit we hope to use as a homecoming jumper(it's really, really adorable, and the blue Nike booties Lauren and Jeff got us coordinate with it perfectly), but I don't envision many similar splurges in the future.
Special thanks to Lynn and Jess, who pointed out the baby clothes outlets in Hershey, where cute clothes can be found for MUCH cheaper.
And after all, this baby is going to be born in the dead of summer, right? Am I a horrible mother for thinking a 99-cent onesie and a blanket will suffice in the summer heat? Sure he'll need a cute outfit every now and then, but simple basics aren't beneath me for the everyday.
In other news, this week we hope to have my brother over to wire an overhead light/ceiling fan in the nursery, then steam clean the carpets before we pick up the furniture this coming weekend.
Only major news from the weekend's activities is a lesson I was none-too-pleased to learn: baby clothes are really, really, outrageously expensive. Granted, I'm cheap, but there's no way I can justify spending $35 to $40 per outfit, especially when each outfit may fit the kid for three months. The little man clothes are undeniably cute, but if I won't pay more than $20 for a pair of jeans for myself (which I will wear year after year), there's no way in hell I'm going to spend $25 on a polo shirt and cargo shorts that might be worn four times.
My mom was generous and splurged on an outfit we hope to use as a homecoming jumper(it's really, really adorable, and the blue Nike booties Lauren and Jeff got us coordinate with it perfectly), but I don't envision many similar splurges in the future.
Special thanks to Lynn and Jess, who pointed out the baby clothes outlets in Hershey, where cute clothes can be found for MUCH cheaper.
And after all, this baby is going to be born in the dead of summer, right? Am I a horrible mother for thinking a 99-cent onesie and a blanket will suffice in the summer heat? Sure he'll need a cute outfit every now and then, but simple basics aren't beneath me for the everyday.
In other news, this week we hope to have my brother over to wire an overhead light/ceiling fan in the nursery, then steam clean the carpets before we pick up the furniture this coming weekend.
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