I need to blog!

Okay, so what? I have a baby and I think I can just leave my blog to rot? Sheesh. What a cop out. I'll get blogging soon.  I know you're dying to hear about Natalie's birth, so I'll get on it when I have a free moment...in between eating bon bons and getting facials.

Update

Well, I have a side-stitch that would rival any marathon runner's, so I figure I've done my part to be productive today. Trips to the Carmonas' house (to let Jackson out--this time, only #1 folks), the grocery store, back home to put away groceries and measure light in kitchen, Bed, Bath, & Beyond (for Natalie's room), and Home Depot (for the aforementioned fluorescent light), and then home again to put it all away (including installing the lightbulb) made me feel like I had earned my keep for another day.

Well, considering that I'm currently typing one-handed due to a rather large male feline on my lap, I'm off.

Justification

I'm nine months pregnant now, so I guess it's okay when I say that I intend to do a lot of things in one day, but then only do some of those things...right? That is to say, I've been somewhat productive in small bursts today, but have also sat on the couch watching DVR'd shows and "internetting" for several hours. I suppose that most people, upon having a watermelon tied to their abdomen (with no ability to remove it, of course), would be quite lazy, as well.  I even lack the motivation to shower or dress myself in anything other than the clothes in which I slept.

Okay, now that I've read that back, I feel the need to stop justifying my laziness and get some more crap done. Look out world: here I come.

Poop Patrol

Today, Judi requested that I go over to let Jackson, the Carmonas' adorable golden lab, out to pee.  I wanted to do one better than that, so I decided to take him

 for a walk. He's usually very good with me on the leash and we haven't had one of our buddy walks in a long while. It's a beautiful day, too. But while I still love my sweet "rental-dog", he sure did throw me for a loop today.

I let him out first to pee and/or poop and he just looked at me like, "So? Are we leaving?"  I supposed that he didn't have any 'business' to do, so I clipped on the leash and set out on our way.  As soon as we got all the way up the street (and I do mean UP in the literal sense of the word), he gave me that look.  You know the one.  There was no way to stop this act anymore than one could halt the waves in the ocean.  And let me tell you--it had to be at least three days' worth of 'business'.  

Oh Jackson.  

So this pregnant woman waddled her way back down to the Carmona homestead in search of plastic bags. There was NO way I'd leave that on a neighbor's lawn, no matter how far away they live.  We maneuvered our way back up to the house--by this time, I was panting and we'll say 'glowing'--so that I could pick it up. Amazingly the poop fairy hadn't come. Dang.  

To my credit, I didn't gag once, and luckily, there was a trash can nearby so that said 'business' didn't have to accompany us on our walk.  Perhaps this stint is just fate's way of getting me--the ultimate super prissy girly-girl--to acknowledge that I'll have to deal with so many more bodily fluids in the near future...

I hope he's happy.

Dinner with friends

We have been out to dinner twice this week with friends we haven't seen in a long time. It's SO nice to catch up, isn't it? Truly, I miss the laughter most. As we embark on our new journey with a child, we'll have to remember that these are important to fit in every once in awhile.

Quick Poll

Oops. I accidentally typed "would you'd rather" and meant to type "would you rather".  For the self-proclaimed grammar Nazi, it's even more frustrating that once someone votes, I can't edit the poll.  

Forgive me?

The Wonders of Womanhood, part VII

Lest I sound like a super-complainer, I've been trying to deal with the little (okay, rather large) symptoms I've been dealt during my last trimester. But alas, 'tis time to share again. If I get too whiny, please feel free to stop reading at any time. I do feel, however, that there is one person out there who will read my post and be able to commiserate and even be comforted by the idea that there is someone else in their particular boat.

Without further ado, here are some of the finer points of pregnancy, months 7-9:

Carpal tunnel

Oh joy. I was taken out of work and rather than sit around watching TV the entire time, I decided to become more productive. I've always wanted to learn how to crochet, so I bought some books and yarn, signed up for a class, and set out to achieve my goal. Little did I know that my blanket project (pre-class), which seemed much more difficult and painful on my hands, might scar me for life...or, at least for the remainder of my pregnancy (let's hope). 

When I arrived at Tall Mouse with my tightly stitched blanket and gnarled hands, my adorable British instructor, Brenda, informed me that I had been doing the most basic stitch--a slip stitch--the entire time. While this does result in a very tightly woven material, it is not kind on the hands at all. She gave me a quick tutorial on the varied crochet stitches I could use and got 

me started on a proper baby blanket, complete with pattern and everything! To the left, you'll see our cheeky girl-cat Cleo sleeping soundly in the crib on top of my blanket during the chair rail installation. Apparently, she is quite the Princess, too, and wanted us to be fully aware of that fact.

Well, being that my doctor had put me into a quasi-bed rest situation, I was a woman on a mission. If I couldn't do the dishes, clean the house, etc., by God I was going to finish this blanket in record time. I crocheted like a maniac, somewhat possessed by my newfound talent. Yes, there are some imperfections, but my first creation is wonderful and I'm incredibly proud. Of  course, once I finished (in record time, I might add), I began to feel some pain in my right hand. Now I'm a product of those swollen joints I had read about and scoffed at on the message boards: "Ha ha ha!" I would proclaim in my head triumphantly. "I may have cramping, frequent contractions, and fainting spells, but I'll never get this 'carpal tunnel' thing from which you suffer. Ha ha ha!" Famous last words. 

In fact, I was going to post more, but typing is one of those tasks that affects said joints. So I'll have to update you with more maladies later.