head down? ...bottoms up!

I went to the doctor on Monday and he confirmed what all the baby books and information sites have been saying: she's head down now and will (should) remain that way until delivery.

Ouch. Six more weeks of being upside down? No wonder they're so freaking cranky when they first come out. Just thinking about being upside down and moving around and tossed from side to side is enough to make me want to throw up.

Zuma?

Gwen Stefani had her baby! It was a boy, and she named him Zuma Nesta Rock... and I get a lot of flack for naming my baby Story. Sheesh. Actually, I think the name they picked out is pretty cool, but maaaybe slightly pretentious? I mean, we're talking about a lady who wears her name on her belt buckle. (It's true, I've seen it.) **Update from People.com: "Zuma's second middle name, Rock, might be a nod to Rock Steady, the third studio album from Stefani's band No Doubt. Rock Steady was primarily recorded in Jamaica and featured a reggae-heavy sound, rounding out the Bob Marley love for the musical clan." She named her son after one of her albums. Jeebus...

Not that I think celebrity "news" needs anymore attention or is necessarily blog-worthy, but it is really interesting, since I've been pregnant and especially during the first few months, how annoyed I get when another celebrity releases the "news" that they are pregnant. I get jealous! I'm like, "Ah, yah, I'm pregnant too. I was pregnant first! Look at me, not Ashlee Simpson!" It feels like they are stealing my thunder. Minnie Driver said that she was pregnant days after me and I literally read the article thinking. "Join the club, like it's even big news now. Didn't you hear? I told everyone last week. Sorry toots."

However, now that I'm closer to my due date, it feels more like a buddy of mine just had their baby and I get kinda proud of them. Gwen, for example, we've been "pregnancy buddies" for months now and instead of getting jealous of her attention, I'm like, "Way to go! That must mean I'm next!"

Now we'll just have to see whose baby is cuter...

A little taste...

I was on vacation this past week. It was what the news channels are all calling "staycations." And while staycations are more in response to the rising gas prices, my staycation involved staying at home and experiencing a little taste of what it might be like to be a stay at home mom. With me being in the home stretch of my pregnancy, I had some things to wrap up around the house before she gets here. Here was my to-do list for the week:

-Paint Story's letters for her room

-Go to Bed, Bath & Beyond to see if they have something for our silverware

-Barnes & Noble to buy a journal and write thank you cards

-Write and send thank you cards

-Knitting shop in Edwardsville (I want to learnt to knit!)

-Give Tucker a bath

-Hang pictures in Story's room

I completed all of those things! And while being a stay at home mom, that list will probably have more "laundry" or "grocery shopping" items, it was still nice to have a full list and complete all of those things before 4pm on Friday.

I also got a little taste of how lonely it will be. By Thursday, I was bored. Skip would be out late on Thursday, so I was by myself all day until about 9pm without anyone to really call or hang out with. I guess when I stay at home, I can join mom's groups? But those sound really lame and depressing. This week I had the option of maybe going out for lunch or going to a matinee, which is always fun, but when Story is here and we're on one income, I won't really have that option anymore. 

So I'm a little nervous about staying at home. What makes it easier is that I'm not super crazy about my job, and I won't miss it so it's not like I'm really sacrificing a career that I love. But I will miss being around people that can use the bathroom themselves and won't need three changes of clothes a day and it doesn't affect me if they get diarrhea.

A boy and his dog.

Recently I've noticed that without my knowing, Tucker and Skip have become best friends. More often than not, I go to bed at least an hour or so before Skip does, and I started noticing that if Skip doesn't come upstairs to bed with me, then Tucker stays downstairs with him and looks at me like I'm crazy when I say to him, "Come on buddy, time for bed." Clearly, staying downstairs while Skip watches TV or plays video games with lights on is way more fun than being upstairs with me, not lying on the bed, and laying there in the dark in silence. It makes sense, after all, since Tucker spends a very good chunk of his day lying on his doggie bed with no one at home.

What's even funnier about their best bud-ness is how, after my and Tucker's morning routine of letting him outside and eating breakfast, he wants to go back upstairs immediately to see if Skip is awake. After breakfast, Tucker waits at the door to our bedroom, maybe even poking the knob with his nose, for me to open it up so he can bolt upstairs and see if his buddy is up yet and if he maybe wants to pet him a little bit. Since Tucker always beats me upstairs, I can tell by watching him if Skip is up yet. Tucker gets to the top of the stairs, looks over to the bed, and if Skip is awake, he puts his ears and head down in excitement and wags his tail so hard his butt shakes and prances right over to him to get some pets . If he's still asleep, Tucker just kind of walks back over to his corner with his blanket and goes back to sleep.

It should be noted that Skip always pets Tucker, and pets him good and for a good length of time, regardless of what he's wearing, so that he usually ends up covered in Tucker hair. I, on the other hand, don't pet him as much if I'm about to leave for work or don't feel like dusting myself off afterwards. Tucker must have noticed...

Skip asked me the other day, "If we have another girl, can we at least keep getting boy dogs?"

shopping.

Here's one awesome thing about being pregnant: the urge and pressure to buy new clothes is pretty much gone. The fact that, when I walk into the Gap or any other clothing store, I feel no pressure to buy the latest trends is a pretty refreshing thing. Considering that, for the last 26 years, I've definitely felt that pressure, either with the need to fit in with my friends, or the urge to just look trendy or nice. Not to mention it's almost always reminded me of how broke I am.

Now that I can't wear those clothes, I feel no pressure! Throw all of your cute t-shirts and sweaters and jeans and dresses at me, I'm totally capable of ignoring them and feeling fine about it!

This also is partly replaced by the fact that I've been basically forced into buying maternity clothes. I'm terrible at shopping, I hate spending money and I hate all the options. But now that I literally can't fit into anything except maybe a few t-shirts, the guilt of spending money is gone because I really do need that shirt! I have no pants that fit, I need some new ones! I've never bought so many clothes, but I still don't really have that many maternity items.

It's nice to be forced, while at the same time it's equally nice to feel no pressure. ...makes sense.

It's August!

Agh!! I think the countdown officially begins now. I am 30 weeks pregnant, with 10 more (hopefully) to go. August also marks the beginning of the scramble to finish all the baby projects we have going on. Stories from moms who had their babies 2, 3 or even 5 weeks early are, at this point, absolutely terrifying to me. We have a mattress and a crib. The crib is still in its box, unopened and certainly not put together. So, if she comes anytime soon she'll have a place to sleep, but nothing else. Oh well, at least she won't be sleeping in a dresser drawer.

I also have three baby showers and my birthing class this month, and I begin going to the doctor every 2 weeks instead of once a month. My back hurts, I'm tired, and my maternity clothes are starting to fit a little bit tighter.

Welcome to the last trimester.