Baby Poll

I added a poll in the right menu bar - we're getting close to our mid-point ultrasound, got any guesses?

Suzy Homemaker Weekend

Because hormones are like crack, only free!

So now that you've been properly prepped by the article in my previous post, you know that 1. this was instinctual, 2. I was powerless to stop it, and 3. suffice it to say I've already been properly chastised by both my mother and husband for the heavy furniture part. And it will all probably continue to get worse as January approaches!

I had no $$ to start removing wallpaper, painting walls, or buying furniture for the nursery. I had plenty of other house projects that needed attention - i.e. the dumping ground that is my craft room, but it's hot up there in the summer and this weekend was wretched humid. I could have vacuumed, dusted, or any of the other "daily" tasks I prefer to do semi-annually, but for some reason, I ABSOLUTELY HAD TO rearrange all of our bedroom furniture.

Remember, it's not my fault. I am but a slave to the hormones. But if we were in court, it would be noted that I carefully waited until AFTER my husband left to start throwing dressers and mattresses around. Several times. So yeah, I probably knew I shouldn't be exerting myself in such ways, but nothing hurt and I employed the few physics lessons I learned in Howie Shuckhart's class to rely on leverage and minimize drag, so all is well. And I actually really like the new arrangement! I was also happy to finally vacuum around the bed and under the dressers (it had been way too long, and apparently my dog sheds like...a dog. Seriously, I probably could have soaked up all of the BP oil had I swept and vacuumed this stuff up sooner. Oops).

As part of the swap I pulled in a smaller dresser from the "nursery" and moved my larger surface dresser over to be the changing table.

Then I decided to dig out my drill/screwdriver and take the brackets off the back of the dresser that formerly held a mirror we no longer use.

Since the tools were already out, I figured it was a good time to remove all of the switch plate covers in the nursery before we start stripping wallpaper and painting.

In the tool bin were a bunch of nails, including one that looked like it would work to fix the metal strip between our linoleum and wood floors when entering the kitchen, so I pounded that in while it was on my mind.

Then I laid down for a while, because damn it was hot out and other than this strange burst of energy I've basically been lethargic and weak for 3 months, so flopping on the bed has become my natural state. And while I was doing so, I looked up at the ceiling fan and decided to finally remove the light that had burnt out months ago and needed to be replaced. It's currently in a baggie with the strange lightbulb from the kitchen nook, the dial I broke off the vent fan in the kitchen, and a switch plate cover I need to match if I ever get to the hardware store.

Then I laid back down. To rest, and cool off, and relax.

And I got my first flutter!

Clearly the little baked potato was congratulating me on my hard work. Or possibly pissed at my efforts and their related contortions & straining (seriously, moving my 100 lb. pillow top mattress is like fighting with a ton of jello. No form, lots of bulk. It's a battle of wills).

Anyways, there was a flutter! It was a quick little 1-2-3 which I like to believe was either a right-left-right sparring move, or an uptempo version of the clap along to "We Will Rock You".

And I have felt nothing since. Sigh. Well, it's still early, and perfectly normal for the first few movements to be widely spaced and random. So "they" say. Clearly a BBQ chicken pizza was in order to celebrate.

Next day - energy burst subsided? Not quite.

Since it was the HOTTEST DAY OF THE YEAR, it seemed a good time to make a roast (?!?). So I invited my mom over to show me how it's done.

In preparation I washed the stove and put the burner rings in the dishwasher. The sun was shining in the windows...highlighting all of the crap on the floor. So I swept and vacuumed the kitchen, wiped down the microwave and all the counters, and scrubbed the sink.

I washed all of our organic produce, peeled and sliced carrots, onions, and potatoes, and flung it all in the oven. My first roast:



It was AMAZING! I even ate a carrot (I am NOT a veggie person) just for the tiny one's benefit. And we sat down at THE TABLE, which I had CLEARED OFF, rather than our usual routine of collapsing in front of the TV.

It was a surreal experience.

To balance out all of my domestic achievements, I was in clear need of some debauchery. Since pregnant ladies generally get all dis-included from such revelry, I compensated by catching up on True Blood, Being Human, and MadMen. While eating store bought chocolate brownies. Can't go setting the bar too high now, can we? :)

Before I tell you about my weekend, read this:

Nesting Instinct,
from Pregnancy Weekly

Around the fifth month of pregnancy, the "nesting" instinct can set in. This is an uncontrollable urge to clean one's house brought on by a desire to prepare a nest for the new baby, to tie up loose ends of old projects and to organize your world.


Females of the animal kingdom are all equipped with this same need. It is a primal instinct. Just as you see birds making their nests, mothers-to-be do exactly the same thing. The act of nesting puts you in control and gives a sense of accomplishment toward birth. You may become a homebody and want to retreat into the comfort of home and familiar company, like a brooding hen. The nesting urge can also be seen as a sign of the onset of labor when it occurs close to 40 weeks of pregnancy.

Nesting brings about some unique and seemingly irrational behaviors in pregnant women and all of them experience it differently. Women have reported throwing away perfectly good sheets and towels because they felt the strong need to have "brand new, clean" sheets and towels in their home. They have also reported doing things like taking apart the knobs on kitchen cupboards, just so they could disinfect the screws attached to the knobs. Women have discussed taking on cleaning their entire house, armed with a toothbrush. There seems to be no end to the lengths a nesting mother will go to prepare for her upcoming arrival.

This unusual burst of energy is responsible for women ironing anything in the house that couldn't out run them. Being preoccupied with ant killing, squishing them one at a time for weeks on end. Packing and unpacking the labor bag 50 times. Cleaning the kitchen cupboards and organizing everything by size to the point that you make sure the silverware patterns match when it's stacked in the cutlery drawer. Sorting the baby's clothes over and over again is a favorite theme. Taking them out of the drawers and re-folding them, putting them away and doing it over and over again. Nesting will provide interesting stories for years to come.

Heather's Mailbag: Knocked Up Edition

I've received several ADORABLE cards from friends and family since word got out, and I'm loving them all. I'm a sucker for mail to begin with, but I also just love cards - the sentiments, the images, the fancy papers...Seriously, they surround me at work so when I'm puking in my garbage can I can remember "hey, this is fun, remember?!?" Yesterday I received this one from my mom's close friend and my childhood neighbor:



Yep, that about sums it up. Thank you everyone for all your love and mail! I've already scanned most of them for the babybook :)

NOLA Costume Ideas: BP Oil Spill

This will no doubt be a huge costume craze this Halloween, but it is particularly fitting for our 2010 theme as the latest disaster to ravage New Orleans. Basically you can take any number of costumes up a level with some black paint, vinyl, or even sequins (please don't use actual oil...if you think I'll let you in my house and on my furniture). Political costumes, regardless of which side of the issue you are really on, are always attention grabbers.

The Coney Island Mermaid Parade, as predicted, had quite a few anti-BP and oil-spill-related entries, such as:


(my photo...see more of this group here)


Paint for oil - might still rub off (not on my couch please!) but at least it's dry...


These marchers used REAL oil - no wonder she looks so sad. That has to feel NASTY. Also, you'd have to party on my front porch, because that crap doesn't come out of rugs, upholstery, or carpet.

To be much safer, how about a less transferable form of "oil?" I'm thinking some shiny black vinyl would be great (I'm more into the idea than realism...I know it looks brown, but that's less identifiable. Remember that Halloween is more about the caricature than the actual character). You can buy it in most fabric stores, especially around Halloween - think of what you'd make a Cat Woman costume out of:



One caveat: I can tell you from experience, vinyl gets hot. And don't forget what you learned from Ross' leather pants. You've been warned.

So to recap - tons of possibilities to take a mermaid, sailor, beachcomber, sea turtle, shrimp, lobster, crab, or other gulf resident and dip them in oil (not the tasty frying kind).

You could also just "be" the oil spill en masse - how about starting with a flouncy vinyl dress:

(source), then add a couple of these "seaweed" boas:

(source)

Tie on a few oil-spattered plastic fish and birds, and you're good to go. Maybe throw in some mardi gras beads, "beach closed" signs, shrimp trollers, and BP logos in the swirling muck.

Here's a homemade commentary on the Exxon Valdez oil spill you could easily update:

(found it here)

Consider replacing the ship "hat" with an oil derrick "hat" and you can still slap some dying sea life all over your shirt and call it a costume. Plus for some reason I think Oil Derricks are kind of cool looking, like a redneck Eiffel tower. And the possibilities for the "eruption" at the top with lots of beads or something else signifying droplets falling are way fun.

Even the commercial costume shops are jumping on the bandwagon, here's the "Bad Planning" costume from AnytimeCostumes:



Additional BP Twists: BP Businessman (or woman) in a suit with BP logo, with blood on his hands, or money coming out of his ears, or devil horns & tail...Sarah Palin (DRILL BABY DRILL!) with a strategically placed oil derrick...clean up worker in a haz-mat suit and respirator...

(source) Don't forget about taking the iconic Uncle Sam or Lady Liberty and smearing them in oil or strangling them with gas pumps.

Happy Haunting

A Little Touchy...

I am not a "touchy feely" person. I am not a hugger. I believe firmly in the concept of personal space. That whole cliche "Mom, he's touching me!" cry from the backseat of the family car was something I uttered until I was about 16. This has only been amplified since my sense of smell went radioactive and my hormone levels have surged to nearly uncontrollable levels.

I am definitely NOT the kind of pregnant woman who welcomes belly grabbers.

In fact, other than dear sweet Alison, who asks so sweetly you can't bear to tell her no, I'm surprised anyone even tries to rub my bump. Especially people who know me.

But after our first larger family gathering since the establishment of said bump occurred this weekend, it is clear that I have a bump-grabbing family. Action must be taken. Short of slapping hands or installing a joy buzzer, here are some of the other options I've found:


$25, babybubbleclothing

I appreciate the snark, but it could backfire as people step up to actually read the message. Maybe something with a bigger graphic?



$20, mamamonkey

Hmmm, that might not be direct enough. How about:



$26, JellybeanApparel

But then, do I really need to be so polite?


$30.99, TeeWit

Now that is MUCH more of my sentiment...unfortunately, I've never been a fan of CafePress quality, and the price is a bit extreme for what essentially is an iron on.

Perhaps I'll have to actually do my own crafting? Can I still do that? It's been so long...I wonder if I could justtify buying a Yudu for the sole purpose of making one t-shirt? :)

Bucket List #30: Give a Surprise Party

I really more "assisted" here, but I'm counting it. Remember my BFF Al, who helped hubby pull off MY 30th b-day surprise? Well, as they say, turnabout is fair play.

The cake, though it looked like a 6 year old's art project, was actually pretty heavenly. I made a 2nd one for myself and ate it in a week. Ahh, the glory of finally holding food down again :)