I think I can

So I did the budget. It's going to be a tight ship around here. I have to be honest, I'm a little nervous. Can we really live on one income? A teacher's income, at that. I like to think that we can, but when you actually start to break down the numbers (which I do every 2 weeks, religiously) it scares the living shit out of me. What happens if the damn chimney falls off the house and we need $2000 to repair it? Or Ron's car dies? Or the dog needs eye removal surgery? (hey, it happens) I guess I can't really live in the land of what if.... This IS happening, whether we are ready for it or not. And we'll make it work. We have to make it work, so we will. Will I ever be able to say, "yea, sure... I'll go to the casino Wednesday night," and not be thinking "where the hell am I going to find some money to piss away at the casino?" Probably not. Although, I do have a coffee can full of spare change... so I guess I found the casino-pissing money. See... I told you we'd make it work.

Are you ready for this?

So I've heard about your body getting you ready for the baby at the end of pregnancy, by allowing you to sleep less... now I'm living it. Hence the 6am blog. I can't even get to sleep before 11:00, and I wake up every 2 hours to pee, then I wake up for good sometime between 6 and 7... keep in mind this is no matter how tired I feel. I'm just awake. 5:32 this morning actually. Don't be totally fooled though, I will be napping on the couch for at least 2 hours at some point today.

I had a VERY big baby shower yesterday at my mom's house. I've decided that I have the best mom in the world. She worked so hard to make everything special. Including painting and redecorating the entire first floor of her house. Neurotic, yes. Adorable, yes. There were probably 40 people there.... I felt like I was getting married all over again! Everyone was so generous, and the baby definitely has everything he needs. (and more!) So, if you are reading this, and you attended the shower... THANK YOU! That completes the round of baby showers. Now I really have to wash, organize, and set everything up. Everyone keeps telling me I also need to pack a hospital bag and find a pediatrician. yea, yea.... patience people! I can't believe we only have a little more than 5 weeks to go. Maybe earlier, if I'm lucky. I feel like we've been planning and waiting forever for this little guy to get here and change our lives forever...

I might as well be productive now, so I'm off to pay these pesky bills that are staring me in the face. GRRR...

Feeling Slightly Hormonal

I can't help but blame it on hormones. One minute I'm happy and chipper, and the next I'm jumping down someone's throat with full force. (the throat is usually connected to Ron, poor guy). I seem to have even more trouble than usual making up my mind lately. About everything! How I'm feeling, my mood, what I want to eat, what I'd like to do, what to name the baby, etc.

For example, a few minutes ago I wanted to write... now I don't. I'd rather go lay on the couch and watch Friends repeats.

P.S. The Shrek feet are back. I think it's bumming me out.

Ipods, Poop, and Blow-torching, Oh My!

This week was so very stressful. We got jerked around by the car dealership about the registration and an auxiliary jack for my ipod (which ceases to exist) that was promised to us by a very inexperienced saleskid. By Friday I felt like my head had been spinning in a washing machine. As it is, the only way to use the ipod in the car is with an FM transmitter (at the stupid dealer's expense), but they are supposedly coming out with an aux. jack to be installed sometime within the next month or so. The static from the transmitter is just very annoying, but overall we are both more than happy with the car, so I'll deal with it.

The highlight of the week was our first baby shower. Ron's school was really generous in throwing us a shower, and we got so many great gifts. I was especially excited to get a Boppy Pillow and Diaper Genie. That truly made me feel like a new mom! What other event in your life is it appropriate to give someone a gift to dispose of poop in? We also got lots of adorable clothes... this kid is going to be so well dressed. I think he already has more clothes than I do! OK, maybe not... but definitely more than Ron!

In case you are wondering, my ankles and feet are doing better. Not totally back to normal, but they at least resemble my former self. I'm still wearing pants full time though, because my sunburn is all reddish-purple-tanned and only on the front of the lower half of my legs, and I'm not sure the public is ready to see that! This sunburn is comparable to the one I received during Spring Break sophomore year when we came back from Myrtle Beach and my face looked like it had been blow-torched. (blow-torching analogy courtesy of Kate) At least the blow-torching occurred on a part of my body that I can easily cover!

10 more days of school... (why does that still sound like too many???)

Barefoot and Pregnant

I've given new meaning to the expression "barefoot and pregnant." I used to think it meant that you never left your house, took care of babies, did dishes, ate bon-bons, and cooked all day long. Well I haven't left my house but not because I'm taking care of babies, doing dishes, eating bon-bons (more like ben and jerry's), or cooking (isn't that what takeout is for?). I'm housebound and barefoot because I can't get my feet into shoes. Not even flip flops. Or slippers. How does one make the swelling go away, you might ask? Have a baby. (That's the response I've gotten from several people upon whining to them about my current condition.) Be thankful, all you skinny ankled shoe wearers!

Am I supposed to cry?

We bought our "family vehicle" yesterday. It was all very exciting, stressful, and overwhelming at the same time. Several times while sitting in the dealership I thought to myself, "If you cry now, they'll never take you seriously, and you'll end up paying sticker price... just wait it out, and cry later." So I did. And we managed a great deal on the car (a Kia Rondo, named after my beloved husband), we got in, drove off the lot, and I burst into tears. Maybe it was saying goodbye to and betraying my trusty Mazda Protege, or the fact that they weren't going to allow me to transfer my vanity plates, or just the whole freakin ordeal, but I called my sister and balled my eyes out. Ron just sat there, looking supportive and concerned until it was over and his wife returned. (he's gotten pretty used to the unexplainable crying thing) I'm very happy with our new car though. It's a total mommy mobile. I'll post a picture as soon as I figure out how. Next stop: Soccer mom in a minivan.

Oh yea, and my ankles look like small tree stumps with blocks attached to them. Actually, they remind me of Princess Fiona's ankles and feet in Shrek. (minus the green) You know, stumpy, oddly mis-shaped, but still manage to pull off femininity with shiny red toenails from my last pedicure. I wouldn't be surprised if I wake up tomorrow and my ankles have the same circumference as my thighs. They just keep getting bigger and bigger. What a jerk I am. I managed to get to 31 weeks and be totally unswollen... then I got sunburned and it was like I injected 347 gallons of fluid to the last 6 inches of my legs.

Goal for the weekend: elevate and ice my feet in hopes that I can walk again on Monday. That's reasonable, right?