The Waiting Is the Hardest Part...

So, tomorrow is my "due date". Babies are rarely born on the day the doctor says they are, so I'm not counting on any event happening tomorrow. Instead, we're just kind of sitting here, waiting for something to "happen." I feel like a bit of a timebomb and I'm BORED as all bored can be sitting around waiting for us to get in the car and head to the hospital.

Part of me really wants to get this all over with. The biggest part of me, actually. But there's also a small part of me that, naturally, isn't ready to face the reality that we are gunna have a little human in our house. In our lives. Forever! 

Babies are born everyday and I know these aren't uncommon thoughts to have for sure. And sure, there's some comfort in knowing this is all very normal. Still- can't help feeling like it's a unique experience. 

We're waiting for you, Baby S...in the lyrics of Mr. Petty..."The Waiting is the Hardest Part".

 

Babies...in Bars

Probably not the best topic for me to be endorsing the week I'm about to have my first child, but my friend put a Status on her Facebook page that I read, giggled and and innocently commented on. Then her other Facebook friends chimed in with some ignorant comments and well, I got a little defensive. My comment is the last one and it took me about 20 minutes to how to write it nicely to avoid any Facebook catfights with total strangers. 

Keep in mind, her Status was written during a St. Patrick's Day Parade at 6PM. 

(click to read)

Comments like this (especially from Douchebag #1), even before I was pregnant and soon to become a mom make me want to smush a dirty diaper in their face. I think responsible parents should be able bring their  (preferably well mannered or sleeping) babies and kids wherever they want! As I said in my closing comments, there's a time and place. Obviously, bringing your kid to a bar anytime past 8 PM is not considered great parenting, but if it's in the afternoon/early evening to get out and take a break, what's the problem baby haters? Why and how is it affecting YOU?

I know or have friends that would agree with anti-babies in public comments and even take it a step further and don't like seeing kids at restaurants or parties or basically in public. They think kids belong at home, at a park or at the zoo.  Comments like "should have known what you were getting into before you had kids" is frankly pretty rude. In a way, almost akin to racists or bigot thoughts that gay people shouldn't get married because "they chose that life" (a little extreme, but it falls into the same family). 

Life doesn't stop when you have kids and while I agree not everyone knows the right time and place to bring their babies out in public and not all parents are responsible, there's nothing wrong with having a drink/socializing at a bar and having a baby sleeping beside you, especially if the bar is roomy and especially if they have a beer garden.  It's not hurting anyone and I'm pretty sure, especially during the recession, bar owners are more than happy to have people coming in patronizing their bar during their downtime, with their babies or not. As a former bartender, I always like parents coming in for a drink in the afternoon. The tips were great!!

And...aren't babies and toddlers basically like drunk people anyway? They drool, puke, pass out and sometimes cry or poop their pants if they've had to much to drink. If you ask me, they are in perfect company.

I feel the same way about dogs in bars, which is why I wanted to open a Dog bar in Boystown called Boners and Lickers. Now I'm gunna have to come up with a name for a Baby bar, where you can drink AND bring your baby. It would even have "Pump and Dump" stations in the bathroom. I might even let the Octomom come in and have a brewskie (I'd just charge her double).  

Not everyone is going to agree on this topic and that's okay. If you have a great reason why babies and kids need to stay out of bars, I'd love to hear it. 

Light Therapy- Good Vibrations

When Summer comes around, I promise I will be outside every single day for at least 4 hours, longer if I can get it out there. I miss the sun and warm so bad, don't you? I envy all of you that got to head out to vacation to escape it all.

This winter has been brooo-tal and not just for cooped- up, pregnant Me, but for most people I've talked to. This is one of the first winters where I've actually considered moving to warmer climates. 

In about a week or so, our new addition will arrive, just in time for Daylight Savings and hopefully, warmer weather. The little peanut will also hopefully keep our minds off and away from all the crap that the news is poisoning us with. For all the negativity that's been looming over us the past few months, I'm happy that we'll have something good to focus on. It's about time. 

In the meantime, I'll be anxiously awaiting the good things to happen- a new baby and a big hot sun!

Days of Grace #6

1. Helping hands to finish the baby's room (almost)

2. ShamROCK shakes

3. Prenatal Hiccups

4. seeing happy statuses on Facebook

5. Extra money coming in

I will likely miss

• Maternity clothes. The panels and all. So comfortable...every girl should be wearing them. 
  
• Being told by my doctor it's okay to head to McDonalds for an occassional Shamrock Shake. 
  
• How nice people are. People are really really nice when you are pregnant. It's unreal.
  
• Having help and advice from friends and family. At first I didn't like it, but I gave in and it's quite humbling and nice. I hope that doesn't stop. It's certainly made me feel like I need to be a better person.
  
• Gaining weight, but this time, I have a good excuse. That goes double for my big belly.
• Being told to kick back and relax.
• Sleep. It's the number one thing people tell you to say good-bye during and after pregnancy. Later sleep. It was nice knowing you.

I will not miss

• Walking at a snail's pace. I was exercising pretty often and well up until about a month ago. Now, I can't really walk the dog more than 10 minutes or go to the gym without my belly and below aching.
• Not being able to take Bella for long walks. The look on her face the last few months makes me so sad. Thankfully, Kenny has been taking the lead on this and has been a trooper, walking her whenever he can.
• Taking a good minute or so to roll out of bed. I now know what it's like to be a cross between a turtle and sea lion stuck on its back. 
• Um, these cankles and swollen hands are ridiculous. My lower legs look like upside down bowling pins. I feel kind of weird walking around pregnant without a wedding ring on.
• These double EE width shoes I've been wearing every day. They are starting to stink from all the constant wear and tear.
• Constant pressure on the bladder. 
• Pinched nerves
• My inner thighs feeling like they've been doing ThighMaster all night long. 
• Not being able to lay flat on my back or avoiding torso twists
  
• Being told to "Relax and calm down...you're pregnant". Yes, I know it's the ultimate excuse for how uncomfortable I'm feeling, but it still sucks.

Mona the Terrible

Meet Mona. She's cute, right? Lil' gray fuzzy thing looks like she could do no wrong. 

Truth is, I used to love her, until recently.  Actually, even before that, I just liked her; she was tolerable. Now, it's everything I can do to not put up a "Cat for Sale" sign outside my house.  Maybe it's the pregnancy- she knows change is a-coming and I have little patience with her. She chews cords, drinks out of my water glass, knocks vitamins all the floor and plays with them, eats bread through plastic bags, licks plastic bags at 4AM and wakes me up. In the last two days, she's knocked over two plants in an attempt to eat a ladybug. 

 

I have named her "Mona Visa" because she's everywhere you want to be and lives to annoy.  

Kenny says it's cuz she doesn't have enough toys, but I assure him, she has plenty. She's just kicked them all under couches, beds and cabinets. Then she goes off and looks for other household items to destroy.

Now she's starting to try to jump in the baby bassinet and get into all the baby's presents. We're working the squirt gun hard to make sure she knows these areas are off limits. 

Our other cat on the other hand, Vinny is a little sweetheart who sleeps all day. He's a saint compared to Mo. Mona is almost five years old. I thought felines start to get lazy and less curious as they age? Was I lied to?

Anyway, I'm not giving up my pets, don't get me wrong. I just needed to vent to prevent myself from tossing her out the window. If it's attention she needs, I don't want to give it to her to reward her for bad behavior, so I just try to ignore her. I wonder if that just makes things worse?

Days of Grace #5

1. Being able to breathe through my nose for the first time in 7 days.
   
2. Leftover Thai Green Curry Noodles with Chicken
   
3. Unexpected money from two unexpected places
   
4. Having the Fire Chief as a friend, who installed the baby seat into our car
   
5. Kenny's genius solution to keep Mona the Terrible (cat) AWAY from my vitamins, knocking them on the floor and playing with them.