Thursday, September 27, 2007

Poor Hosey

The concert was very fun last night. The opening act was just one girl, and she was very mellow and had a pretty voice. Animal Collective was also good, although some songs were better than others... All in all, it was very enjoyable. Hosey was definitely moving around a lot during the louder songs, and although I've read in a million places that occasional concerts are fine when you are pregnant, I couldn't help feeling a little guilty. I just kept picturing Hosey trying to put his/her hands over his/her ears and sort of cowering. Judging by the kicking that has been going on today, no damage was done. This baby is definitely tough.

In other news, my doctor's nurse called, and told me that I have to take another antibiotic for 5 more days, since the culture they sent off showed them that the antibiotic they gave me won't totally make me better. I hate taking antibiotics, and I'm not really happy to have to take even more, but I also had noticed that I wasn't 100% over everything. Hopefully this will be it. And I'll feel better.

I have to get a flu shot this year, and so does Justin. Pregnant women rank with people over 65 and kids under 5 as "high risk," so I figured I'd try and get one early. I'm going to try to find a place that offers the special vaccines with no mercury. Good luck with that...

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

27 Weeks and Holding


So I'm 27 weeks today. According to my sources, this is my last week before the third trimester begins. Hosey should be about 15 inches head to foot now, and somewhere around 2 pounds.


This morning I had a group meeting at work, and as I was trying to ask questions, Hosey thought it was fun to kick me in the ribs, making me lose my train of thought halfway through each question. Add this to the fact that I'm wearing flip flops because my left foot is too swollen to fit into the work shoes I put on this morning, and I'm sure I made a great impression... :)


I've noticed that the kicking has become more regular, and happens at certain times through the day. Sometimes I worry when I don't feel it for a while, but then it starts up again. It's usually strong enough that you can see twitches on the outside of my belly. I've noticed hiccups a few times, too. They don't last for long, but they feel very very funny.


I woke up last night at 4:30, which is normal, but this time, I didn't fall back asleep for close to two hours. I was thinking about how I am possibly going to make it three more months not knowing if Hosey is a girl or a boy. It was really making me crazy. I'm sure it doesn't help when you are tired and in that weird not-quite-awake phase, but I started to think that I might just have to beg my doctor for another ultrasound. However, that would never happen, and even if it could, I'm determined to stick to our decision to make it a surprise. It's just getting tough. And people seem to all have an opinion. The only thing they all have in common is that they are all very very sure it's one or the other. So people either tell me "it's definitely a boy" or "it's definitely a girl." I don't know how anyone can tell if you are carrying "high" or "low" or what. Even so, that doesn't seem to be a fool-proof method, as my sister carried in a very boy-like way for both of her babies, and they were both girls. However, for those who haven't seen me in a while, I'm posting my most recent photo (26 week) and you can tell me if you think one or the other.

In other news, Justin and I are going to the Variety Playhouse tonight to see one of our favorite bands, Animal Collective. I hope Hosey enjoys it, too!

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Moving anticipation

Justin and I are really getting excited about our move. We're also easing into our new budget. Or maybe easing is a little too gentle of a word. I guess you could say slamming into it. We are actually keeping transaction logs and receipts and making sure we are keeping an eye on everything. It's all very adult and responsible. Thank god Justin takes care of most of it...

In other news, we are still on the names crusade. Justin has been working very hard to compile lots of nice and neat ones. We are still open to suggestions, since we get great ones a lot, but think we are not going to be sharing some of our favorites anymore. It's too hard to find a name that you are both pleased with, and think it's nice, and then get negative feedback from people about it. I always thought it was silly when couples kept baby names a secret, but now I see why they do. It's disappointing, since we love to talk to people about things, but it really does get tough hearing person after person say that they don't like a name that you've spent hours cozying up to and started feeling a connection with. Justin and I are on the same page with baby names fortunately, and as long as we are in agreement, that's all I'm concerned about. I hope that is OK with everyone. I think once Hosey is born, whatever we name it will be just right. And whatever name we pick will belong to Hosey, and all other connatations people have will fade. So according to Justin's rule, if anyone asks, we're naming Hosey Petunia if she's a girl, and Mordecai if he's a boy.

In other news, I am still being surprised daily by new and interesting pregnancy side effects. I woke up with a horrible leg cramp the other night (and accidentally woke Justin up, too...oops) and it took a while to work it out. I felt silly, but I used one of my yoga positions and it helped a lot. Last night was another first, and don't be offended by my over-sharing. I'm just over-sharing because I was so amused by the whole thing. And Justin, poor Justin. I was sitting on the couch an hour or so before bed, having my nightly small bowl of Raisin Bran, and I started choking on it. Not for real choking, just the kind where something goes down the wrong tube. And then you cough and cough and your eyes water, and in my case, you pee on the couch a little. Not enough to cause a problem, but enough to make you laugh while you are trying to stop coughing, and all the while trying to swallow the mouthful of Raisin Bran that caused a problem in the first place. I'm discovering that violent coughs or sneezes are a cause for concern. Another few weeks and I may be walking around in a diaper. Isn't that lovely? I am sorry again for over-sharing, but I just thought it was so funny, and of course wanted to share it. Justin will probably kill me. But I figure if I have to deal with all these weird and sometimes icky pregnancy thing, I'm allowed to share some of them. And it could be worse... Just ask Justin.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Sunday afternoon again

This week went by so fast... I was out sick on Friday after spending the morning at the doctor's office. I'm telling you, it's getting excessive. This time I was not imagining things, and the doctor wrote me a prescription for antibiotics. I have a UTI. Since I had a mild fever and just felt generally yucky, I went home and napped. By now I'm feeling much better, and the weekend was nicer and more relaxing after having a day to feel better. I was planning on stopping in at work on Saturday morning or this morning to try to catch up a little from being out on Friday (and because I don't get paid for sick days) but I never made it.

Last night I went to my cousin's wedding with my sister. Our husband's stayed home with Kendree's girls, since my sister's husband had minor surgery on Friday, Justin helped him watch the girls. The wedding was absolutely beautiful, and it was outdoors at a small guesthouse near Helen, Georgia. It was small, but I got to see lots of my dad's family, who had come down from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. None of them knew I was pregnant, and it was funny watching them try to ask me nicely if I was. They are all very nice, and I wish I got to see more of them.

Today we are doing our usual household tasks, although we are going over to dinner at Susan's sister's family's house later for dinner. That will be nice to see everyone.

I think we have busy weekends planned until sometime in November. I figure we should enjoy it while it lasts. Once Hosey is born, it will only get harder for us to get around. At least for the first few months...

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Improv Comedy

Justin and I went with some friends to see improv comedy at Piedmont Park. It was a free event, and lots of fun. Katie was able to come with us, too, although she was definitely on the verge of bolting for much of the time that we were there. She's deathly afraid of the dismbodied robot voice when we go through drive thrus, so this was even scarier. She made it through though, and had fun checking out all the smells on the way in and out of the park.

The comedy was very funny, and I definitely think it would be fun to go back. It might be a little tough, since it runs every Wednesday for the next three weeks, and the next two weeks might be pretty taken up with moving stuff. Justin started getting boxes from work, and we'll start packing this weekend I think. Moving always helps me get rid of things, too, since I realize that if I haven't seen it or missed it in the past year, I probably can get rid of it. Especially with clothes. Although I will admit that when moving, I usually just throw my clothes in garbage bags and sort them once I'm putting them away at the new place. Terrible, but effective.

Justin is looking into renting a small Uhaul so that we don't have to make too many trips with the big stuff. We still plan to make trips in the evenings of that first week, and then use the big truck on Saturday for one fell swoop of moving. I hope that works out. My mom has generously offered the van, but in all honesty, both would be good, too. One trip in the van and one trip in a truck and that would probably be about it. We don't have too much big furniture, and we've really culled knickknacks. Well, I have. Justin never really had any...

I'm most excited about starting on the nursery. I can't help it. I just think it will be really fun, and I've asked my mom and my sisters to help me get it ready. I'd really like to get a big soft area rug for that room. Something sort of like the rug in the picture of our crib. We'll just have to blacklist Katie from the nursery. She loves rugs because she can rub her belly on them. It's totally rude. Cute, but rude. I think once we've recouped some of our moving expenses we'll take a trip to IKEA to get a few things. Just a few though. We've both become a little bit minimalist this last year (I had a long way to go, although Justin is always clutter-free). I used to be desperate to put stuff on every available surface, and now I'm getting to be more like Justin. Hallelujah. It's a life-long battle though. :)

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

The Eagle has Landed

We picked up the crib last night from Wal-Mart! Unfortunately, the box is very very heavy, and Justin won't let me help move it. So it's still in our car pending a pair of strong arms who can help Justin move it inside. Either way, I'm so excited that we have it! As soon as we move, I'll set it up and start decorating the nursery. What a lovely way to dispell my nesting urges! I feel so spoiled! I've also asked my sister, who is a very talented painter, to do some paintings for Hosey's room. I think we will also commission her daughters for some more masterpieces for the new townhouse. We have two canvases now that they painted for us when we first moved into our apartment, and I thought it would be neat to get two more and put them all in the stairwell. Who needs expensive gallery bought art when you've got family?

I think one of my favorite things about our new apartment is that it is still small enough that we have just the right amount of furniture for it. Only now it won't feel so claustrophobic... There is a small deck (I think it's less than 6ft X 6ft) and I thought it might be nice to get a couple of plastic chairs or a bistro set for out there, but other than that, we are really set. It's a nice feeling. For a minute I thought we might need a coffee table for the living room, but I realized that I'd rather not have one so that baby has a place to play without having to move furniture around. I also think that the thought of getting any more furniture might give Justin a few more gray hairs. He's really getting a nice little spray of them on his temples. I think he had about 3 when we found out about Hosey. Now he's got a few more. But they look very handsome on him.

Hosey is continuing to kick and punch, and seems to be getting stronger every day. I'm starting to find it difficult to concentrate at work because I'm thinking about who I could get to feel the kicks through my belly. Strange, I never wanted to feel a baby kicking when other people I knew were pregnant, but now I feel guilty because I realize how it's fun to make people feel it. Maybe that will wear off... Tomorrow I will be 26 weeks, and creeping ever closer to the third trimester. Spooky.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Joys of Google

I just found this website while googling "hosey." Click here

My favorite is the Hosey coat of arms, seen on the website. Who knew?

And that is why I love Sunday night. We took Katie to the dog park earlier this evening, around 7:00 or so, and she did the usual Katie thing. She tried to hide under my bench for a while, even though there were LOTS of dogs playing and running around. Justin had to walk her out into the crowd, and then she played a little, but was still being very shy. It's so frustrating when she does that. Especially because she gets so excited whenever we see another dog walking in our neighborhood. And I mean REALLY excited. Over the top.

The dog park is nice, and in Oakhurst, which is very convenient. We think maybe Kati is starting to show her age a little. She is probably around 9 now, although we still only have a best guess. Whoever left her malnourished in that Tennessee hotel parking lot did not leave her with a birth certificate. Hard to believe, I know.

A change of address is looming...

It's official. Justin and I just signed a lease. We will be moving to a two bedroom townhouse on October 1st. It's still small, but we are absolutely in love with it. It has a living room, small dining room (emphasis on small) and a little kitchen (WITH A DISHWASHER!!!) with a small small deck on the main floor. Upstairs is a large bedroom, small bathroom and very small nursery, or what will be a nursery.

We just saw the property yesterday, but the landlord (a very nice guy named Justin who lives two units over) gently suggested that we act fast if we were interested, as he had someone on the way down from Rome, GA to (most likely) sign a lease at 5:00. So we called at 4:00, after our 1:30 appointment (and after triple checking our budget) and told him we'd sign a lease if he wanted us. He said he did, and so today we did. The complex is in Lake Claire, and it's very small, with only four units total. Our unit will be on the end, so we'll have one neighbor on one side, and that's it. In the bottom of the complex, there is a basement with a washer dryer that we can all use for free. So that's a big relief, too. We're very excited, and relieved to have finally made a decision on an issue we've obviously been agonizing over for months. It helped push things along when our new upstairs neighbor came home at 4:30 am AGAIN last night and seemed to practice some 9 pins before falling asleep sometime around 5:15.

We're going to be recruiting for moving help, and maybe renting a truck for Saturday, October 6, as we plan to do the bulk of the moving that day. Any takers? :)

Friday, September 14, 2007

For your Information

Toys R Us sent me an e-mail about safety information. I just thought I'd share the website they sent me. It offers quick and easy listings of all recalled toys:

www.Toysrus.com/Safety

I hope you guys are all doing well!

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Checking In


So Justin and I didn't make it to the open house at Georgia State. Ooops. I wasn't feeling so hot, and it was storming outside. It ended up being good that we skipped it, as I got a little bit sick on Tuesday night. I'm feeling fine now, although I did go to the doctor yesterday afternoon.


It's funny. I used to go to the doctor maybe once a year, or even less. Now I feel like I am either calling them or going in once a week. Any kind of weird symptoms, you look them up in your baby books, and they say "call your doctor if you are having these symptoms." Then in my case, you call the doctor, the nurse calls you back a few hours later, tells you to come in for an exam, and then you do, and the doctor tells you that there's nothing wrong. Oh well. Better safe than sorry! And I got to hear the heartbeat again. I always love that. She measured my belly again, too, and this time it is right where it's supposed to be.


Also, since I left work a little after lunch, and got done with the doctor around 3:00, I decided to take the rest of the afternoon off. It was lovely. I went to Alpharetta and my mom and I went shopping at Target, and then ate dinner at California Pizza Kitchen. Then we went to Babies R Us and Ross. My mom got me a beautiful maternity top at Ross, and I promised her I'd take my 25 week picture in it tonight. I can't believe I'm 25 weeks...


One thing I got at Target is a large round photo frame, with lots of places to put photos of different sizes in. I can't wait to fill it up! We have so many beautiful pictures from the wedding, and not too many are on display. I want to put the frame over the crib, and it will be my version of having a nursery... :)


Speaking of which, Justin's Dad and Susan bought us a crib for Hosey (and we can't thank them enough!) and it will be delivered this weekend. We have to go pick it up, but I'm so excited! Justin wants to wait a while longer to put it together, but we'll see who wins. It has drawers underneath it, so I'd love to put it together and start putting clothes in there. And blankets. I added a photo of the crib from the website. It's not our apartment!

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

One last thing...


I liked this picture of Hosey for Week 25. It's from my favorite website of the moment, http://www.whattoexpect.com/


Looks like a real baby now!

Time Flies...

I can't believe it, but I'll be 25 weeks tomorrow. That means only three more weeks in my second trimester. The third starts at 28 weeks. I can't believe it's gone by so quickly. I have this strange mix of emotions all the time where I want everything to move slowly so that I can really enjoy being pregnant, but I am also getting more and more excited for the baby to come (and oddly, more and more excited about labor and delivery...). It's strange how not a minute seems to go by without me thinking of the baby, and I have the pseudo-epiphany every ten minutes or so that I will be having a baby sometime soon. It's so strange to think of things like that.

Someone at work commented that she thought I'd have a really well-dressed baby, and it finally ocurred to me that Justin and I get to decide what the baby wears. We were looking at the American Apparel website, which has really cute and funky baby clothes (infant karate pants, adorable!) and one of the babies in the picture had a mohawk. Sort of like the one that Angelina Jolie had on her son. It was definitely a moment of realization when my friend asked me if I would ever give a baby a mohawk. I thought, "oh, I could give it whatever haircut I want," and it was the strangest sensation ever. I don't know that Justin gets it yet, but I can't blame him, since he's not constantly feeling the jabs and kicks of a bored little fetus. It will catch up. :)

Monday, September 10, 2007

Fantastic movie!

Justin and I went with some friends to see "King of Kong, Fistful of Quarters" tonight at our favorite movie theater, the Landmark Cinema in Midtown. It was a fantastic documentary about the stiff competition between two Donkey Kong World Champions. Genius. The contender had the best mullet I've ever seen (filmed last year, not in 1993 when such things were allowed).

Hosey kicked through a lot of the movie, and I'm finding it slightly uncomfortable to sit in the stiff chairs at the movie theaters. I hate to think that I'm already starting to be hindered in any way by my belly size, but I think I am. Sitting up super straight just makes the bottom of my belly very sore for some reason. I prefer to be able to recline just a tiny tiny bit. My office chair at work is perfect. Also, I like to get up and walk at least every hour, even if it's just a lap or two around the office. Movies can be tough because I never want to miss anything.

In other news, Justin and I have a new upstairs neighbor. We are quickly learning that a 12 month lease doesn't mean much around here. The girl above us moved in in January, and apparently has just left. She was very annoying at first, with a boyfriend and a puppy who (between the two of them) made noise constantly. The puppy cried all day long, and the boyfriend seemed to only come home after 3 am, but suddenly, she seemed to get rid of both of them around the same time. It's been fairly quiet since then. Just the usual pitter pat of her feet as she walked around. Justin and I joked because when you see her, she clearly weighs under 100 pounds, literally, and you can still hear her walking around. This new person seems to drop bowling balls at regular intervals, and definitely weighs more. Also, the new person seems to watch more TV than the previous tenant. We never really heard the other girl's TV, but since Friday night when we first heard the new person, it's been pretty regular.

We are fortunate that the next door neighbor is quiet. And that I have somehow developed the ability to sleep through everything, except my twice or thrice trips to the bathroom. That I blame Hosey for. Justin said it was bad last night, and the upstairs neighbor seemed to be moving furniture all night. I told him that it would catch up to this new person (we think it's a she, but we're not positive) come December or January. If he or she is still here... Ahh, apartment life...

Tomorrow night we are scheduled to go to an information session at Georgia State for their Masters Program in Public Administration. I'm still toying with the possibility of going back to school at some point, the earliest being August of next year. The MPA is one of my top choices. They offer night classes, so Justin could watch Hosey while I go, and we could keep daycare to a minimum. And we could try living off student loans for a couple of years with the knowledge that I would make more money when I got out. It's a tough decision, but we figure that going to the open house and getting free food is time well spent. Also, I think if Justin were ever able to find the time with his work schedule/papa schedule, it would be a good program for him, since it would allow him to move into some of the upper level positions within the same type of position he's in now. Staff/admin positions at GSU pay very well if you have a master's, and the MPA would be very applicable, since most of the alumni end up with government agencies, universities, or non-profits. They have a few alumni who work at the High Museum, too. Apparently they do an internship during your last semester, and that often leads to a permanent position. Anyways, it will be of interest, even if doesn't lead to anything at all.

Hosey is doing the visible kicks again. It's so weird to see your belly moving like it's got an alien in it. I'll miss it when it's gone... :)

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Whirlwind Weekend

After dinner on Friday, and babysitting extravaganza for my nieces, this weekend has been fast. Fun, but fast. Justin and I spent the night and part of the day yesterday with Ella and Chloe. We had lots of fun with them, painting fingernails, drawing pictures, and I think the highlight all around was the song and dance party. Justin brought his acoustic guitar, and played some songs while the girls sang and danced along. Eventually, they both practiced strumming the guitar, too, until Chloe dropped the pick into the guitar. This provided a good stopping point, as they were starting to get just a little bit cranky about who was going to hold the guitar.

Justin watched some disappointing football (Bulldogs were not on top of their game I take it) and I watched Monsters, Inc. (or Monsters Stink as Chloe calls it) twice. Very satisfying.

Today we ate a nice brunch at La Fonda, and then got Katie her very own boutique dog collar. We stopped at Young Blood Gallery in East Atlanta, where I had seen the dog collars on clearance the last time we were there. It was only $5, and it's a beautiful baby blue with dark brown polka dots. Katie is stylish now. Her own DIY Art Collar. Justin got a really neat jacket there, too, that is crafted out of several different sweatshirts, and features two eagles with lightning in the background and camo trim. It's spectacular. That is my new favorite store, and someday I'll save up and buy one of their necklaces. They have some little silver ones that are just amazing. Anyways, we love Sundays, and know we have to enjoy them now while they are still just the two of us.

We went to Publix and saw a super cool dad with Justin's glasses and hip clothes carrying a teeny tiny newborn. I told Justin that would be him in a few months. He looked sort of scared. :) But we got in line behind him at the checkout, and the baby was screaming the whole time, and watching the dad try to load the groceries onto the checkout lane, quiet the baby, and pay was excruciating. I just wanted to grab the baby and try to quiet him myself, but only because he was so upset. His face was beet red. The dad didn't seem too flustered though. Just sort of calm and matter of fact. He must take yoga classes.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

According to the Old Wives' Tales...

Hosey has come through with yet another girl heart rate. 150 this time. Justin reminded me that he has a fast heartbeat. I conceded his point, and we are still holding out hope for a boy.

Other than that, the doctor took a measurement of my belly, and said that I'm a "smidge" big in the belly for Hosey's due date. When I told her that people keep telling me that I don't look six months pregnant, she told me I should just tell all of them "Thanks!" I really like my doctor. She's very frank but not mean. She always says that I look great, and while I know she says that to everyone, it's always nice to hear. She says that my feet and ankles are definitely a little swollen, but nothing to worry about. She also told me that the Braxton Hicks contractions are normal, as long as they don't follow a pattern. Apparently Hosey might be setting some of them off by kicking the right spots. Next visit is the glucose test. I hate getting my finger poked...not to mention that asking a pregnant woman to skip breakfast is really kind of awful.

Here's a fun website I found earlier today:
http://www.childbirth.org/articles/boyorgirl.html

However, here are my results:
You have a 41% chance of having a boy. And you have a 58% chance of having a girl.

Not too conclusive...

24 Weeks and belly talk

Today is my doctor's appointment, and I can't believe I'm already 24 weeks pregnant. Time has really flown by. I'll be taking a long lunch for the appointment, and leaving early for yoga, so I think today is going to be nice and easy. That's what I hope at least.

I have to say that I'm getting tired of people commenting on my lack of belly. I keep having people say, "You don't look six months pregnant!" as though it's a compliment, but at this point in my life, it is more of an insult. I assume I don't look as pregnant as I am because I have extra weight all over, and so the belly isn't as prominent. It's not too big of a deal, but I guess I just put it in that category of things that shock me that strangers feel they can say to you. Last week a co-worker actually said, "OH, you're pregnant? How far along?" and while I know that I don't have a big big belly, I wear maternity clothes, and come on, it's not that surprising. There was also the main HR director here, who asked me if my pregnancy was planned when I went to talk to her about maternity leave. Wow.

I guess I shouldn't complain, since one of my co-workers will only talk to me in a baby voice now, and says "Hi Mommy! Feeling OK? Need a nap?" and I just have to pretend that I agree with her that it's cute to talk like that. Another co-worker thinks that it is very funny to always ask me "How are you guys today?" when she's clearly only talking to me. It cracks her up every morning. I am definitely appreciative of her interest, but confused as to how she finds utter hilarity in that comment, and how it holds up every day. I think my favorite is my friend at work who often invites Hosey to lunch, but when I respond, he says "I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to Hosey. I'm not going if you're going. Just Hosey."

I guess I'm just not the gushy type. I know I'm going to be terrible at baby showers, too, since I won't open everything and then gush gush gush over it. I know my family knows me better, but I do worry about the shower at Justin's work, whenever that happens. They might all think I'm mean and stuck up because I don't get too excited over booties. Oh well, there are worse things.

Well, I'm going to go do a lap around the office. I find that if I sit in my desk too long, Hosey winds up with some well-placed little kicks, kind of like being flicked in the belly, but from the inside. It's a strange sensation, and it definitely stops when I walk around. It's good for me, and helps the swelling in my ankles.

Anyways, I'll put up another post after the doctor's appointment, although I'm sure it will be pretty boring. My favorite part is hearing the heart beat. Maybe I'll get another clue this time as to the sex based on the heartbeat. Or I'll even ask the doctor her opinion...

Monday, September 3, 2007

One more onesie



I just finished one last weekend onesie. It's a simple shape, and I didn't add any details, but I love the fabric. It's from an awful hippie dress I bought at the thrift store a long time ago and never wear, but love the fabric. It was made somewhere exotic, but it's just not flattering on, so I thought this would be a good way of recycling! And now I've got lots more...

whew

It seems like this week has involved lots and lots of growing. My belly is starting to catch up, and it has been very sore lately. I also seem to be getting more and more Braxton Hicks contractions. Every time I go to the doctor, I try and remember to bring a list of questions with me, and I always seem to forget most of them...but I have my next appointment Thursday, and I want to ask about those. And cramping... Ugh.

I had my yoga class on Saturday, as I missed Thursdays because my stomach was bothering me. It was nice and small, since most women are probably out of town, and it was easier this time than the last time. Still very relaxing, and seems to target all the areas that hurt the worst. Not that things are too bad, since I know that in 2 or 3 months, this will all seem like a big picnic.

Hosey is kicking more and more regularly, although it's still tough sometimes for Justin to feel it, since it always seems like Hosey stops kicking right when he puts his hand on my belly.

This is my newest onesie, and I did it today while watching a really interesting British movie called "49 Up." It's a series of films that a British filmmaker started in 1964, with 14 seven year olds from all over England. It goes back and films them every 7 years, although by the age of 49, there were only about 6 or 7 that still consented to the interviews. It is really an interesting series, and sometime I'd like to rent the boxed set with all of the episodes. For now, that one was plenty.

Justin went to the Silverbacks game on Saturday night with Jesse, and he had a really good time. I went downtown with two friends and we stalked around the Marriot taking pictures of Dragon Con people. It was very interesting, and I put the highlights on our Flickr account. I guess I can see the appeal for these people who are really into all of it, since they are like celebrities as they troop around in the costumes, and some of them were truly amazing. My favorite was Mr. Tumnus the faun from the Chronicles of Narnia. Very well done costume.

It was also one of those strange experiences where you think, "I hope nobody I know sees me here," but then you realize that for them to see you, they'd have to be there, too, and that means that they might actually have bought a pass and are very serious about it. My friends and I were more like spectators.

Justin and I sent the deposit check to Andrea to hold Hosey's spot in her in-home day care for February. This is a nice note of finality, although I'm still hoping I can manage to work from home some of the time. We are also close to deciding on staying in our apartment. This has been a difficult decision, but we both think it's the most responsible, and makes the most sense for our family. It makes me a little sad to think that we still won't be able to host one of the monthly get-togethers at our apartment. It's too small to fit more than five or six people comfortably, and my family is huge! And continuing to grow... Maybe we can just have everyone over in small groups... We work hard to keep this apartment looking nice, and we're doing more and more to try and make room for baby. Today we took measurements of all of the walls and pieces of furniture to try and configure the best set-up. We think we figured out the best spot for the crib in the living room, where it's cozy and not too close to the heater or to the windows. It will be tight, but if it works, it works.

I also organized Hosey's drawer in my dresser, since Hosey already has an impressive wardrobe. Mostly 0-3 months sizes, but still, it's quite a bit. Justin says I can't buy any more baby clothes. Most of these are from consignment sales, so at least I have that in my defense. :) It's tough to find cute gender neutral clothes, and when I do, I tend to grab them up. One of my favorites is a velour onesie that's white with orangey-brown stripes and a lion on it. The little feet are lion faces, complete with mane. It's silly, but adorable, and one of the few things that isn't green or yellow. I've picked up some primary colored things, too, but they are hard to find. It seems like everyone wants to put babies in pastels. Baby clothes are much more fun than I'd imagined.

Well, we hope that everyone had a safe and happy holiday weekend! I'm sorry the posting is so scatter-brained today, but that's how I am these days. Pregnancy brain strikes again.