Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Baby's room, writing and other random thoughts - week 27

Wow, what a week!! My first leg cramp - a very painful charlie horse - woke me up in the wee hours of one morning and I thought I was going to die. Ok, maybe that's a little melodramatic, but it really hurt! I walk with a noticeable sway now... not quite a waddle yet but we're surely getting there. The baby is very active and, for those patient enough to sit with their hands pressed to my bump, she will get over her shyness and move. Well, at least for Grandma and big sister it has happened. Another memorable highlight was my fabulous find of a pair of comfortable maternity jeans. FINALLY! I'll probably wear them out in the last 2 or three months that I have let because they are so great. Like angels singing and rays of light shining down on me when I put them on great. Seriously!

This was the last week before officially heading into the 3rd trimester and I guess you could say I have started the nesting process which at our house means a domino effect of activity that starts nowhere near the actual baby's room. First, a new set of bookshelves for the master bedroom so I can organize some of my inner sanctuary (ie. books) that are currently taking up the extra space in there (and driving hubby nuts). Theoretically this was not a necessary step but it was something for me and because it also benefits hubby, I went with it! Next the exercise bike will be banished to the basement from the master bedroom so the bassinet will have a spot in the corner. Then we move on to big sister's room since she is currently the owner of the dresser that matches the crib since it was hers to begin with. We acquired a new dresser for her - a tall chest of drawers that will hold more than her current one and which she is so excited for. But first, we must de-junk her room (or at least that's what I've told her is the first requirement because it is a disaster in there!). We spent part of the past weekend organizing and getting rid of things and made a dent but are far from done. Once we get the new dresser out of the living room and into big sister's room, the baby dresser will go (let's be honest for a minute) into the living room while we move the computer desk and painting easel's and supplies from what is currently the office/art room to their new locations in the basement. Then the dresser and crib for baby's room can be setup and curtains acquired and hung, etc. The fact that 1) we have a definite plan and 2) we have started the plan toward getting the baby's room done is great progress for us so I'm celebrating! I stressed so much about it in the beginning and now I remember that big sister's room wasn't done until after she was born since we knew she'd be sleeping in the bassinet with us for the first few months anyway. Minimum requirement is the dresser/changing table setup in her room and a place to rock during feeding time. Piece of cake at this rate!

The best part of the week was spent feverishly writing and my word count for the month is now hovering just below 25,000 words. I made a deal with myself that if I got half done before the 15th so I could slack off for a few days and read this month's selection for the book club and still get my 50K by the end of the month I could read. Now, I've gotten so far along in my manuscript that I find myself not wanting to stop to read someone else's work and I only have two days to finish the book. I will force myself because it is a book I really want to read but I'll be kicking and screaming and mind wandering back to my own characters the entire time I fear.

No doctor's appointments or other noteworthy events this week other than our first home visit as part of the National Children's Study baby and I are participants in. 3 1/2 hours at our house and what felt like millions of questions and samples later, I'm officially helping make a difference in finding the cause of autism and other childhood diseases for the next 21 years. People are still panicking about the swine flu everywhere here and I think it is silly. Even the CDC person I heard interviewed on NPR said (and I paraphrase) that yes, it is different than the seasonal flu because it hits younger kids more often that older people but that it was just another strain of the flu. If you always get a flu shot, get one but if not (like me) and you never get the flu then there's probably not much to worry about. I laugh about the hysteria the "mainstream" news sources seem to thrive on inciting and how many people buy into it. (My soapbox for the week, I guess!) Oh, and hubby is now on Facebook – aka the mother of all time wasters – after months of bitching to me about how much time I waste and how he would never join. He spent "Football Sunday" glued to it and I laughed… and tried not to actually say the words “I told you” outloud.

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