Bringin' on the Scripture

Baby conversations with people really run the whole range. There are those who just want to hear that no one but the cat gets any sleep, and that the cat is bald from the baby pulling its hair out. There are those that want to gush about what a wonderful experience parenthood is, and how much they miss "that age." And then there are those conversations that are, well, just plain interesting.

The other day I was getting my morning coffee at work when the woman next to me at the other coffee machine asked, "How's the baby?" So I replied with my usual "He's wonderful, he's growing so fast" and mentioned that he has two teeth already. She was very surprised, as most people are, and then exclaimed, "Whew! You just brought on some scripture!"

She went on to exclaim about how the Bible says that in the end times, children will grow up quickly, and isn't it amazing how reminders are everywhere these days. I was just trying to figure out how to respond to her enthusiastic suggestion that my child was an indication of the impending end of the world when she exclaimed, "Well, have a great day!" and walked off.

People are so odd.

So Much Love!

This picture was taken a few years ago, when Mombi worked at a daycare in Denver. She had some crazy dreads at the time, so for "silly hair day" on Valentine's day, she tucked them under this black wig and a shocking pink bandana. She bucked the system and their "no hats" policy daily with her crazy bandanas. (I think she had every style they sold at the local craft store!) The kids absolutely loved her. This is one of my favorite pictures of her, because it shows her phenomenal smile and goofy sense of humor.


I try to express daily to Mombi just how much I love and adore her. I talk about her so much at work that when she stops by the lobby of my office building to meet me for something, people entering/exiting recognize her from the photo on my desk (not this one), address her by name, and ask how she's doing. She's my best friend and the greatest romance I've ever had. She has an amazing sense of humor and comic timing. (We laugh together a lot!) I love the way her mind puts things together in unexpected ways. She's constantly doing sweet things for me. She has a great smile, gorgeous eyes, and naturally perfect eyebrows. She's a great storyteller. She's amazing with kids. Heck, she's amazing with adults.

I could go on for much much longer, but I'm sure that we'll all have an overdose of "love blogs" today. So I'll just say that (as my little sister puts it) I get all warm and squishy inside when I think about the fact that next year it will be all three of us together for Valentine's Day.

I love you, Mombi!!!

Tracking Time

Time keeps slipping by. It's so stealthy these days that I only really notice it when I realize that a couple of days have gone by since my last blog post. Part of the reason for this, I'm sure, is that there isn't a whole lot going on. Yesterday's big adventure was that I finally broke down and took my flex spending card to CVS and bought a good humidifier. Our apartment's air has been so dry lately that Mombi and I both have ridiculously dry skin, and we zap the animals any time we try to pet them. Not so good, especially when you consider that babies are extra-prone to dry skin anyway. So, I went out and got this:



It's a Vicks V4500 Filterless Humidifier. I was going to get a warm mist humidifier because of the bacteria/filter factor associated with the cool mist ones, but then I found this one at the store. It's so fabulously sturdy that I'm not worried about us crunching it in the middle of the night and causing an electrical problem, like I would be with the typical warm mist version. And it only requires the occasional rinse with vinegar and then bleach to keep it nice and clean. We've had it going since last night, and even after just a few hours the air in the apartment already felt much better. Eventually when we get back to a decent humidity level, we can start using the humidistat feature to monitor the moisture in the air. For now, though, we just know we need MORE!

What it's all about

Check out this kid I found on You Tube!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-uZN6LxIm8

I felt like looking at happy babies, so I headed over to You Tube to do some browsing. I came across this video of a seven-day-old, and thought it well worth sharing. What a cute baby! There's so much to look forward to.

Just hanging out.

Not much to report these days. This weekend I caught up on laundry over at my parents' place. I read a book. I'm reading another. We're waiting for the pizza delivery guy to get here.

Snow! Somewhere else!

Everyone had such pretty snow pictures to post today, but we had no snow here, and it's dark out now. Still, I hate to miss the opportunity for a theme post, so here's a photo of the current view from our porch:


That's a four second exposure so you could see something other than a black rectangle. The blur is from the wind. It's COLD out there!

What a Great Weekend

I had such a fun weekend. I did a bunch of really fun holiday shopping, we finally got our tree up, my energy level is up and my emotional state is stable. I even finally got the haircut I've been needing for three months now. This is shaping up to be a great holiday week! I'll be working for the next two days, and then I'll have two days off to celebrate the solstice with Mombi. Then one more day at work, and three more off!

My family will be celebrating Christmas at my parents' house this coming Saturday, and that's always a lot of fun. My family all gets along very well, and we have a great time together. This year should be no exception. So far all the traditions have been adhered to. My mom has already declaired that this is the year that there will be less under the tree (she tends to go overboard,) and everyone will be in town, with the exception of my sister Amy's significant other.

The only tradition that won't be happening this year is that we won't all be spending the night at my parents' place the night before, since there won't be enough beds for all of us this year. That's fine, though, because it means we can leave the dog home and she won't be in the way while we're making a mess in the living room. It also means that I won't have to haul all my pillows over there. They'd fill up the trunk of our car, and we wouldn't have room for presents!

Griffin is now easily felt from the outside, so I have a feeling that some of the family (particularly my sister Amy) will be spending a lot of time communing with the kiddo. Which is fine with me! I totally get a kick out of it. Pun not intended, but I do love feeling it from the inside when Griffin kicks and it makes people giggle or grin. And I'm all about providing entertainment when I don't have to do anything other than lean back and relax.

One of Life's Great Mysteries

When you have a cold, you may find that there's nothing you can do to clear your nose so you can breathe through it. However, if you intentionally "plug" your nose so you won't smell something, it suddenly starts to run.

What crazy function is that supposed to serve?

Oxygen tent, please.

Stuffy-head colds are no fun. Stuffy head colds when you're already functioning with a semi-compressed set of lungs is even worse.

I'm getting chapped lips from walking around the office with my mouth hanging open so I can breathe. And then people stop me to ask if I'm OK, so I have to explain, and that restricts my O2 consumption even more. Bah.

The Cat has Spoken

Yesterday morning, our cat Basil made her prediction on Skippy's sex. As I was browsing a page of posts on a message board, she casually walked across the laptop. As she did, she precisely highlighted a single word. That word happens to be the first name we picked out for Skippy if Skippy is indeed a "she."

Yes, cats walk on keyboards all the time. but when was the last time you saw one move a mouse to a particular spot, then press down the mouse button while sliding the cursor over a single word, then let go of the mouse button before stepping off the computer? I ask you.

If she's right, she'll be gloating for months.

Election Day

Well, it's election day, and after work I'm heading to the polls. On the ballot here in Tennessee is a constitutional ammendment against gay marriage. Second parent adoption laws are currently very ambiguous here, so going to the polls with Mombi and Skippy to vote on this will be a very personal experience.

Please, Tennessee. Think of our family. These bans make no sense.

Bits and Pieces: Random Updates and News

None of this stuff felt (or feels) big enough to get a post of its own. So here, in no particular order, are some recent updates and tidbits for your reading enjoyment:

Had an OB appointment today, everything looks good. No sonogram, but we got to hear Skippy's heartbeat for the first time. It was 153bpm, and sounded like a very soft choo choo train. I have my anatomy sonogram scheduled for the day before Thanksgiving. So on November 23 or 24, look for news on if Skippy is a boy or a girl.

Yes, I did it. I went home an hour early last Thursday and sent Mombi out to rent Sound of Music. She was incredulous, of course, but she played along. It was just what I needed.

Also today, Mombi got her new glasses! Her old ones had a very old prescription and the frames were just about dead. We got her the ultra deluxe lenses and some absolutely adorable frames, and it was so worth it! She's been squinting for years now and dealing with headaches. Her old glasses gave her a fishbowl perspective, and the anti-glare coating was totally worn off. These new ones use a new technology that got rid of the fish bowl sensation, and they fit her perfectly. I'm so happy for her that she can finally see again!

Dreams? Oh yes, many dreams. All of which seem to involve food at some point. Last night it was a spy thriller. I infiltrated their potluck. I didn't get my guy, but I did manage to finish my plate before things got dicey.

So how am I in general? Doing well, I think. I'm feeling weird and achy and twingy, and I definitely show depending on what I wear. Per the nurse a the OB office today, I'm right on track with all of that. The hormone issues seem to have straightened themselves out again. The miserableness seems to have faded for now, as has my BO. I'm back to smelling fresh and clean without any particular effort. On the down side, I'm also back to feeling a bit off, like I'm about to get a cold or something. But I'd much rather deal with that than subject Mombi to the bawling lunatic she had on her hands for a few days there.

15 Weeks Pregnant Today!

And what a day it has been so far: Raining out, sniffles, bad sleep, flat tire... I won't bore you with the details, I'll just say I'd rather be at home with my girl. It's the sort of day when you want to curl up on the couch and watch Sound of Music. It's been years since I've wanted to watch it, but I may just have to stop at Blockbuster on the way home.

I think it was the ghastly flower perfume in one of the company restrooms that made me want to watch it, because for some reason it got that Edelweis song stuck in my head. (I hope I spelled it correctly, I don't feel like looking it up. My German and Austrian ancestors may be scorning me right now, but they'll have to deal with it. I switched the V for a W, so that must count for something.)

I shouldn't have taken a lunch break, I'm losing the little bit of momentum that I had. And this afternoon I'll be busy with the non-stop fun of organizational chart creation. Yippee.

Getting Spoiled

I'm turning into such a weekend slug. I spent most of this weekend on the couch re-reading (for the Xth time) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I've got a whole shelf full of brain candy reading materials, and I think I've read them all at least once in the past 3.5 months. Not that I'm complaining, of course, but I do wonder just how much of a shock I'm setting myself up for when Skippy arrives.

Alright, I suppose I should admit that I'm about as active as my body will let me be. I'm so busy during the week that on the weekends I really need to just rest. I'd love to do all sorts of great baby-preparation projects on the weekends. Instead, it's all I can do to prepare the baby. Sure, it's no small task creating a life form. But still.