Insomnia chat

I'm trying a new tactic - maybe if I write my blog at 3am then I will find some inspiration to reclaim my intelligencia and perhaps write something profound. Either that or I will babble on endlessly and then go back to sleep not knowing until emails of concern from family and friends start coming in asking me to please refrain from any further 3am banter. Lets give it a whirl.

My friend who shall remain nameless (Jenny) asked why I haven't posted pictures of myself lately - that I was so adorable... sigh... Adorable - definition: very attractive or delightful; charming. Hmm... delightful. Lets see if I can use that in a sentence.
"Using the maximum daily doses of Tums and Preparation H is truly delightful during your last trimester of pregnancy." How's that for adorable. Tip: Just be sure that when you go to bathroom at 1am you either 1. make sure you turn on the light OR 2. that you make sure your tube of toothpaste is completely out of reach from the tube of, well, the stuff for the other end of your GI tract. Note taken.

Well now that my sleep deprivation is in full swing and will soon only get worse and my adorable-ness factor has been dialed down a few notches, don't feel sorry for me - I don't. What a cool bootylicious experience this is. I'm enjoying my last few appointments with patients at the clinic, I've gathered a new supply of mommy tai tais to hang with, I'm hosting a little gathering next week and gasp - am going to cook (well kinda). Pre-baby laundry is done (hello 5 loads? the kid has more laundry than I do) and our hospital bag is well... mostly packed.

Ah, I feel that my lucid thoughts are returning which means it is probably time for me to go back to bed. zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Skin - The miracle organ

I just have to say this whole pregnancy thing is a miracle in so many ways other than creating a new life. As my belly grows I am in awe of how much skin can stretch - like go go gadget skin or maybe I have some of that stretch armstrong stuff in me ... Finn is about 3.75 lbs at this point and will gain about 1/2 lb a week from here on out. Did I fail to mention that we have only 8 MORE WEEKS TO GO! Well, okay approximately since I will not be one of those women who show up at the hospital on my "due date" and expect that I will deliver on exactly September 15th. Anytime between September 1st - 14th is fine by me. ;-)

I am still working so the time is passing by fairly quickly although the weeks are starting to seem longer trying to get through them. I'm not quite to waddling, but that is only because he is still high and it just looks like I have swallowed an NBA basketball. At least at this point there is no secretary spread (I'm still sporting a nice figure from behind or so my biased husband says) and no cankles. However, since the hot/humid/smoggy weather is upon us, I think it is only a matter of time.

I've recently tried to get fired from work again (long story) so that is still in the pipeline and should be a interesting race to see if I get fired before I decide to go on "maternity leave" - at some point in August. It is not like I'm working a whole lot as it is, but hey it is still a little income in exchange for prenatal care and 1/2 off for my delivery. In the meantime, my new past time to beat the heat is to hang out literally in the complex's outdoor pool, have a break for lunch to be delivered and then back in the pool. Sweet life I know.

Will sat through my last prenatal class at the end of June. I wasn't sure why he thought he needed to go since I thought by me talking about birth, et al... ALL THE TIME that he was also the expert. Then he asked me in class if colostrum is what baby's first poop was (that black tarry stuff) and I realized he mighta missed a few things and was glad I could clear up the difference between colostrom and meconium. All the Dads were very grateful for that explanation!

And last but not least... I did in fact get maternity pictures taken! Can you believe that I actually did that? Well I'm not naked so you can all just chill out on that one. I'm totally not photogenic so I did have a tough time with the serene far off look, but I do hope that my belly cooperated since that was the main attraction. They should be ready for me to pre-screen them at the end of the month so we'll see if anyone else ever sees them after that!

So our time together has come to an end once again...next activity - maternity nap.

We are Siamese if you please....

Ah....cats.... as one of our last Shanghai favors for our good friends Bob and Elizabeth Faber we are cat sitting for a few days while they pack up and move to the temporary residence of the Shangri-la hotel in prep for their move to Singapore later this week. So while they are enjoying their suite sans feline, we are enjoying the company of their two Siamese cats - Barton and Brazos.

My personal experience with cats is limited to one traumatic experience - and I mean traumatic for the cat. One day my mom, sister and I were driving home from I don't know where and she told us she had a surprise for us at home. Already having 2 dogs in the house, we were pleasantly surprised to find a small grey kitten waiting for us with a creamy patch over her forehead. Instead of the obvious "patches" name for the kitty, we settled on the name "Dusty" instead.

Dusty endured for I don't know how many years of torture from my sister and I since she seemed a much better fit for all of our old baby and new doll clothes than our larger dogs. Our favorite being any outfit that also included a bonnet that matched. We thought she enjoyed this play until one day she just disappeared and the mystery of what happened to Dusty was born. Since we lived at the State Park in Grand Haven, did she run off with one of the many camping families during that fateful summer? In later years when we moved out of our house we joked that maybe we would find what was left of Dusty hidden away in one of our basement closets she used to frequent in order to hide from Kelly and I. Were our parents hiding the truth? Do they know what really happened to Dusty? I can't say it has scarred me much in later life, but it still makes me feel a little guilty that we didn't treat her better. And just for the record - Mom - even if you do know - I *DON'T* want to know what happened to Dusty.

For the record, I have had no temptation to put Barton and Brazos through a kitty fashion show by getting them to try on a few of Finn's onesies - instead I have actually enjoyed their company and mischievous ways. That and since I'm carrying little Finn - I just get to handle food duty - litter box duty has gone fairly and squarely to Will. Wow - a pregnancy perk!