The Big Three-Oh

I turn 30 on Saturday.

Unfortunately, this weekend is action-packed with non-birthday activities: childbirth class, lunch with childbirth class alumni, a baby's first birthday party, and a day trip to Boston/Norwood. So I think I may decide that tomorrow is my day and play hookie from work, sleep late, sit in my glider and read, and maybe do some Christmas shopping.

Life has been so hectic lately it's been hard to keep up. Between the visits to day care centers that don't have any open spots, attending two childbirth classes, and meeting with our doula, we seem to have an appointment to keep every day. Not to mention the recent Thanksgiving festivities and all the running around insuring and registering our new hand-me-down car. Oh, and work.

But after the baby arrives, life will be simple and calm again, right? ;)

He's a Man With a Vision...

So this is what we came home to yesterday.

And yes, this was done on purpose, with our knowledge. In fact, we PAID someone to do it.

I have no "before" pictures to share, but just imagine that all those logs on the ground used to be upright, and used to be called trees.

I have to admit that it gives me a yucky feeling to see all the murdered trees. Especially because it's almost winter and the yard already looks so bare with all the foliage gone. Now it just looks so naked to me.

In fact, the day Minh marked them all for death, with orange survey tape, I think I required a lengthy oral argument for why each one needed to be killed. I tried to save as many as I could, but the man had a plan. And when my man has a plan, he's hard to dissuade.

Minh assures me that he spent long nights plotting and planning and carefully deciding which trees should go and which should stay. He's got a master plan and promises me it's all going to be worth it in the end.

He's calming me down with promises of better views of the starry nights from the hot tub, fewer oak leaves littering the deck and yard, beautiful flowers bordering the lawn, abundant sun for our herb gardens and (probably sometime around May 2008) a kick-ass swing set for the nugget.

Knowing Minh and the fact that he does not generally jump into things without thinking them through, I'm sure he's right and in the end I'll be thanking him for his vision. But for now it just looks like a graveyard to me.

As Requested...

Here are a couple pictures of me and my fat belly. Also, for your enjoyment, some pregnancy stats.

Countdown Status: At 31.5 weeks pregnant, I have 8.5 weeks left until the estimated due date...so we're expecting this little guy to arrive sometime in the next 6 to 10 weeks.

Weight gain to date: 23 lbs

Recent cravings: fruit, chocolate, and ice cream


Unpleasant symptoms: heartburn, gas (most unpleasant for Minh), and back pain.


Really cool things: Not only can you feel the baby move, but you can now also see it. The other day he was perfectly still and Minh started singing to him and he woke up and started squirming around--my belly was all sorts of shapes.

At the last doctor's appointment, the doctor was pretty sure the little guy had already turned to face head down, ready for his big exit.

My Lovely Daughter

Buttons and I have returned to enjoying long morning walks around the lake at MHC, now that the clocks have been turned back and it's light out by 6:15am. And she's been extra...shall we say..."lively" this past week.

I'm not sure if it's that she's been getting less exercise and therefore has more pent-up energy. Or maybe it's the freakishly warm weather we've been having. In any case, something has gotten into her.

Her antics this week include:

1. Falling way behind me as we circle the lake and neglecting to obey me when I tell her to "come."
2. Eating poop.
3. Rolling in smelly "stuff" (generally unidentifiable substances, and I'm sure it's better that way).
4. Racing around at top speed like a maniac for a full 5 minutes when it's time to put her leash back on and head home.

But this morning she really out-did herself. Halfway around the lake she picked up this thing. It was dark in color and possibly furry. It was maybe 6-8 inches long and thin and dangled out of her mouth as she trotted along. I attempted the "drop it" and "leave it" commands, but she just laughed at me. Before long, she had slurped the entire thing into her mouth (and then just held it there, like a squirrel storing nuts).

I somehow managed to get her leash back on and get her home, all the while with her drooling from holding this thing in her cheek, like a wad of chewing tobacco. I tried a couple more times to get her to drop it, both with verbal commands and by poking a stick in her mouth and trying to dislodge the thing from her jaw. No luck.

When we arrived home, I locked her on the deck and went inside. I figured she'd either eat the damn thing or get bored of it and spit it out. As soon as I had my shoes off I heard her crunch it a couple times and drop it on the deck. Then she suddenly decided to start listening to me. I told her to "leave it" and come in the house and she did, very obediently.

Now I was left with the task of disposing of this thing. Care to know what it was? My daughter, with her impeccable taste, had been sucking on a squirrel head (and neck and a few stringy entrails). Clearly not a whole squirrel--just what some other animal left behind. How delightful.

Yet I love her anyway. I can't help it.

DONE!!

This past Friday we planted all the rest of our bulbs. That makes a grand total of 1,116. (OK, so it wasn't quite the 1,200 I had been saying it was, but it was pretty close).

I'm just so glad it's all done. I have to admit, though, that I got the easy end of the task. Minh dug all the holes (yay for being pregnant!) I just had to kneel down (on my foam pad) place the bulbs in the hole, fertilize them, cover them back up, and water them. It really wasn't too bad--certainly not as back-breaking as raking.

Our yard should really be something to see next March/April/May.

Circles and Stripes, Oh My!

As promised, here are some pictures of the baby's room now that it's all painted, the rug is in, and the furniture is set up.

Last Thursday night Minh was supposed to be preparing a presentation for work on Friday, so naturally he was eager to procrastinate by putting together a crib, glider, ottoman, and end table. We were up until about midnight, arranging and re-arranging furniture. We think we finally agreed on a pleasing configuration that does not make the very small (9' x 11') room feel even smaller.

Needless to say, the furniture had only been assembled for about 4 minutes before the cats claimed it as their own. They must think they are the luckiest cats in the world, to have parents who are setting up this room just for them. Nibbles just adores the oh-so-expensive glider and ottoman, and Smudge is a huge fan of long naps on the changing table.

I think the stripes on the walls and circles on the floor are fun, but maybe just a tiny bit over the top. But there's no way we're changing anything at this point, so the little dude will just have to get used to visual over-stimulation.

Overheard on My Doorstep Last Night....

"Play-Dough, Yeah!"

"Gummy Eyeballs? Cool!"

"That was awesome!"

"You guys really have the best treats!"

"Play-Dough, how inventive!"

"Gummy eyeballs? I love gummy eyeballs!"

"Your pumpkin is exceptional." (props to Minh for his pumpkin carving skills.)