I Support the "No Work on Leap Day Revolution" and So Should You

Gene Weingarten's latest article in the Washington Post magazine really made me think. To me, tomorrow (leap day) is a lot like the extra hour we get in the Fall during the change from Daylight Saving Time back to standard time. It's a bonus. A free day. A day to do things that maybe we wouldn't have done if it were a "regular" day.

Like the man in the article, I want to do something cRaZee tomorrow. Something like pull my kids out of school. Oh wait, I don't have any kids. Okay, skip work. Well...I probably shouldn't do that since it is my last day before maternity leave. Also like the man in the article, I am Mormon and therefore won't be, "drinking alcohol or getting wild." (Gosh, this being Mormon sure seems to take the fun out of things!)

So since I can't skip work, get sloshed, or go wild, what will I do??? Given my current "delicate condition," most likely it will end up being finding a comfortable spot on the couch and not moving since it's hard to find that comfortable spot. But what will you do???

Who knows? Maybe I'll go just a touch wild and have some rice krispie treats. Now there's something I don't do every day.

I'm In Love...

This weekend C and I went to the American Craft Show in Baltimore. These weren't your run-of-the-mill homemaking-night crafts, ladies. These were pieces of art more than anything. Here are the top three favorite things I saw:

These lamps. Simply beautiful. (Check out their catalog here.)


This bracelet. LOVE it. The designer told C that I deserve a "push present." I don't really know what that means exactly, but as long as it includes the word "present," I'm game.


These quilts. The pictures don't do them justice. They are unbelievable. Anyone looking for a last-minute, few-thousand-dollar baby gift, one of these will do.

More Kid Aprons

Mr. Mullet's Final Update

Hopefully this will be the last of the sorta-monthly updates as hopefully one month from now, he'll be with us. This picture is taken at week 36. (Tomorrow I'll be 37 weeks--no pre-term baby for me! Although if I could guarantee that he'd be born healthy, I'd deliver him today.)

How are things going? I think the theme is basically this: I'm tired.

• I'm tired of people telling me, "Wow, you've sure popped." Whatever this means. I'm short, people. The uterus has nowhere to go but out. (I'm also tired of people who weigh 200 pounds telling me that women in their families don't start showing until about month six or seven. HELLO!? That's because there are more places for that baby to hide for those six or seven months!)
• I'm tired of the constant pressure my uterus exerts on my chest. This area is perpetually numb.
• I'm tired of Mr. Mullet thinking he can stand in utero. He tries.
• I'm tired of maternity clothes. The other day I made the mistake of opening a non-prego-clothes drawer and nearly cried. I just want to wear regular people clothes.
• I'm tired of my belly hitting the steering wheel. And don't tell me to move back the seat; if I do, my legs won't reach the pedals.
• I'm tired of pregnancy-induced acne.
• I'm tired of being unproductive, but too tired to do anything about it.
• I'm tired of working. I realize I have only six days of actual work (dang them for not cancelling today), but it's still not easy. Sitting for eight hours is the hardest part of my day.
• I'm tired of pregnancy cliches. Yes, I'm trying to get all the sleep I can now because yes, I realize I won't have that luxury in a few weeks. Yes, I realize it will change my life. Blah blah blah. What do I want you to say? Nothing. Just give me candy.
• I'm tired of not running. The elliptical is great, but I just want to run.

Given that I had a really really easy first 34 weeks of pregnancy, I shouldn't complain as much as I just did. So anything good happening? Actually yes. I can sleep really well. In fact, that's when I feel the best because I'm able to stretch my body to probably 63 inches long (that's an increase of 2 inches!). Also, we're done with our baby classes and feel like we're as ready as we're going to be. At all three of my baby showers (one in Utah, one given by church people here, and one at work), people were extremely generous and gave us some really great stuff. For now, we're just counting down the days.

(Oh yeah, I have been doing some sewing. I'm really pleased with my newest set of aprons. Check them out here.)

Just In Case...

...you were going to try to call Babies 'R' Us anytime soon, be aware that their number is a 1-888-number and NOT 1-800-number. If you try the 1-800 and get further than the pretty lady saying, "Mmmmm, hot, sweet, juicy..." let me know it turns out.

My ABCs

After being tagged by my sis-in-law, Linda, (whose blog you probably aren't special enough to read...well, special enough to her at least), I figured I better follow suit. However, I won't be tagging anyone else because the last time I did, he got a bit testy. But he was quickly forgiven.

A - Attached or single: Attached
B - Best Friend: C. Sometimes I think he knows me better than I know me. There's also R, who is pretty much an exact replica of myself, but much, much cooler.
C - Cake or Pie: Oooh, this is hard. I do love a good, simple, white cake. Even one from a box. But a banana cream pie is soooo yummy.
D - Day of Choice: Friday. I'm starting to get Saturday night blues now; Mondays are just that bad. (Except for federal holiday Mondays---hooray for Presidents!)
E - Essential Item: White t-shirts, preferably the ones from Banana Republic outlet. Oh yeah, and flip-flops.
F - Favorite Color: I don't know how applicable this question is to anyone over 9 years old. Favorite color for what? Eyes? Shoes? Wall color? Hmmm....pretty much all hues have their place.
G - Gummi Bears or Worms: Worms. They're much more fun to eat. Although, if you're feeling mean, taking a bite of a bear's head can be quite soothing.
H - Hometown: Gosh, not sure. Honolulu or Sandy? I guess Sandy since I lived there the longest, but I've been known to say that I'm Hawaiian.
I - Indulgence(s): Hot Tamales and snickerdoodles.
J - January or July: January. As much as I hate the pointless cold of a D.C. January, my absolute Least Favorite Thing in the entire world is humidity.
K - Kids: 8/9ths of one. Glad to see his name didn't show up here. (Thanks for that link, Ruth!)
L - Life is incomplete without: I'm really struggling with this because if I say C, then am I saying my life was incomplete without him? I don't think it was. Family in general? Maybe I like "sense of self" best.
M - Marriage Date: 30 December 2004. Who gets married on a Thursday?
N - Number of Siblings: 3, even though sometimes I say 2 because it's easier.
O - Oranges or Apples: Oranges.
P - Phobias or Fears: Anything without a solid base underneath it. For example, bridges, city grates, manholes.
Q - Quote(s): "It's never to late to be what you might have been."--George Eliot
R - Reason To Smile: Bruno's face. I was afraid that after having a pug for a while that I'd get used to how cute he is. But no; I still swoon over him.
S - Season: Fall.
T - Tag Six: See intro.
U - Unknown Fact About Me: I was the President of the French Club my senior year of high school.
V - Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals: Gosh, when you put it that way...oppressor of animals.
W - Worst Habit: Is being jealous of others a habit? If not, then I guess yelling at other drivers will have to do.
X - X-Rays or Ultrasounds: I don't think I've ever had an x-ray, so I choose ultrasounds.
Y - Your Favorite Food: Homemade whole wheat bread. Down with Atkins!
Z - Zodiac: Leo (A fact that should be fairly obvious.)

Follow-Up to Last Week's Labor Question

After getting Linda's comment to my post from last week, I started doing some research on clothes to wear at the hospital. I found this company, Binsi, and am in LOVE with their stuff. However, I am NOT in love with their prices. Here's the skirt and here's the tank in which I am particularly interested. To all those who have done this before, what do you think? Any features that you do or don't like? Basically I want to know: should I spend my time copying their designs and creating my own or just suck it up and wear the hospital gowns?

Labor Question # 1

As the first person in our birth class just gave birth, C and I now realize that the same thing could happen to us at any time. (Although, at only 35 weeks, I won't count on it happening too soon.) The new dad visited our class Monday night and laughed that they had planned on putting together the labor bag Sunday, but as the contractions started Saturday, well, they were a little too late.

So C and I decided that we'd get started on this task soon. The question is: Other than the usually recommended things, does anyone have any suggestions of things that they LOVED having at the hospital, either pre-birth or post? Don't worry, this little guy is already on the list.

Crib Bedding

I'd Like to Bear My Testimony...(again)

This time I would like to bear my testimony of good dental hygiene. Not that I had bad hygiene before, but I just feel extra lucky this time.

About one year ago, I saw an HMO dentist. It took three visits just to get my teeth cleaned, x-rayed, and looked at by the dentist. (Can you say, "Milking the insurance company?" I can and will.) When I finally got to see the dentist, she said that I grind my teeth so much that the teeth are being forced outward and my gums were receding because of it. And for the bargain price of nearly $2,000, she would perform the gum implants.

After much freaking out, I visited a REAL dentist (who was C's trusted family dentist, but didn't take our insurance). When he said, "She told you WHAT?!?" I felt better. He looked at my teeth, saw zero evidence of teeth grinding, and sent me on my way. But before he did, he said that teeth brushing with an electric toothbrush (my slight gum recession was likely due to too-hard brushing), daily flossing, and daily rinsing with Listerine, I should never have teeth problems again.

And now, one year (and one change of dental insurance plans) later, I'm proud to report that his method worked! No cavities in sight! I heart my new dentist.

Which is Worse?

C and I are actively looking for a new place to live. Not just to live, but to buy. Last week we found a place we both like. The neighborhood was great, the price was great (as great as housing prices can be, I guess), the proximity to trains was great, and the inside of the house was great too. We placed an offer and waited...and waited...and then yesterday were told the offer was accepted...and then a couple of hours later, were told the offer was not accepted as the house had gone into foreclosure that day.

Bummed as we were, we had no choice but to continue on with our lives. One thing that we have promised to each other and to Bruno, is that Bruno will get his daily walks, regardless of how we feel that day (unless Mother Nature has other plans...like today). Upon conclusion of yesterday's walk with Bruno, I expressed interest in going to McDonald's for an ice cream cone. Because C had already had a "good food day" (pizza and ice cream at a work-sponsored duck-pin bowling party), he response to this was a face of absolute disgust, one that squelched all hope of having the yummy goodness that is a McDonald's ice cream cone.

Of these two events (losing the house and no ice cream), guess which one brought me closer to tears?

I'll give you a (big fat) hint...

In C's defense, his face was not of the "unsupportive" variety nor of the "you're ridiculous" variety. (Believe me, I know both faces.) I later learned that it was more of a, "That just does not sound good to me at all." But being the good husband he is, he was more than willing to take me to get the ice cream. And it was good.