The Longest Day

It is indeed the first day of summer, the longest technical day of the year in terms of sunshine.

It also figuratively feels like the longest damned day ever.  No contractions.  No back pain.  No water breakage.  No NOTHING.  I'm only four days overdue, and I don't know how women don't go on total hormonal rampages when they're late.  Seriously, Scarlet, how did you manage to survive nine extra days?  Meanwhile, one of my dear childhood friends who was due three weeks after me just gave birth to a healthy baby girl yesterday.  I do see the cons in this:  They didn't have a bag packed, figured they had more time, etc.  But ohhhh...a tiny bit of jealousy reared its ugly head. 

I've tried all the tricks.  I've walked.  I've eaten spicy food.  I had a beer.  I did other things.  The only thing I haven't done is eat eggplant--clearly my lack of eggplant is holding things back.  

He is moving around maddeningly inside, as if to say, "Ha ha, Mommy, I am so comfy and I just want to remind you that I am still here!"  Yes, I know that I am incredibly fortunate to even be pregnant, and as of tomorrow I'll be induced, so by the weekend I will have him in my arms and be exhausted and happy. 

But I'm hormonal and hot and uncomfortable, and the magic of pregnancy is gone. 

Latest bump

Well, this past weekend I nested like crazy: I baked oatmeal bread AND banana snack cake, and washed a bunch of baby clothes and my mom and sister M (and baby C--four months tomorrow!) helped me fold and organize. We now have drawers filled with clothes and blankets, and I figured out how to work the diaper genie (after pulling out too much of the bag at first), so I think I'm set. Oh wait...we need pacifiers. And I should probably figure out how the hell to actually use the swaddler stuff before I have an unhappy baby who desperately needs to be made into a baby mummy. We also got a chest freezer for the basement off Craig's List for the food we will be making and hopefully receiving that we can simply take out, thaw, and enjoy during the first few weeks with junior. Mom's already contributed lasagna.

I've also started packing a bag for the hospital and printed my study guides for my classes early. This way, Murphy's Law will hopefully ensure that I don't deliver early. Fingers crossed...I just need to get through the 10th, which will give me time to finish grading exams and interview AGAIN for my position for next year (again, it's like Survivor--will I get to stay on the island for another go-around? But hey--if it means a job and uninterrupted health care, I will jump through any hoop they want). So again, here's to hoping.

Anyway, with a little less than five weeks to go, I thought pictures were in order:

No, that's not a basketball.

Oh yeah, this blog

I just have so much to tell, that I'll try to give a shortish version. As my father said, my last few actual posts have included a lot of...creativity because I'd kept something to myself that I wasn't ready to reveal. Therefore, I should probably start with that:

I'm pregnant. YES, I AM. Most of my readers already know this, but some of you may not, so there you go. I'm almost four months along and have a bit of a tummy, which is nothing compared to my sister M, who's due in about three WEEKS and looks like she's smuggling a basketball around. We took pictures together over the holidays and I mainly just look like I need to exercise more, but I know it's a BABY. T and I had the first trimester ultrasound and saw it moving and sucking its thumb and wriggling around. To quote Ragu (or is it Prego? HAH! That would be so funny if it was Prego), it's in there. So we're terrified and excited and in June, our lives will forever change. So that's pretty exciting, to say the least.

Other than that little tidbit, just life. I meant to post during our snow days about a month ago but I just couldn't get myself into it, for some reason. There was always something else to do. I don't know if it's nesting or what, but I've finally started to really, truly keep the house more organized on a more consistent basis, utilizing that nursery school mantra of "a place for everything, and everything in its place". I now mentally think, Does that shirt belong there, or hung up/in the hamper, hmmm? I have confused poor T on several occasions when I "cleaned up" (IE threw away) something he needed. But there are at least two loads of laundry sitting patiently in the basement waiting to be folded, so some things haven't changed.

We had a lovely holiday with family, who bestowed us with generous and thoughtful gifts, love, and more food than we could handle. Perfect. Even though this particular holiday included my grandfather passing away, Dad still had a good time and commented on the circle of life: He's got three grandkids and two on the way, and Grandpa's death wasn't unexpected. But I know he felt especially happy to have all of us there. Unfortunately, Christmas night ended abruptly for T, who caught an 18-hour bug which I then got yesterday. It was NOT pregnancy related. Trust me. Thank God for oatmeal. Penny also took it upon herself to snuggle with each of us during our bedridden stages, which truly did help.

Now, I just want to reiterate even before the beginning of the year how grateful I am for the dozens of little kindnesses that have come my way: congratulations from many, an unexpected Christmas card from former students, gifts for Penny, calls from friends about everything and nothing, silly e-mails that made my day, a giant bottle of ginger ale and a tummy rub yesterday from T, maternity clothes from my neighbor, and others I can't even think of. I have many, many reasons to smile during this time of year (and most other times, really). I'll try to post more often, too. Maybe it'll be one of my resolutions.

So if I don't post beforehand, have a wonderful New Year's Eve and try to look back on everything that happened to you in 2010, good or bad, and I bet (I hope!) you'll find that you had a good year. I know I did.