A Day in My Glamourous Life...

Baby Benjamin is particularly fussy today. He peed through his diaper this a.m. right on my newly washed sheets. He is also spitting up a lot today. He keeps spitting up when I lay him in his crib. The side of his face now smells like vomit. Bath time is coming early today.

Chewy is back to his regurgitating and vomiting. He threw up once on the chair and has regurgitated about 10 times on the carpet. Lovely.

Lola was walking around looking at her behind. I picked her up to wipe her with a baby wipe(Yes, I know I am sick. I wipe my Dog's butt. She deserves a clean bootie too,) and noticed she had poop stuck to her. I had to wash her little behind in the sink all while Benjamin screamed and Chewy spit up.

And people say that being a stay at home mom isn't work. I beg to differ.

My Mommy Must Haves...

If you are having a baby soon keep reading, if you aren't, you will probably be extremely bored.

These are things I find invaluable for me and Benjamin. :)

1. The Miracle Blanket. This little gem keeps my little Houdini swaddled through the night. Without it, he breaks free and has a very restless sleep. http://www.miracleblanket.com/

2. The Sweet Peace Swing- This swing is great. Benjamin didn't always love it, but it has always been great for me to put him in when I just need to go to the restroom or to eat a meal. He has fallen asleep in it a few times too. He seems to build up his tolerance for it and will stay in it longer and longer. A word of advice about this swing. The music on it is terrible. However, you can hook up your ipod to it and play your own music. Brian always reminds me that the music is for the baby, not me. He always refers to the music as Benjamin's "jam." http://www.gracobaby.com/assets/demos/sweetpeace/index_resize.html

3. The Rain forest Waterfall Peek A Boo Soother. This little thing is like baby crack. Benjamin loves it. He will stare at it in his crib and "talk" to it.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2455073&clickid=body_rv_txt

4. For you breastfeeding moms, the Brest Friend pillow. I really can't say enough about this pillow. Benjamin even takes a nap on it after he eats. It's fantastic. Oh, and I have a boppy too. It doesn't even compare. http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2574807

5. Also for the breast feeding moms. Lansinoh breast pads. I have tired about 7 different ones and these are the only ones that don't leak for me. They are thin and cover a larger area. http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2793488

6. I also love the Hooter Hider. I bought it a few weeks ago and it is great for public places. It even has little pockets for your breast pads which is great for me. Before the hooter hider, I used a blanket. Benjamin would be done and I would inevitably lose a pad or two. Pretty awkward to find it stuck to the back of his head. :) http://shop.bebeaulait.com/

7. This bathtub. It comes with a little hammock. It is awesome because the baby is so slippery and the hammock makes it so much easier to wash the baby. http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2403667&cp=2777251

8. This diaper organizer. Truly one of the best purchases my husband made. http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2394461

9. This diaper pail. Way better than the diaper genie. You don't have to use their bags and it keeps the smell away better. http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2373422

10. I call this chair the best thing that ever happened to me. I got it as a gift and I spend hours on end rocking the baby in it. The ottoman is also a must have. http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3012839

I am sure I can think of a few more things, so I will add more items if I think of them. I hope this helps some of you out there.

That was me a little over 2 months ago..

I went to lunch with 4 very lovely ladies yesterday. All four were at various stages of pregnancy. It is sometimes hard to remember what my life was like BB. Before Benjamin. ;)

I tried to keep myself engaged in the conversations, but found myself struggling to. I felt like I had to keep Benjamin entertained. I was fearful that he would turn into a screaming lunatic baby.

I really didn't want to get those looks of pity. The look of wow, can't you control your child or the jeez that baby sure is good birth control comments. I know people think them. I used to myself, BB. :)

I truly hope no one thought that I was not interested in their conversation. Quite the contrary. It was great to get the adult interaction. I truly apologize if it came off that I was uninterested.

I hope that we can all get together again after all of your new arrivals get here. Maybe then we will be 5 ladies trying to carry on conversations to no avail. :)

Sometimes you want to go...

where everybody knows your name.

So, I have always wanted to be the girl that walks into the bar and everyone shouts out my name. Well that technically never happened. However, I am sure in my youth, that there were several bartenders that knew what I wanted to drink when I came into the bar. First, there was Hogue Barmichaels, then Bennigans, then Riley's, then Sharkeez, then the Newport Beach Brewery, and finally Malarkeys. I frequented these bars at different times in my life and I knew the bouncers and bartenders and they knew me.

Fast forward to present day and the lady at Katy's Korner remembers that I order the B.L.A.T with french fries and a side of mayo(to dip my fries in along with some ketchup.)

Boy how my life has changed.

Not the Norm moment I was looking for, but I guess it will have to do.

Here it is...Benjamin's birth story.....

Okay, I may have been kidnapped by those pesky aliens I mentioned in the previous post. I am writing this a couple of weeks later, so my memory may only be partially erased. :)

My doctor was worried that Benjamin was big and because of my gd she scheduled an induction for August 25th. I was to report to the hospital on the 24th at 6:00 p.m. I kept hoping that the labor would come naturally, but little Benjamin just wasn't ready.

I, of course, tried to get my house prepared for guests. Thank God for my mother who gets on her hands and knees to clean the kitchen floor.

We checked in and they put me right into a gown and started the gel. Apparently this gel is used to soften the cervix. They inserted it a total of 3 times. The first time was with an exam. Not super comfortable, but not the worst I have ever experienced. The second exam was horrible and actually brought tears to my eyes. Not sure if the nurse had enormous fingers(or hands, since that is what it felt like,) or if she was just a sadist. Of course, I was only dilated to 1/2 cm at the beginning. I don't know how I lost 1/2 of cm in a week or if the nurses and doctors measure differently. Anyhow, this was the beginning of a long sleepless, uncomfortable night.

The nurses monitored my blood pressure and I had an iv in too. The actual worst part was a killer blood pressure cuff that monitored me every few minutes. I swear to God that thing just about cut off my circulation. Unfortunately it took the nurses until morning to realize that this thing had a death grip on me. Any hopes of sleep, went away with each horrible squeeze.

By 6:00 a.m they were ready to start the pitocin. Here's the thing....I expected that contractions came every 15 minutes or so and then worked there way from there. Oh no, not with pitocin. Apparently for me the contractions started to come every 2- 2 1/2 minutes with some ferocity. With each contraction I looked at the monitor and realized they were at about the 20 level. I kept thinking, "holy shit, what must 100 feel like?" By about 9:30 I started to think that I could use some advice about when to get an epidural. By this time I was trying to find a position to squat in during these contractions. I just couldn't catch my breath. One would end and the next was right behind it.

I asked for the epidural. I was at about 4-5 cm at this time. So, everyone says that the epidural is so relieving. Okay, but what if the doctor tells you to hold completely still while he sticks a huge needle in your back? Did I mention that he asked me to do this while I was in the middle of one of those heinous contractions? Not easy and I probably crushed Brian's hand in the process.

My mom arrived about this time and I started to feel gloriously better. I wouldn't say paralyzed, but I felt really sleepy. My mom and MIL chose to visit a lot for the next few hours. Brian's family noisily filled the waiting room. I looked at the computer, maybe watched the tv. I remember seeing my ob come in to check on me and I noticed she had on some perfectly pressed white pants. She always dresses flawlessly. Anyway, she left. Brian went for some grub and my mom came in. At about 3:00 or so, my mom was asked to leave when the nurse examined me. She said, "oh my you are all ready at 8 cm and your bag of waters is bursting out." The doctor then walks in and breaks it. I didn't feel a thing. I guess that was good because, my friend Cara gave birth a few days after me and said that it hurt.

From then on, I thought it could be anytime. However, Benjamin was firmly planted in the birth canal and wasn't making much progress. The nurses were flipping me from side to side about every 45 minutes or so. I was in and out at this time. Super sleepy. Brian came back from food and was sad that he missed the water breaking, but happy that I was dilating. A few hours later panic set in.

When the nurse turned me on my left side, the baby's heart rate dropped. She decided that I was to stay on my right side. My blood pressure was really irregular and higher than normal. My glucose levels were also really low and so they were forcing me to drink juice. At this point, all I wanted to do was sleep. The nurse told Brian that she was worried and that she was calling the doctor to come in. I could tell that she was thinking it was time for a C-section. I started to tear up a little bit because it was the last thing I wanted. At this time my mom came in again and Brian kind of let her in on what was happening. He wasn't going to worry anyone until he knew for sure what was happening.

It seemed like hours before the dr arrived. I think it was more like an hour. She walked in said I was dilated to 10 and that I was to start pushing. My mom was leaving thinking, "oh, thank God he is almost here." Then the nurse said something that made my mom crazy....."the pushing usually will last for 1-3 hours."

To a normal woman, this may seem reasonable to my mother, her labors don't last that long. She was worried about how tired I was. They had put me on oxygen about an hour before and I was exhausted.

Somehow, I started to push. I couldn't really move my legs at first, but feeling came back quickly. The anesthesiologist came back in just before to give me something since the epidural was now gone. Whatever it was, it didn't really work. Not that it mattered, it wasn't that bad, just exhausting.

So here's my biggest complaint....Why in the hell do they have a huge clock in my view? I kept looking at it thinking, how much longer? Every time the freaking nurse or Brian said he's almost here, I wanted to scream..."You said that 1/2 an hour ago." I remember getting real whiny and telling Brian I couldn't do it anymore. But I plugged on. I pushed every contraction, every two minutes, three times each contraction for two whole hours. That's a lot of freaking pushing. At some point other nurses were piling in. The pediatric nurse would try to get me to push 4 times for each contraction. I secretly wanted her dead. She also decided to pepper me with stupid questions at this point. I closed my eyes. When she asked me what I was going to name the baby, I snapped and suddenly got angry at Brian. I punched him in the chest(lightly according to my recollection) and said, "Answer Her."

A few minutes later, Benjamin's head popped out and then his shoulders. When they held him up, all I could think was..."He's huge." Brian cut the cord and they started getting him cleaned up. It seem to take forever and I just wanted to hold him. Brian counted fingers and toes and took a picture of him on the scale. He looked great. Found out he got a 9 and a 9 on the Apgar taken at birth and 5 minutes after birth I think. Leave it to our child to be an overachiever so early on. Doesn't take after his momma in that respect. :)

Benjamin Joseph was 22 inches long, 8 pounds, 11 ounces and just about as perfect as you can get. I fell in love at first sight.

Things happened quickly after that, Brian left to make announcements. They stitched me up and cleaned up super fast and transformed the room for guests in a matter of minutes. I had a rush of adrenaline after he came out. I was super excited and wide awake.

I tried to spare the gorier details. I think Brian saw a lot more than he needed too.

I also wanted to mention that all of the nursing staff at San Ramon were awesome. I couldn't have asked for better care. Every nurse came in and helped with whatever I needed, be it food or nursing tips. I think that I wouldn't have been that successful at breastfeeding if it weren't for all of the nurses involved.
******************************************************************************

Okay....here is the truth about how I felt about labor...I was pretty disappointed with my pain tolerance. I really thought I could have done it without pain meds and instead I caved pretty early on. I learned later that they can really only track the frequency of contractions and not the level of pain or how strong they are. That would have been nice to know before I asked for the epidural. I wished I would have been in better shape. I wished I would have taken some yoga classes. I wished I would have been better prepared. I was kind of kicking myself the first week because I thought maybe the epidural impeded progress and that maybe Benjamin could have been born earlier.

2 weeks later...I am no longer kicking myself because the end result would have been the same...A beautiful, HEALTHY, perfect, little boy named Benjamin Joseph. ;)

Current aches and pains...

Just so I can remember this later and not tell the lie of feeling wonderful all of the time. ;)

1. When I try to turn over in bed, it becomes a whole ordeal. Sometimes I even get a pulling pain in my lower right side that feels like ripping.

2. TMI Alert.....Why didn't anyone tell me I could get aches in my vagina that would make me gasp?

3. When I go pee, the squatting kills my kneecaps.

4. Sometimes it feels like the baby's foot or hand is gonna come right out of my vagina. It is by far the weirdest sensation. This happened weeks ago, I don't really have this experience anymore.

5. My ass muscles currently feel like I ran a marathon. Not sure why, but when I go to stand up now, my butt hurts something awful.

6. Stretchmarks are not only ugly, they hurt. I had stretchmarks before, but nothing like this. These actually have a burning sensation.

Now for the part women always tell you. I'll call it a disclaimer....Not that I know this for a fact yet.....

It will all be worth it. Once I meet my sweet baby I will forget all about the aches and pains and I will embrace motherhood completely. I will also, apparently, be kidnapped by aliens and have my memory erased so that I will want to go through this all over again in a couple years.

Mother's never tell you the truth

I think if pregnant women told all of the mysteries of pregnancy, women may never have kids. I feel like it was some secret club and no one tells of their aches and pains. If I hear one more time that being pregnant, "was the best they ever felt," I will punch someone. Or what about the b!tches that tell you they had a 45 minute labor with "no real pain?"

If anyone wants to know the truth, i'll tell them a thing or two. I can't tell you about labor yet, but I will if when the time comes.

Brian and I have been "nesting" all weekend. Buying things we need(or don't need. Who really knows?)

We have so many things that seem so frivolous once they have been put together. Brian is currently putting together the Sweet Peace Swing. I hope the baby enjoys it because it sure is taking up a lot of space.

It took forever to figure out the carseat/stroller system. I know I will not attempt to leave the house without Brian to show me how to put it all together. I also realize now the need for taking the carseat to get it checked out by the fire or police dept. Who knew these things could be so friggin complicated?

I really don't mind if I go into labor soon. I honestly can't wait to see Benjamin's sweet little face. Will he be bald or have a ton of hair? Will he have blue eyes that stay that way or brown? Will he be long and lean or have little chubby rolls? I seriously can't wait to meet him.

Officially 6 days from D day!!!!!!

My ob said that she would not let me go to much longer after my due date. She also said that he was a "big baby." Just what a girl wants to hear.

I am having a rough time lately with Brian. He seems angry and stressed out. This in turn causes us to bicker. Last night I had another psycho moment. The other occured when I stared at Brian while he slept and wanted to put a pillow over his head. How's that for pregzilla? Last night I pictured hacking off his toes with a cleaver. Lack of sleep is making me loopy.

Almost everything is done for the baby. Still need to put in the carseat, but that should be done this week.

I don't anticipate the baby coming early. Just a hunch, but I feel like he wants to stay in for as long as he can.

Tonight:Looking forward to some Banchero's Soup and garlic bread. Yum!!!!!!!!

What I've learned!

1. Never marry a procrastinator when you are also a procrastinator.
2. Don't try to work on home improvements or build anything with your spouse. If you do, realize that it will more than likely result in an argument. Also, realize that said argument will result in a hormonal crier. This weekend that hormonal crier was me. :)
3. Two pack rats are not better than one.
4. You have ligaments in your groin area that can be super painful at the end of pregnancy.
5. Don't send your father babycenter updates. He does not want to hear anything about mucous, a bloody show, or avoiding sex after your water breaks. Apparently these terms are more disturbing when referring to your daughter.
6. People aren't really concerned about how you are doing towards the end of your pregnancy. They really only want the baby to get here and you are just a pod.
7. Our parents did just fine without a co-sleeper,baby monitor, moby wrap, pack and play, boppy, a play gym, wipe warmers, etc.
8. Work on the nursery as soon as possible. You don't want to be running around last minute making sure you have everything you need.
9. Take some baby classes, even if you have done it before. There is bound to be something new to learn.
10. Don't be a hero! Get that epidural.

He fell asleep....

Brian and I had our birthing class for 8 hours on Saturday. It was really informative and I felt like the instructor really knew her stuff.

We learned what to expect and about the stages of labor. Of course I know all of this will goes out the window when we actually go through it. No two birth stories ever seem to be the same.

I went into it thinking I was going to go the all natural route. I still might, but the anesthesiologist and the nurse teaching the class sure were pushing epidurals. My favorite line from the doctor...."Women in San Ramon, don't want to feel pain. They ask for pain meds when they hit the parking lot. " :)

My favorite part of the class was not unlike the end of most yoga classes I have taken. Except that it probably went on for 45 minutes.

The instructor was showing us relaxation and breathing techniques. I was deeply into it. I had a focal point in my head. I didn't need a object to look at, I just pictured my happy place which is my friend Katie's house in Montecito. It is seriously the most beautiful and comfortable home I have ever been in. Right on the water.

Anyway, at some point I hear the instructor speaking softly telling our coaches to check if we were truly relaxed. We were laying in the back of the room and I could see all of the other husbands lifting there wives arms and then slowly letting them go to see if the women were limp enough. I waited and waited and finally turned around to see Brian. He looked to be waking from a slumber. I mean we were all relaxed, but he is suppose to be my coach.

Doesn't build up my confidence in his ability to keep me relaxed on the day I go into labor. :)

Another highlight from the class...
The instructor told our husband to try a technique of massage when their wives seemed tense in a particular body part. Of course most men would rub their wives backs or bellies. Brian chose to rub my boob. Um....I don't think I have ever had a tense boob.

God I hope my Dad isn't reading this.

The Southern California Shower

My girlfriends rock. I couldn't have asked for two nicer showers. Benjamin and I were spoiled once again. We received more gifts than I can ever name.

My favorites...Auntie Allegra bought him some sweet flaming vans. I am so glad he will be rockin those. I'm not going to lie, he will probably possess a mohawk at some point in his toddlerhood.

http://www.psychobabyonline.com/site/psychobaby/productdetail.exc?cmd=view_prod&isApp=true&page=1&co_id=533&item_id=39983&prod_id=1483


Auntie Heather bought him a sweet Mr.T onesie. He will probably wear this home from the hospital. :)

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=12266757

Auntie Heather also bought him some Angels gear. I am so glad that he won't have to be embarrassed by all of the Dodger and Giants gear he received. We may have to have a symbolic bonfire. ;)

We're getting down to the wire.....

As I was sitting in our infant safety/cpr class, it suddenly hit me that we were about to become parents. I don't know why it hasn't hit me before now, but it was really quite scary.

I don't have a thing ready in preparation for this kid's arrival. All of our gifts are at my In Laws. Including the crib, changing table and dresser.

I haven't packed a bag and the baby will have no place to sleep if he arrives early.

Do I sound panicked? Because I am.

Baking bread in my shoes...

I don't think it is possible for my feet to swell anymore. I had to go shopping for new shoes this weekend and my feet wouldn't fit into anything. Now I finally know what it is like to have wide feet. I normally have pretty large feet, but they are extremely narrow. Most shoes are a bit to wide for me. Not anymore. All I ask is that they eventually go back to normal. Not a size bigger and not any wider please.

I had my first baby shower this weekend. It was so wonderful and nicely put together. Baby Benjamin and I received so many wonderful gifts. Everyone was so generous.

It would take me forever to list everything we received, but for now I will show you my favorite gift.....

We got the Dutailier Grand Glider/Rocker and Ottoman. I believe it was in the dark cherry with a natural color suede or microfiber. It is gorgeous and oh so comfortable.

http://shop.nurturecenter.com/dugrchslstgl.html

More shopping for baby.....

Just when you think you can't shop anymore..... There is so much stuff to buy for baby. I am looking forward to my showers because then I will know exactly what is left to buy. Hopefully not too much. :)

Baby Benjamin is really active lately. He still prefers to hang out on my right side much to my discomfort. My right foot looks like rising dough on any given day.

I went shopping with my Mother in law this weekend. We picked up the stroller and infant car seat. I can't wait to see them out of the box. The guy at Baby Super tried to convince us to leave with the matching tall dresser to the crib set. I said I had to think about it, but MIL and Brian's grandma think we need it. Go figure. We also left with the cutest little train on train tracks with Benjamin's name.

If I had any doubts before that Ben was going to be spoiled, they are gone now.

I also looked into a glider/rocking chair. Good Lord they are expensive. I thought I could find one I like for about $300. Looks like we will probably spend way over double that. They are extremely comfortable and I do need to buy the matching ottoman for my ridiculously swollen feet.

I ended up registering for a diaper bag at PBK. I don't love it as much as the Kate Spade, but I know I will get over it.

Biggest baby related news this weekend. Restoration Hardware started selling their baby line. I love, love, love it. For those that know me in real life, check out my registery there. I finally made a decision. ;) Unfortuanately the incompetent people at Bananafish Inc. have yet to send me samples after a month long process of emails and phone calls. I'm taking it as a sign that it's not the right bedding for Benjamin.

We celebrated Father's Day today with Brian's family. Benjamin and I got Brian some I love my Daddy socks with a matching hat. He also got his Daddy/himself a Dodger plush ball and bear with security blanket. Not an easy purchase for an Angel fan Mommy.

All in all, it was a good weekend.

More confused about baby bedding than ever :(

I have found more stuff I like. Not sure if I love any of them, but I am still waiting on some samples in the mail.

I am a huge fan of Restoration Hardware and they are now releasing their baby line. Here's the link....
http://www.rhbabyandchild.com/rhbc/catalog/category/category_collections_gallery.jsp?navAction=jump&navCount=12&categoryId=rhbc_cat101037

I like the majority of them in the cloud color. What do you guys think? Would these work with my espresso furniture.

Some I like are...
the cuddle plush bumper and Italian dot sheeting
the european dot matelasse bumper and the italian contrast stripe sheeting
the european classic stripe bumper and the contrast piped sheeting
and a couple of others.

Looks like I can mix and match the sheets, bumpers, bedskirt etc. I like that idea.

I am also partial to a couple of others I came across...

http://www.babystyle.com/common/jj-cole-blue-bulls-eye-crib-set-p.asp?pmid=27010&dept=4&sc=489

and this one

http://www.babystyle.com/common/jj-cole-blue-mod-crib-set-p.asp?pmid=26339&dept=4&sc=489

I really need to decide soon. The two showers are approaching so fast.

On another happy note, I thought I would include links to the stroller and carseats my MIL bought us.

We got both in the bubbles black...

http://www.pegperego.com/page.php?sid=7538e553d9c3f0241f321d0d3bd2470f&pageid=UJVNL001&idp=0000000159&pg=02&cl=N
and
http://www.pegperego.com/page.php?sid=7538e553d9c3f0241f321d0d3bd2470f&pageid=UJVNL001&idf=04&idp=0000000160&cl=N

Thanks for reading....

Committing to a Name

This little boy is going to have this name for the rest of his life. I think that this is one of the most important decisions we will have to make. That is a bit of an exaggeration...well maybe not.

What if you name him Bob and he looks like a Harry? What if you pick a name and that name comes with an awful nickname?

These are questions that run through my head.

I had a girl name all picked out. Brian actually liked it right off.

Unfortunately Brian did not like most of the boy names I picked. I always thought it would be cool to name my son Crash. When my last name changed, I saw my perfect opportunity. What does my husband think of the name Crash? Not a big fan.

I love Sebastian and Tristan. Brian thinks those are names that will get his son beat up.

Brian liked Jacob, which I liked also. It is the #1 most popular name right now though. I don't want him to be Jake C because all of the other kids on the playground are named Jake. He needs to have some uniqueness.

We agreed that the middle name would be William or Joseph after our fathers. We also agreed that we would pick whichever one sounded better and so we arrived at the day a few months ago where Brian finally picks up a baby naming book.

Benjamin Joseph......

On my list, but I am not 100% sure that I love it.

I keep hoping to wake up and know that this is his name. Or, better yet, find another name that we can both agree on.

Oh well! We may have another boy. Maybe I will have first dibs on the name next time around.

Purses and diaper bags

For those of you that know me IRL, you know that I have a slight obsession with purses. I have really calmed down over the last few years though and I haven't purchased anything in awhile.

I have had my eye on this Kooba for a few months. It isn't a diaper bag though and it is not easy to justify spending about $600 on a bag to my husband at this time.

I have had trouble in my search for the perfect diaper bag though. I am not a big fan of the diaper bag look and I would prefer it to be fashionable.

I think I will be going with this one...
http://www.katespade.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3009299&cp=2450627.1876038&parentPage=family

It's fashionable and functional for what I need it for I believe. I just can't bring myself to buy one of those PPB bags. No offense to the girls that love them, but they are just way too busy for me.

In my search, I came across this beauty.....
http://www.eluxury.com/estore/browse/product_detail.jsp?id=11395730&searchString=louisvuittondiaperbag

A girl can dream......

??????????

Time is flying by and I can't believe it is June. The baby will be here before I know it and I am feeling very unprepared. We got a crib and dresser/changing table this weekend. I love them, but I am worried that they won't match the bedding I need to pick out. We registered last week and we already got several big items. Yay for us and our wonderful families!

Here are the links to our crib and dresser/changing table. We ordered them in espresso though, not white...
http://www.sorellefurniture.com/details.php?type=cribs&item_number=260&return=list
and
http://www.sorellefurniture.com/details.php?type=cases&item_number=2620&return=list

I am excited for my two showers. Both of which are this month. I am not really done with registering though and I find it intimidating. I don't know what kind of diapers to choose or what kind of bottles to buy. Babies r'us is an overwhelming place.

I also need to buy some hostess gifts for my peeps. There are 6 people throwing one shower and 4 throwing the other. That's a lot of gifts. If you gals have any ideas on what I can buy for them let me know.

The worst part of this week...I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Not real fun to have to diet while pregnant. I see a nurse and nutritionist tomorrow. I will miss the Chocolate Malted Crunch Ice Cream the most. :(

Losing yourself

I've always wanted to be a Mom. I was not ready up until about a year ago. People ask how do you know when you are ready? I don't really have an answer for that.

I found the guy, we are financially stable and it just felt like the right time.

Part of me realizes that I am a very selfish person. I have pretty much always gotten what I wanted. The idea that someone will come before me scares the living daylights out of me.

I have always made fun of my friends that have given their whole life fo their children. It is sometimes hard to have adult conversations with these friends without interruptions.

I wonder, will I become uninteresting to my friends without kids?

I have always felt lucky that I can have time to myself when on the phone or just sleeping in. All of that is about to change in three months.

Boy am I scared.

I even wanted to avoid talking about my pregnancy when I started this blog. I think I was a bit in denial about the fact that it has changed me.

I've spent hours researching things like carseats and strollers. I worry that my next car purchase won't be safe enough for my kids. Weird things that I never thought about before.

For my friends that don't have kids, feel free to tell me if you don't want to hear about my baby. I would understand because I have been there. Just go easy and remember that I'm still me. Crazy, self absorbed Shannon.

My first love = Shopping

I actually wrote a post yesterday and then managed to erase it. :(

Anyway, I realized at an early age that there was one thing I had a talent for. Shopping. I have always liked to shop. It could be for handbags, shoes, clothes, make up, or even home decor items. So when I decided to go looking for baby bedding, I thought it would be an easy task. I was wrong.

If I was having a girl, it would have been so easy. I would diva out her room. Maybe use some black and white toile with an awesome accent color like hot pink, lemon, or tiffany blue. She would have her very own chandelier. Her shoe selection would rival Carrie Bradshaw. I could dress her to the nines. Don't get me started.

But, alas, I saw a penis at the ultrasound. No matter what women say, there just aren't as many cute things for boys. The clothes are okay, but bedding has been the hardest thing to find. I have found a few items. Not sure yet how to link the pics in here yet, so i'll try links.

Here's my first pick so far. http://www.bananafishinc.com/prodpg.php?product_id=1079
I'm not really into themes, so I thought this was doable.

My next two picks are by Glenna Jean. http://www.glennajean.com/pages/Mod%20Squad.html
and
http://www.glennajean.com/pages/Central%20Park.html

Let me know what you ladies think.

I'm still open to other option too, so if you have any recs, please send them my way.

In honor of Alison

I was thinking today about Father's Day and what I was going to get my Dad. It reminded me of Father's Day about 5 years ago.

I arrived at my parents house at about 11:00 a.m. and noticed that my parents were acting funny.

My Mom said, "should we tell her?"

My Dad said, "Yes."

My mom informed me that my rabbit Emily died that morning and that she was outside laying by the tree so that I could say goodbye.

I bought Emily in college, but my parents sort of inherited her when I moved out. Outside by the tree was my little Emily. My dog Hershey was by her side actually whimpering.

My Dad decided that we were going to have a funeral. I have mentioned before that I have a slightly quirky family. Well here's the perfect example of it.

My Dad gets out a shovel and digs a hole in Emily's favorite flower garden. I notice immediately that the hole is too small. Emily was a bit of a heifer. Anway, I mention to my dad that it is too small. He tells me it's fine.

My mom then proceeds to yell at him... "Bill, the hole is way to small."

He is mumbling angrily under his breath. I start to cry and shout at him to make the hole bigger. I can't help, but picture Emily's lifeless body being squeezed into that small hole and my crazy Dad trying to shove her into it.

He finally agrees after my mom and I yell at him for a few minutes.

And finally Emily is layed to rest. Not anyone's idea of a peaceful burial, but so typical of the Millers. A lot of yelling and arguing.

I love my parents.

On a sidenote.. My mom even gave Emily a bath after she died because apparently she was filthy. I love that my parents, shelter a woman in her late 20's from a bunny death.

My first blog

I am not sure that I will even get one reader, but if I do....this is for you. I will start by explaining the title of my blog. I was at a bar about 5 years ago or so and I met this hot young guy from Pennsylvania. He was telling lots of stories and he was quite the entertainer. He was telling us one story in particular when he said.."Picture your best day...now add a monkey." It doesn't get any better than that. I agree.