Words of Wisdom...

Recently I was e-mailing with a very good friend of mine lamenting about how I cannot prepare or practice for what it is going to be like with a new baby in the house...here is the advice she gave me:

"Of course you can prepare! Here's all you need to do to practice:

Eat pudding only with the opposite hand you usually rely on while holding a water balloon and swaying back and forth, cooing in between bites.

You already get up a zillion times/night to pee, so you're already prepping to replace those with feedings or to just check on her to verify she's doing all right.

Carry 7 different bags, containers, coats, water bottles, etc so every arm/hand/neck is filled, then, when you can't carry anything else, add in that water balloon and then set everything down to run back to the kitchen to get whatever 10 things you forgot.

Begin going to the store with a burp rag on your shoulder b/c there's a good chance you'll forget to remove it more than once.

Breastfeeding? Squeeze your nipples with a wrench every few hours for a few seconds then spray your chest with water to prep for those moments when you realize you've forgotten to place a liner in your bra.

There are lots more but this should give you a mini-boot camp. :-)

Oh, and find something you love more than anything in the world then imagine loving it a trillion times more every time you think, hear or look at it!"

Missing a Friend

Once, a very long time ago, I had a friend named Tiff. She is beautiful, absolutely hilarious, and I have known her since I was four. We have gone through some of the hardest times of our lives together, we have been there to share joys, sorrows, laughs and tears that are countless.

Over the years Tiff developed a drinking problem that became too much for me to handle and watch. As she slid into the depths of alcoholism we grew further apart and eventually, I had to cut off all communication with her. It was one of the most heart breaking moments of my life, and to this day I still feel some regret for it. That was February of 2008.

I am still close with her parents and little brother and hear that she is sober now, which fills me with a joy that is unimaginable. Unfortunately, our friendship has not mended. I call her and send texts on holidays and birthdays. When I told her I could not speak to her anymore I told her I will always love her, but refuse to support her in killing herself. I told her that I will be there for her the second she wants me when she is sober, that no matter what I support her and love her, just that I cannot watch her do what she was doing to herself and her children.

On days like today, when I am feeling nostalgic, and days away from having a baby I think a lot of Tiff, of how she has two beautiful children who are amazing little kids. How she will not be there when Corrin is born, and how I am crushed that our friendship did not endure. I miss her so much, and want so badly for her to be a part of this baby's life. My heart is forever with her, and I hope that she is happy now.

One week?????

How is it possible that my due date is just a week away? Seriously? I mean, here I am tripping along and the next thing I know I have a baby coming in a week (two weeks at the most). A baby...a human being! That little thing that's been punching my bladder for the last 39 weeks is going to finally be here among us. A new soul for the family, new experiences, new joy, new fears, new emotions that I have no idea I even am capable of yet.

My entire life I have been a runner (not an athletic runner - a mental runner). I tend to get bored with a place easily and have never lived longer than four yers in one location until now (seven years, it's a record). I always told myself it was because being in new places with new faces and new challenges was what life was all about. Travel...experience...feel something new and exciting. The reality is it is easier to move somewhere else when life is not great than to stay and figure out why and fix it. Don't get me wrong, I am forever thankful for the experiences I have had, and the places I have lived, and the lifelong friends I have been blessed to make along the way.

But, for the first time in my life I feel that living in one place for such a long time, putting down roots and watching them grow, sharing the joys and tragedies of family and friends is possibly the greatest blessing imaginable. Staying put for once has given me an incredible husband, a true partner who loves and respects me as much as I do him; a family that is not only close, but great friends who support all of the decisions and mistakes I make; and finally, a group of friends who are so incredible, so supporting, so loving that I did not think this type of closeness was possible until I met them.

To all of these people, thank you. To those friends who are not in the same state anymore - thank you for your support and love from afar, you have been amazing too and I wish you were here still. Corrin is blessed to be born into this support, and we are so excited for you all to meet her.

Quick Halloween Aside

My sister Chrysti told me I had to blog about this...

This year is the first year in my adult life of no partying on Halloween. Being the social animal that I am (translate to "I follow my husband because he likes to go out a lot"), we went to a very last minute Halloween party with some friends. It was thrown by people I don't know, and I have never felt more uncomfortable. It's strange enough being the only pregnant person at a party, much less the only pregnant person in a room full of people dressed up in odd costumes that you also don't know. Mind you, I was dressed up as a cat, but as you can see, this was a very primitive costume of maternity pants, a T-Shirt, tail and cat ears.

Generally when I am in a room full of people I don't know I will eventually just start talking to people, but this group was already drunk, and none too open. Luckily, more people started to show up and eventually I was able to blend in. That's when the questions started...a few people just gave me funny looks as I swilled water from my water bottle, a couple walked up to me and asked if my belly was real. REALLY??? No, as I sat there wondering what to be for Halloween this year "pregnant cat" immediately popped into my head, and "primitive, completely unimaginative pregnant cat" won the day. Seriously? Idiots.

Is it Really November?

My due date is twenty-four days away. TWENTY FOUR!!!! What have I been doing since my last post, you ask? Well...we have been very busy getting the baby's room ready, getting the house ready, buying everything we need, might need, will never need but are convinced we will one day need and exchanging things we think we will need, only different.

Last Friday was my 36 week appointment and it went very well. We got to hear Corrin's heartbeat and got another ultrasound so we could see if she is head down (yes) and looking normal (also yes). Now it's just a waiting game. I am not a patient person, and apprehension is growing. What is labor going to be like? I'm not really scared yet, don't worry - I feel that coming, I'm just wishing I knew. I pride myself on researching something until I know it completely, all of the twists and turns and possibilities. With this, there is no way of knowing what it is going to be like, feel like, or anything until it is here, happening. That is a bit strange to me.

It is so interesting to me that I can't "issue spot" my way through this. I can read a million books, I can talk to every sister, mom and friend that I know, I can watch my nieces and nephews to get ideas but until she is in our world showing us who she is, we really will have no idea what life is going to be like. That's a lot to swallow for this Type A lawyer.

That said, as of Friday, if I go into labor she will be considered full-term and we will let to have her in our lives. I am so excited!!