Points

There is a point in every pregnancy at which people begin to look at your midsection in a questioning sort of way.  Generally they are thinking, is she getting a little thick around the middle or is she...maybe...possibly...pregnant?

There is also a point in every pregnancy when people look at you and their eyes dance and shine and you know they think your cute little baby belly is adorable.  The great thing about this point is that people are always smiling at you and you smile back this sweet, serene, oh-isn't-pregnancy-wonderful smile.  This is a good point to be at.  Mary Poppins would be happy to have you in her company at this point.

There is however a final point.  This is the point where people just stare at your belly but not in the way that they did a few short weeks ago.  Its more of a, oh my GOD that is one big belly, sort of look.  Gone is the look of happiness and it has been replaced with a look of abject horror.  Now people are thinking, oh I hope her water doesn't break all over my new leather boots.  They quickly avert their eyes and look away.

Friends, I have reached point the third.  I feel like a walking freak show and I'm contemplating some type of signage for my belly.  I just haven't landed on the best pithy remark yet.  Suggestions?  Perhaps, "LOOK AWAY LEST YOU TOO SUFFER FROM MY AFFLICTION"?

I  have also reached a fourth point which precludes the wearing of proper shoes and socks.  Flip flops should be an excellent option with all the sunshine we're having lately.

Working Late

Morgan is working late tonight and every time he does that I silently thank my lucky stars that I'm not a single parent or even a sometimes single parent.  And every time I think that, I'm reminded of our troops and the many, many families that single-parent while their spouses are overseas and I really, truly don't know how they do it.  I'm in a state of utter exhaustion after dinner time and bath time and bed time and explosive-diareaha-for-the-second-time-tonight time and I'm only doing this for one night.  Couple that with the fact that Morgan will come home tonight and I can recount the difficulties of my day to him while sneaking sips of his beer.

Then, as I was catching up on my blogs I came across this post and I was so moved by the photos I just had to share.  I'm not sure about you but I only lasted one photo until I had tears in my eyes and I was damn near sobbing by the end.  Just another reminder, as I was about the jump into a full on pity party, that I have it pretty easy.

Six Weeks

Wait.  What?  SIX WEEKS?!?!?!  I feel like someone miscalculated.  How can there only be six weeks left?  Very strange considering I only got pregnant a few weeks ago.

This pregnancy has been so different I'm having hard time wrapping my head around it.  First of all, I think I've mentioned this, I ONLY HAVE SIX WEEKS LEFT.  With Conor it was more like, I STILL have six weeks LEFT?  I was so ready to be done.  Despite the fact that I am becoming more uncomfortable, I do try to remind myself that the longer she stays in, the healthier she will be.  The mirror, however, daily reminds me just how big my backside and jowls are becoming.  Seriously, I'm even running out of  comfortable maternity pants.

I did do some youtube "research" this weekend on accupressure points to induce labor which I have insisted Morgan become familiar with.  I'm all for being patient however I'm also all for not living with a human being in my abdomen for the rest of time.

I did some wrap up shopping this weekend at a baby consignment sale and I feel like we actually might be prepared to bring a baby girl home from the hospital.  We have diapers and swaddle blankets (Remember my love for swaddle blankets?), and 500 million onesies and teeny, tiny socks.

(As I typed this my zen feeling of calm went out the window, my brain went into overdrive and I realized that I still need to do the following: get swing and vibrate-y/bouncy chair out of attic and clean them, get car seat out of attic and clean it, get nursing supplies out of attic and clean them, remember how to breastfeed, buy-pacifiers-oh-my-lord-we-don't-have-any-pacifiers!, decide which pacifiers our daughter will like best, find something for our child to sleep in, wash all clothes, buy curtains/shades for Finley's bedroom, DIAPER BAG!  Bath tub!  Oh crap.  I'm not prepared for this AT ALL.)

Excuse me while I go freak out a bit.

Dying From the Cute

We got a surprise visit from Morgan's Aunt Nancy and Uncle Dave this afternoon.  They live on the coast and were passing through Portland on their way home from Seattle.  (They attended a Mariner's game up there and we forgive them for not rooting for the Padres.  Mostly.)

They arrived with a box full of clothes and diapers for Finley and (really noisy) big trucks for Conor.  Best of all, Aunt Nana made this adorable little onesie for Finley.  Seriously?  The cute is too much to bear.

Love you Aunt Nana and Uncle Dave.  Finley sends her regards.

Fire Chief Interview

Last Thursday Morgan has his interview with the Fire Chief.  He got all fancied up in his once-a-year-suit.

Please don't take my picture

Ok, fine.  I'm walking away  now.

Conor was in day care and there was very little parking down near the administration building so we decided that I would drive him down there and wait while he had his interview and then we would go get Conor together.

I brought along my camera so I could take some pictures while I was waiting.  I should have brought the the 55-200mm lens because I couldn't get close enough (or, more acurately, I coulnd't get comfortable enough to get close enough to take pictures of people without feeling weird and creepy and stalker-ish) but I still able to get some decent shots of downtown on a gorgeous day.

 Steps.  With writing.  Trying to be artistic.  Failing.

 Standing on the Waterfront looking east over the river.

Same shot.  Less zooooom.

Boat.  

(Yes, I come up with these captions myself.)

I totally loved this kid and his dad.  The little boy was having so much fun playing in the water.  My 200mm lens would have come in real handy here because I had to do a lot of cropping to get this close.

Overall Morgan feels really confident about the interview.  He arrived at his scheduled time and they took him and two other candidates into a conference room, gave them a sheet of paper, a pen and a list of the six questions they would be asked by the panel.  They then had 10 minutes to prepare.  YIKES!  Morgan's panel consisted of a fire chief (is there more than one fire chief?  I thought there was only one but there appears to have been a chief in each of the three interview rooms) a fire captain and an EMT.  The total interview was about 20 minutes long and Morgan walked out feeling pretty happy with how it all went.

Now we wait.  We've had unofficial word that they will make a decision by June 1st so hopefully we know something by then.  Morgan's just one step closer to making it all come together.

He's cool like that.

Happy Birthday Anna!

It's Conor's cousin's birthday today!  Happy 3rd birthday Anna.  We love you and can't wait to see you in just a few months!

Changes

Thoughts?