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Thursday, February 28, 2008

Stressed

Four birthday parties.
School carnival.
Donation committee.
Dentist appointment.
Haircuts.
School.
Catechism.
Gymnastics.
Dance.
Swim lessons.
Field trips.
Chiropractor.
Prenatals.
Board meetings.
Birth Circle.
Easter.
Jury duty.

That’s just the four weeks of March. And I’m supposed to find time to get ready to have a baby?

Getting ready for baby to-do list:
Cook & freeze meals.
Sew burp cloths, changing pad covers, receiving blankets.
Find and wash missing newborn diapers, baby sling, rebozos.
Scrub shower and replace curtain.
Wash new sheets.
Put together birth supplies basket.
Assemble bassinette.
Clean house.

What was that I was told about enjoying the end of my last pregnancy? HA! WHEN?

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Why did I...

Just spend $50 to order a stroller part when I am trying to figure out how to clothe this new baby on the cheap?

Cuz it's for the stroller I paid $200 for five years ago, and I can't bear to part with it.

When E. was a baby, I found this great deal on a Peg Perego Plikomatic (it was a great deal at the time). This stroller has been through everything with us, it folds up like an umbrella stroller (tho a bit on the chunky side) and has a rearboard step for an older child to hitch a ride. I researched strollers for months when I was pregnant with her... this is what I settled on. So when the seat got a hole, I knew I was going to replace the seat, not the whole stroller.

A bit obsessive? Not more so than the friend who buys a different stroller every three months. (You know who you are.) At least she buys used/recycled in her quest for the perfect stroller. Despite that, she has probably spent more on strollers than I have, and I'm only up to $250. (You know this is all said with love, natch!)

So, anyways, I'll be washing up the Peg (which hasn't been used in a good, uh, year or so) and putting on the new seat when it gets here, all ready for the new babe ride around in style... when it's not in a carrier or sling that is. (Another obsession, more on that later.)

Oh my, this is real! There is a baby on its way!

Monday, February 11, 2008

Five. Cinco. Cinque. Cinq. Öt.

AnimatedSocialIntenseLivelyEnergetic

Little girl, you are my star. A dancer, chef, socialite, daredevil, rule-breaker, rule-follower, artist, explorer, animal rescuer, counselor, comedian, foodie, fashionista. (What are you going to wear when you outgrow that purple skirt?) Your sense of humor, indignation at unfairness, and emotional intensity keep me on my toes, always wondering what will come next from your amazing brain. Your "imaginary watch" tracks your own special time as if you live in a different continuum than the rest of us. You constantly rewrite your own history through your stories about all the extraordinary things that happened when you "were a baby." I can only imagine what kind of history you will help create for the new sibling you are so eagerly and impatiently awaiting. You are ready to be a big sister, a second mommy to the baby, and knowing you, this little one will worship you (just as you plan for it to).

A born entertainer, you captivate everyone we meet, capture their heart with your antics (which other five-year-old could hold their own in a sushi-eating contest?), then you invite them to your birthday party. The samples lady at Costco was right: you are one of a kind. The world has never had anyone else like you.

Happy fifth birthday, baby.