traveling with a baby

Every time I get the desire to travel somewhere, I slowly but surely remember why it isn't as fun with a baby. Long gone are our spontaneous cruises, trips to theme parks, quick jaunts to the Apple Store. So far, she's only been on 4 flights and one super long road trip. Which isn't that much, but too much at the same time. Memories...

Remember that time your baby wouldn't stop screaming and the plane hadn't even taken off yet?
Remember that time your baby got sick for the first time in her life?
Remember that time you underestimated the number of diapers you would need for a 2 hour flight?
Remember that time a lady spilled hot water on your baby's leg mid-flight?
Remember that time you had to wait at the TSA checkpoint forever while the line got longer and longer behind you with a crying baby because they couldn't figure out how to test milk for explosives?
Remember that time every airport only had like one changing table per 1000 infants?
Remember that time we had to stop for a break at a dirty gas station every hour turning an 8 hour drive into a 12 hour drive?

Although... she is almost 2 months older than the last time we traveled. Better check if she's suddenly cool with traveling. Hawaii here we come!!!

Birth Story

I had a baby.

One Month Left!

Well, today is June 9th, meaning July 9th is a month away. I always wondered what these last few weeks would be like. When I tell people how far along I am, they're always amazed and tell me how great I look and that I look too small to be having a baby in a month (#humblebrag). My favorite part is that it feels like a real baby in there, stretching out and lounging around. My least favorite part is waking up multiple times in the night, but I take comfort in the fact that once she's here, I'll finally be able to sleep soundly again!

We went to a class and they talked about bringing "relaxation" music to the hospital. I thought I'd share my playlist so far:

1. Jurassic Park Theme

2. Various Celine Dion hits

I'm open to other suggestions. Interesting fact: I get the Jurassic Park Theme stuck in my head at work every day around 3:00-5:00.

My pitiful playlist is somewhat symbolic of how unready I am (or feel I am.) I still have a long to do list, so she better not come early.

1. Pick a name.

2. Pack a hospital bag.

3. Figure out how to use the car seat.

4. Get a haircut.

5. Make sure the house is surgically clean.

6. Do some laundry.

7. Eat dinner.

8. Catch up on all my TV shows.

9. Charge my phone.

Ok, now that I've written it all out, it doesn't seem like that much. She could probably come tonight and I've be fine. Like, I've got some onesies and Veronica gave me some leftover newborn diapers. Do I really need anything else? (I actually got a lot of stuff at Doug's work baby shower, and I have my work baby shower on Thursday, and then my friend is throwing me another shower the following Tuesday, so she'll be set! Don't worry about her well-being.)

Anyway, next time I blog, I may be blogging with a baby. Or, I may get bored during the time between my last day at work and (insert baby name here) actually coming and blog something then. Stay tuned!

Old Wives

I didn't tell anyone at work I was pregnant until I was about 20 weeks along. People thought it was crazy that I waited that long, and as time goes by I am more and more glad I did wait!

Yesterday, I was putting a binder in the top shelf of a supply cabinet. Since my office is a sea of cubicles, you can't do anything without other people seeing. A girl I work with looked at me with complete shock and terror on her face.

Girl: Did you just lift your hands above your head?
Me: Uh... yep.
Girl: [mouth drops open]
Me: Am I not supposed to do that or something?
Girl: No! The umbilical cord will wrap around your baby's neck.
Me: [laughing] You're kidding, right?

She wasn't. Since when does the position of my arms affect what's going on in the womb?

Today, I went to the same supply cabinet, and so I wouldn't get into any trouble, I bent over and put the item on a lower shelf. A different concerned coworker didn't think I should be doing that.

Girl: What are you doing bending over like that?
Me: Uh... just putting something away.
Girl: You're not supposed to do that!
Me: Why?
Girl: Because you're pregnant!

Great logic! So, I can't lift my arms and I can't bend over. Doug, if you're reading this, take note. I can't do anything for the next 3.5 months except stand in one place or sit down. And I think I heard once that doing dishes would cause your baby to be left handed (we don't want that!) Thanks in advance for your cooperation.

Giveaway! (jk)

Of the 225 published posts on this blog since it was created in a college dorm room in 2006, only 2 of them happened in the year 2013. I blame the demise of Google Reader. And the creation of Instagram. And myself. And that I haven't won a year's supply of Kettle Chips recently.

Here are some things of note, though, in no particular order. Ok, maybe in chronological order. Well, I'll just start the list and see where things land.

1. We moved to Arkansas.

2. We bought a zoo! I mean a house.

3. I'm having a baby girl in July.

4. They built a new Casey's gas station around the corner.

5. Last summer, I got a Tiger's Blood snow cone at a place around here and as I was driving I got all dizzy so I went to Marshall's to walk around so I could regain my composure and not crash my car and now I don't know how I feel about Tiger's Blood snow cones.

6. Doug (kind of) took me to a Celine Dion concert. Except by concert I mean we saw where she performs. Well actually, we saw were you buy tickets to see her perform. And it was the off season. But we went to her gift shop. But it was filled with Shania Twain souvies.

7. This-is-the-VOIIIICE!

8. Veronica had a birthday today! Happy birthday!

So, that's that. Comment below and one lucky person will win my giveaway. Winners announced one of these days.

I know I don't blog much anymore, but this is important

I think the best thing about summer is that it's snow cone season. However, I'm just not seeing a whole lot of snow cone action here in Ohio. In fact, I haven't even seen a single snow shack the entire time I've lived here. The other day, I suddenly found myself craving a Tiger's Blood Snowie. I like Snowies better than regular shave ice concoctions because it really absorbs the flavor rather than letting it all sink to the bottom. Or maybe it's because my brother Thomas worked there briefly as a youngen. (He worked there, right? I'm not making this up, right?) But, as we all know, Snowies are kind of a Utah/Idaho/surrounding area thing.

It somehow got to the point where I was on the Snowie website seeing how much it would cost to just start my own Snowie business, when I noticed the two domestic Snowie distributor locations: Salt Lake City, UT (duh!) and Cincinnati, OH (huh?). Why haven't I seen any Snowie action yet? P.S. I'm trying to see how many times I can use the word "Snowie" in a blog post. We're at 8. Snowie. 9.

So, I guess I what I'm saying is, I'm officially launching my "Things I want to accomplish in Cincinnati in the next 10 days before I move to Arkansas forever" list.

1. Find a Tiger's Blood Snowie
2.

I'm open to suggestions for the rest.

More than 4 and fewer than 6 things

Well, Becca with a B I mean Rebecca with an R tagged me and insisted I complete a 5 things about me post (as did Lauren via Instagram many moons ago) so I guess I'll take my blog out of the less active status and welcome it back into the cyberspace fold.

1. When I was little, they put these metal braces on my legs. It wasn't until I was being chased by bullies in a pickup truck that I was forced to run as fast as I could causing the braces to fly off. Just like that, I was cured. I've been running ever since.

2. I have two watches. Wait, one. I lost the first one. Well, there might be more at my parents' house. But I know where one is for sure.

3. Celine Dion is my godmother. She and René have been friends with my parents since their college days and it only made sense to make her such a significant part of my life.

4. Sometimes I put a ton of ice in a tiny cup and add a tablespoon of pop, then sit in the most uncomfortable chair ever, and pretend I'm on an airplane.

5. My one regret in life is that I never fulfilled my dream of becoming a professional ice skater. I was pretty good in my younger years, but after getting clubbed in the kneecap right before a competition, I walked limped away from the sport forever.

So there you have it. This was fun, and I'm excited to learn more about my readers. I tag Celine, Mitt, Taylor, Nolan, and LC.

Some Observations

The Outer Banks makes a great vacation.

Lisa makes a beautiful bride.

Doug makes a mean birthday cake.

The Reds make an exciting baseball game.

Kyle makes a good model.

August

All summer long, I've been looking forward to the month of August. And now it is finally here. Here's why I love it so much (in chronological order.)

Lauren is coming home!

Vacation in the Outer Banks!

Lisa's wedding in California!

And my birthday, of course! This is the type of cake I want if anyone out there who lives with me is reading this:

Summer at a Glance

I got some new running shoes

went back to the future

saw some clouds

And that pretty much sums it up. Some things I've learned about summer in Ohio is that it is very humid, the power goes out quite easily, and everyone just lovvves cornhole. I'd probably like it more, too, if I wasn't so bad at it. Oh yeah, and fireflies do exist! This place is simply magical.