6.17.17 - My Birthday

Today was a wonderful day.

But first: throughout the week I received a bunch of Amazon Prime packages from my mom and siblings with all this new kitchen stuff. Most of it was stuff we already owned but needed to replace as part of our gluten free kitchen, but in addition to that Julie bought me the Magic Bullet blender, which I was pretty excited to start using once we cleared counter space for it.

And it comes with labeled gluten free recipes!

I also got several cards in the mail (Dad, Merlene, Jack's Grandma, Sarah) but I saved them all to open on the actual day.

And then last night Jack took Clara with him to IKEA to get the wall bookshelves he was buying and installing for my birthday. At the time I didn't know where he was getting the shelves, but when I later found out it made the gift all the more endearing because I think going to and through IKEA is kind of a hassle, but especially with a toddler.

And I love the shelves! I've been feeling more cramped in our little apartment now that we have four people and all the supplies that come with an infant out again. Finding ways to use the walls for storage and free up some of the rest of the place is a great gift in itself - and he did everything from pick them out to install them so I didn't even have to be involved. Now our bedroom looks more literary than ever and our desk looks far less cluttered!

I had also recently ordered a magnetic knife holder off Amazon Prime for the same reason. When Jack got back from IKEA he installed the knife holder and one of the bookshelves, but we decided to wait on the other shelf because it was getting late and we didn't want to annoy the neighbors.

So all of this birthday goodness happened before my birthday had even arrived.

Then this morning I fed Jane and experimentally placed her in the crib, and she slept peacefully there for over an hour! For context, so far she hasn't really slept in the crib more than 10-15 minutes at a time. Having Jane sleep on not-me and not-Jack so easily really made the morning relaxing. I guess that was my birthday gift from her!

For a little while Clara and I played "Sister Mary Mommy," which consists of her handing me one of her blankets and me putting it over my head like a nun's habit and then smiling and saying "Sister Mary Mommy!" Then we do it with her and I say "Sister Mary Clara!" Then repeat. She loves it. She laughs so hard. And since Jane was asleep I was able to spend the time with Clara uninterrupted, which is especially nice since I feel like I haven't gotten to interact with Clara as much the last few weeks.

Several people texted me birthday greetings during the day, but my favorite was Dad's:

Although I just realized he got my age wrong. Eh, close enough.

Once when I was a kid I went with Dad to pick out a Christmas tree, and the tree farm we went to had a short tree, only a few feet tall. It came exactly up to my nose and the top of Dad's back pocket, and he pointed that out. Then for the next few days (or weeks, I don't remember) he would ask me how tall the tree was compared to me and compared to him, so many times that I never forgot it, and now we can both sit back and marvel at how small I used to be compared to now. Anyway it was a sweet throwback.

During the morning Jack helped me clean up the apartment a bit, partly for my own sanity and partly because Erin and Rachel were coming over later. He even cleaned the bathroom, probably my least favorite chore, so that was very helpful.

At some point both Ellen and later Julie called to wish me Happy Birthday. Ellen and I talked a lot about Netflix shows, including Bloodline and The OA (which I had just finished the day before or so). Julie and I talked mostly about kids and raising toddlers. Either way I don't talk to either of them on the phone very often so that was nice.

I also opened all my birthday cards. Dad sent a funny one with a joke about "mom brain" and three dollar bills. Sarah sent a sweet one that said when she is with me and my family she feels like she's home. <3 And Merlene and Jack's grandma both sent checks, which frankly helped me feel better about not getting any work done that weekend.

In the early afternoon Jack stayed with the girls and I went out to get my free Starbucks drink. I go to Starbucks all the time throughout the year, but I still get excited about my free birthday drink each year. Just another gesture to make the day special. I splurged and got a venti mocha frap with whipped cream and everything, and while I ordered and waited for it I chatted with the barista about my birthday plans. It was one of the Starbucks I go to regularly and she recognized me. The last time I'd been there she had remembered I used to be pregnant (and wasn't any longer) and we had talked about our kids for awhile. I don't think either of us remember each other's names but it's still nice to have some familiar faces around where we live and feel at home.

I took my cool and delicious frap (perfect for this increasingly hot weather) and drove a little further down the street to Safeway, where I picked out some ice cream. It was on sale BOGO so it ended up being even less expensive than Walmart Neighborhood Market, a rarity. Then I took all my treats home just in time to get there before Erin and Rachel arrived.

They both came bearing gifts: Erin brought gluten free chocolate muffins (awww) and some apple cider and sangria. Rachel had brought us a stainless steel pots and pans set! I had actually specifically told Rachel not to worry about a gift because she's already driving all the way from and to the bay area to hang out, and I think that's gift enough. But she said she had some kind of discount and gift card or something so she just got it for us. That was touching.

Then they both helped me remove all our old dishes and cookware that have been glutened and replace with all the kitchen stuff I got for my birthday. Specifically Rachel helped by bringing in a bunch of tote bags from her car and sorting things into Goodwill vs trash and also dividing some of the nicer stuff among her and Erin to take home. And Erin helped by holding Jane the whole time. This always sounds like a simple task but it makes a huge difference.

We got through a lot of the kitchen before it was really getting to be time to head out. Erin and Rachel had split a Groupon so we could all go to Revolution Wines and enjoy some child-free visiting and wine sipping.

We arrived there in the middle of Happy Hour, which was perfect. We enjoyed an easy going atmosphere (people around but not overly crowded or noisy) and olives and ciabatta, fancy mac'n'cheese, a cheese plate, and several glasses of wine, all while talking for hours. We talked about our relationships and Erin's wedding and all sorts of odds and ends. It was a very good visit.

And Erin and Rachel still stuck around for a while when we got home and we enjoyed the gluten free muffins and ice cream together. We did stick a candle in a muffin and they sang me Happy Birthday, but that was really for Clara's benefit and for some reason she found it upsetting and had to be consoled. I think it makes her feel put on the spot. But the treats she had after helped her get over it quickly.

Ice cream and Cheerio face is over it.

Not long after the girls left, Neil called and we talked maybe half an hour about my day and his work and whatever. It doesn't really matter what we're talking about: Neil often makes me laugh pretty hard. I ended up getting off the phone with him when Renata called to say Happy Birthday, and she and I talked about 45 minutes about what's going on with us. I told her about how I had only two glasses of wine when I was out, and when we got back Erin asked if we wanted sangria or if we were all "drinked out." Renata and I laughed about how different that was then our celebrations in our early twenties, such as my 23rd birthday in Missouri, when we ended the night drunkenly at Waffle House wearing tiaras. How times have changed. Then we reminisced for awhile about that summer and how wonderful and formative it turned out to be. So glad we shared that together.

Renata and me during my 23rd birthday celebration, about 9 years ago now.

Not long after that I talked to Mom on the phone and told her all about my nice day. And when I was finally done with phone calls I got to listen to four voicemails of various Jacksons singing me "Happy Birthday"! (One VM from Don & Merlene, one from Dave & Meghan, and 2 from Aaron and Katie for some reason, the last of which was pretty funny because Aaron kept talking about how he hoped I listened to the VMs in order, otherwise I would just be too confused to understand.)

And throughout the day, of course, I also got birthday greetings on FB from people. These were my favorites:

The whole day was filled with good food and conversation and reminders of how many friends I have. It was very nice!

6.15.17 - The paradox of being home with a newborn.

Last night I was very tired way before Jane was, and so rather than let her wind down on her own, I tried to nurse her to sleep in bed. That was a mistake. She just woke up every 20-40 minutes for hours wanting to be held or comfort fed. By 2:30 am, when I was walking her around the living room trying to get her to settle, I was beyond frustrated to actually pissed, even if it makes no sense to be angry at an infant.

And yet with only a few hours of sleep (she settled down after that, thankfully), I was already back to almost looking forward to her stirring to I could pick her up and cuddle her and feed her again.

All the cool babies stick your butts in the air!

Similarly, this morning I put her on a quilt on the floor to give myself a break from having her on me all the time (either in the baby wrap or being carried). She started to fuss pretty quickly so I sat on the floor with her and started talking to her and singing to her. At first I was frustrated because, even though she was not physically attached to me, she was still keeping me from doing anything else (cleaning up, mostly, or other little chores I had in mind to get done). But a moment later my frustration melted away as I marveled at the little person she is, that Jack and I actually created her, and that she was already learning so much.

Tummy time while she checks out the animal puzzle pieces.

And of course every time she gives even the slightest of smiles, even a half smile, my heart totally melts. I spend a decent amount of time each day trying to get her to smile more. She's like the baby smile dealer.

The smile I got for singing Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.

I love the feeling of her little fuzzy head. I can't seem to stop kissing her head or cheeks. I love that she's transitioning from only silence and cries to some coos mixed in there and other experimental vocal sounds. And she's starting to be more interactive a little, reacting to my voice for example, or to having something new to look at.

Can't stop kissing that fuzz head.

All of that is already delightful, and I know it only gets more enjoyable as she expands her abilities (half rolls, interest in the pictures in books, etc. - not to mention the ability to sleep in her crib for hours at a time, can't wait for that one.) It's cheering to think there's a lot to look forward to.

6.10.17 - Unabashed

I'm enjoying that Clara is still young enough that she doesn't think about what other people will think of her enthusiasm or the way that she plays. She sings, dances, reads to herself, plays with Bobo and Hobbes and Marcy or with other toys, all without giving a thought to whether she's being adorable or funny or silly.

I suspect it won't be long before she starts to think about me watching or video taping and she'll act differently because of it, and I'll have to get sneakier. But for now it doesn't bother her at all and I think that is so sweet.

6.6.17 - Clara and Jane update

I had more time when Clara was an newborn to record what it was like staying home with her. It was also a wholly new experience, making me more keen to capture it. Even so I want to remember Jane's beginning too.

The biggest difference between the two is that Jane is almost exclusively breastfed. I am really glad that's working out. It's a lot simpler than both pumping and feeding, and it does feel like more of a bond than bottle feeding (though I have nothing against that either). Jane has been slightly congested for about 2 weeks now ever since she caught some kind of sniffle Clara had. The congestion doesn't prevent her from feeding so I am not really worried about it, but it does make her breathing much more audible. When she's hungry she starts rooting and if I don't feed her pretty quickly she starts crying, but once I put her in the position to breastfeed she must know that means she's about to be satisfied, because she usually stops crying and starts breathing rapidly, as if she's excited. The congestion makes it sound like she's snorting like a little piglet. It's like she's rooting for truffles or something. It's actually totally adorable. Combine that with the fact that she seems to want to eat all the time and the piggy impression is complete.

I like to watch her cheeks puff in and out and her throat move as she swallows. I also like the way she purses her lips when she's done, as if to make her mouth as small and shut as possible. She often does this sort of post-feed stretch, always with her eyes shut, flinging her arms over her head and sticking her chin up.

Right: the face Jane makes when she doesn't want to eat anymore.

Jane is only 3.5 weeks old, but I've already tried letting her cry it out a bit from time to time. It's not that I want to per se, it's that I feel a lot of pressure to get other things done, especially paid work, while she's sleeping, but that's very hard to do if she's always sleeping on me. I think she's too little to cry it out, though, or maybe I'm just not ready for it, because I can barely make it 10 minutes, at the most, before picking her up. And whenever I pick her up I feel so relieved to be able to hold her and comfort her, and also endeared to her that she usually stops crying almost immediately and just rests her little fuzzy head on my shoulder. I know this is how probably just about all babies are, but some part of me still feels honored that she finds me so immediately comforting and I take pleasure in being able to comfort her.

The only place she wants to be: sleeping on me.

All of this Jane bonding time means I don't get to spend as much time and attention on Clara. Fortunately she has Beth and Jack to do that, and I think it's been a good phase for her and Jack in particular. Two nights ago after he put her to bed, Jack came into our room to tell me how much he loves our girls.

Even so, I miss Clara a bit, so I find it all the more delightful when I get to spend a little time with her sans Jane. Usually this takes the form of reading Clara a few stories while she sits in my lap. I tried to teach her to say either "more" or "read" when she wants me to read a story again, but she would say "more" and I would say "okay!" a little too consistently, so now when she wants me to read a story again she hands me the book and just says "okay!" Haha. If I try to redirect, asking her "more?" she just repeats "okay!" Oh well, she'll figure it out eventually.

I particularly enjoy reading "Pete the Cat (Wheels on the Bus)" to her because she mimics all the hand gestures I do for each page (wheels turning, wipers swishing, honking the horn, etc.) She also is really into "Hello Ninja" right now. Luckily it's very short so rereading it even 5 or more times doesn't take that long.

For a while now, whenever Jack or I are getting ready to put Clara to bed, we carry her to the other parent so she can kiss them good night. In the last few nights she's started pushing our faces toward each other so we'll kiss each other good night too, and then she always looks so thrilled when we do. So now the tradition is for Jack and me to kiss each other, and then both kiss her on each cheek. I love it.

Also, today is only my third or fourth time being home with the two girls. I'm starting to get a rhythm. Of course the trickiest part is when I need to feed Jane, because I am basically immobile. I've been shutting Clara into my bedroom with us so I can keep an eye on her. Today before I got set up, I brought in a few books, a forgotten toy from her toy box, her sippy cup, and a bowl of apple slices. I put them all on the hope chest, the closest thing to a table at Clara's height.

When I shut her in with us she did a great job. I was able to feed Jane and even watch one of my Netflix shows while Clara ate the apple and pretended to read to herself and just self-entertained. She's generally very good about that. I was having a hard time even focusing on my Netflix show because I was so enjoying seeing both of my girls at the same time, both happy doing what they were doing. Plus it's a relief to be starting to get some kind of rhythm with staying home with them.

6.3.17 - Sarah and Shannon's visits

Before Jane was born, Sarah mentioned she'd like to come up and help out after. I explained we had family in town through the end of May, so this last week Sarah called to ask if she could come up this weekend to help out.

She got here yesterday evening and she came bearing fresh vegetables. I had texted earlier in the day to let her know we have tofu (from when Don and Merlene were here) that I'd like to use before it goes bad, so she planned to make a gluten-free stir fry. When she got here she improvised a peanut butter soy sauce (after checking to make sure the soy sauce was gluten free) and she cooked brown rice, sauteed the tofu, and sauteed chopped up veggies. While she was doing that I sat in the kitchen with her and we each had drinks that were half Riesling and half orange juice and caught up. Jane slept on her coffee table makeshift crib almost that whole time, so cooperatively.

While Sarah was waiting for things to cook she also unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher and just generally looked for other ways to help. She crashed on our (awesome) air mattress for the night and the next day (today) she just stayed around with me while Jack was at work and helped watch Clara while I attended to Jane. I was worried Sarah would think she wasn't doing all that much, but I explained to her that just being around to take things away from Clara (pens, paintbrushes, whatever) and keep an eye on her. Otherwise I'd be getting up and down while holding Jane all day and that gets exhausting. Plus Sarah kept me company and gave me an adult to have interesting conversations with instead of just feeling cooped in the apartment with two tiny girls all day. It really makes a pretty big difference.

It was really nice to get so much one-on-one time with Sarah and catch up with how she's doing at work (trying to get a manuscript published) and with Mark (steady as ever) and everything else.

Later in the day Shannon came over with a bunch of samples of gluten free foods she likes. Each sample included a label of what it was and where she'd bought it. She brought crackers, raisin bread, an English muffin, a hot dog bun, and some cereal. What we did offer to Clara she liked, and I expect she's going to like all of it in the end. Shannon also said she would email me some GF recipes she's liked. It was very sweet for her to make the trip just to help me come up with ideas. And she also was willing and happy to hold Jane or help with Clara.

Shannon's labeled GF samples.

Interestingly, Clara warmed to Shannon almost instantly, which she doesn't normally do with people she hasn't seen in a long time (doesn't remember). We did see Shannon just about two months ago, but I didn't think Clara's memory was that long. It didn't hurt that Shannon tossed Clara in the air a bunch of times, making Clara giggle like crazy. I said something about how Clara is getting heavier and Shannon pointed out that she does the same move with weights much heavier at CrossFit, haha. Clara even gave Shannon a hug before Shannon and Sarah left. It was very sweet.

5.31.17 - May joy statuses

5.28.17 - Singing to Clara

Clara seemed like she wasn't feeling well several times yesterday - GI problems maybe. Then last night not long before bed time she started holding her tummy and crying. We think she was having bad cramps or gas or something, although it would help if she could talk to tell us. Obviously this situation is not a joy, but I'm writing about it in my joy inventory because it gave me a chance to bond with her, something that has been rare the last two weeks since Jane was born (and basically constantly wants to eat).

I'm glad Dad was around because (1) he was able to hold Jane so I could take Clara and (2) he suggested Clara lay on her stomach, saying that position made him feel better if he had bad GI problems. I can't verbally explain this to Clara, but she was more than happy to run into my arms and cuddle, so after carrying her around for awhile I went into the nursery and laid down on her bed on my back, meaning she was lying on me on her stomach. That did seem to calm her down. She stopped crying and just laid there quietly and I rubbed her back and shoulders and told her it would be okay over and over.

Clara napping 5/24, taken right after we found out she has celiac.

Jane fell asleep and Dad put her in the crib and headed back to the hotel. I changed Clara to a night time diaper while she was still in bed (even just turning her on her back to change her made her cry, so I just went as quickly as possible and flipped her back over). Then for 20 or 30 minutes Clara quietly laid either on me or next to me and I rubbed her back and sang to her. Eventually Jack came in and put a water bottle in her bed and turned off the light, and she and I just laid staring at each other in the dark. I sang her "I am Moana," "Rainbow Connection," "You Don't Know Me," and "The Way You Look Tonight," and she mostly just stared at me with her little round face and her big round eyes. When I sang "I am Moana" she very softly sang along at the end.

There needs to be a word for when your heart is breaking but because you're happy, not sad. That's how I felt because I love her so much.

5.25.17 - Mom's visit

It was really nice having Mom out.

She got to spend a lot of time with Clara, which I know they both really enjoyed. She took Clara to the playground and the apartment complex pool.

Everyone has the same face in this picture.

They played games together like "Horsey Horsey" and sang songs and Mom gave Clara a couple baths.

Mom made Clara a tent fort under the dining room table.

 

I know Mom loves to get to spend time with her grandkids, and I am grateful Clara had people to pay attention to her while Jack and I were so preoccupied adjusting to Jane.

Clara enjoys Jama's hat.

Sporting the sunglasses Jama got her. Even checking herself out in the mirror.

Mom also made a bunch of my favorite recipes for dinners: chicken stir fry, fettuccine, and spinach sausage loaf. In each case she made enough for dinner and then more for us to freeze in the new mini freezer Don and Merlene got us. On top of that, she made some truly delicious citrusy wine drinks - half Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling and half pineapple juice with some ice and fresh strawberries and other fruits thrown in. They were excellent.

One morning Mom dropped Clara off with Beth but then took a really long time getting home. I eventually called her to make sure everything was okay, and it turned out she had taken my car to get detail cleaned! That was very sweet. My stress goes way down when everything is clean (and vice versa). Mom said it was funny to be at the cleaning place with all these much newer and nicer cars. She also thought the guys cleaning my old beat up Corolla were amused by how excited Mom was about it. So that was very sweet. It hasn't looked that good probably since I bought it 6 years ago.

At different points Mom ran errands for us, which was super helpful. In particular she found me three solid color ultra comfortable flexible tank tops at Target. I've been wearing them almost nonstop. They aren't actual nursing tops but they are flexible enough I can nurse in them, and I pretty much only want to wear sleeveless clothes at this point (it was in the high 90s almost the whole time Mom was here, ugh). She really hit the nail on the head with those tanks.

She also wanted me to have a chance to get out of the apartment. It really doesn't bother me much to be in the apartment a lot--especially when other people are helping keep it clean. But I didn't want to miss the chance for free babysitting for a date with Jack, so one afternoon he and I went to Leatherby's to enjoy fries and ice cream. It was nice to get out of the apartment but I also was getting sore by the end, as my tolerance for movement is still relatively low.

Pouting because there is no way I could finish all that ice cream.

I also like how Mom takes so many pictures and videos. It's nice to have a chronicler around besides me, and it's nice to actually be in some of the pictures.

The last day she was here, Mom talked me into taking Jane and going with Mom and Clara to the playground. It was a nice day for it, actually. I mostly just sat next to Jane, who was sleeping in her car seat. She did eventually wake up and I nursed her. That's my first time ever doing that in public. No one said anything to me and at one point a young girl (maybe 5) came up to check out Jane and her father explained "That's a little baby, isn't it?" He showed no signs of being at all bothered by me nursing Jane right there, and I actually found that very encouraging. Imagine if everyone were that comfortable and cavalier about it.

5.19.17 - Summary of Don & Merlene's visit

Don & Merlene got here on my due date, May 11, and stayed until yesterday (May 18).

As always when they visit, they were a tremendous help the entire time. Merlene made so many meals and snacks that when they left our fridge was overflowing. In particular she made tortellini twice - once for dinner and once the morning they were leaving so she could freeze some for us to have later.

She had plenty of room to freeze the tortellini because she and Don surprised us and bought us a mini freezer for our dining room. Jack and I had been talking about how we wish we had more freezer room because soon most of our freezer will be taken over by freezing breast milk. Well while we were at the hospital having Jane, they went out and picked up a mini freezer and got it set up for us. Then they took a picture of it and showed it to us when they came to visit us in the hospital. Such a thoughtful and useful gift! I'm quite excited about it.

I originally wasn't sure if it would be better to aim for Don & Merlene to get here before or after Jane was born. I didn't want them to get here when Jane wasn't here yet and miss out on time to spend with her. On the other hand Jack still had finals the week after Jane's due date and I wanted to make sure we had plenty of help to facilitate him studying. So we opted to have them come out on Jane's actual due date, and in retrospect that was a great idea.

First, I was so very pregnant by then that we could use the help anyway. Second, it meant that when I did go into labor, Jack and I were able to leave for the hospital as soon as we needed to, because Don and Merlene were already staying at our apartment and were available to take care of Clara. I'm so glad it worked out that way, because I originally expected to labor at home for 6-8 hours like I did with Clara, but this labor was much faster. We were leaving for the hospital less than two hours after my contractions began. I was glad we didn't need to wait for someone to come over for Clara, and we didn't need to take Clara with us to the hospital.

Also, I was glad we had Don & Merlene here to give Clara plenty of attention. I wouldn't want her to feel neglected as Jack and I are preoccupied with a newborn. Fortunately she had plenty of play time with her GPa and Mimi and she seemed to really enjoy it. In fact I think I missed Clara more than she missed me, which is fine with me.

Don and Merlene took Clara to a 5K while Jack and I were at the hospital having Jane.

I'm grateful for how matter of fact and unperturbed Merlene and especially Jack are about the facts of post-birth recovery. On more than one occasion, Merlene ran out and got me various odds and ends to help me with that. It also just made me a lot more comfortable not feeling as if I had to pretend to feel better than I did or more put together than I was.

I'm also grateful for Don's handiness. While they were here he and Merlene steam cleaned all our carpets, and he sealed our front door screen (to prevent mosquitoes at night) and installed a new toilet seat that comes with a trainer sized seat for toddlers. These are the kinds of projects Jack and I have the capability to do, but definitely not the time or energy. They are also the kind of projects that make a big difference day after day, lasting and helping long after we've eaten all the frozen dinners they made us.

Trying to do a family photo, laughing because Don had to hurry from the camera to get in the photo.

They also paid for basically everything the whole time they were here: groceries, supplies, the rental fee for the steam cleaner, etc. I made a few comments about how I didn't want them to feel obligated and I could tell it would add up, and Merlene pointed out that they saved a lot by not having to get a hotel and instead staying with us, so that helped make up for it. That made me feel a bit better. Either way I'm very grateful, especially since right now I am not working much at all so our income is low.

Because of Don & Merlene, for the first five days of Jane's life I was able to focus almost exclusively on feeding her and resting and recovering without worry about the household duties or Clara. And Jack was able to study for his last tests without worrying too much about helping me (although he still has been a big help). Makes such a huge difference. Their visits are definitely in my joy inventory.

5.6.17 - Baby "Sprinkle" (mini baby shower)

Erin has asked me more than once over the last few months whether I'd have a baby shower for Jane. I never planned on it because to my mind baby showers are mostly just for the first baby when you don't already own a lot of the supplies you need. Since having Clara we've vastly expanded our baby/toddler supplies to where another baby shower seems, I don't know, maybe greedy? I considered doing a "shower" that was just diapers and wipes (also Erin's suggestion, I think) but I've been too preoccupied to set it up, and I forgot about it.

So today (39 weeks and 2 days) Erin came over for a visit, and she brought with her:

1. A big box of ultra sensitive baby wipes
2. A box of 132 newborn sized diapers.
3. A bottle of some kind of fancy sparkling fruit juice, and
4. A wrapped gift with three white balloons and one "It's a Baby Girl!" balloon attached.

She said it was my mini baby shower just with her. I thought it was absolutely the sweetest most thoughtful gesture. We each had a glass of the fruit juice (after a "cheers!") and Clara really loved the balloons. She's seen balloons in grocery stores and things but I don't think she's ever had a chance to play with helium balloons before. They kept her busy for a very long time. They also made her hair very static-y, which was funny.

The wrapped gift was actually for Clara - several bath sponges decorated like bunnies and some bath-friendly books. Very thoughtful, given Clara has been having a hard time with baths and new distractions help.

So that was definitely the highlight of my day, but the rest of the visit with Erin was lovely too. She told me all about her bridal shower and showed me the scrapbook her mom and maid of honor put together. She also had pics and videos on her phone to show me. It looked like it was a lot of fun. I worked on (finally) my spring 2015 scrapbook while we visited and she made a very cute sign for one of her wedding crafts - a "honey pot" for donations since they aren't asking for gifts.

It was also nice working on the spring 2015 scrapbook, because that's when Clara was born and brand new, and it helps remind me of what we're about to get into - both the difficulties but also the cuteness and newness. Gotta say I'm also looking forward to having so many people come cook for us. Even when I'm not pregnant I don't cook that often, and Merlene, Mom, and Jill (and really also Don and Dad) are all great cooks. And given how much calorie counting I've been doing throughout this pregnancy, I think it will seem especially delicious!

The main point, though, is that Erin is a wonderful friend. <3

5.5.17 - Pre-Jane date night

Clara spent the night at Beth's so Jack and I could go see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. I've been looking forward to this movie for months, pretty much since the trailer came out. Originally when we were going to have a c-section with Jane, it would have been the day before the movie came out and I'd have to wait until I was recovered and we had someone we trusted to watch Jane. But since I'm aiming for VBAC and I'm not due until next week, I decided it was worth the risk to buy tickets in advance for this movie.

So Jack and I went to the local theater, the one that has recently been wholly remodeled, the one that has cushioned chairs that recline and have footrests and are so large and cozy. We went to Walgreens first and bought four boxes of Raisinets for $4 and hid them in my purse. We walked in and scanned my phone at some kiosk that printed out our tickets (the future!) and then we bought a gigantic Diet Coke. Jack put no ice in it because he knows I like it that way (it's the little things).

Usually the commercials and ads for TV they show before the previews are underwhelming, and many of them were last night. However I did really enjoy this commercial from Samsung. I thought it was cute, humorous, and also a little poignant.

We went to our reserved seats and it was actually a little chilly, so Jack ran out and got his sweatshirt from the car for me. Another sweet gesture. We also drank all of our giant Diet Coke and he went to get a refill before the movie started.

It's the first time in awhile I've been to a movie on a Friday night, much less a new and very popular movie. The theater was pretty full and people were clearly excited - even a little bit of applause when the movie started.

And it was very enjoyable! Like many Marvel movies, the plot was "meh," but it made me laugh out loud plenty of times. I enjoy the characters.

And the seats in the theater are so comfortable - it's especially nice to be able to put my feet up at the end of the pregnancy here when they keep getting swollen by the end of the day.

After we came home Jack took a post-39-week photo or two of me for posterity. I made the face on the left, which made him laugh, which made me laugh, which is the face on the right.