+ Leave +
So, I still haven't gone down to talk to the HR folks, but I was talking to another pretty new mommy (delivered 1/02) about leave. See, here's the thing: I'm doing fine, I have no pre-term labor worries yet, and everything's hunky-dory. But I'm ready to be off of work. I adore my job, and I'm the kind of person who will go absolutely stir-crazy at home. I know that. And yet... I want to stay home. I was initially planning to work until 3/7, the Friday before my due date. But now I'm thinking of leaving at the end of February, or sooner. It's going to get harder to move around, let alone concentrate on what I'm doing. And I'm eligible for 4 weeks before, 2 at full pay, 2 at 2/3 pay. That's pretty generous, and if I don't use them, I lose them. In other words, I can't apply them after you're born. So why not have a little time to get my act in gear? Coupled with my daily panic by realizing how painfully soon you'll be here, the thought of getting things done soon is absolutely tantalizing. I don't know what I'll do yet. I need to go talk to the HR people, which I've been saying for months. Maybe next week I'll actually do it. But right now, I'm really happy by the thought of being home, maybe the last week or two of February. Wow. That's, like, next month.

+ 2003 +
So, I was accused of nesting on Tuesday night. I was explaining to our friend Talmar that I was planning to spend New Year's Day taking down Christmas decorations, because I just couldn't stand them anymore. I LOVE Christmas, and I love the way our house looks decorated. Even daddy commented on how pretty it was throughout the season. But for some reason, they just needed to come down. Sure enough, Wednesday morning I ate breakfast, then pulled every shred of Christmas decoration packaging out of your room and started packing things up. Everything is down and packed away now except the Christmas cards and the lights and decorations outside (wreath, ribbons, etc.). Daddy's taking down the lights today and when I get home I'll take down the rest.

You and I are doing well! Today is 30 weeks, which means that we are in single digits of remaining weeks. Daddy doesn't find that as alarming as I do, but maybe that's a good thing. I have to admit, this whole glucose test thing is wearing on my mind. It has made me realize that in general I'm really not eating as well as I should. I have better days than others, and I'm not doing anything harmful as far as I know. Not eating well when it's just me is one thing; not eating well when it involves you is another. I just wish I could have been one of those perfect pregnant mommies, with all the yoga and organic foods and in-utero music. Without the natural birth though - yick.

Oh, well. I drink a TON of water, and while I might snack more than I should and drink more soda sometimes than I should and not enough vegetables... I think I'm giving you adequate nutrition. I just need to be better about it. I'm working on that.

Anyway, that's what is on my mind right now, as we start the new year. Next week the appointments and classes start fast and furious, and hopefully we can all keep up. I need to go talk to the HR people about my leave too. I want to have that straightened out before you get here!

+ More babies! +
I love finding out when other people are pregnant. I found out about another here in real life, and another here online. Both are a secret, so Sssshhhhhhh! Congratulations to both! Too bad you won't quite be old enough to babysit, Baby O. :-)

+ New Year +
So, today is the last day of 2002. Tomorrow will be the first day of 2003, the year when you will be born! The attendant at the gas station asked me when I was due, and if I was due right now. Um, no. How big do I look?! I hardly had time to be offended, when he explained that his sister had her baby on midnight 12/30 two years ago and the whole family had hoped she'd make it to New Year's Eve. Ooooh-kay.

Anyway, tonight we are having friends over, and I just hope we can make it that late. Do me a favor and don't suck ALL of my energy, just this once, okay? At least we have tomorrow off and I can sleep in. Then we'll get up and take the Christmas decorations down. I want them GONE so I can get the boxes out of your room. Maybe in there somewhere we'll take a bath with the bath spa mat your Grandma Sheryl gave us for Christmas. Mmmmm, that sounds good.

I made the appointment for the 3-hour glucose tolerance test for Monday morning. I'm taking a vacation day to do it so I don't have to worry about feeling ooogey and coming back to work. I've been afraid to say anything about it because I feel like something's wrong with me, but when I let it slip (either on here, where I let everything slip, or to my asst. manager when I asked for the vacation day), I find people have such wonderful advice. It really comforts me to see lots of "normal" mommies who had to go sit for this test and they have beautiful, normal, healthy children. So I'm trying to be more optimistic about it. At least I will get a lot of reading done.

+ Registry +
&*($#&^%^&*@!!! You know, I use our registry for you as much as a shopping list as an actual registry. Meaning, I research things and when I decide what I want to buy, I stick it on there until I have time and money to go buy it. I've bought things off of our own registry and will do so again. Today while I was looking at it, I realized the travel system we had on there is GONE! And I don't remember which one it is. Ugh. That's really really irritating. Now I have to start over. Maybe we'll just carry you around in our arms for the rest of our lives becuase we can't pick another stroller. That would be fun.

+ Yearend +
Frankly, I think you're having a little too much fun in there. I'm not sure how or why, but I have a feeling you're rolling around completely in there. ALL weekend, I was getting these soccer kicks really really low in my pelvis. There were a few times it actually made me laugh, you are so forceful, and I'm not used to feeling kicks down there. Meanwhile, your stretched-out position makes my ribs ache 1/2 the time. Sometimes I'll be sitting on the couch and I need to stand up just to relieve the pressure on my ribs. Yowza. Sleeping is getting more challenging. I think I'm going to have to give in to the pillow monster and start propping myself up. My tummy is so sore by the morning I can hardly get up out of bed. And those B-H contractions are increasing all the time. You might have rolled over now, though, and this morning I'm feeling more activity higher-up like you used to be. You know, it's interesting. I still definitely notice your kicks and rolls (especially the ones that literally make me move side-to-side like someone's pushed me), but I'm just getting used to them, too. It seems like you're almost always on the move in there. I can't help but wonder if this is the peak of movement, before you completely run out of room. In 3 days, we'll be at 30 weeks, and every week from there on out is single-digits. Well, if that doesn't make me panic, nothing will.

Oh, and I said to daddy that I feel like I sleep too much, and he told me he feels like I don't sleep enough. So, I asked him if that meant I had his permission to take more naps and not feel guilty and he said absolutely, yes! I'm always afraid if I sleep the day away he'll be upset that he doesn't get to see me, or that I'm not doing enough around the house. But he's really starting to understand how much this is starting to slow me down. What a nice husband and daddy! So? Nap time tonight!