The Big Reveal

This could be a very long update post. I'll try to keep it simple.

1. Last week was the major professional milestone that I've been working toward for 3 years. Everything went off smashingly well! I appeared in front of over 100 people on opening night (wearing a empire waist dress to hide the increasingly bulging belly). My family was in town. It was all a good good time.

2. Family in town (parents, bro, sister in law) was SO NICE. God, I wish they lived closer. We worked on cleaning out the 2nd bedroom, converting it from a guest room to a nursery. I bought a crib!! It is a beautiful Pali crib that I got second hand for an absolute steal. It's adorable. I will post pictures once I get everything the way I like it. Mom/Grandma is going to make the nursery linens.

3. Pregnancy privileges. This was the first weekend I got any. Having family around helps. My family has never been a baby-ing type family. But last weekend they treated me like a delicate little flower and let me tell you I WAS LAPPING IT UP. Bringing me chairs. Tip-toeing around the house so that I could sleep in. A nice, but fleeting feeling. The only negative so far about doing this alone is the lack of consistent pampering. :)

4. I TOLD WORK! The day after my event, I told my boss, my uber-boss, and then gradually the rest (although now I'm ready for the rumor mill to begin---I can't tell every last person for goodness sakes). It's been AMAZING. I must admit I had some rather irrational fears about the awkward questions and disapproving looks. Let me tell you---ALL irrational. My colleagues have been nothing but excited, supportive, thrilled, and, well, adult about it. I think they all realize that it's none of their damn business how or why I did what I did. Their business is to be supportive and happy for me. It helps that I work in a place run predominantly by women, most of whom are mothers. There will be a large shower!

5. The more people you tell, the more you learn of other people who have become SMCs. A few of my colleagues of all ages have SMC friends. People also reflect on their own experiences and say wonderful things about how special their own relationship with their children has been. It's all incredibly encouraging and touching.

It feels wonderful to be "out" to the world.

Hitting the "mother"lode

Thanks for all the comments recently. Yes, my grandfather does use email! He's been doing so for about 10 years. Very impressive. I think it takes up a lot of his time on a daily basis, which is really a good thing. More lovely thoughts continue to stream in from near and distant family members. Strangely, the only big hole in all the congratulations is my sister in law, who hasn't said word one. But why worry about one when everyone else is so happy? And I'm feeling so much better about the BOY coming into my life. It did take about a week of sadness, but I've come to see all the wonderful things about having a boy!

My mom suggested I check out some of the Labor Day yard sales for baby gear. Since I'm having the baby in March, there won't be a lot of yard sales closer to the date! Oh...my...goodness, but did I hit the motherlode (literally and figuratively). I cruised around the upscale part of town and there was a couple with two young kids moving out of their enormous Victorian. They had absolutely everything--the best stuff and in great condition. I didn't want to go too crazy...but I did get a Mac.laren stroller, a Gra.co pack and play, a bouncy thing, a "my breast friend" nursing pillow, and three books I'd been wanting for a mere $40. They also had a beautiful P.ali crib (a brand I hadn't even heard of, but they made it seem quite special), which I am thinking over. Not sure what the decor of the nursery is yet, so can't buy everything I see!

In the process of stopping by couples-with-young-children yard sales and revealing my pregnant status, I felt like I was immediately indoctrinated into some kind of mommy "club." Suddenly it was all smiles and girlfriend conversations. I found it slightly bizarre.

I've spent the weekend cleaning and starting to "conceptualize" (i.e. clean out) the nursery. I can already tell....I'm going to need a bigger place. I'm not even close to what would qualify as a pack-rat--in fact, I'm pretty good at paring down since I've moved so often in my life--and yet all of my closets are already full. All that new baby stuff I bought? Takes up half the room. If I can get through the pre-school years in this place it might be just about time for the market to rebound and to sell my place and move to somewhere with at least a 3rd bedroom.