The Home Stretch

Well, despite what my baby ticker above says, I only have 5 days until the baby is scheduled to arrive. This will probably be my last post until after that, since my computer at home is on the fritz and away being fixed (hopefully). I want to thank everyone who has given me/us support, wisdom, and friendship over these past months...and for more to come, I'm certain! I will definately let ya'll know the whos, wheres, what, whens & hows of his arrival as soon as I possibly can!

I'm nervous, I must admit. Today is my final day at work before beginning maternity leave and as long as I was still working it meant I still had time. But here it is, and the reality of it all is starting to hit...in a couple of days I'll have a son. Wow! That's hard to imagine. I'm starting over as a parent. And I'm worried I won't know what to do! Wish us luck, keep us in your thoughts & prayers...we'll let you know how the journey begins!

Friday's Feast

Appetizer:
What sound, other than the normal ringing, would you like your telephone to make?
Well, my home phone does nothing remarkable, but my cell phone plays either the Avatar:The Last Airbender theme song or "Reach Up for the Sunrise" by Duran Duran.
Soup
Describe your usual disposition in meteorological terms (partly cloudy, sunny, stormy, etc.).
Mostly sunny with a hint of storm clouds. I'm pretty happy today, but I'm also a little worried about the upcoming delivery!
Salad
What specific subject do you feel you know better than any other subjects?
After waaaay too many years working with renaissance faires, I'd definately have to say I'm nearly an expert on the Elizabethan era, particularly regarding the way of life & clothing. Go ahead, quiz me!
Main Course
Imagine you were given the ability to remember everything you read for one entire day. Which books/magazines/newspapers would you choose to read?
Fortunately I read fairly fast, so I think I'd plow through a few classics so I could quote them at whim, maybe read the Bible, and some history books
Dessert
If a popular candy maker contacted you to create their next confection, what would it be like and what would you name it?
Since the best chocolates in the world to me are either Raisin & Biscuit Yorkie bars from England or Mozart chocolates from Austria, I'd want either of those companies to contact me. I think I'd want something chocolate - raspberry flavoured named after me, of course. Kimba is a good name for a chocolate truffle bar, don'tcha think?

Kindness

I've had some really crappy jobs. Ok, maybe the jobs weren't really crappy, but some of the people I've worked with...or for...have been. So now that I have a job I really enjoy and some amazing people to work for & with, I am grateful. Today they proved even more how sweet they are by giving me a "congratulations on the baby/we'll miss you while you're on maternity leave" luncheon. Yummy Mexican food, adorable presents for baby boy, and a $50 gift card to "use on baby if you must, but really you should use it for yourself". This from 2 great bosses & 1 co-worker whom I can't appreciate enough. Yeah...sometimes you have to see why the people & the job are worth more than the low salary.

Speaking of kindness, I was actually touched by last night's season finale of "Beauty & the Geek". Yes, I admit to being an addicted fan of the reality show, but it reminds me of oh-so-many people I've know...both the beauties AND the geeks. My favourite "geek" won, which made me happy, but it was the second place "geek" that was the real hero of the show. See, his teammate, this bimbo named CeCe, hadn't changed, hadn't been affected by the experiment of the show, hadn't grown as a person. She is the kind of person who believes she deserves to be pampered, taken care of, and have only wealthy men in her life...and will stomp on anyone who tries to prevent her from having it. Her bleached blonde, little girly voice image had to be preserved at any cost...and because of it, her partner Nate, was more than willing to give up the $250,000 prize money in the hopes that maybe, just maybe someday she would learn a lesson from the whole thing. It was about his growth, his self-sacrifice in this day & age when most people really seem out for the cash, the glory, the celebrity of reality TV. He proved that the point of the show really is about people and self-growth. Maybe its goofy to be moved by a TV show created by Ashton Kutcher of all people...but it seems like one of the few shows on primetime these days that really gets into the psyche and emotions and basics of people and stereotypes...and that kindness does win in the end.

Lovey

Happy Valentine's Day my friends!

Whether you have a love to share it with, or simply need to indulge yourself, have a GREAT Valentine's Day! May your day have richness (mmm...chocolate), beauty (flowers or jewelry), and love (particularly for yourself)!

My night will probably consist of having a heart-shaped pizza with the family and, if I'm really lucky, playing a game with them. However, the ex is actually coming to our side of the lake this weekend to pick up the kidlet & spend the weekend in Chicago with her, so hubby & I will probably celebrate Valentine's and our last weekend before baby arrives then.

UPDATE

Ok...so after complaining to Target, this is the response I received via email:

"I'm sorry for any disappointment, but we are unable to assist you with an exchange or store credit.Unless an item is listed on your registry purchase log, our return policy requires a receipt dated within 90 days for any return. As a guest service, you were able to return a few items without a receipt. Our computer system tracks every return using your driver's license or photo ID. Now you've reached your maximum number of returns without a receipt - that's why you now need to have a receipt for any item not listed on your registry purchase log. Great products. Great value. And a great shopping experience - every time you visit our stores. That's what Target is all about. Your feedback is a big help to us, and I'll make sure to share your comments with our executives. Please let us know if we can be of any help in the future.Thanks again for shopping with us. I hope you'll visit us again soon at Target.Sincerely,Tom Target Gift Registrieswww.target.com"

Gee, thanks for the help Target. I'm still stuck with things I don't want. I guess I'll be making a trip to the resale shop sometime soon. *sigh*

Grumble, Grumble

Ok, so I really want everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE to know what a truly crappy return policy Target has. I should begin by saying I love Target. The damned store just sucks you in and before you know it you've spent $100 when you only went in for shampoo. They have good stuff. That's why we did our baby registry there. So you can imagine just how upset I was last night when I went to return a few gifts we'd received at my last shower. They were all items that we either already had or simply wanted to exchange for something else. Nothing remarkable...some onesies with (shudder) footballs all over them, a rough feeling blanket, some bibs, those tiny baby caps (seriously, how many of those things can you really use?), and some bottles (the 5th set of the same ones, I might add). Now, the givers of these gifts didn't give us a gift receipt, but since everything was the Target brand, we knew where they came from...and tags were still attached. It seems Target's return policy is that if you don't have a receipt, you get to return 2 single items in a one year period for store credit. Since I was married last year, and apparently returned something sometime in the past 365 sans receipt, I'm stuck with these things. Just stuck with them. No matter I don't want them, don't need them, and would just like to get something else from their store...I'm stuck with them at least until my 365 days are up. Then I could return ONE of them...not all 5. (They can't actually tell you when that year ends either...go figure.) Am I the only one who finds this utterly ridiculous? If it were most anywhere but Target I'd just ban shopping at the store entirely. Instead I simply want EVERYONE to know...and complain! I feel completely taken advantage of by them. *sigh* Ok...that's my rant for the day.

The Golden Child...er...Piglet

So in my ever present quest to learn something new every day, today I was excited to learn that 2007, in the Chinese calendar, is not just the Year of the Pig, but rather the Year of the Golden Fire Pig. (let's have a collective "oooh, ahhh" here please) Apparently every 600 years or so this combination means that anyone born under this sign will live a life of luck & wealth. (Alright! At least one of my kids might take care of me in my old age?) Apparently this is causing all sorts of havoc at the hospitals in China & Korea as people are racing to have kids born this year. I have never put alot of faith in horoscopes, but I am always impressed when I read the traits of each of the signs on the placemats at Chinese restaurants. I just know that if my son can have luck & financial stability throughout his life, who can argue with that?

On a side note, the 13 year old kidlet made me proud last night. Her CO2 car was on display at the Technology Fair. Her teacher said that though hers wasn't the fastest, it was the most creative. (It looked like a goldfish.) He also said she is the hardest worker in class & the least trouble. Ah, golden words to a mother!

The Other Parents...the Godly Ones

Last Friday we invited the hubby's sister and one of his oldest friends over for dinner & games. It was a lovely evening and we surprised them both by asking them to be the godparents to our forthcoming bambino. It was a decision we didn't take lightly and chose them because 1. they are both Catholic (a requirement of the church), 2. they are both people whom we feel can bring an interesting perspective of life to our son, 3. will be active participants in his life, and 4. who really have a strong sense of faith and are comfortable with expressing their religious and worldly views. It's not an easy task to select those individuals whom are supposed to take on that "Godly" role in a child's life. I realize that most "Godparents" don't really fulfill much of a role beyond the baptism, but I'd really like it to be more than that. I'd like to think that they will have a special place in his life. Of course, I believe that all of our friends bring new perspectives and experiences to us, that's why we choose them as friends, and why we want them in our children's lives. I'm proud to say that I have friends who are bright, intelligent, vibrant souls who can show him that people are all different. That's exciting.

Well, the new godfather brought baby a gift, unknowingly. It's this cool Rainforest bouncey seat that makes waterfall simulation, rainforest sounds & songs. It's sooo cute and colourful! I firmly believe someone needs to make something like this for adults...wouldn't you want a big comfy chair to relax in with soothing sounds & vibrations?

Just a bit o'blah

Well, the weather is still dreadfully cold (oooh...today's expected high? 12 degrees! That's nearly a heatwave around here these days!), last night we did another night at "Dinner by Design" and stocked up the freezer with 7 more yummy meals in preparation for baby's arrival, which I might add is 2 weeks from today! I'm amazingly achey, uncomfortable, akward, and finally have most things packed in a hospital bag. (Any suggestions of things I might be forgetting?) Today's final ultrasound reveals that he's measuring in around 6 lb. 9 oz. and everything looks great! I'm planning to continue working this week & next. What more can I say?

The Big Chill

Holy Crap it's cold! Today is the sort of day for bundling under the biggest, thickest sweater & socks you own, and then wrapping up in a giant fleece blanket with a big mug o'tea and doing nothing but watching some good movies. Why? Because it's freakin' -13 below outside with a windchill of -35 degrees! Yikes! Schools were all closed today (thank goodness) so the kidlet gets to stay in as well. No snow, just bitter bitter cold. Brrrrr.

My luck I'll go into labour.

Let the Countdown Begin...

Well, I've been trying to post this for a few days but had some issues with Blogger. But allow me to share my BIG news...

Baby is scheduled to be born in less than 3 weeks!! February 21st will be his birthday!!! I can hardly believe that in that short of time I'll be holding him in my arms!

I was banking on the 20th so he'd be a Mardi Gras baby, but instead I'm giving up being pregnant for Lent!