I cannibalize myself...Mmmmm, me.

Below is a post I did last week on my "family blog" (aka, The Blog My Mom Reads)... I would write something else, but I have to go to work! Sorry if some of it is repetative of other posts...I don't write a lot at the other blog so the cannibalization tends to go the other direction. I wanted to share my frustration with 'shopping for baby' here. Maybe some mamas out there will have some advice. Oh, today is our ultrasound...pray for 10 fingers, 10 toes and 1 head! I'll be sure to let you know if there's an extra appendage in certain other areas too...

Hello from DC! I've spent the last week here at my folks' place. Mon-Wed I took a Web Development class, which was very enlightening.



You can even click it! Not that it does anything.

I'm sure I can whip up something a little more exciting, but I don't have my cheat sheets here. So keep posted. Currently I am sitting at my Dad's office, waiting for my friend Dianne to pick me up. We're going shopping. I would be more excited about it if my mom and I hadn't just gone yesterday. It's not that it wasn't fruitful, just exhausting.

We started at the mall and hit the maternity store. My mom genoursly offered to buy me some new outfits. Which she did! Though I find some of the maternity wear a little poofy. Of course, I think once I get bigger, that poof will go away as the material strains to contain my expanding mid-section. I am at 20 weeks now and feel pretty big. Really big after chatting with a nice girl at the store who was also 20 weeks...she didn't look pregnant at all! Now I'm paranoid that I'm having twins. I know this is contrary to the single hearbeat I got to hear at 8 weeks. But the kicking and movement does seem to cover a lot of geography. The only theory I've devised that supports the twin scenario is that the babies take after their father and started a little rock band in there, and as a result, became synchorinized! We'll find out on Tuesday.

After the maternity store we head to Babies R Us (or BRU as the message board ladies like to call it). This was the main reason we were out in the first place...to get me registered for some baby gear. Well, after a significant wait at the registry booth, an attempt to placate us with coupons that expire in 4 days, we had our little scanner gun and were off!

There is so much stuff. Half of it, I have no idea whether I need or not. I know I want a breast pump, but do I need the Ferrari of breast pumps? or will the Kia suffice. And do I need the accessory pack, the bottles, the cleaner, the pads...who knows? Then it's car seat time. In hand I had a list of recommendations from various mommies on the internet. But there are so many. Really, sometimes too many choices is a bad thing (something I've learned from watching Super Nanny). After looking at my list, and seeing the pretty colors and evaluating the um, plasttic-ness of it all I resort to my stand-by method of product selection. Most expensive? No. Least expensive? Out. Middle of the road, Ok....now, which one is pretty...ok,SCAN. This is the method I used for the pack n play as well. And some other stuff. I bypassed the bouncey chair, the swing, the highchair...how many things does a immobile, motor-skill challenged infant need in order to sit there and do nothing! I suppose since a baby can't really do anything, you need things that do stuff for it, or to it.

In the end, I think I'm registered for 8 things. I figured I could go to the internet and register for the rest, once I figure out what those things are. We call it a day after my swelling feet begin to throb and my bladder needs some relief...not that BRU doesn't have bathrooms. The biggest sign in the store is for the bathrooms. I suppose if your store is full of pregnant women and little people who use their pants as a toilet, you better make it clear where the facilities are.

So, feel free to buy me some stuff! But you better do it quick, since there is so little on the list. It's just so overwhelming. I realize this is opening me up to individual interpretations of "cute" and "must-have", which is ok by me. I'll be sure to snap a picture of the new arrivial in whatever gets sent my way...but I can't promise to take the child in public. Especially if I get one of those headband bows...

Those poor little girls have enough trouble holding up their own heads, is it really necessary to raise their center of gravity just to be sure the world knows it's a girl. Honestly, the pink feathers get the message across. (let me apologize right now to anyone who thinks the headband bow is adorable and a necessary accessory to any baby girl...though I don't agree, I understand we all have our own taste. Afterall, I can't wait to get me kid in
this!

So It's been a great trip so far. I'm looking forward to hanging out with some friends tonight...if I can stay awake. I'm in danger of losing my status of "party girl", but had to happen sooner or later.

I'll be sure to update after the ultrasound on Tuesday. I'm predicting GIRL.