i love her

quick post from my phone to tell you…

…that I am holding Baby Swiss in my arms.

Born yesterday at 12.41pm after only 6 hours of labor/11 minutes of pushing.
6lbs 8oz.
18 inches long

for those of you keeping score, tomorrow is the big day

I was dreading going to church today because I’m tired of answering the “Are you excited?” question.

Am I excited?

Seriously?

However, I got two amazing baby gifts while dodging the question.

1. Coupons for 3 free nights of babysitting from my first choice babysitter.  (Cash Value: mega).

2. An awesome bib and hat sporting my college team’s logo.  (Don’t tell Mr. Mouse.)

getting carded

So.  I made my Christmas list (as per the request of the in-laws).  It was filled with a nice selection of things of various genres and various price points.  I sent it off to the in-laws and then I get my list from my sister-in-law.  It strongly resembled what her husband’s list looks like every year:

Gift cards from store “a” for purpose “x”.

Gift cards from store “b” for purpose “y”.

This makes me nuts.

I will be the first to say that I think gift cards make great gifts.  I love getting gift cards.  It is like bestowing upon me the gift of shopping for something that I want.

That’s a great gift.

However, I find it mildly insulting to be asked for gift cards on a Christmas list.  I feel like it is someone telling me that I couldn’t possibly pick out anything they like, so I shouldn’t even try and just give them the cash instead.

This is especially annoying to me because I am famous on Mr. Mouse’s side of the family for buying great gifts.  I’m not joking.

Doubly annoying – now I have to come up with something to get for the people who just ask for gift cards because I refuse to let the Christmas gift exchange come to a big cash swap.  At whatever point that we are just buying each other gift cards, we need to stop all together and just let everyone keep their own money and buy themselves what they want.  Yes?

Now that I have sufficiently ranted about the gift card, here is a list of times where I think a gift card is a lovely gift and perfectly appropriate gift:

• Weddings (I will be honest and say that gift cards were my favorite wedding gift and are now the gift that I always give.)
• Anniversaries (Not too many people outside of the couple gift for anniversaries, but my in-laws have given us gift cards for our anniversary to a place that makes a nice date for us.)
• Surprise Gifts (ex: your husband had surgery? let me get you a gift card to a pizza place and you can order pizza on a rainy day that you don’t feel like cooking)
• Group Gifts for a non-occasion occasion (ex: your wife is having a baby? your co-workers and I all wanted to go in together on a gift for your family.)
• Gift Exchange Games (gift cards are a no-brainer when it comes to buying a generic gift for an unknown recipient.)
• Stocking Stuffers ($5 to Starbucks in the stocking is like buying me a fancy coffee, wrapping it up and hanging it from the mantle.)
• Care Packages to College Students (they’re always hungry)
• Experiential Gifts (ex: spa day or pedicure)

my two front teeth

What’s on your Christmas list?  What should be on mine?  I always tell my mom and my sister just to get me clothes/accessories, but my in-laws and I have a different fashion sense, so I need a list of some other stuff.  Here’s what I’ve got so far:

• Christmas tree decorations – skirt, garland, ornaments (for a second Christmas tree that I bought at a garage sale)
• stocking holders for the mantel (3 or 4)
• Christmas wreath
• silicone whisk and tongs
• baby food making book (my friend has one that she used and recommends, but I need to get the name from her)

I feel like I always put Christmas decorations and serving dishes on my Christmas list.  These are things that I love and that I feel like I could always use more of, but I feel like it’s lame to ask for the same stuff every year.  There has got to be some other kitchen stuff that I want/could use, right?  What are your favorite kitchen tools/accessories/appliances?

you’re only a day away

Jen has established a bit of a race-to-the-finish concerning this baby birthing business.  I’d like to say that I am nothing if not competitive, so it’s on!

(Imagine me, with a whistle, yelling at T as she runs up and down the stairs only allowing her breaks to drink castor oil and eat spicy foods.)

For the record, our induction date has been set for 11/24, so this baby will be born no later than 11/25 (I like to allow for an extra long labor just in case).

Also for the record – I’m still holding out hope for 11/17.

(or tomorrow)

tres

In 2004, my church put out a pictorial directory.  I was in my early 20s and single and not at all excited about going to have my picture taken – BY MYSELF – for what, in my mind, was a family thing.  (I really couldn’t believe how much time the photo people took trying to sell me pictures of MYSELF.  I was already clueless as to what to do with the free 8×10 they were going to give me.)  As luck (I don’t believe in luck) would have it, I was dating Mr. Mouse by the time the directories were published.

Here we are 4 years later and it’s pictorial directory time again.  (It’s cheesy that they even do it, but I swear, I look people up in there all the time.)  I just scheduled our photo shoot portrait session for the new directory.  The first question you have to answer is how many people are in your group.

I picked 3.

because easy is an adjective for cheese, not for life

I started to type out the whole saga of this weekend, but I stopped because it was going to be too too long and everyone knows that a good blogger doesn’t post things that are too too long.  I think I’m far from meeting the requirements to join the good blogger club, but I’ll spare you nonetheless.

I will instead give you a list of things that have come up in the last 4 days that are keeping us on the edge of our seats with this crazy adoption:

1. Birth dad’s parents do not want him to sign his parental rights over until the paternity test results (something the lawyers thought would be a good idea) come back.  This means 5-7 business days after the appropriate mouths have been swabbed.  Since birth dad is at boarding school (an hour away), we don’t know when his parents will get him here to get swabbed.
2. Since the baby’s due date is right before Thanksgiving, we have a likelihood that results will be even more delayed due to the holiday.  This whole situation opens up a possibility that we could get the baby home and then have to give her up.
3. T’s dad called me on Saturday (while T was at my house) to tell me that he no longer thinks that the adoption is a good idea.  He thinks that T’s behavior lately is such that she should not be able to have this baby, hand her over and go on with her life.  I’m not sure what kind of reaction he wanted from me.  Perhaps: “Yes, you’re right.  I set up a nursery, scheduled a shower, bought a car seat and went to childbirth classes for this baby because I love her and believe that our family is the right place for her, but your daughter’s behavior is out of control and so forcing her to raise a child is a great idea for a punishment.”

I’m ready for her to be born.  Like now.  I’m ready for the details to be ironed out and for everything to finally fall into place.

This was perhaps not the best time for me to start a diet.