Updates and Thingamabobs

Don and I just finished watching Julie & Julia - it was a great flick.  And for those of you that don't know - it has to do with cooking... and blogging.  The main character in the movie was a much more dedicated blogger than us Bratschies though.  But alas, thanks for hanging in there with us and checking back everyone once and again to see what's new.

So - be warned, I was inspired to write another blog entry.  And I fear it will be a lot at once.  You might want to tackle this post in sittings.  Anyway - here's what's new:

The biggest news is that we've decided to build an extra room into our loft space instead of moving.  We really love our home.  It's a great fit for us and I have a hard time imagining us moving anywhere else.  If you've ever been in our place, the nursery/den will be where the dining room currently is.  A good friend of ours drew up some plans for us on what the new room will look like, we just have to find some contractors to put in drywall and schedule it all to be done after the Holidays and before Baby gets here.

Also, I'm at 26 weeks now - if you don't feel like figuring it out, that's 6.5 months!  And I'm constantly at the point where I don't think I could get any bigger.  For anyone that's already had kids - I'm sure you think this is just adorable...

Baby is kicking all the time too.  It's really cool to feel Baby moving around inside.  A lot of people have asked me if it hurts - and to be honest, I'm not sure if it will when I get closer to delivery, but it sure hasn't yet.  It feel more like bubbles moving around - or like my stomach is growling, except there's no actual hunger pangs. 

I just had to change my footwear too.  I used a DSW reward coupon to order myself a cute pair of flat boots.  Not as sassy as my heeled boots, but still cute.  I think I might just wear them every single day.  They have an easy zipper too - makes getting them on and off actually something that I can do.  (I'm starting to get to the point where I can't touch my feet anymore - the baby bump is just that big - like I said I'm always convinced that I just can't get any bigger...)

I've also started to rely on some new things to help me keep it together during this time that Baby and me are spending together prenatally.  I might do separate posts on each of these things - which would help me get back in the habit of blogging and keeping folks informed on the Baby Bratschie happenings, but here's a list just to get started: a neti pot, momma bee belly cream, aveeno moisturizing lotion and regularly changing my toothbrush.  The belly cream and lotion are probably obvious - my skin (particularly on the belly) is stretching out and in order to avoid dry, itchy skin - I need to keep it constantly moisturized.  The neti pot and new toothbrushes are my way of avoiding getting sick.  Because us preggos can't really take cold medicine or even sinus spray - and because my immune system is particularly susceptible to all things contagious right now - I'm doing everything I can to help my immune system out.  And if you don't know what a neti pot is - don't worry, I'll definitely blog about that all on its own.  You'll love it.

Preggos are EVERYWHERE!

In case you've been under a rock for the past 6 months or so, I feel I should come right out and say it.  "Everyone is pregnant".  This is, of course, a slight exaggeration, but I assure you - not by much.  It might be more like 1 out of 3.

I run into other preggos everywhere.  Everywhere except work, that is.  I'm definitely the only one there - at least the only one that's been "outed".  And now I'm so big that I couldn't hide it even if I wanted to (which I don't).

But back to my first point - preggos are everywhere.  Maybe it's just Chicago... but I'm not so sure.  I think it's a National epidemic.  When we picked up my prenatal vitamins, the pharmacist said "been fillin' a lot of these lately".  Um yeah - that's your job.  And I heard the hospital where I'm supposed to deliver Baby has broken the 'birthing record' every month for the past few months - meaning they birth a record number of babies every month than from the month before.  Wow!  That's a lot of babies!

You have to wonder - why all the babies?  I heard someone mention snarkily that it was the recession to blame.  I'm not sure about all that.  It really didn't have a lot to do with our Baby - Don and I are both employed full-time and hadn't really stopped going out when Baby came to be.  I heard another theory that it's the boomlet's having babies.  That's right - that Baby Boomer's kids are now having kids.  That makes a little more sense to me - but what really explains this?

I guess it doesn't really matter in the long run - but it's great for those like me and the preggos coming after us - we've going to have so much maternity clothes for them to borrow/buy from consignment shops!  Speaking of consignment shops - I heard a recommendation for a great kid's clothes/maternity wear consignment shop in Chicago - called The Second Child.  I'll have to check it out and write a review. 

In the meantime - i'll leave you with my deep thought for the day - "preggos are everwhere".  Except my apartment.  I'm the only one in here right now...