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Wanderlust

I'm lounging in bed trying to stay awake by watching a PBS show on The Orient Express. The glamour and history is just as intoxicating as the vistas from the 80 hour trip. Then I am struck by the reality,mI can't just get on the train.
I have been a world traveler my entire life crossing the globe several times before my firs birthday. Travel has always been important to me. It is how I learn and my parents realized t early enough that they would plan family vacations based on school curriculum to help me retain I formation.
While my college peers went to the beach over spring break I would find a buddy to go on a European adventure. After graduation I promised myself I would take a big trip every year and realized if I went ahead of the Olympics I could let the IOC do the decision making for me, and relive my vacation while watching the sporting events.
Now I lay in bed with a bag packed for a trip to the hospital. Not the same at all. Bt I am already considering how to travel with an infant. I hope to sneak away for a weekend at a B&B in the first month. My first plane trip is planned for October when I have a gig in Atlanta. I will ship diapers and task my mom with watching Bjorn while I am on camera.
I maybe fooling myself at how easy this could be, but I also don't want to let fear keep me at home

Let's Talk Vacation

Showers and Their Themes

I have been blessed with great friends. They are supportive, funny, talented and true. They have been so excited about my pregnancy. I think its because they knew I wouldn't be able to keep my mouth shut about every moment. They have also risen to new heights of thematic parties. 

It all started with Miss DC 2009 who threw the first shower. Dozens of former contestants, volunteers and gay men got together. They supplied baby pictures so the room could be decorated in a kiddie pageant theme.

Next came a weekend away with some of my bridesmaid. We stopped for ice cream at every road side stall on the way to the beach.  We sat around and relaxed and shared stories and took naps. I was banished to my room one night to set up a party. We had decided there would be no gifts, but they just couldn't help themselves. To be honest, I am glad. They gave me their children's favorite books and 

we played ridiculous games and shared enormous 

cupcakes. Then the real gifts came out. Mini buttons with all my favorite things on 

them and hand written advice cards that made me cry. 

Then it was back to my childhood home for an epic celebration. Your family can't live in a town for 40 years and not have fewer than 60 people at a baby shower! My mom's good friends drowned me in love and baby items. But the best part were the buffet and goody 
bags all handmade by women I've known my entire life. Anyone can make chips and dip but macarons from scratch? SERIOUSLY? It 
was almost as impressive as me making a human!

An office shower kicked off the summer. We gathered for fried chicken and humor and an awkward game where my coworkers used 

string to guess my size. Somehow, appropriately, "The Voice" of the Newseum guessed it EXACTLY right. 

Now at 36 weeks the final thank you cards have been written for the neighborhood party. What was to be a simple BBQ turned into a 

heart warming evening. It started with a hand painted shelf in my favorite color and then every neighbor selected a children's book for the shelf. Classics, favorites and unknowns were added one by one till the shelf was full!

The nursery is still a disaster. The 10 year old IKEA computer desk is still in place and the crib is weeks away from delivery. My mom arrives in 2 weeks and then the room will 

suddenly look like a decorated room thanks to her fine touch. I just hope Bjorn doesn't 

arrive first.

Fashion Review

Thanks to fellow blogger María José for asking me to review some wonderful wears from Thyme Maternity. Click on the image to read my review

Get Ready!

We have this offensive term at the office. We refer to birth as "splashdown". It's the perfect combination of rocket science and disgusting. Just like the actual birth. Even more the baby is like a little astronaut in his capsule with the life line, so I really love the term.

Now that I have less than 30 days to go I realize my body is going into this weird mode that i cannot control. I feel like the baby is going through a check list with my body. It reminds me of the count down in mission control at NASA. I feel like my body has disconnected from my brain and I am just watching. When I finally go into labor I will know how much of this is in my head and how much is nature

Keep It Classy

It is the time in the pregnancy when CME and I are taking classes. I signed up for these classes months ago and today was the first-- CPR for Infants.

Who is it that said "if you can't find the patsy at the poker table you are it"? I always think of this when I enter a classroom. There is that couple in every class that you think "just shut up so we can get this over with!"

Shouldn't there be rules to follow in parenting classes?
1) No one wants to hear your "advice from experience". We are taking the class so we can get a baseline of knowledge. If we wanted to hear your story of the time your child choked on a jelly bean we would ask.
2) When you speak in class and no one turns around in their seat to look at you, you have no audience. Maybe your thinking "wow I didn't even notice no one looked at me." That is because you were too busy holding court.
3) When it comes time to practice in class don't take it as an audition. We all know the script. We are trying to murmur it while imagining ourselves in the situation. Your cries of "CALL 911" are not needed and concerning to the jazzercise class across the hall.

And if your the instructor, these rules apply to you! Its not time for your 2 hour comedy set. Give us the instruction and a laugh half way through and we, your students, will leave happy and informed.

There are exceptions to the rule. You have a handy little tip that you found your friends didn't even know about, please share it.