It's Winter!

Snow came to our neck of the woods last week. And ever since it's been freezing. I guess winter really is coming here this year. I always forget how cold it gets. In the fall I think...winter's not so bad. I can wear big sweaters and have fires and drink hot chocolate...and then winter actually comes and I end up sitting in my house in the dark (seriously - the sun sets at 5 pm!) and shiver. Thank heavens for electric heating pads! (Don't worry - I don't bake Spud. I just put it in my bed before I get in and can be sufficiently warm all on my own.) Thank heavens also for new, energy efficient heaters. Because, as Patrick keeps reminding me, this baby probably won't be as tolerant of the cool temps as he and I. Don't worry baby - I'll keep things as warm as you need it!!

Speaking of Baby...we’ve made quite a good amount of progress recently. We visited Patrick’s mom in Des Moines a few weeks ago, where we not only got some fun things for the baby (crib sheets and blankets!), but also added to my meager maternity wardrobe. I tried on basically every item in the store, while Patrick stared confusedly at the pants with the stretchy panels and Wendy kept reminding me…you’re going to get a LOT bigger, don’t you want to try a bigger size?

Then the following weekend, my sister-in-law Jena and I spent an entire day together looking at adorable baby stores, picking out fabric, and painting the nursery. Actually, that last part was pretty much ALL Jena, since I have great artistic vision (if I don’t say so myself) but none of the patience needed to actually achieve that vision. Luckily for me (and Spud), Jena not only has the artistic eye, but the skill and patience to match. Thanks Jena!!

Once the paint dried, Patrick and I started moving in the furniture. We still need to order the crib (which will go underneath the window on the circle wall), update some lights, maybe install a ceiling fan, add some drapes, hang some art on the wall (I'm having a terrible time deciding what to put in there!), and find a storage space for our cable modem and wires. But other than that, I'm feeling really good about it!

One last bit of pregnancy progress became apparent when Jena and I were having dinner at a pizza restaurant in uptown. I ordered a root beer with dinner, which was served in a plain brown bottle (with no label). Jena informed me that the lady at the table next to us kept looking at my belly, looking at the bottle, and whispering to her husband while casting evil glances our way. I wasn’t bothered in the least – in fact I was kind of excited. So…that means I look pregnant?!?!