The most annoying woman EVER

If looks could kill, I would have murdered a woman on the bus yesterday. I’m writing about it to remember what kind of mother I never want to be!
She walked on, screaming and yakking with her friends, and then proceed to make a call on her cell phone. A loud call. Like the entire bus was silent, and she didn’t know — or care — that she was yelling into her phone.
I am the kind of person that texts on the bus, so that I don’t bug the crap out of everyone around me. If my BlackBerry does receive a call, I hiss into the receiver that I can’t talk because I’m on the bus. Yeah, I have a little thing called bus manners.
Let me provide the stintilating transcript …

ANNOYING WOMAN: “Hi Dominic! … It’s Mommy! … Mommy loves you! … Mommy LOVES you! … 
ME (in my head): Ughhhhh. Too loud, too loud, too loud!
ANNOYING WOMAN: Dominic! Dominic! … Mommy will see you tomorrow … Mommy will see you TOMORROW … Is it bath night? … Are you having a bath? … Dominic? … It’s MOMMY! … Mommy’s gonna see you tomorrow! … Are you being good? … Dommmmminic!
ME: *Sigh*
ANNOYING WOMAN: Mommy loves you! … Dominic! … Oh, my phone is acting weird. Why is my phone acting weird?
ME (in my head): Probably because everyone else on this bus is willing your phone to self-destruct.
ANNOYING WOMAN: Mommy loves you! … Dominic! … Hi … Hi … Hi! … No, you can’t see Mommy … No, it’s not a see-through phone, Bud … Mommy loves you!
Oh. My. God. 
She kept up that IDENTICAL dialogue for 20 minutes — no joke. When she got off at her stop, there was a collective sigh from every other passenger.
Never, never, never.

Dream dress

I WANT: Chiarakruza Yasmine Maternity Dress

How sweet and feminine is this dress? I adore it. If you put it on, you would transform into a whimsical, calm preggo woman who picnics and eats watermelon and picks flowers. Ahhh …


COST: $138
SHOP DUE MATERNITY HERE

Learning from Laura

Some people buy self-help books or money-management books. Not me. I find financial advice in the childrens’ section. 
My guru of choice? Laura Ingalls Wilder, of course.

You see, I have always loved, loved, loved the Little House on the Prairie books. I devoured them when I was about eight, and have re-read the series once or twice a year since then. 
Over the last year, I’ve started to really identify with Laura and her husband, Almanzo, and admire the way they played the cards they were dealt.
For their entire marriage, they ran into bad luck and struggled financially. As farmers, they often had high hopes for a certain crop, only to have it be ruined by drought or hail.
Almanzo was always positive, saying that everything would work out. Even though Laura worried about bills and debt terribly, she always managed to adjust her attitude, be grateful for what they did have, and remain hopeful about their future.
I need to remind myself to take a page — literally — from Laura’s book.

It is always best to be honest and truthful
to make the most of what we have
to be happy with simple pleasures
to be cheerful in adversity
and have courage in danger
Things of real value do not change
with the passing of years

– Laura Ingalls Wilder

Holiday traditions

Happy Easter, my super-special, much-loved readers! I had a nice Easter with my mom and sis, and Darling Husband had a good time with the in-laws.

We have always separated for the holidays, so that neither of us miss seeing our ‘rents and sibs. A lot of our friends think that’s weird. They think we should do the take-turnsies thing that they all do, where you spend Thanksgiving with one family, Christmas with the other family, and then reverse next year.
The thought of spending Christmas away from my fam has always made me a bit hysterical, so Hubby and I have continued to do our divide-and-consquer strategy. And I’ve always been very happy with it.
But … yes, with me, there is always a but (and a butt) …
Last night, Little Dog and I trooped in — with much luggage — from our brief stay at my mom’s, and Darling Husband trooped in — minus any luggage — from his stay at his parents’ place. Our condo was cold and dark. There were no groceries in the fridge. There were no Easter decorations.
We sat in our living room, a bit exhausted from the overdose of family fun. We felt the same inkling that we’d felt last Christmas. We we were looking forward to having our own holiday, with our own traditions, and our own family. 
I want to buy those little hollow plastic eggs, and fill them with treats — and stay up late, laughing with Darling Husband as we hide them. I want to decorate an Easter basket for everyone, so they can carry it around and use it to collect their treats. I want to dig out art supplies for egg-decorating, and make ones covered in glitter and googly eyes and finger paint and anything we can find. I want to make a special Easter breakfast.
Even though Darling Husband and I have been together for almost nine years — and married for almost one — I think never spending the holidays together is keeping us from feeling 100% like a “family.” 
By the time next Easter rolls around, our first baby will hopefully be on the way. And I can’t wait to start making traditions of our own!

Three months, one week, and about 13 hours …

You may have noticed my cute little counter that I added a couple of days ago. Why? Well, I am math-challenged, and was tired of trying to count back from July 18 (D-Day) … or is that C-Day?

As it creeps closer to the three-month mark, it’s getting hard to contain my excitement. In three months, are going to start trying. In three months, I could technically get pregnant.
The “three month” excitement, of course, got me thinking about trimesters. If the first three months is when you feel sick, the next three months is where you get your energy back, and the last three months is when you feel huge and uncomfortable, then there needs to be a name for this three-month chunk.
So I proclaim this time “the zeroth trimester.”
I have been doing my best to be healthy during 2009, but now we are down to crunch time, people! The zeroth trimester — whether it lasts exactly three months, or however long — is my last chance to prep this bod for what it’s about to go through.
The next three-plus months are all about …
  • Taking my prenatal vitamin every day (I never miss a weekday, because they are so structured, but I always forget on Sat. and Sun.)  
  • Continuing my healthy-eating regime (I have been pretty good, but could be eating more of the hardcore stuff, like spinach, salad, etc.)
  • Getting more exercise (When pilates ended, I didn’t replace it with anything. But Best Friend and I are going to start playing tennis two or three times a week)
However, they are also about …