Current obsessions #1-3

I've been slightly neglectful in my blogging.  While I like to keep everyone caught up, it's been a busy week.  

Overall, I've been slightly obsessed with a few different things:

1) Settling into our new home.

While I loved our first home from the start, over time, it became clear that it wasn't going to suit our needs, especially with Pickle on the way. 

Our old landlord had crammed every bit of space with her own things and we just needed more room.   

So we moved here:We're on the second and third floor.  

Take a close look at the bottom right window. 

A few days ago, in the early evening, Husband and I were taking loads of things into the house. As we passed by, there were two young men sitting at a desk facing the window. (And no, I wasn't being all Gladys Kravitz about it. The window was Right.There.)  

These two men were thin, with white shirts and dark skinny ties, staring at some papers intently.  Complete non-Norwegians.  (Trust me on this.) As we passed by, they both looked up and waved hello.  

When we got inside, I said, "Do you think they are Mormons or maybe Latter Day Saints?" 

(You know the look I am talking about.  Don't pretend you don't....Young, fresh scrubbed, sun light deprived, sincerely beatific and dressed in a crisp uniform... Plus, there were rumors of door-knockers in the neighborhood.) 

Husband laughed and said he hadn't noticed.  (He's not as good at the details as I am...) 

But on the next pass-by, I took a better look at the signs in the window... 

And what do you know? 

One poster is labeled "Mormon Heros, Joseph Smith" and the other is a giant picture of Jesus.

They seem nice, waving and friendly.  And I wouldn't mind if they popped out and carried my groceries, but I'm hoping they won't pop up for some "conversion time." 

Husband thinks it they will be great neighbors.* 

He suspects there won't be any wild parties or loose women running about (These days, we are like this because we are now mature, parents-to-be.) 

He also thinks they will be less likely to tell our landlords that we didn't correct their mistake on the number of dogs that live here... 

So really, while we're not into conversions, they are always welcome for dinner and the new season of "Big Love."

Ahhhh sunny kitchen and big back porch...

A fresh guest room all ready for Megan's arrival in a few hours.  And it will be perfect for BigD when she shows up post-Pickle....

And the sweet hunds are settling in nicely...

2) Getting ready for Pickle to show up...

Husband painted the nursery and put all the furniture together.  Look closely...you'll see that it's all going to be pretty blue (not baby blue...), stripes and giraffe print. You'll also see boxes of things that all need to be washed and put up.  I've been a little nuts about all of this, too.  

I thought the plan was in place and getting done, but it wasn't, so I had to rejigger some plans.  My dear dear college friend Patty is going to make a baby quilt for me using the fabrics. She wins awards and knows how to do things, and has shifted things around to really help me out.  I couldn't be more fortunate.  

And dear Big D is dealing with some other things, so finally I know it's all going to get done.  

But per usual, it's going to be cut down to the wire.  I just hope it all arrives before we go to the hospital to collect the little guy, because before that moment, I really care.  

Afterwards, apparently I will not, so Pickle may always live in a half-done room, which really is not the most welcoming way to start off as a brand new person.  

Also, I have been weirdly obsessed with our new Brio Go, which arrived yesterday.  

All stroller sorts of things in Scandinavia are SUV-serious.  They can roll over cobblestones, on sandy beaches and through the woods for family hikes.  

(Guess how many of those choices the Durel family needs?  If you only guessed one for sure, perhaps, two, you'd be right on the money.  If you cannot choose which two, check out our last hike for clues.) 

The choices are limited to start with...and the vast majority are difficult to put together and to use.  Not this one.  It all goes click, click, click...

(Plus, I think this film is so soothing, too.  I wonder how soothing it will be once we pop in a howling Pickle...So I figure, lessen all stress that we can control...Click, click, click...)

3) My feet

Nope, I cannot see them either.

*In any case, they beat the heck out of our old neighbors, with the junkies and the "open for business" window.  More on this later....

Happy Birthday Husband

Then.....

And now...

Pregnancy and Weddings

(Some of you have been asking...this was taken Sunday at 34 weeks)

When I was little I was never one of those girls who dreamed of "their big day" and planned it out to every tulle covered detail.  

That is not to say I never thought about being married.

I did.  

I always wanted to be married and waited and waited until I met the right person.  And then I was lucky enough to have enough help and good wishes to pull together a lovely wedding on quick notice. 

I say this because, in a similar fashion...I knew I always wanted to have babies, but I never really thought about being pregnant.  

So it's been quite the shock, not only to me, but to people who say things like "Isn't it beautiful?  Your body is doing what it's meant to do." 

Shocking for them because immediately after phrases along those lines come out of their mouth, I laugh hysterically and loudly.  

On our first visit to our current doctor (who we love) she said, "How are you feeling?"  

I said "Just fine, kind of tired, but overall, it's a total drag."  

Her jaw dropped slightly and I went on to explain, in what I thought was a helpful and clarifying way, that I did think that pregnancy was a super interesting sociological and physical science experiment. 

Sociological because it's been amazing to hear what people say to me.  

While I got a host of unwanted and unsolicited opinions when I started telling people, the opinions and "advice" have been free-flowing from all sources since I started showing.  

Relative strangers will not only touch my middle, but strike up conversations involving the word "vagina," specifically referring to mine, in odd places like the meat store and my friend Erin's kitchen.  

It's been horrifying----Seriously, there are a select few who are privy to any sort of discussion involving my ladyparts.

But it's also been hilarious because I am clearly am not mature enough for all of this because in most cases, I laugh and pretend I do not completely understand what they are saying.  Then if changing the subject does not work, I walk away. 

And it's been an amazing physical science experiment, because there are very few things more fun than to sit and watch little hands and feet poke out of my middle...I do long for my waist, though.

But as of Sunday, 35 weeks down and five more to go. 

It's Not a Secret Assignment, but It's Something

I've been going through old photos today and came across this one...

For years, Megan and I were partners in crime.  

This particular photos was taken one evening when we were undercover at a starlet's engagement party.  The bride was ultra hot for both her role on an HBO award-winning drama, but also for her recent reveal (and numerous in-depth interviews and stories about) her eating disorder.

I was on assignment and had been guest-listed by the club's publicist.  And Megan was serving as my plus-one.

The trick was to blend in, while taking notes and still filing by my 2am deadline so it would make the next week's issue. 

The slight problems we had to overcome:

--The club was mega-small...One open space upstairs that was roughly about the same size as my studio apartment and one small space downstairs. 

--The only people there were the groom's friends and family and the bride's friends and family. And the groom was the bride's manager and had been longtime romantic interests, so pretty much everyone knew everyone else.

--The vast majority of invited guests were Italian Catholics from New Jersey.  (Megan is sort of from New Jersey, but she has bright green eyes and flaming red hair and freckles.  As for me, I am white and pale, and even when undercover, I drawl.)

But blend we did.  Mainly I think it had to do with short, non-specific conversations and constant movement, some of which was in the photo-booth (See photo above). 

And of course, I got all the scoop.  

And no matter what it is, Megan always shows up to help.  

She's showing up in a few weeks, too.  When she suggested a visit, I warned her that the excitement level would not be up to her recent graduation from race car school or even her day to day life in New York.

She laughed and said "Well, it sounds like you need a visit and maybe some help unpacking boxes or something."

So while we won't be lurking about nonchalantly, champagne in hand, it promises to be all good. 

 

Happy Birthday BigD

Today is the BigD's birthday.  

How many candles should she be blowing out this evening? 

In the interests of protecting her affection for me, I won't tell, but here are a few clues...

The D is about 30 here.  And yep, she's rockin' the 'fro.

In her late 20s here...And yep, she's rockin' the do rag in the back row

In her late 20s as well...I think my birthday party..We know how to throw a party, for sure. Balloons, cake, giant bowl of collard greens. Love it. (Still with the big hair.)

Summer holiday on Kiawah Island.  Mid 1990s. (Big hair tucked under a straw hat this time, but no fooling us.  We know it's there, D)

Late 1990s, in an Upper East Side elevator. Neither of us inhairited the gene...(bwahaha) 

Mid 2002---Upper upper Westside rooftop of a Mexican resturant...Chips and salsa in honor of my getting a pretty piece of frame-worthy paper. Later on, my siblings and I will spend  happy evening at Hogs&Heifers. Better than nachos, but all day, D's hair was perfect. 

But let's jump forward to 2008, which was not, on many counts, a good year.  

For people who have been following along, there have been health issues and family issues.

...but take a closer look...

The Girls showed up for every single thing. 

Now we're in 2008, D with 2 of The Girls. The hair has tamed in just a few short years...

Everyone important showed up as well... 

Also, 2008, with Bill. 

The BigD fan club met several times, beginning with a send-off to the last unsettled of the offspring.

A meeting of BigD's core fan club, February 2008.  We decided to be fancy that day. 

And it was a happy day.

One of D's best faces.

See, all gone...

D's hair even looks good from the back.  She's snazzy like that.

And then there is the obvious adoration of many of her favorite people.  (If you ever make a drive-by of the D's Gainesvegas neighborhood, roll down your window and listen carefully, you may here small voices hollering "Neeeee Neeee.")

August 2008 with one of her three favorite grandchildren. 

I wish I had more photographs of all the similar good things that happened in 2008, because there would be stacks of them.

So, when you look at it as a whole, even with all of the negative, 2008 was not so bad (or at least not nearly as bad as it could be...).  

The health issues are resolved with some fancy new parts. 

The family issues were expected and awful, but are in the midst of shaking themselves out.  

And most of all, there were piles and piles of support from every expected and many unexpected sources, so if bad things had to happen, it was all in the best way possible.  

So the way I see it, BigD's 2009 has great potential. 

So happy birthday BigD, may the next year be full of every single bit of the good things and not one bit of any of the bad.  

Also, August 2008, just a  girl's night out.  (Of course Bill is always invited...)

And her hair was perfect.

Night night

Yesterday, we went for a doctor's appointment. Everything was just fine.  Pickle is all good and kicking.  My bloodwork is A-okay and according to everyone, I will not be round forever.  

But when the doctor asked me how I was, I said "I'm so tired."

I started to explain that I wasn't so comfortable and was having odd dreams, but then just decided to skip it.  

But the truth is, my dreams are nuts.

For those of you familiar with pregnant sort of things, you may know having vivid dreams in the last months before the baby arrives is pretty common. 

And right now, my sleeping hours, when they happen, are packed full of action, color and are more lifelike than I had in years.  

I've been an extra on a Civil War battle scene set, my mid-20s self back in New York and a pregnant go-go dancer with the requisite awesome boots at a sleek bar somewhere with loads of smoke machines.

But most often, when I dream, I am just me, going about my daily life here in Stavanger, but it's in April or May because I've already had the baby and he's still pretty small.

But in my dream this baby looks nothing like Husband or me.  He looks like Wilford Brimley.  

(Yep, that old guy who was in Cocoon, but now shills for oatmeal and "diabeetus.")

Shrink him down into proportionately sized-baby.  Put him in a diaper and swaddle him in a blanket.  Leave one hand free so he can hold his cigar. Make him sweet, but a little bit gruff, then give him the voice of Barry White.  (Yep, the deep, deep bass voiced singer.)

And, in my dreams, we never really do anything.  He doesn't get hungry and thank goodness, I've never had to change a diaper.  

He just hangs out, cradled in my arms.  I hold him while he puffs on his stogie and strokes his mustache and tells me what to do in his Barry White voice.

The orders are not fun Barry White-esque things (you know what I mean) they are more along the lines of "So did you lose the instructions for putting together the crib?" "It's almost time to start cooking dinner." "The dogs look hungry." "Did you order the fabric in time?"  "Do I have enough toys?" 

....that sort of thing.....

So instead of sleeping well, I wake up searching for a pen and paper to add to my ever growing to-do list.

Yes, I know it's nuts.

Yeeks

And this is why we didn't come home for Christmas....She was at 34 weeks, which is only 2 weeks further than I am...Though everything seems okay now, it was probably not the way she hoped for it to happen....