Welcome to our crib

Last week was a busy one at work. Four of the five work days had a major deadline, so there's really nothing exciting to report for those days unless you enjoy reading about motions to dismiss or answers to amended complaints or discovery responses. Trust me, you probably don't. One event of note -- I did get heartburn for the first time in my life on Tuesday, and no sir, I don't like it. Apparently tomato soup is not the thing to eat when pregnant (but it goes so well with a grilled cheese!), so I will be avoiding that in the future, lest my esophagus feel that it has caught fire.

After work on Friday, I headed north to Columbia, Tennessee, land of my birth and first 18 years of my life. I headed out solo, which was scary and exciting all at the same time. For some reason, it feels like you are being crazy when you go somewhere alone later in pregnancy (other than Target). Fox was going to the UT/Georgia game (of which we will not speak) on Saturday with our friend Bobby, and he also needed some time with the band to work on recording their album. So it was a great opportunity for him to accomplish those things while I went through a cedar chest full of dresses with my mom. I spent the four hour drive listening to four podcasts -- one about cloth diapering, one about breastfeeding, one about natural labor, and one about "baby friendly" hospitals. Not coincidentally, three of these things are my least favorite topics of conversations these days. ** WARNING -- BABY RANT** I am really getting tired of people telling me what I won't be able to do. I know I have no idea what giving birth or being the mother of an infant is like -- I have not yet done it. However, I do know what my druthers are, and I would like to have them, dang it. In my perfect world I can handle a delivery without drugs. In my perfect world, I can cloth diaper our baby. In my perfect world, breastfeeding is going to be a wonderful thing and not a nightmare. I don't need people constantly telling me what I can't do because it will hurt too much or be too much work or too inconvenient. It just makes me more stubborn and grumpy. I'm not delusional -- I'm prepared to say, "I can't do this, change of plans." The Foxes are not afraid to call an audible. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to try. How sad would that be if I let a bunch of boo bears talk me out of trying to do what I really think is right for me? And how sad would that be for you, dear reader, to not experience the joy and inevitable humor of these trials? Besides, aren't people supposed to be nice and encouraging to pregnant ladies? After all, my uterus, which used to be the size of a small pear, is now the size of a soccer ball. Doesn't that entitle me to some goodwill here?! All right, now that I'm finished sounding like John Locke from LOST ("Don't tell me what I can't do!!"), on with the post.

I had a wonderful time in Columbia. I went through the cedar chest and trunk that mom has kept my baby clothes in, and it was amazing. Tiny Feltman Brothers dresses and handmade dresses galore smiled back at me, perfectly preserved. Mom went through each dress and told me about it -- when she made it or who it was from, how old I was when I wore it, etc. I made a pile all of the dresses sized for one year and under that didn't terrify me. Some of the dresses are layers upon layers of Batiste lace or antique French lace and are so delicate and perfect that I just couldn't bring myself to take them because I know Baby Fox and I would ruin them. Even at 30, I still can't get it together like mom did. In high school, my senior superlative was "Wittiest" with a photo of me standing in a tire swing in the park. Mom's senior superlative was "Most Dignified," and in her superlative photo, she's wearing pearls and elbow-length black gloves, with a striking resemblance to Jackie Kennedy. I hope Baby Fox can have some of both.

After our trip down memory lane, we looked at a couple of baby shops in town, both of which are run by friends of mine from growing up (Itty Bitty and Fisher Pharmacy and Gifts). They are both such cute shops with great selections of baby items. Then we headed up to Nashville for the Southern Festival of Books. Dad wanted to get an autographed copy of Governor Bredesen's new book. Unfortunately, we missed the good governor's signing time (but did secure a copy of the book). We got to see the reading and interview with Marshall Chapman, which was great. She told some stories and read some from her new book They Came to Nashville, in which she interviews different artists (Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris, John Hiatt, etc.) about how they got to Nashville. She was honest and charming and even sang us a song from her new album.

Once we had our share of books, we went to the fabric store to check out the fabric we are planning to use to make Baby Fox's crib skirt. I really like it and can't wait to see what mom can do with it. I was going to post a photo of the swatch I have, but I cannot currently lay my hands on it. Perhaps it will turn up in time for next week. After our foray in the world of fabric, we headed to the fancy, new Olive Garden in Spring Hill to celebrate mom & dad's 39th wedding anniversary with some delicious pasta. We spent the rest of the night looking through the baby toys mom had saved and getting the rocking chair they bought for the birth of my brother Bill in 1972 (sorry, Bill) ready for the next generation. On Sunday, I headed south for Atlanta after a wonderful homemade lunch.

I was thrilled to see Fox once I got home. I really miss that guy when he's not around. He had picked up our crib and mattress while I was gone and taken them upstairs to the nursery. He went to go pick up a pizza for dinner, and I sat down to read the assembly instructions. They looked incredibly simple. I figured I'd unpack the pieces and we'd start putting it together once he got back with dinner, but after seeing how simple it looked, I decided to just start the assembly. I was finished within the 20 minutes it took Fox to go get our pizza and come back. Seriously, it was the easiest assembly ever -- all the pieces were there and they all fit together right. If only birth would be this easy. I am so happy about the crib. It looks even better than I hoped.

Check back in with us next week when Baby Fox and I start our 27th week, which is also the last week of our second trimester. She will weigh as much as a head of cauliflower (2 lbs!) and will start opening and closing her eyes. I hope everyone has a great week, and I'll try to be on time with next week's post!