"How Much Longer" and other Great Salutations

Nearing the end of my pregnancy, I have been noticing a few rather peculiar things. This should not come as a surprise, as most everything involving pregnancy is unusual to me. One particularly new trend that has been developing is the casual way to greet me. I know that my belly protrudes far beyond my normal stature and expect that it is going to be more noticeable to strangers that I am "with child".

So, Hubs and I went to Lowe's last night to pick up some odds and ends to finish up the ceiling fan project that he started in the nursery. We didn't have a fan in there and it is going to be much needed in the spring and summer... and fall... and some of the winter months here in Florida. We placed our purchases on the counter and proceeded to the cashier. The cashier looked at me and said, "How much longer?". I was tempted to reply, "well, as long as it takes for you to finish ringing up our supplies". I decided against it and realized he was just striking up conversation with me. My belly gets a "hello" before my head does. Okay. I can be okay with that. So I told him eleven weeks. I then recounted how I can't believe I'm going to be getting bigger than I already am. I feel like I'm as big as I "should" get already. But we all know I'm going to swell up like the Goodyear blimp come the end of this trimester. I'm sure he didn't want to know every detail, but I figured he started it.

I don't mind that my belly gets a hello... It's good. It proves that I, indeed, look pregnant, and not just chubby. I'm okay with that. I'm not okay with the fact I can't seem my hoo-ha anymore, but that's another story in itself.

So, today was baby stuff shopping day. Kyle and I went to a few stores to compare prices and to "play" with the selection. We want to make sure we get our money's worth, and that we get something we will like for a long time. We want to make sure it will be gender-neutral too, as we know we want more than one child.

For a baby that will come out knowing nothing or caring of simple things like bumper borders in the crib or paint on the walls, we sure have a LIST of things to get. I think we are down to just a few "necessities" like an activity center, a play mat, a high chair and a pack-and-play. Other than those things, I think we will be home free to just get odds and ends like toys, books, and clothes.

Well, we are always proven wrong when we go to Babies R Us. They can really make parents-to-be feel really inadequate and ill prepared. It's really not nice. There are so many things that they thought of that no person should feel they need. They have everything from cushy rocking chairs that made me feel like I sat in a warm plate of mashed potatoes to a million safety options that make me feel like a neglectful mom. This place is made for parents-to-be who decide that they are allowed to have a champagne taste with a beer budget. It's a place where credit cards can easily be maxed out to buy things that the newborn baby "needs". It's this realization that wonderful stores full of options and ideas like Babies R Us are just out to get us. We saw a wonderful stroller/carseat combo on Clearance while were there. If we were typical, just the red sign with a "sale" price might have sold us. Until we looked closer and realized that while the sale price was $239.98; it was not a deal at all when we looked at the original price of $239.99. A penny savings!! Did they really think that would sway us? I know that we had to double take it to be sure we were seeing what we thought. Yup... They're on to us. They know we will do anything for our munchkin-to-be. Which is why we left the store and decided to price out other places that might not have "everything". We're okay with not having everything. As long as he has a place to lay his sweet head and a safe ride home for the hospital, I'm sure we've got all we really need.