Baby Shower Decorum

     Last week a friend of ours held a shower for my friend, Christy, who is expecting about 4 weeks before we are.  It was a lovely, low-key sort of party that was really more of a girls' night in rather than a shower.  It was a lot of fun, but why - you may ask- did she not get a blowout shower like I did?  Because she has a child who is not yet three years old.  It was only upon the insistence of her close friends that there was a shower at all.
     I think this is an outdated custom we are best rid of.  Traditionally, you only get a shower for your first child, or sometimes if many years separate your children like mine (8.5 years).  It is assumed that you still have everything that you will need.  But babies are expensive.  There is always something you have given away or lost.  And what about diapers?  Wipes?  Formula?  And most of all --- what about the celebration of bringing a new life into this world.  It's just an exciting time.  Every expecting mom deserves a shower, whether it's her first child or her tenth.  We need to rewrite those etiquette books.  Who's with me?

Doctor Visit at the Scary Time :-O

     Yesterday I had my 28 week checkup.  It went well.  Very well.  So why do I drive myself crazy?  They did the glucose test to check for gestational diabetes.  Not so worried about that.  I really don't think I have it, and if I do...well...I know several people who did and it's fine as long as you're careful and follow doctor's orders.  They also did an ultrasound, where we got to see my darling baby boy sucking on his hands like a madman.  He's hungry, clearly, and can't wait to get out and get some real chow.  Baby looks great.  So, why am I worried?  My cervical length is back down to 3.1.  Doc says it's fine as long as it's over three.  But a few weeks ago it was at 4.3, so it has shrunk back down considerably.  However, it was right at three before then even early on, so I really shouldn't worry as long as my doctor doesn't...right?  Wrong.  I worry because that's what I do.  However, I will be a frequent flyer for the next month or so.  This is the precise time that I went into preterm labor with my son.  And he was born about a week and a half from now, so that's the reason for all my worry and the doctor's concern.  Can't imagine going through that again, and putting a wee baby through it.  So here's to keeping him in there!

     I've also completed my baby registry at Target.  I don't remember what I'll need, and I didn't use a list because they are so padded with things that they don't need but that the store really wants you to buy.  So I just took my registry gun and went down the aisles and registered for my favorite one of everything.  We are just going to have to figure it out as it comes.  I'm like a clueless new mom again.  But that's ok.  My first boy helped me to finally grow up.  And this one will keep me young.

Long Weekend

    I do love a gorgeous tree.  Yes, I'm a tree hugger.  My son Ridley had Friday off school, so my husband Matt took the day off and we grabbed a buddy of Ridley's and all headed to Fort Boonesboro for some camping.  And by camping I mean staying in our air conditioned camper with a bathroom in it. 

     Did I mention that I cheated and didn't even stay?  Well, I didn't.  It's too hard for me to get comfortable when I'm trying to sleep.  So I drove Ridley's friend back and headed home.  A cramped camper with two sweaty boys just isn't going to cut it for a few months.  But I had a nice relaxing time reading alongside hubby while the  boys got muddy. 

     I've added some tree photos, both old and new, from Fort Boonesboro.  I love getting up close and personal and sort of grabbing the tree's personality.  Those old trees near the fort have seen a lot and their faces show it.

     Thank you for bearing with my obsession with tree photography.  After my boys returned on Saturday we headed to a birthday party for a lovely seven-year-old girl.  It was a pool party, and I'm sad to say that it will probably be the last time any of us are anywhere near a pool this year.  The summer goes so fast.   All in all, it was a great weekend.  Thank you for letting me share it with you.
 
    

The Little Guy

     Well, not sure if you can quite make that out, but that's a nose, not a penis.  However, we did find out that our little peep is a boy.  I asked the doctor about that single contraction that I had felt, and she was reassuring without being dismissive.  Told me to just come to the office if I ever really got freaked out by anything going on in there.  Everything else looked good.  I was concerned about cervical length, as mine is very short, but it checked out ok.  And baby is just the right size and is moving around like crazy. 

     I see that I've had a few lurkers on here.  Please please please comment!  I'd love to hear if anyone else is or has gone through a high risk pregnancy.

 

Greetings

      Hello all.  I'm Amy.  Mommy's Delightful Mess is a blog about life, my own in particular.  I'm the proud mama of a brilliant and beautiful eight year old boy and am embarking on the surprise adventure of having another.  I'm especially interested in beautiful things, beautiful people, lovely food and cooking, and at the moment about pregnancy (mainly of the high-risk variety like my own).  I've started this blog to help me work through the trials of finding oneself and keeping onself after having children, and to preserve our inner children by appreciating the little things.  As I get this blog moving, I hope to hear from other women, mommies, and just at the moment, mommies-to-be that have been given that high risk diagnosis.