Update...

We've officially done all we can to move along the job process. We even drove a half an hour to a police station for him to voluntarily fingerprinted for the background check, as our station only does it on Thursdays...for whatever reason. Those sheets and signature pages are in the mail, so now all we can do is wait.

Sweet, helpful and protective...

I have to say, my hubby has made quite a change in the last few months. Not that he hasn't always been a good guy, but it's kind of like when I had my appendix out, he didn't quite hover, but he was always trying to make sure I was okay, doing things for me. That's how he's been with the pregnancy. The rounder I get, the more he offers a hand up from the floor (don't ask why I sit on the floor, I just do), etc. Which is really nice. I appreciate it, and in exchange I try and keep him as happy as possible, do as much for him as I can. This includes encouraging him to do things without me, that don't focus on the baby, buying him beer and special snacks that I won't eat -- without him asking for it, and just in general making him feel like he's still central to my life.

He's also been helpful with his buddy. This is a holiday weekend, and my hubby has spent a lot of it over at his bud's house, scraping and most likely today, painting this guy's house. We know his wife, have only met a few times, but really like her. Which is nice. She lives in PA, unfortunately and is in med school, so, we only see her when she can get rounds in this area. Needless to say, we remember what it is like to be young and newly married (also have done the long distance thing), and I figure if him spending some time over there male bonding with beer and paint fumes will not only fill his 'burp and fart' needs, but help out his bud, and the wife of course will get a nice surprise when she is back (which I think is next month), then I'm all for it. I know I can't be everything to him and I'm really glad he feels like he can do his own thing and not worry about me.

I have to admit, I haven't always been like this. As a newlywed, I was very protective of my hubs and the time he spent with anyone else. I was jealous because I wasn't sure that all in all he'd love me forever and ever, and that any time he spent with anyone else meant that he'd find something 'better'. Now I'm smart enough to know that he WON'T find anything better. Oh and he told me flat out that he wasn't jealous of me and that I better get used to trusting him. In a serious tone of voice. Needless to say, I guess that kind of changed my mind. That and time. We were both young and inexperienced as newlyweds. I just had to get in my groove and figure out this whole wife thing. It took back and forth conversations, and actual work, of course to get it figured out. It helps that we're honest with each other and I think all in all that's made this whole pregnancy thing very simple to deal with.

Yes, I have had symptoms, yes, he's had to deal with me snapping at him once or twice and tears rolling down my face during GAC master's series on tv, but all in all, his positive attitude, willingness to admit when he's wrong and say he's sorry, has made it go pretty smoothly. No worse than we've ever dealt with in 'real life' (because we all know pregnancy is not anything close to real life). There's been no overt insanity, no midnight pickle and ice cream runs, no huge fights. Really, it's been, calm. Which is kind of funny. I figured that pregnancy would be so up and down and left and right and turning in circles, but really it's been more like a pleasant stroll in the park, emotion wise. All in all, I've had a fabulous man to hold my hand, whisper 'chocolate ice cream' in my ear and tell me how much he can't wait to meet the baby. Who could ask for anything more?

Contemplating my navel...

I know that contemplating your navel is supposed to be a bad thing. Supposedly it means you're too self-introspective, too focused on your own problems to see what is around you. But literally, lately, I'm been contemplating my navel.

Specificially, is it going to turn inside out on me. At first, I thought, no way, no how. It's way too small to turn inside out, only big ones do the flip. Well, let's just say my belly is now stretched so tight that my navel is getting even smaller, it's almost flat it's so small, and the outsides are beginning to bulge up. I think it may go inside out after all. Which will be weird, because it will get washed for like the first time ever, YES, it's really that small. Can't get a pinky finger in there even to wash it out. Occasionally I've used a Q-tip with water or alcohol on it with the hopes of getting out any crud that may be lodged in there, or drying it out if it happens to be wet.

So, yes, I'm contemplating my navel. Will it survive the next few months, or will my innie become an outie?

Poetic License...

Robin over at Pensieve is hosting another poetry party of sorts. This month's submission is in the form of 'pensieve' (a cool style made up by her) and deals with 'Back to School'.

What is a Pensieve? - A titled, five-line poem; each line correlates to one of the five senses--sight, sound, scent, taste, touch--and describes the subject (title). The goal is for the reader to take on the poem as his own, being able to "experience" your subject through your words, by seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and feeling what you described.

Riding the Players Bus, First Football Game of the Season

School colors, banners flying, pom poms tossed carelessly, jerseys poking out of hastily packed bags, bitingly bright chip bags and soda cans line the aisles.

The tinny blaring of headphones mixes with the cacophony of girls' giggles of gossip, gutteral prayers and groans; and pops of flexing old injuries in preparation for new with the rattle of helmets on squeaky bus seats.

Old sweat never quite washed out of decades old uniforms, innocent perfume and fruit lotion combined with the burning odor of plastick-y seats, Speed Stick and the overwhelming mix of bubble gums.

Pheromones flavor the air.

Sexual tension and pre-game nerves are palpable, rayon crinkles and cotton glides over sweat soaked skin, the scant breeze blowing in the windows doing nothing to block out the oppressive heat of bodies pressed close.

Where do we go from here?..

So now that Biden is on the VP ticket for the democrats, where will Hillary go? What do you think? Will she boot Condi out of her place? Take over for secretary of health or education? A commission for women's rights?

Aaron Stecker still on Saints roster...

Around this time of year is when the football major leaguers make their cuts, so off I scuttle to the NO Saints website to see if my fav. player has managed to hang on. After the year he had last year, they better keep him! I was pleased to see this nice little blurb which basically says how awesome he was for the team last year. I totally have to agree. Is anyone EVER going to join the Aaron Stecker fan club with me?

No? Well, fine. But I still think he was one of the best players my alma mater ever had and made every game exciting. Boy, could he run. Even my parents still ask about him from time to time and call when they see a game on and that he's played. Guess he made an impression on more than just me.

Anyway, I'll be checking out as many Saints games as I can this season. Won't you join me?

some news...

We do have paperwork, it is 99% filled out and hopefully will be ready to send back tomorrow. Just need a couple of addresses. Also, that just means we're in for more waiting, it will be several days before they are done with this part of it. Hopefully after that, we'll know something.

Oh and the Cubs may just go all the way 100 years after the big win in 1908, the Bears are sucking it up and I swear to goodness gracious last night I felt a finger about penetrate my uterine wall. Apparently we have 'poke' as a new skill, besides kick, roll, and 'paint with whole fist'. Responds well to food. Just like parents. Go figure.