Coaching, shopping, and cheating

So much going on, as always!

This week I asked one of my two best friends, G, to be my birth coach. She enthusiastically accepted, which is a big load off my mind. Because of my due date, this means she can’t take one of her usual summer vacations, so it’s even nicer of her.

“There’s no one I’d rather have there,” I told her, and I meant it.

Additional bonus: my parents practically consider her their second daughter, and she’s really good with them. Given that they’re inevitably going to need to be “handled” during the whole L&D process, and I’m probably not going to have any ability to be subtle or polite, she’ll be invaluable.

(My other best friend lives an hour away, at least, and has two young kids. Just getting to the birthing classes would be a major chore for her.)

Placeholder for future post: “handling” my parents. And not during L&D: now.

We’ve got some issues. Or I do, anyway.

(Also, I have a lot of placeholders for future posts. Sorry ‘bout that.)

***

Updated note on shopping: THERE’S JUST SO MUCH TO BUY.

At lunch this week, when I brought up that I was just going to get a used bassinet from Cra*gslist if I couldn’t find a used one from among my friends, G sternly reminded me that I need to register, because people need stuff to buy.

“But I’m registering for everything!” I protested. And seriously, I am. There’s a crapload of gear, and even though I’m trying to be smart about things (hello, I don’t need two pa*ck and plays—my house is hardly big enough for one), there’s still a crapload of gear.

“People need stuff to buy for you,” she said again.

I get that, but part of me would rather register for what I really need. I mean, I’m going to get plenty of clothes regardless, and I’m going to make sure I register for stuff like onesies and sleeper gowns and receiving blankets and crib sheets and a baby monitor and all the basic essentials. But if there’s a piece of gear that seems superfluous—like a bassinet, which I can find used for $40 online (or hopefully can find for free)—wouldn’t it be better for people to put the money they might have spent on a bassinet on something else? I mean, the bassinet is used for a couple of months, tops. Why in the world do I need a new one?

Take that money and go in with someone (or several someones) and get me my overpriced but highly rated Brit*ax carseat for when the sproglet is over 25 pounds, thanks. That’ll be a bigger help.

Relative to Stuff, I’m having to resist crocheting baby gear, as I’ve been informed by numerous people that they’re covering those bases. Oh, well. Nothing wrong with crocheting for charity. (I cannot STAND to sit idle; if I’m watching a movie or TV, I have to do something else. Better crochet than munch.)

***

Prenatal yoga continues to be a fantastic oasis in my week. I am the laziest lazy person to ever exemplify lazy, and yet I can’t wait to get there.

Last week, the wife of someone I work with started class. She actually used to work with me as well. We were not close, for reasons I won’t go into here, and she has about four brain cells in her entire head. Sadly, I’m pretty sure that none of those brain cells are aware of the fact that her husband’s been messing around with someone else since well before she got pregnant. (Nice.)

Of course, I can’t bring myself to feel too sorry for her. She was messing around with her now-husband while he was still married to his first wife, and his first wife had a newborn at home.

I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a better poster child for “you reap what you sow.”

It’d all be hilarious if there weren’t children involved.