My random ramblings...

I have to admit that I'm pretty proud of myself. Last week I went to rinse out Truman's water bowl, and somehow ended up breaking off the handle to the kitchen faucet. Shit. I have never had to do any sort of plumbing or repair work. I must admit; I've led a pretty sheltered life. (I'm afraid to admit that, to this day, I haven't even ever mowed a lawn. Growing up the lawn, especially the front yard, was my dad's baby...he wouldn't really let anyone touch it...and beamed as he got compliments from the neighbors.) So imagine my anxiety to know that I must replace this... As I've mentioned before, Linda & I are not the do-it-yourselfers we'd aspire to be... Instead we are pay-the-man type of people. But, I figured that I could tackle replacing the faucet. After a few choice swear words, me throwing a fit, Linda's help examining the underside of the sink, a phone call to Tim and four hours later...the sink works! And we upgraded our faucet too...so it's more aesthetically appealing with our countertops. So, that got me thinking... Even though my dad knows a lot of things and is extremely handy, I wonder how much stuff he just figured out along the way? I wonder if I'll be able to pull off those things with Evan? So I wonder what he'll think when Linda & I finally get a real house and I have to mow the lawn for the first time ever in my life? Maybe I'll show him how to do such things so he isn't as sheltered and suffer the anxiety I do when it comes to stuff like this...

In Linda's last blog entry she mentioned her daily plight with putting on socks. I've tried to alleviate some of the frustration she feels by offering to put on her socks for her...which is a huge thing for me as much as I hate feet. But the whole sock thing must be planted deep into her subconscious. Linda usually goes to bed a few hours before me since I have an unconventional work schedule and she works regular office hours. Normally she's fast asleep. However the other night I came to bed and the TV was still on and Linda seemed lucid, groggy but "with it". I kissed her goodnight and asked where the remote was. She looked for it, found it and clicked the power button. I told her, "Good night, I love you." She muttered, "Love you too..." She then told me very clearly and adamantly, "Socks must be worn during pregnancy!!" I was baffled at such a random statement and asked her what she was talking about. She repeated the same statement. I asked her what socks. She replied, "The ones you were laughing at." Apparently she is dreaming about socks now? I felt this conversation was too good to forget or pass up, so I immediately signed onto facebook via my phone and asked what the hell she was talking about on her facebook wall. She read that posting yesterday and had no idea what I was talking about. I think she thought I was making it all up...she has no recollection. But yep, that conversation really took place. She also asked me if her last blog entry sounded depressing. I told her that I didn't really think so, but it was obvious that she's ready for this pregnancy to be over with. I asked her why? She said she read what one of my friends from grade school, Kristy, (who just had her son Connor last fall) wrote on my facebook yesterday:

Brian, I just read your blog, and usually I get a laugh, but this week I just feel bad for Linda. She's at that point where all pregnant women get to. The point when you are walking in a store and hear murmers of "She's about to pop", and , "she's due any minute". There is a certain look of general misery that we women get at this stage, and from the sound of Linda's last post, it would seem she is in that population. I feel sorry for her. Getting sick is the worst, and heartburn is miserable. Hug her.....a lot. :)

In my head, Linda & I have reached a milestone today. Today is the 34 weeks 3 day mark. This is the same day that my sister, Becky, had my niece, Brooke. That was almost 14 years ago. Brooke was healthy, just really early and was almost earlier, especially for being 1996. She stayed in the hospital a few days...maybe a week? She was jaundice, and was sent home with a glow (Bili) light. She was also present at her own baby shower. I worry about that since our baby shower is still over a week away...and we have nothing yet. We've got Evan's crib, mattress, glider, some clothes and diapers, but that's it. Linda's sister Bridgett (who's also pregnant and due a few days before us with Evan's cousin, Logan) called and said she got us the diaper bag off our registry. My dad called yesterday and said he and Shirley picked up the car seat and extra base we had wanted. I've noticed that someone has bought the highchair we registered for...so who that's from remains a mystery. I hope the little bugger stays in there for awhile longer...but something in my gut is telling me that he's gonna come early. I dunno why, but I just have this weird inclination. Granted, I could be way off...and he could come late...I dunno.

So this week, Evan weighs about 4¾ pounds, about the size of the average cantaloupe, and is almost 18 inches long. His testicles have begun their descent from his abdomen to his scrotum. I'm sure he'll love the fact that I'm talking about his balls. His fat layers - which will help regulate his body temperature once he's born - are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well. His fingernails should now reach the end of his fingertips, and may even curl over the top! Some babies are born needing a trimming! It is said that Evan should be able to recognize and react to a simple song now. A song that is sung frequently now, he will be able to recognize out of the womb. I really don't have much of a singing voice (and I hate to say it, but neither does Linda)...so I hate to scare the lil' guy... I just hope that Linda isn't singing any Lady GaGa, Taylor Swift or Ke$ha songs to him in the car on her way to work. I can't stand their craptastic music. Since I, for one, am nervous about pre-term labor, babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. Preemie babies at this point will probably just need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies. Evan is also now peeing about a pint per day! Good thing I stocked up on diapers and our friend Deanna is giving us her overstocked supply of newborn diapers she bought.