Gettin' stuff done is exhausting.

Even when you're simply supervising.

I have had an ever-growing to-do list for quite some time now. Those of you who know me well, understand how much I HATE relying on other people to do things that I want done. I am all about instant gratification. When I want furniture moved, I move it. When I want pictures hung, I hang them.

This becomes increasingly difficult, even impossible, when baking a baby. The difficulty doubles when your husband is out of the country.

In comes Dad. Dad rocks. He came this week and did a professional job painting the baby's room. He also sanded and painted some patch jobs in the living room; put a new screen on the sliding door; hung hooks in the basement for ski equipment; painted the chair rail that he installed the last time he was here; put up a hose butler for the side of the house; watered the garden; moved furniture to prepare for Stanley Steemer; and will stay for Stanley Steemer, who is coming tomorrow. To do every rug in the house (we have a lot of wall-to-wall carpeting that has NEVER been cleaned, to my knowledge). And Dad always finds assorted odds and ends projects in between the big ones. I'm sure there are many more things he did that I am having trouble remembering. Love Dad.

Love Mom for letting Dad come to Milton, which meant she was alone in CT all week. She's a trooper (although secretly I think she enjoyed a little quiet time, too....).

But Dad alone is not Superman. He cannot lift couches or move heavy furniture by himself. Enter Kevin and Sam, my co-worker's son and nephew, who hauled a large closet's worth of stuff up from the basement to be left for Salvation Army; took a sectional couch, a workout bench, an entertainment unit, and a large carpet to the dump; moved the heavy furniture to prep for Stanley Steemer; carried my grandmother's sewing machine from the basement to the front hall; moved the bed out of the baby's room; filled in a large puddle pothole with gravel; and killed and dug up two large pricker bushes. Love them, too.

And what did I do so far, with all this activity going on? Well, I managed to windex and dust.

And with the windows open, both chores were pointless. The pollen got all over everything after I dusted. And the dogs were nose to glass all day, because they could hear everything with all the windows open. Next time? Close the windows.

I was also able to sweep the basement. And do two small loads of laundry (except the laundry is still going, at 10:00 at night). And pick up pizza for dinner.

And now I'm going to bed, because I am physically exhausted.

How big is Baby D-Lish??

It's a squash! From the bump:
Baby’s energy is surging, thanks to the formation of white fat deposits beneath the skin. (Have those kicks and jabs to the ribs tipped you off yet?) Baby is also settling into sleep and waking cycles, though -- as you’ve also probably noticed -- they don’t necessarily coincide with your own. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments.

Belly Shot, 29 weeks

Kind Words for the Mom-to-Be

This is from one of my weekly emails. I thought some of these points were dead-on correct, but some of them are pretty amusing!!

Understand pregnancy for what it is: A wonderful and beautiful experience, wrapped up in a colossal shift in hormones! Not only is the mom-to-be dealing with the uncomfortable symptoms of pregnancy, but also with anxieties and fears of motherhood. Expecting moms need a tremendous amount of compassion and support throughout the nine months of her pregnancy, and beyond. Here are a few things to keep in mind when offering advice, support or suggestions to a mom-to-be:

On the Issue of Pregnancy and Postpartum Weight

What to Say (With Sincerity)

• Honey, you look terrific!
• Pregnancy becomes you.
• You need to gain weight, our baby's well-being depends on it!
• Honey, you just had a baby! You look great for just having a baby!
• You're having our baby! That automatically makes you beautiful!

What NOT to Say

• Wow, you're BIG for____months!
• Well, at least people know you're pregnant!
• Should you be eating that? You don't want to gain too much weight.
• Hey, try breastfeeding! That should take the weight off!
• Oh, I didn't realize you already had your baby!

On the Issue of Bottle Feeding vs. Breastfeeding

What to Say

• Whatever you decide to do. The baby will be healthy either way.
• Let's take a breastfeeding class together.
• I know a friend who's breastfeeding her child. I'll put you in touch with her.
• There are lots of great formulas out there for you to choose from.
• Breastfeeding is a beautiful experience to enjoy with your baby.

What NOT to Say

• Breastfeeding is for mothers who are too cheap to buy formula.
• I wouldn't breastfeed if I were you. I tried for three months and gave up because it was too hard.
• Formula is unhealthy for babies. He'll be sick all the time.
• Mothers who love their babies breastfeed their babies.
• Breastfeeding is "dirty" and perverted, especially if done in public.

On the Issue of Child Rearing

What to Say

• I would love to give you advice on anything you need. Just let me know.
• I've got some great books on parenting. Would you like to borrow them?
• Let's take a parenting class together. That way, we can be prepared.
• Parenthood is challenging, but I know you'll be great at it!
• Follow your heart. You know what's best for your child.

What NOT to Say

• Well, here is what I (my mother, Aunt Mabel, Dr. So-and-So, etc.) think/thinks is best for your baby.
• This is the only book worth reading on parenting!
• Just you wait when this baby is born; you'll see how difficult parenting is!
• Always/Never pamper your children, give them time outs, etc. (In fact, eradicate the words "always" and "never" from your vocabulary when discussing parenting!)
• Well, if I were you...

Have you voted yet??

Happy Mother to Be Day

I got flowers today from my awesome nephew, Luigi. It was so sweet! I also got mom-to-be cards from my sister and mom - very cool. It is weird being on the receiving end of a holiday that for the duration of my life so far has been one on which I always give gifts and cards...

I kind of like it.

For the record, I got my Mother's Day gift from Gian about two weeks ago... he cleared out the rest of our rock wall so we can plant flowers and shrubs.

Have you voted yet???

What size is baby D-lish this week?

It's an eggplant!
from thebump:
Let your spouse put an ear to your belly -- he might be able to pick up baby's heartbeat (no stethoscope required). Inside the womb, the formation of tiny capillaries is giving baby a healthy pink glow. Baby's also soaking up your antibodies, getting the immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and baby will soon perfect the blink -- perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes.

Don't forget to vote!!

Take the polls!

Many people are starting to make predictions - I thought it'd be fun to get a consensus on the opinions. C'mon, humor Pregalicious a little.

Vote now for Baby D-Lish!! (hopefully the polls work!) The polls are listed to the right of this post - just twitch your eyes over to the right a bit! For some reason, the questions are really spread out, so you will probably have to scroll down to answer all three.

Thanks for participating!