Don’t worry, I’m not going to start off with a bunch of excuses why I haven’t blogged in so long. So there. Let’s just catch up from where we left off.

So far, the nursery is still in a state of undone, but that’s because we are waiting for crib parts. We pretty much have everything we need, but it’s kind of like having the pieces and waiting for the glue to arrive. I’m not panicking yet, though, I supposedly still have 5 weeks until my due date. Which, if you’ve had a baby or known of anyone who’s had one or have been one yourself, you know that means almost nothing in the big scheme of things. Here are some latest pics of the nursery in quesiton:

See what I mean? Can I just tell you that this girl has EVERYTHING and she’s not even born yet? She’s got more clothes than me. I have to share a room and closets with someone else and she has her own and they are filled to the brim. Looks like she’s starting off on the right foot. Surrounded by lots of love and lovely outfits. What more could a girl ask for? Designer shoes come later.

I am about a week away from my last day at work for a long time. I’m off until mid-April and I can tell you that this is the one thing I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. Don’t get me wrong, I really love my work and I adore my coworkers, but in my current condition, It’s just really hard to do it all (yes, I’m admitting defeat, but don’t worry, kiddies, I’ll be back). So here I am at 35 weeks and feeling fine:

The baby is almost 5 lbs now and she is a squiggly one. I’m hoping the doctors can get a good hold of her when she comes out because the way she is inside my belly, you would think that I’m not carrying a baby so much as a bag of eels. My doctor assured me that she would be “itty bitty” and would be easier to birth — lets hope so. Then again, look at me, I’m not one to have a 10 pound baby. I was a small baby and so was my husband, this bodes well for my labor and delivery process.  And in case your wondering, hell yes, I’m having an epidural. I’d start it right now if I could.

So as an aside to my pregnancy, there’s also been the subject of my husband’s own nesting instincts. He has successfully transplanted our cats to the patio and living room areas and they seem happy about it. Well, maybe not Kessie, but she’s hard to please anyway. They have their potty boxes outside and when we are home they have open and free access to the fresh air. It’s been a seamless transition, the hardest part was keeping their curiosity at bay to what was happening to their old room. They seem pretty content now.

So aside from the baby madness which has swept me up in a hurricane, I did manage to celebrate my 35th Birthday with little fanfare — exactly what I wanted. My husband got me a brand new cute camera and my girlfriends lavished over me with another designer handbag (“you really shouldn’t have…but I’m glad you did”) and nestled in my box with my handbag was the latest obsession that will probably be my ultimate undoing: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer:

First of all, this is a book written for teenagers by a Mormon mother of 3 who admittedly did very little to no research on the subject of this book: vampires. Now I’m a long time Anne Rice fan, I’ve read each one of her novels and have pretty much decided that her depiction of Lestat and the other bloodsuckers in her universe are the gold standard. I am also a fan of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer which follows much the same conventions of Ms. Rice’s work. Arguably, these are the two most revered sources for all things vampire. Even if you are not a fan of their work you probably already know a lot more about vampires than you originally thought. Well, Meyer’s novel bucks a lot of these “standard characteristics” and at first I honestly couldn’t get over that.  But as I read on there was definitely something very very alluring about her universe. This isn’t Harry Potter, mind you. No, it’s something a lot more alluring. Where Harry was geeky and admirable for his bravery and smarts, the characters in Meyer’s book are not as multi-faceted. You actually find yourself saying “what’s the point?” to a lot of the characters. You find Meyer’s descriptions of the characters over the top and you constantly question their motives. But that’s secondary to what truly draws you in. The story is compelling, the Montagues and the Capulests of the vampire and human world trying to be normal teens in a dangerous world. Ultimately it is the love story between Bella and Edward that draw you in and keep you riveted. And for an easy read (remember, this book was written with teen girls in mind) and a mindless escape, this novel and the others that follow are the perfect mental vacation.

I’m already on the second book.