Soundtracks

There's something very exciting about hearing a new song and going, Wow, I cannot wait to hear that again!

So you go and download it and proceed to wear the heck out of the |<< button [what's that called these days?! Rewind? Playback?] until you've memorized all the lyrics and maybe even made up a suave dance move or two to your favorite part. I can barely hear this song right now without my eyes watering... maybe it's hormone overload. Maybe it's just one of those songs that tingles my happy circuits on a cellular level. Maybe it's this part of the lyrics that nearly turns me inside out and puts a lump in my throat:

'Cause you are all that I've waited for all of my life
You pull me closer to love

I've mentioned before about my anticipation of a baby's arrival...it's suddenly hard to imagine what your life was like before that little person showed up. I was never the girl who dreamed of having kids and what I'd name them and how I'd dress them and fantasize about the things we'd do. I was good either way. I met the right guy and that changed, but even still, we did not take for granted that it might not happen naturally for us. And we knew fertility treatments weren't our bag...it only took seeing Kate Gosselin's saran-wrapped belly in the intro of that tv show to have us running and screaming. Adoption would be our back-up plan if necessary. Fast forward to today, which is 77 days from our due date. Could be more, could be less, but we are definitely getting closer to love by the second. Two tickets to Tingletown, please.

Good googly, it IS hormone overload! I'm getting all mush magoosh up in here. So let's get back to the subject: soundtracks. We made a wedding soundtrack cd as a gift to our guests (which we still have a plethora of if you'd like one). And I don't know about you, but there's plenty of songs that mark points in my life... they may or may not have been monumental but they sure felt that way at the time. The rewind button was concave on my cassette player. I like to think they are part of my life soundtrack thus far...here's an incomplete list of these songs, with a little background on why they made the mix:

Swingin' on a Star by my mom (and supposedly Bing Crosby)
My mom used to sing this to me, and I always loved where she'd put extra inflections. For the longest I thought she'd made it up. She is that clever, so it was entirely possible.

What I Am by Edie Brickell
Because of the lyric, Religion is a smile on a dog, my friend's mother thought it was "devil music" and said I was not allowed to listen to it in her house. I was all, wha...huh?!? and then, of course, I loved it even more since an adult said it was bad.

We're Not Gonna Take It by Twisted Sister
My brother loved the heavy metal hair bands, and I loved whatever my brother loved. Especially the big-blonde-haired scary man with all the make-up. Heeby-jeeby, that was good stuff. Rock on, Dee Snider.

Picking Out a Thermos by Steve Martin
I don't know when I first saw The Jerk, but it is my favorite movie of all time. That's all.

Mandolin Rain by Bruce Hornsby and the Range
Ohhh, the anticipation of the last song of the night at the ice rink...the COUPLE SKATE song. I could do a whole post on that nonsense...wait 'til we can have a beer again together and I'll re-live it for you. At any rate, this song + 7th grade boyfriend + skating while holding hands in public...oh. my. gaw. It was the real deal. Plus, I loved Bruce before he was cool, at least in my hometown. He would have been on my pillowcase before NKOTB.

Here's a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares) by Travis Tritt
My first foray into country music that I can remember...roughly 10th grade? Whew. It was bad country, and, I'm pretty sure, boyfriend-induced as well. Anyway, the lyrics were funny. I can't wait to tell JJ about those things called pay phones. And mullets.

There's plenty more, but the list is deep and the stories shallow. Besides, I need to get to work on the baby soundtrack. Along with the Mat Kearney tune, these have been on the replay mix lately: New Shoes, I Don't Know A Thing, Chasing Pirates, Boom Boom Clap, Ice Cream...just to name a few. They may have a metaphor hidden in them about my pregnancy or the baby, and they may just be what are making my ears dance right now. But it's very fun to put together tunes that I can someday tell my little person were on his/her replay list while still in the belly ship. And maybe by then it won't matter what the rewind button is called.

Roll with it. Literally.

I've been away from blogville for a bit...busy with work and all the home projects that need to get done before JJ arrives. I also managed a 5-day date with the beach and some girlfriends, which was glorious and relaxing and delivered a lesson on how to gracefully sun my backside without looking like I fell off the condo all crime-scene style.

But never fear — the waistline continues to expand on schedule, which is starting to attract all kinds of interesting comments: Whoa, what happened there [points at my belly]?...Oh, you've popped out!...I can see you're swelling!...You look tired!...You're ready to go any minute now!

Good Gravy — at 28 weeks, I sure hope not. I want the baby to cook a little longer, and not just for it's sake. We are not quite ready and the reality is rushing in faster than the colorful comments. While at the beach, I texted my husband, "75 days till we meet JJ...excited but starting to freak out a little!" and he responded with similar feelings. Upon returning home, we felt a little tension over the anticipation. Turns out my math was off, and as of today it's actually 84 days to our due date. Whew, sigh of relief. 10+ days is a big difference, though we realize our baby could be totally unlike us and want to arrive at the party early. Still, the moment of panic passed and gave us the focus we needed to get our A-game in order.

The baby's room has actually been painted, so we are moving in the right direction. We are still working out our registry items and birthing plan, as well as signing up for the various childbirth/education classes that will no doubt freak us out a little more. But we're working hard to help each other with the steps of this new dance, and there's been plenty of comic relief to help keep the stress under wraps since the countdown freakout.

So the colorful comments are going to keep coming, I know, and I'm willing to roll with them [insert rotund belly jokes here]...you have to or you'd cry your eyes out taking people too seriously. I just hope they ask before they touch my belly. Gracefully handling the unsolicited belly rub is not yet a tool in my ever-expanding belt.

good energy

There's no pretty way to say it: cancer sucks. It hurts the patient and alters their life in unimaginable ways; it crushes their loved ones who feel helpless on the sidelines. But it is not a road that one has to go alone, and thank goodness treatments continue to improve and cancer can be and has been cured. Miracles happen all the time, I do believe it.

There's a few names I'd like to put here, in hopes that you, my friendly readers, can send up some power prayers and good energy for them and their families. A few are receiving major treatments and surgeries this week and they rest heavy on my heart and mind today. I'd love for them to get a little extra love from afar.

Suzanne
Jim
Jeanie
Jamie
Karson
Pretty Ricky
Suzan
Debbie
Kelly
Fred
Pidgie

For the families of those who are already keeping good company in the heavens: G'daddy A.C., G'ma Annie Sue, Shirley, Sue Ellen, Mary Shaw, Tom, Ruth, Buster.

And happy, thumpy heartbeats of joy go out to all of our survivor friends, too. You are true miracles.

If you have names you'd like to add in the comments, please do. I believe in the power of positive thinking and the more the merrier. And if I haven't told you yet, I'm thankful for you and your eyeballs on my words here.

I did NOT see that coming...

Week 25 doctor visit this morning...turns out JJ is actually J & J.
Yup. Twins. 

Will write more when I get back to this planet.