Things I Learned This Week

1. Remember how I keep not telling people what we're probably naming our baby? (I've told some people, but most of the time when people ask I tell them we're not sure, we'll see when we meet her. But there's definitely one that is MUCH higher on the list than others.) Well, Eric makes fun of me for keeping it a big secret, but I remembered why this week. For some reason, I decided to tell an older neighbor what we were considering, and I led with "Her middle name will probably be Elizabeth or Beth after my grandma, which is also my middle name (that part isn't really a secret) and then her first name will probably be_______." And she was all, "Oh, but Elizabeth Long is a beautiful name. The syllables and everything, it's just so nice. Yes. Elizabeth Long." And I just stood there blinking at her, because yes, that's a perfectly lovely name, but that's not what we're naming her. And after months of agonizing over what we liked, a conversation on the corner is not the thing that's going to change my mind. So yeah. We'll let you all know when it's on the birth certificate.
2. Getting a haircut toward the end of your pregnancy is a great idea. Just when I was starting to feel super icky and huge, I got rid of my split ends and got some new layers, and I feel kind of awesome again. 
3. It's okay to leave slightly passive-aggressive notes on the customer comment section when you're ordering things online after waiting for weeks for the thing you ACTUALLY wanted to come in and no one every answered your email about when it might. Sometimes it means you get an apologetic phone call telling you the thing you actually wanted just came in and they will send it right away.
4. Working back-to-back 16 hours days when you are 8 months pregnant isn't as terrible as you'd think (when most of it is sitting down behind a video camera) but it will make your ankles swell so much that look like they are both sprained for a couple of days. Whoops. Luckily putting them up for a couple of days made them go back to being ankle-shaped, at least temporarily.
5. If you get to meet Sexy Sax Man when you are pregnant (which I did while I was working said 16 hour days for Mustache Power) he might offer to play for your baby. Video to come as soon as Eric has a minute to pull off some of the footage. I'm pretty sure my baby is going to have super powers now. 
6. Normally, pinterest talks me into spending more time and money on things I wouldn't normally make/think I need. This week, pinterest saved me a ton of money on nursing tank tops, because I made my own for $2.80 apiece. Thanks, pinterest. 
7. No matter how many times you explain to your husband that this time you are crying because you are pregnant and full of hormones and fatigue, not sadness, he will still try to fix the problem that is plaguing you. (E: Don't be sad! Everything is okay! Me: I'm not sad! I'm gestating!) 
8. There is no way not to feel hopeful when you go to the doctor at 35 weeks and he says you're dilated 1 cm and 50% effaced, and then you go back at 36 weeks and he says you're at 3 cm. Especially when you would really love it if your baby came a little early so that your husband can go on a business trip to Chicago 3-5 days after your due date without stressing you out that she might not have come by then or making you bitter that you just got out of the hospital and now he's leaving. No matter how hard you tell yourself that you could stay at 3 cm for weeks now, you can't help but hope this means she wants to come a little early while still being totally healthy, solving all of your problems, real or imagined. 
9. The closer you get to delivering a baby, the less you think about anything else. Sorry, blog readers.