Randoms

I hate throwing money away to shipping and handling fees, but I am also too lazy to get myself to go shopping in-store most of the time. I usually wait until I need enough stuff to qualify for free shipping deals (especially with Amazon) and then order online. It works out perfectly. However, this time I've waited too long and will have to patronize Macy's in person for gifts for two May weddings.

I don't think that it was long ago that Macy's was Rich's. I grew up with Gwinnett Place Mall (before it became ghetto as a result of Gwinnett County's new status as the drug trafficking capital of the east), and there was a Rich's and a Macy's. I think it was while I was engaged that Rich's became Rich's-Macy's. I was registered at Rich's and decided that I was going to rebel and never, ever call it Macy's. I woke up this morning, though, and realized that I had totally forgotten that it was ever called Rich's. I don't know why, but it's one of those tiny things that makes you feel like a small part of your childhood is gone (all the Rich's X-mas commercials). Macy's it is.

I had the 3-hour glucose screen yesterday. I suppose it wasn't so bad. I do hope that no one notices my track marks. I did get stuck 4 times, after all. It really wasn't quite as awful as I thought it would be. I sprawled out on the couch in the waiting room. The more unpleasant aspects of it, from least unpleasant to most, were:

1. Having to drink the juice again, which apparently is higher in sugar content than the one for the 1-hour.
2. Getting stuck twice in the same vein. I have two good veins, and had to be stuck 4 times, so there you have it. The first time on each vein is nothing, but the second - ouch!
3. Having to pull the tape off your arm hair 4 times.

After not eating for about 10 hours, I stopped feeling hungry. I did run some errands afterwards, though, and the thirst caught up with me. My plan was to get home and order a pasta bread bowl from Domino's, but I got so thirsty that I decided water couldn't wait. I then went to Grace 17:20, and, just so I could have some water (and some of their grits, perhaps), I put in a to-go order. I was so hungry that I caved and ordered chicken on my salad, too. I mean, mind you, I was practically in my PJ's in this nice restaurant. Then I got to looking at the ATL dining magazine, and that was miserable. SO many good things (most of which were too rare or fermented for me to be allowed to have), and I just wanted all of it. I finally got my food, and they sent me off with four slices of multi-grain bread and two VERY large chunks of their pumpkin "bread," which I would argue would be more accurately advertised as "cake." The bread was gone by the time I was halfway home.

We will definitely be patronizing Grace 17:20 soon after baby, appropriate because....

We've never kept it a secret that baby girl's middle name is Grace. If Liam had been a girl, I think the whole world already knew he would have been Sarah Grace. As to the middle name, here is why:



Ever since we noticed the sign (it says "Grace Garland," in case you can't tell), which we have passed every year since '03 on our annual trip to Dauphin Island, we knew we'd use Grace if we had a girl. It's also on exit 107, which was Andy's street number growing up. I never counted on it becoming so popular, which caused reservations before we finally decided to stay with it. For one, we love the name, and also it just seems like it was always meant to be.

Liam went into his big boy bed 2/28. This morning was that fateful first morning where he realized that he could leave his room before we come get him. We were hearing him say "Yia fall dowwwwwwwwn! Yia fall dowwwwwn!" but realized it wasn't coming from the baby monitor. Andy got up and discovered him outside our door. Aww. As a side note, he calls himself "Yia" when he uses it at the beginning of the sentence, but "Yiam" if he uses it at the end.

I have been so indecisive lately. Usually we make decisions and run with them, but this last month we've spent more time over-thinking. The two biggest decisions we've been faced with lately: 1. How to re-fi and/or when to try again to sell our house, and how much of a hit against our equity we are willing to take (trying to use a crystal ball to give us an idea of how that will change over time) and 2. which diaper bag backpack to get.

I admit, I am copying Abby J. on the idea of a backpack because once I read her blog, I realized "Oh my goodness - I don't have enough hands for 1 child and a diaper bag, much less 2." So I looked online to find something cute, functional, girly, and well-reviewed (even if it was a splurge, as it will be considered my birthing gift from Andy). I narrowed it down to:

The Ju-Ju-Be PackaBe in Purple Paisley:



Or the Vera Bradley Large Backpack in Purple Punch:



After days and days of going back and forth, I finally decided I liked the VB better (which, amazingly, is much less expensive, and I was able to get it for even less on Amazon since it's not a new pattern). But really, did it need to be THAT big of a decision??