Milwaukee - a visit that included fabulous homemade pizzas, kelly's famous salsa, baked salmon and lots of soccer. Imagine a tall fair-skinned woman with dark hair streaked with blonde standing on the sidelines of a soccer tournament using phrases like "frustrated" and "knew this would happen" while a shorter woman in a black maternity top and stretchy capris hides behind her sunglasses crying and saying "don't be mad at me." Can I blame it on the hormones? :) After we kissed and made up over baked salmon and fresh green beans coated in real butter, 
Kelly and John and the boys and I hung out and laughed at ourselves and each other. Those boys are two of my favorite boys on the planet, and even as teenagers they're enjoyable and respectful and fun to be around... even if they wash their bodies with an Axe body wash thats fragrance is called "Snake Peel." Am I ready to be a mother of a boy? :)
Green Bay - Surprise!!! Mom's friend (and, apparently, Executive Vice President in Charge of Parties) Heather threw a surprise birthday party for Mom's 65th, and Ann and I met at the Lake Express ferry in Milwaukee for the trip to GB. TT was definitely surprised, and we had a great late afternoon get-together in Heather and Wendy's backyard. I had my first taste of being a pregnant woman in public as many of Mom's family and friends told me congratulations and asked about due dates and gender and "how are you feeling?" We all thought back to when Ann worked at Mom's office and she was pregnant with Zachary.Back at Mom's house after the party Ann unpacked a bunch of baby boy clothes she had brought from her neighbor (onesies and gowns and newborn mittens and tiny little footies and an adorable three-piece Winnie The Pooh outfit that Ann had bought her when she was pregnant) as well as several adorable outfits Ann bought me new...including a little terry cloth sweatsuit with matching orange and white striped undershirt. When she pulled the first outfit out and laid it on the carpet in front of me, I looked at the dark blue jumper with a big macho bull dozer on the front and thought "holy shit, I'm having a boy. A boy." I held up the soft, little onesies, and the texture of them brought my mind back to the hours I spent rocking a football-sized Zachary as he snuggled against my shoulder during his first month of life 6 years ago. I've been deeply in love ever since.
In the car on the way back to Milwaukee the next morning Ann went through a list that I had found in a recent pregnancy magazine.... things to buy before baby arrives. I handed her a pen and asked her to tell me what I really need and what is a waste of money. She crossed out some things (like bibs and sweaters and a baby brush and comb set) and added other things (like a Snuggli or Baby Bjorn) and told me which brand of diaper creme to buy (Balmex). "And make sure you get the nipple cream with lanolin." Lovely.
It's fun to think about preparing for baby's arrival, and I'm so glad to have Ann around. She's been really great about helping me when I ask but not overhwhelming me with unsolicited advice. I'm very lucky to have a sister who is a great mother who has been through this all ahead of me.
Milwaukee Part Two - Monday it was back to Milwaukee to drop off Annie and to meet Missy (who I tried to call Melissa but who has been Missy---or Sisaya--since the fifth grade) for a great lunch at Water Buffalo in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward. It's amazing to me that even though our lives are quickly becoming so radically different, every time I see her we instantly connect and laugh and cry. She is "giving birth" herself as she plans the process of becoming a business owner. The next few months for her will be exciting and scary and crazy as she prepares for a major life change, and although the changes we are making are very different, the experiences seem similar. I am so excited to see what will happen to her over the next year (or years) and I know without a doubt that she and I will remain friends for a lifetime... even if it's going to be a few years before I can find the time to sit in her wine bar or she can tolerate my child(ren). We hugged goodbye on the corner of East Buffalo and Broadway in Milwaukee, and she told me to call her if I ever need her for anything. Anything. And after we spent a few minutes laughing about the way in which she was giving me directions to get back to I-94 and I started walking to my car, I thought about how I knew she meant it, how I knew that she would be there for me if I needed anything. (Well, anything except, apparently, a date for a Packer game. How is it possible that a girl like me can't even bribe people with free tickets to attend the home opener with me? Is it the pregnancy belly? :))
Johnson Creek - my first venture in to a maternity shop... on my way from Milwaukee to LaCrosse. I tried on $10 shorts and capris and summer tops after strapping on a 3-month belly pad. Wow. I'm not ready to be that big yet.
Galesville - After driving around and looking at homes in the area, I spent the night at Sarah's again. We ate chicken kabobs and steamed green beans while Zack fought daddy and got sentenced to a time out for screaming and not listening. It was nice to spend an evening talking to Sarah about what she's going through (her feet were elevated to deal with the swollen ankles) that I can expect several months from now. We paged through What to Expect When You're Expecting and read Dr. Seuss to Zak and shared stories about recent emotional breakdowns. How do you make those around you understand that you really don't have as much control over your emotions as you'd think? I told James (Sarah's husband) that there's a reason that it's funny when comedians talk about their pregnant wives. The comedy routines that talk about the bitchiness and emotional breakdowns wouldn't be funny if they weren't true. "62 more days," Sarah tells me. We're all hoping she goes earlier than that.All in all a great weekend filled with family and friends. And now back to the reality of trying to move my entire life in 3 months.
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