Good morning, sunshine

It's 6:30 in the morning, so right off the bat you should know I am in a stellar mood.

Insomnia without the added treat of anxiety is a new thing for me. But it keeps happening, night after night, right around two. I decide I want to roll over, which means herculean effort people, involving propping up on the elbow I skinned last week (don't ask), flipping my pregnancy pillow over and popping every single one of my joints. And by the time I've accomplished the Roll Over I am wide awake.

Other people's brains turn off in the middle of the night (Phillip) and can go right back to sleep after a groggy "You okay?" (Phillip) and it would never occur to them to start thinking about how they still have to redesign their blog or return something to the store or how they'll carry the chair up to the baby's room (Phillip). But then there is me, whose brain works much faster than her mouth or her fingers or her ability to fall back asleep. I decided to pray, because I don't know about you, but praying in the middle of the night ALWAYS puts me to sleep. But I got through about a dozen people and their problems before I realized NO. I WAS STILL AWAKE. DARN YOU, GOD.

Anyway. Eventually I fell back asleep. I can tell because my hips are incredibly sore, my lower back is turning black and disintegrating and, again, the stellar mood.

But do you know what today is? MY LAST DAY OF WORK. Yippee!

My last day of work coincidentally falls on Beer and Pizza Day. Beer and Pizza Day was recently instituted as some kind of morale building event that we, the lowly staff, could look forward to during production weeks. But more likely all of us just really like beer and pizza and Shooting The Breeze. Right around noon someone orders the pizza (one small cheese pizza for me, grown up pizzas for everyone else) and the boss goes to stock up on microbrews (and wine usually, even better) and then we all hang out in the middle of the office dripping grease on our shirts and talking about TV. I know what you are thinking. You are thinking: That's awesome! She's excited to leave THAT job? We don't get to eat pizza and drink beer in MY corporate environment! And you are right, it IS awesome. Which is why I am not totally quitting and will definitely make myself available for future beer and pizza days. I'll stick the baby in one of the empty boxes in the spare office and  take full advantage of office life without actually having to work in the office.

Speaking of the office, I took my Dwight K. Schrute bobblehead home and his head broke off. Sigh.

I was all about celebrating today. I was going to run some errands (Beer and Pizza Day means the office closes early too) and then insist Phillip take me out for a glorious Last Day Of Work dinner. But then our friends decided to invite us to dinner. And another set of friends said, "Hey, if we're coming down for dinner, we can pick up your chair FOR you and DELIVER it and maybe even CARRY IT UP YOUR STAIRS." So now it looks like I will be waited on hand and foot instead and taken to dinner. Works for me. I also might buy myself a little present. Like a pint of chocolate ice cream.

My lower back is killing me. I even considered the possibility of contractions last night, but no, there is definitely no rhythm or  pattern to this pain. Just constantness. Ugh.

Okay I'm going to eat breakfast and watch the news. I'm curious to see what people are saying about the GOP debate last night. I watched a little bit and was totally confused by all the people on the stage. I consider myself to be fairly well-informed about these things, but I only knew the names of about four of the eighty-seven old white guys in suits. It was sort of embarrassing. But then I decided it was more embarrassing for them, seeing as how they are spending a ton of money to run for President and even Maggie Q. Citizen, who reads heaps of blogs and magazines and watches entirely too much cable news, has NO IDEA WHO THEY ARE. Oh my. Tangent!

Oh, and while I'm eating breakfast, do I need a Boppy pillow? It seems like one of those things you are supposed to have. But I don't have one. Someone said I should bring it to the hospital even. Thoughts?   

Comments

[SHannon]

Beer and pizza day sounds awesome! My dh got in trouble during his orientation lunch for ordering a beer...they brought him an iced tea instead...but he had just gotten off the plane from Germany and didn't understand the problem!

Yes, I would get a boppy. I actually never used it for nursing...I liked this sort of rectangular pillow with a cut out from Target (no clue if they still have those anywhere)--my baby was really small and it helped a lot...eventually you don't need any kind of pillow. But the boppy is great for propping baby up and great for tummy time too. I guess you could live without one...but ours got a fair amt. of use.

Enjoy your pizza!

[E.]

1. Boppy pillows are great for: nursing, tummy time, propping baby up, helping baby learn to sit on his own, sitting on (this last one is for you in the event you have any post pregnancy . . . umm . . . discomforts.

2. Praying in the middle of the night almost always gets me back to sleep, too. And here I thought I was being blasphemous or something by using prayer as a sleep aid.

3. Rolling over while pregnant really requires a team of engineers, doesn't it? And one time my husband (stupidly) said I was making a big deal out of it JUST to get attention. Let's JUST say that was the first and LAST time he has ever accused me of doing anything JUST to get attention. Oh, yeah, he's hot and smart and a million other good things, but when push comes to shove McHusband is still JUST a man.

[Jennifer]

I was told a Boppy was INDISPENSIBLE and I just HAD TO HAVE IT. So I registered for one and got one.

Of course, I was told that 18-23 other items were equally indispensible so we'll see.

I got a "NAKED BOPPY" it sounds so kinky. It comes with changeable slip covers so you can throw them into the wash.

[Laura]

Congrats on your last day of work!!!! Have fun tonight. I really hope you have a whole free week at home before the baby..enjoy!

[Maureen]

Re: the Boppy pillow
I really liked mine for nursing at the beginning, so much so that when I got a second one I was psyched because I didn't have to schlep the first one ALL THE WAY down the hall from my bed to the couch and back. I have used it occasionally for propping Jack up, but not much. But I think now that he is starting to sit it will be handy until he figures out how not to fall over. I think it would have been merely annoying to have to bring back and forth to the hospital, though.
In short: Necessity? Not in my opinion. Very handy? Yes.

Re: E's comment about her husband
My husband used to think that I was MAKING IT UP when I would wake him up to help me stretch out my leg cramps. He still helped me, but he was very grouchy about it.

[Katie Ann]

Yay for the last day! Sorry about your back and the insomnia though. Never had a kid, can't tell you about the boppy pillow, but oh how I do love pillows...

[Jenny Ryan]

Yay! Happy Last Day Of Work! :)

[piesbonitos]

You have a Dwight K. Shrute bobblehead?!?!?

I'm SO jealous! I love Dwight!

Last night's was hilarious, eh?!?!

[Christina]

Happy Last Day of Work! :-)
Sounds to me like you need a really good lower back rub. Hmmm... wonder who could do that for you... Phillip? (Tell him it's good practice for labor!!)

[annie]

Maggie - I'm new to the scene here, but feel quite obligated to tell you that the Boppy I bought as part of my list of "items that are absolutely essential to have in my home before my baby is born but I'll save all the receipts just in case I change my mind after baby comes" is currently sitting in my home (nearly 8 months later) with a spit up stain on it, almost completely unused. Perhaps now, 8 months post-partum, it would fit its little self around my middle in a fashion that might actually allow it to achieve its goal of supporting a baby; however, baby no longer needs that support. Thus, you can guess my feelings on the boppy.

On the other hand, the "My Brest Friend" nursing pillow (insert giggle here - I always do)was an absolute life saver! It has an adjustable strap that goes around your waist to keep it in place, good back support, is flat (kinda makes you feel like you should be selling cigars and cigarrettes if you walk around the house with it on) and allows you to nurse HANDS FREE in the early months. This is especially valuable for doing things like squeezing your husband's arm to allow him to share in the pain of training your breasts how to deal with the little hoover that is constantly attached to them, and also for reading a magazine or doing a crossword puzzle.

The Boppy IS really good for propping up baby and tummy time - but if it weren't for that stain on it, mine would be back in Target waiting for someone else to add it to their own collection of (potentially) useless baby items.

For what it's worth.

[Stef]

I loved my Boppy. I had the extra large one because I had twins. My sister said that she would have preferred my large Boppy as hers was a bit skimpy and she only used hers when her daughter was very tiny. I used mine for many months, and it was perfect when the girls were learning to sit up. I'm a staunch Boppy supporter!

[Kate P]

Congrats on the last day of work. And--beer? Would you believe there's a no-alcohol-on-the-premises stipulation in my work's handbook???

I have no opinion on the Boppy, but as for the insomnia-prayer thing: my mom always told me that if I started a rosary and fell asleep, my guardian angel would finish it for me. Just to be considerate I usually ask ("please finish this for me") in advance anyway, perhaps to be optimistic that I will fall asleep!

Did you ever have a chiropractor adjust your back? My chiropractor is awesome and she adjusts a lot of moms-to-be.

[Christina]

Are you aware that it's been 2 full days since you posted? Some of us edgy blog-friends might be inclined to think perchance you are in labor...???
:-)

[Emeth Hesed]

Get the Boppy! I wasn't sure whether to get one or not so I didn't buy one until I found a "used" one that was perfectly new. I don't know how I would have nursed without it. If it doesn't work for you, you'll just be out a few bucks ... and you can return it. But if it does become a necessity like it was for me, then you'll be SO glad you got it.

Btw, I love your blog. God bless you!!