It was a Win-Win-Win

Eastern Conference Finals, Game 5
Magic 113, Boston 92

Update: Thanks to your overwhelming support, Brian and I decided to go to Game 5. What a good decision that was, as the Magic gave a dominating performance last night! We each had our strategic clothing on, we parked in our usual "winning" parking space, and we did not attempt to touch the players in any way. Apparently, all of our efforts brought back the ju ju that had been missing from this Magic team, and we walked away with a W! Game 6 in Boston tomorrow night. Let's go, Magic!

The other Win was that we were able to switch our class to a slightly later date, so we will not have to miss any classes. Now we don't have to feel like bad parents (I'm sure there will be plenty of time for that later), and we got to enjoy one of our favorite pastimes together. Win-Win-Win.

Lamaze Class or Game 5?

The Fleming Family at Game 1
of the Eastern Conference Finals.
That's right, Matt Barnes! Go get 'em!

Here it is, the first big parenting question that we've had to face. If you didn't know it, Brian and I have become huge Magic fans over the past several years. We have a partial season ticket plan and follow the team throughout the year. They are such a fun team to watch, and we've especially enjoyed the playoff runs the past two years. That being said, we are facing quite the conundrum regarding our dear Magic.

Here we are in Round 3 of the NBA Playoffs, the Eastern Conference Finals. Winner of this series goes all the way. Our Magic stormed through the first two rounds, sweeping their opponents and winning 8 consecutive playoff games. Then came Boston. The Magic were down 0-3 until last night's game, when the Magic finally pulled out a road win to force a Game 5. The fateful Game 5 will be played tomorrow night. This game could also mark the last game the Magic will plan in Amway Arena, as the team is moving a few blocks down the road into the Amway Center next season. So do I begin the hunt for tickets (my favorite May/June pastime)?

Not so fast, Momma. Game 5 just happens to be scheduled for the first night of our childbirth classes. The classes will span for 5 weeks, so missing one class won't hurt, right? I'm trying to be mature about this, and I've really been looking forward to going to the classes and to spending this time with Brian. And technically, the class starts at 7 and tip-off isn't until a little after 8:30, so we could just head out a little early, right? People have been having babies for thousands of years, and missing an hour of a class won't change what's going to happen in the delivery room, will it? And come on! It's the playoffs!

Seriously, people. What would you do?

Tick, Tock, Tick

I just checked the Baby Ticker today, and I couldn't believe what I saw. We're in the 50s for days remaining. Really!? We get to meet the baby in (approximately) 56 days?! Oh, wait. 8 weeks is all we have left before this baby arrives?! And yes, I can hear you when you say, "That's only if the baby is on time, Lisa. It could be less than that." Breathing...

Okay, yes. I can do this. We can do this. We've been looking forward to it for so long, and some of the physical stuff is really starting to take shape (and not just my physical shape). Brian has been a real champ about helping get all of the furniture arranged and getting things sorted. He figured out how to modify his corner desk into a standard desk so that the guest room is now actually usable. He even let me screw in a few bolts (I miss my handyman days sooo much!) as we reassembled the desk. It looks great, and you would never know that he built the desk himself. So one more room has been whipped into shape.

My Mom and my Aunt Linda were here for the weekend, and we shopped and shopped and shopped. My pleasantly puffy feet were less than trilled by this, but we made it through and were pretty successful. With Mom and Linda's help, we got the furniture rearranged, clothes washed and put away, closet organized, changing area set up, and most of the non baby-related clutter out of the baby's room. And we made a sweet little valance and curtains for the nursery (photos TK). As Linda put it this morning, "Lisa, I think you have that room ready to bring home a baby."

Well, technically, she's right. But somehow I feel that we're going to need every minute of the next 8 weeks to prepare before we start this new adventure. Tick, tock, tick...

Belly Update

I've been asked several times for a belly update, so here you go. I'll try to get a better one this week, but I figured these would work for now. Both photos are from the end of Week 30.

May 15, 2010
UCF v ECU baseball
Our buddy Chris Hemeyer was in town covering the game for East Carolina, so we were able to catch up with him and catch a good baseball game.

May 16, 2010
Eastern Conference Finals, Game 1
Sadly, the Magic weren't able to pull out a win, but Brian and I got the full VIP treatment. Our pregame experience ended with us standing on the court in front of the Magic bench receiving hi-fives from the starting five. I'm not sure if the baby will be happy with the "technically, you were there" explanation that we'll give him or her when we tell this story 10 years from now, but it was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had.

Who says the pregnant lady isn't any fun?

Before I got pregnant, I was a little worried that I would be Cap'n Stick in the Mud for nine months. But I think I've done pretty well. I've felt pretty good throughout my pregnancy, and I've tried to take full advantage of it. I've taken lots of trips, been to countless sporting events, and have even been able to keep up our weekly Wings outings. Here are a few of the adventures that we've had over the past 7 months.

November 2009
Indian Shores, FL
My family surprised Mom on her birthday last year by renting a house (ok, mansion) on the Gulf Coast. So I was only about 5 weeks pregnant here, but it still counts, right?


December 2009
Barry, IL
Merry Christmas, Baby!

January 2010
Altamonte Springs, FL
I was able to golf several times this winter and spring, but I have a feeling those days are behind me for now. I can't quite seem to keep my elbows in - they run into a large bulge in my mid-section.

February 2010
Winter Springs, FL
Brian and I adventured to the Scottish Highland Games and Heritage Festival in Winter Springs. If you look really closely, you can see the haggis toss going on behind us. A good time was had by all! Next year we'll visit again, but this time we'll do it with a stroller. Fun, fun!


March 2010
Jupiter, FL
Baby's first Cardinals Game.


April 2010
NBA Eastern Playoffs - Round 1
Baby Fleming has attended many, many Magic games this year. Now that the playoffs are in full swing, the games are much louder and more exciting, and I can feel the baby reacting to the noise. So cool!

April 2010
Chicago
Once a year, some of my favorite people in the world get together and pretend to be ladies for the afternoon while we have tea at the Four Seasons. This year was no different - except that John Cusack and the Queen of Jordan were having tea a few tables over from ours.
So, officially, this was Baby's First Tea with the Queen.


May 2010
Cocoa Beach, FL
Brian took me to the beach on Mother's Day. The weather was perfect, and we sat outside and enjoyed the sunshine and ocean air. And I enjoyed a VIRGIN strawberry pina colada. Ahh!

Poor Mimi

More than 5 years ago, I convinced Brian to open our home (then apartment) to a cat. We brought Daisy home, and then Mimi joined us a year later. They're both good cats, and they've provided much love and entertainment over the years, and for them, life is good.

Daisy is a good cat. She prefers to be left alone, and it's very unlikely that she ever finds herself in any trouble. Mimi, however, is a different story. She follows us around the house whenever possible. Her favorite spot is behind the TV, creeping around between the wires. She doesn't sleep during the weekend days because she's sure that she'll miss something while we're home. She's less overweight than her sister, so she's much more likely to get into trouble because she can actually jump and because, God love her, she's just not that bright.

We've been wondering about what to do to prepare the cats for the baby's arrival, but honestly, my feeling is, "They're cats. They'll be fine." I expect them to be a little freaked out, but with plenty of love, we'll all get along just fine, right? I recently read an article that suggested things like talking to your cats and preparing them for what is about to happen, having them help after the baby comes home (with what?!), and (so help me, this was in the article) installing a screen door in the doorway of the baby's room so that the cats could see what was happening but could not get into the room. Needless to say, I've not put a lot of stock into these ideas. I've worked very hard over the past five years not to become Crazy Cat Lady, and I'm not going to throw it all away now.

The one issue I'm having right now is that I'd like to start setting up the room to look like it will when the baby is living in it. For example, I'd love to get the changing area set up so I can see exactly how much room I'll have on the end of the dresser for storage, etc, but I fear coming home one day to see little miss Mimi snuggled up on the freshly washed changing pad cover. No good. So I've done nothing. I know I could start shutting the door to the baby's room, but we've got a few months to go and that seems a little cruel for animals that are as territorial as cats.

To keep the cats from exploring the crib, we've left the crib mattress leaning up against the wall behind the crib, so the crib is basically a giant cage with a wire mesh bottom. Not too appealing to our kitten friends, and so far, so good about keeping the cats out of it. Until this Saturday, that is. Our handyman was coming to install a light fixture, so I draped the crib with an old sheet to keep the drywall dust off of it. I swear, not more than 10 minutes after the crib had been draped, I walked back into the room to find Mimi staring up at me, tangled in a mess of sheet and wire at the bottom of the crib. Poor thing wasn't even smart enough to cry out, so who knows how long she'd been that way. What made her jump onto a giant sheet, I have no idea, but for now, I think the crib is a very, very scary place for her. And frankly, I prefer to keep it that way.

Any suggestions for bridging the world of the cats and the baby, I'd love to hear 'em!

Let the Decorating Begin!

We now have the two main pieces of furniture for the baby's room. The crib and the baby's dresser are here, and they are perfect. One more not-so-fun project to go, and then we can let the decorating begin. We have our friendly handyman coming on Saturday to install the ceiling fan/light in the room since, for some reason, this room isn't currently equipped with either. I don't think we're going to have to paint anything, but Mom has generously offered to help with that when she's here in a few weeks, so a painting project is still a possibility.

I decided a few weeks ago that I would take the bedding off of our registry. I couldn't see a reason to pay nearly $200 for something that I could make myself for much less and that would be much more special. As a bonus, I get to make just the things that we'll actually use: a crib skirt and a valance, and of course, a quilt. Sewing is something that I've enjoyed since I can remember, and I've made many quilts for many other special babies, so why not do something for ours, right? My friend Maria and I spent a fun couple of hours at the fabric store a few weeks ago, and I'm thrilled with what we found. Here's one of the fabrics that I'll be using, which should give you an idea of the color scheme for the room. I think it's very cheery and friendly, and I love the colors! I can't wait to get started!