Week in Review

It was a busy a week so I thought I'd summarize it. Sadly, most news involves purchases that we are excited about. But I can start off with one non-materialistic thing -- I finally felt the baby move in a discernible and unmistakable way. I thought I had before but it was subtle; this was quite clear. Nikki of course feels movement all the time now.

A few weeks ago we bought a mattress and box spring and it was delivered Thursday. When we first moved in together I had a full-size mattress set and Nikki had a queen-size foam mattress pad thing. Well, we opted for roominess rather than support and stuck with her foam pad. Those who saw our Austin apartments probably remember this pad. We've been sleeping on it for 2 years now. Well I've been having back problems and Nikki is closer and closer to a point where she needs to get out of bed not up from it. So this was our major purchase of the year, besides the car. We also got the a bed and some bedside table from IKEA. We got ones (Aspellund) that match a wardrobe we already had so it's now as if we have a complete bedroom set -- a real luxury in my book. Plus it seems like these IKEA beds are made for set-ups with just mattresses so we are way up in the air. We might have to fix that but for now it's fun.

The other major acquisition of the week is a GPS navigator for the car. I wasn't meant to have one of these yet, but I got so serious about trying to nab one on Black Friday that I forced Nikki to reveal that she had already gotten my one. The unit -- a Navigon 2100 -- is going to be an enormous help out here. I have been lost in suburban Maryland and northern Virginia so many times. So much of Texas is really built with an automobile age logic. Not so out here. Every 'town' is either 3 years old or 300. Plus I think the disconnectedness that people have from each other on the East Coast is mirrored in the streets. Well their disdain for others is no match for my satellite navigation! The unit itself is quite lovely. It has a nice 3d display and very impressive text-to-speech. It needs to learn about the Rock Creek Parkway as a viable commuting option, but otherwise the mapping seems good.

We also finally got internet service. When we moved in I called Comcast to get service and they wouldn't give it to me because someone at our address already had it. Turns out that our landlady has our apartment listed legally as part of the house above (assumedly for tax reasons). So we were stuck and have been just snagging open wireless networks in the neighborhood. Well, I have been working from home once a week lately and we needed something reliable for that. So I broke down and did something I never wanted to do -- sign a DSL contract with a Baby Bell.

Of course all of these things are part of an overall effort to get ready for the baby. Ok, the GPS is a bit arguable in that regard but I have already saved the addresses of the hospital and the OB's office. The bed was a must and the DSL will allow me to be home that much more.

One other thing -- the only reason I am blogging about crap we bought is that I was inspired to blog more after learning last night that Elizabeth, best friend and champion doula, is blogging again.