We are on vacation! This trip, a last hurrah before we become parents (and can't go anywhere for a while) was a gift from Jesse's grandfather, Papa Tom. He gifted us with a week at a timeshare in Steamboat Springs, CO which is just gorgeous. We are blessed and just looking for a peaceful, restful time to recharge. I've never been to a time share before - this place is pretty swank though. We went and got groceries tonight, so we can just eat in and not have to spend extra eating out every meal. This place and our hotel room last night in Denver, both have king beds. I'm loving it. We only have a queen sized one at home and with all my extra pillows for support - we both feel a bit crowded. This is glorious - all the space we want! (Can you tell what a geek I am - to get super excited about a bed?)

I miss the dog and cat. We've only been gone a full day and I already miss them. We stopped in Granby to watch a parade and eat lunch and everyone had their dog with them - just hangin' out. It made me miss Sadie even more. I talked to our pet/house sitter though and she said they are fine and doing well. Except the cat threw up and wouldn't touch her dinner. So....we'll see.

Today being Independance Day, the fireworks will start soon. After, I am going to crash.  Tomorrow, we are going watch the Steamboat Stampede. They drive a herd of over 100 cattle down the main street in town. I know, small kicks. But, it looks fun. Found a darling kids store called "Duck, Duck, Goose" & got a name plate sign made for our son's nursery.

Life is good!

So, even before I got pregnant, I noticed this disturbing trend of pregnant woman whose bellies were not their own anymore. Instead, strangers, family, friends - everyone - seemed to think that they had a right to cop a feel and rub the belly. Like it was a magic charm or something. I'd heard horror stories of friends being waylaid in the grocery stores by strangers (strangers! hello? Personal space?) moving in for a rub. Family members who just wouldn't ask anymore but just moved in. And the bigger they got - the worse it got. Friends who "just can't help themselves" and sneaked a quick rub.

Why does this bother me? I guess it is a couple of things. A lack of manners and courtesy in respecting personal space and boundaries for starters. I would never dream of touching a stranger - much less their pregnant belly! Second, it just bugs when someone doesn't ask. How would they like it if I rubbed their tummy's back?

So far, I've managed to avoid this. The one person who wanted to touch my belly was 1) a female and 2) someone I knew already and 3) she asked PERMISSION first - so I let her. But last night, someone I don't know very well went made a move to go in and rub my belly and I grabbed their hand and turned it into a handshake instead. But, it got me to thinking about all this since I decidedly look more pregnant by now at 20 weeks. My husband and I are attending a wedding this weekend and I think it is going to be a minefield of people (many whom I have not seen in years) wanting to touch the belly. Ugh! My dear husband, looked up online how one can handle this social issue and left the suggestions up for me to read. But my thoughts are - why the heck has it even gotten this far that a pregnant woman has to make up some excuse like "oh I'm so ticklish, that is not a good idea" when someone invades her privacy and personal space like that? Shouldn't we as a society be condemning belly rubbers instead? Can't I just break their fingers instead?

My husband and I went to go get a Costco membership this weekend. It was motivated primarily out of the idea that we can get cheap diapers. Sure enough, we can get diapers for either .14 cents or .16 cents, per diaper, depending on the brand. That is pretty cheap. These are things I ponder now.
That said, I felt very grown up getting the membership. After doing so, the girl behind the counter remarked "you know you're an adult when you get your own Costco membership." I mentioned this to my husband and he asked, "so being married and pregnant doesn't make you feel like a grown up?"

Good point. It does. But there are days where, I just feel like I'm just a little girl playing house. It is hard to explain, really. I'm 30 and there are times when I still feel like a kid. Like, all of this is just too amazing and fantastic - it's just make believe. (When my monthly mortgage statement shows up in the mail - that is definitely not make believe).

We didn't get that much yesterday while at Costco. I can see where the temptation to go nuts in there would lie. Like, things would just magically hop in your cart unless you were careful. Obviously, we have no use for a vat of mayo (yet)...but we did get some Hansen's soda (so good), Kashi waffles, honey (for my husband's next beer making venture) and a few other things. We're hoping that at some point, we can get a glider, at a good price, there. (Not glider like flying. Glider like rocker.)