Yeah it's Saturday! Can't believe I am up this early and without the help of the alarm clock to make it so. I am almost ashamed to post my 2 latest alarm clock logs as I really pushed the snooze button one too many times. My bad. Nothing like calling work on your cell phone as your speeding down a back country road to tell them you're just going to be a few minutes late ... Well, maybe more than a few.

Yesterday I went begging people for money. Surprisingly enough, I was pretty good at pulling in the donations. Hmmm ... Maybe an exciting new career awaits? But for all intents and purposes, I think it was more the reason for the donation rather than any phenomenal skill on my part that pulled in the greenbacks. My friend "C" at work is about to burst a baby out next month, and I am in charge of setting up the "Welcome Baby Bruncheon" for this upcoming Friday. Now normally I am a procrastinator like you wouldn't believe but I have actually almost stayed on top of this planning. The menu has been settled on and designated to willing participants to make, the balloons have been ordered and we have even made strides in the actual gift buying department. Yeah baby!

Yesterday, "L" and I took an extended lunch and ran up to New Hartford to visit the local Toys R Us. Wow! It was my first time in the store since the remodel and boy did I wish to be a kid again. Why does it always seem that everything, even the toy stores are so much better now that I'm not a kid? So unfair! But of course that didn't stop me from enjoying myself and playing around with all the toys as we made our way back to the baby department. "L" refused to let me get too far off track from our purpose so unfortunately I was unable to sample the green "Incredible Hulk" hands that were just begging to be worn. Me thinks another trip may be in order ... Hmmm ...

Anyhoo, which I used to think was strictly an Upstate New York way of saying anyhow, but have found out lately that it seems I haven't coined the term at all, aw shucks ... When we finally made it back to the "So you're having a baby" area, the choices proved to be endless. I tell you everything gets better with time! When I had my daughter 7 years ago, sure we had the portable play pens but they were just your standard pack and go's ... Now these things have so many options, it makes you wonder if you're buying a crib or a fully loaded SUV. They had everything from bassinet inserts, changing pad inserts, pockets to stuff this, that and everything else, wheels for mobility, privacy shades and even a netted dome top to keep out insects and/or provide a bit of shade. A regular mobile home for baby, it was amazing.

And only making it even harder to choose, the colors and patterns these things came in were endless. I myself wanted to go with a green and tan color combination but as "L" pointed out didn't have all the options that "C" had specifically requested. So together we finally decided on "the one" although it took a little rationalizing on both our parts to come to the conclusion that praticality was more important than designer style. Damn rationalization! My only concern with the one we bought is the colors ... It is much more styled to a boy baby than a girl and at this point, I am one of the last people still holding my belief that the "bun in the oven" is a girl. Well baby, I hope you don't mind the boys digs if you are.

The baby crib wasn't the only thing we walked away with though. Our plan for Friday is to have the porta crib completely set up and filled to the brink with other wonderful baby items. In addition to yesterday's purchase, we also got crib pads, crib sheets and even a baby bath tub. If we had had a little more time, I am sure we could have finished all the shopping yesterday ... but hey there's still more time.

My baby, although she's getting to the age where she's too cool to be called that, is at her Dad's this weekend. Although she will be coming home early today, so that she can attend her very first birthday slumber party. Yikes! I am going to be a nervous mother bear until I get to pick up baby bear tomorrow morning ... It's an awful show of trust to allow your child to spend over night in a person's home you really don't know from Adam. Although, I did have a lengthy conversation with the sleepover Mom and have much eased my initial fears. Meanwhile, ever since accepting the invitation to the big sleepover, the birthday girl in question has been calling my answering machine every night. She has yet to learn that we don't get home as early as she continues to call. It's actually quite funny, KC blushes and rolls her eyes over her new best friend's antics over the answering machine, although I could have done without the 5 minute song medley last night. KC on the other hand has now realized that the phone is a wonderful new toy with which to play. Although I did have to call a cancel to the "Eye Spy" game they were playing last time, pointing out the obvious that the game required certain optical skills that were not possible over the phone.

"Oh, Mommy!"

** Shameful alarm clock log **
Friday morning: Snoozed 3 times, shut off, blinked once, back to sleep. Woke up 6:30 a.m. with only half hour to get both KC and myself out the door!!!