Okay, Maybe Things Aren't That Bad...

I think I'm over that little bout of self-pity I was suffering from for a while. I've been trying to take steps to correct the problems I can fix, and I've been trying to have the grace to accept and deal with those things which aren't fixable at the moment. I tend to be a little bit of a perfectionist, so it's frustrating for me when I can't control things and they don't go my way. But now I'm trying to make allowances for the fact that I'm going to be lazy some days, that I might not get as much done, that I might not be able to work out as much as I like. I guess I'm trying to be a little kinder to myself. If I need the rest, I'm going to skip class on some days and not feel guilty about it. Sometimes it's going to be more important for me to have time to myself to read than it is for me to clean the house. I've been working on this shift in attitude, and it has really helped me relax. I've been spending some time reading, relaxing, watching movies, drawing a little, and generally taking it easy. I'm still walking when I can, swimming a little, using the eliptical machine at the gym, and lifting weights, but on days when I can't for whatever reason, I don't sweat it. And it's been raining for the last few days, which means it's not nearly as hot as it was, and that has helped, too.

Since I'm feeling so much less morose, I thought I'd talk about all the good things going on in my life at the moment.

First, the baby seems to be very healthy and growing quickly. She's very vigorous! I love to lay around and feel her move. I think sometimes I can tell her little legs kicking apart from her head. I have another 3D ultrasound in two weeks, and I can't wait to see how the pictures turn out!

Today is my birthday! This Friday I'm going out with my friends to see live music and a glass-blowing demonstration at Third Degree Glass Studio. I'm going to take next Wednesday off work and spend it with my husband.

I got a raise and a promotion this month! We're actually doing pretty well financially (which is good, since Mac won't be working for at least six months). We paid off our credit cards this month, and our car will be paid off by October. We're planning on getting a second (used) car next spring, and we're having fun trying to figure out what to get. We were considering getting a Jetta or Passat wagon, but we were quite emphatically warned away from them by a friend. Consumer Reports consistently says that the Jettas and Passats are crap. So now we're considering a Honda Accord (we love our Honda Civic and it has been very reliable, but it's kind of boring to get another Honda) or a Subaru Forrester or Outback. But we're open to suggestions! We want to get a used car with 60k or fewer miles on it for around $9k - $12k. We favor wagons, but we're open to 4-door sedans.

Mac has been very sweet and supportive, even though he's busy and I've been a whiner. I'm very lucky to have such a good husband. It's also very cute to see how excited he is about having a baby. The rest of my family and friends have also been very helpful and supportive. My sister called me to make sure I wasn't going crazy, and my friends at work have been offering a lot of helpful advice and sympathy. And my lone friend not-at-work who has actually had a child has also been incredibly helpful. And the childfree friends have done a good job of not being irritated by how much less fun I am (can't drink, can't stay up late, can't do anything too active, take up more than my fair share of space). And my niece called me on my birthday, something she does every year, which makes me feel special. My parents are always full of information and advice, and it's nice that they're excited about the baby. Mac's mother is also very enthusiastic, and I really appreciate her help (and her commitment to babysit once a week!).

School is going really well for me - I'm getting good grades and learning a lot of interesting stuff. This semester is coming to an end, which means I'll have a week or two break. And next semester I have a light class schedule. As much as I love being in school, I am looking forward to the extra free time.

So, despite all my complaining last week, there are a lot of good things going on right now, too. It seems to be my fate that all the little things in my life tend to go wrong, but all the big things (family, friends, work, education, etc) go right. That's a pretty good trade-off, in my opinion.