Lately

Whenever I fall into a blogging slump, I just post a list of random things occupying space in my brain. So here are some the newest thoughts floating around in Heather's head {since you're all dying to know, I'm sure}...

1. My son is in the long-awaited superhero phase. Seriously, I've been so excited for the day Max got interested in them. I loved superheroes when I was a kid (I only had brothers, what can I say?).  As I've mentioned before, I especially loved the old Batman series from the 1960s and I thought Batgirl was as awesome as could be. 

Anyway, Max's favorite superhero is none other than Superman and you can find him wearing the same shirt everyday (a Superman shirt with an attached cape), "flying" all around the house and beating up his stuffed animals (aka "bad guys"). We have a DVD of the old Max Fleischer Superman cartoons from the 1940s and Max thinks that the movies were made just for him because he sees his name in the opening credits, right above Superman's name. I absolutely love how he'll stand with his little clenched fists on his hips when he wears that shirt (as seen in the picture on the left -- pay no attention to the clothes and toys strewn about the floor). In the mornings, before he changes into his trusty shirt, he runs up the stairs saying, just like Superman does before he changes, "This looks like a job for Superman!" He also really likes Batman (when he's in his pajamas, he'll wear my 22-year-old Batgirl cape and utility belt my mom made for my Halloween costume in second grade) and he also thinks that his new CTR ring from Primary is just like the Green Lantern's ring.  I love it.

2. Speaking of superhero related things, does anyone think that Anne Hathaway is a good choice for Catwoman in the new Batman movie?  I've never been a fan of hers and I just can't see her playing that role very well. But who am I to question Christopher Nolan?  I didn't think Heath Ledger as the Joker made a whole lot of sense when I first heard it. But Anne Hathaway? Meh.

3. I've reached the point of my pregnancy where people are asking how many weeks I have left and about how I'm going to deliver. I've got five weeks left (it feels like I've been pregnant forever), but I tell them I'm betting on the fact that I'll go overdue since I went a week over with Max. From there, they'll ask if I'm going to get induced and I say no, that I'm going the all-natural, drug-free Hypnobirthing route again. I get mixed reactions -- a few supportive, some totally skeptical, most incredulous. That's fine -- everyone is entitled to her opinion. But when I was pregnant with Max, I swear people were trying to scare, even terrify me about birth. With this pregnancy, I kind of like the incredulous response. I can't predict what baby #2's birth is going to be like (who can, right?), but I do know what I'm capable of this time around.

My point is that when I was about to have Max, I would tell people that I was going to go drug-free and they'd say supportive things like, "Yeah, right!" or a sarcastic "Good luck with that." or "Just wait until you start getting contractions. You'll be begging for an epidural."  Can you imagine if I reacted similarly to other people's birth plans? "What? You're getting an epidural? Taking the easy way out, I see." or "A c-section? Do you really need to get a c-section?"   Of course, I would never say that to anyone -- not only is it really rude, but the way you give birth is a very personal choice; what's right for one isn't always right for another. Can you imagine, though, if I reacted that way?  Funny that how frequently I get it, though. Don't worry -- no pity party here. I promise it really doesn't bother me like it did the first time.

4.  I've recently rediscovered Pushing Daisies. I started watching it when it premiered, but then I got involved with something that kept me busy the nights it was on. Thanks to Netflix, I can stream all the episodes whenever. I just finished the first season (so no spoilers about the next one, please!). I love Pushing Daisies. It's just so different than anything else on TV. The concept is unique, it's not totally mindless, the love story is fun to watch, the characters are great, and I absolutely love the look of it (the style reminds me of one of my favorite movies, Amelie). But, of course, whenever I like a show on TV (which is kind of rare, to be honest), it inevitably gets cancelled. I'm still a little bitter about Arrested Development's cancellation. It's like this curse -- once there's something besides a crime show or hospital drama or crappy reality show that piques my interest, it gets cancelled. That's why I'm afraid to check out Mad Men.  Do you think if I start watching The Bachelor it will get cancelled?  Then again, as much as I'd like to provide this service to society, I don't think I could stomach more than five minutes of that show. *shudder* 

5. In other news, did you know that the Obama administration released its blueprint for the 2011 budget yesterday?  According to those plans, government debt will exceed the U.S. economy this fiscal year. The proposed budget will include the largest one-year debt jump in our history by the end of the fiscal year -- an extra $2 trillion, pushing the national debt up to $15.4 trillion. Your share of this debt is $45,468.39 (My four-year-old has that share, too. Same goes for baby #2). I'd like to think that if people actually got a bill of their part of the national debt, maybe we'd all speak up and get more involved. Maybe.

6. I wrote a good part of this post last night at 1:00 AM. I dread going to bed now. I love to sleep I hate going to bed now because it's so uncomfortable. The only way I get any real, deep sleep is if I'm on the couch. Just a few more weeks and I can sleep on my stomach again...

7.  I've never really been into emergency preparedness. I mean, I try to do food storage but I've never gotten gung-ho about it like other people do. I'd hear people get so excited and animated about disasters during emergency prep lessons at church and I'd just wonder if they actually wanted a disaster to happen, if they'd be disappointed if one never did because they wouldn't be able to use all their supplies. Getting supplies, kits, and escape plans seemed overwhelming. I figured I'd make whatever we had work. Then we had three earthquakes this past weekend. Nothing major -- they ranged from 2.5 to 2.8 in magnitude. I'd never felt an earthquake before. After the third one, I was a little freaked out, so I sought reassurance from my dad, a native of Southern California. Both he and the seismologist I watched on the news later said that earthquakes can come in clusters and that I didn't need to worry.  Even so, it's been a sort of wake-up call for me. I'm not going to go build some kind of bomb shelter in my backyard, but I think putting together a few 72-hour kits won't be too overwhelming after all.

8. I just started a beginner's quilting class with my mom. Totally enjoying it. Who'd have thought someone once paralyzed by the fear of her sewing machine would take up quilting?  My late grandma, who was an amazing seamstress, would be so proud!

9. I'm no winter-hater, but I'm dying for it be springtime again. Not only is my due date on the first day of spring, but I'm also trying to fight the urge to pull out my gardening books and start planning my garden and flowerbeds. I'm trying to resist the urge to research what trees I want to plant in my yard. One of my favorite gardening books, The Garden Home by P. Allen Smith, keeps beckoning me from the shelf, but I'm resisting.  The gardening workshops are starting again and I want to sign up. But I get so nervous because I just know I'll get all excited about the prospects of spring and then we'll get blasted with a winter storm.

10. My birthday is in just a little over a week and, just like with Christmas, I have no idea what I want. My husband asked me last night and I couldn't think of anything. Is that weird?