Dear Friend...yesterday pt 1

Well, as you all know this summer has been record breaking high in heat and humidity. So you can imagine for a first time pregnancy how hot it is for myself. I keep thinking that there is no way that being pregnant can be THIS much hotter. But by many peoples opinion, they have said it has been miserable for them as well. SHEW! I was beginning to worry that my poor baby girl might be cooking a little too high in there with hot I feel lately.
So I have been doing my best at staying cool, collected, and hydrated this summer.
Sadly that has meant not too much time outside. During the day too hot, during the night I get eaten alive by mosquitoes. Every time I tell myself its worth a nice walk at night, I wake up itching and scratching uncontrollably not being able to fall back asleep. So I have told myself sadly, not worth it. So much of this summer has been indoors sadly. But that gives time for much nesting and time with dear friends!
Yesterday, my day started off a bit rocky. I currently have been sleeping on a twin mattress on the floor by our bed. Let's Landon and I both sleep better. I wake up too often in our bed sleeping on my back, and that is a no no for baby. So when I am on the floor I am not as accustom to sprawling out and more likely to be snuggled onto one side like a good mama should be. But yesterday night I still did not sleep well. I miss my hubby. :( AND I am having to adjust to more potty breaks during the night as well.
So after a rough night sleep I just couldn't get my day going quite right. Got up two different times and ended up going back to bed. Second time due to a horrible headaches, that I get everyday but this one felt extra overwhelming due to the sleepy hot self. So I stayed in my one air conditioned room as long as I could....
But I had my dear friend Laura coming over for lunch for our weekly catch up and spoof off day. She wasn't coming till twelve, so I didn't even bother to set an alarm. Surely I would get up before eleven...WRONG! Laura texted me asking if I would want her to bring some bruschetta for lunch along with whatever I was making. In the middle of my waking up fuzziness I said of course! When can you ever turn down bruschetta! But then realizing how late it was, I jumped up in a panic and immediate stress level! I ran around half getting ready, half cleaning, and half preparing lunch. I felt like a mad woman! haha! Also, hubby had a friend over the previous night and they made a big feast. But their dishes was not on their after dinner agenda. Which I thought he would do before left on this morning. Wrongo. Also, they used some of the ingredients that I was planning for the lunch I was going to prepare.
So I was scrubbing big pans, looking up a good Italian recipe for chicken because I had some thawed, made homemade lemonade (dear friend's favorite), and getting dressed/slash putting on make-up with knowing my dear friend would be here in a half hour....yes, madness I tell you.
I conjured up a recipe for a great looking all homemade chicken parmigiana, I didn't have quite everything but it would work. When I cook when I am frazzled I am known for making much bigger messes that I normally would make, so that wasn't helping the current stress tension arising.
But onward I went...
By the time she got here, I somehow had picked up the apt, I was dressed(semi, haha) with minimal make-up and hair primping, and was almost finished with the chicken.
So all of this to say, my friend Laura is the most refreshing friend to have around. I feel as if other pregnant mama's that don't have their family close should hire her. A woman of two other sisters in her family, she understands what woman need. She is just wonderful.
As soon as she walks in and see's my distress she starts cleaning up the dishes that I had previously dirtied up while making the chicken. Cleaning the lettuce, that I had to ask her to bring because the last of mine got used the night before unknown to me. And pre-heating the oven for the bruschetta that she brought. As a woman who has been married for a bit now, for someone to come in and just know what to do without being asked is a treasure beyond all measure. To just do it.
So it all finished up, and I do have to say it all was incredibly delicious!!! I would have taken a picture, but i was too dang hot and hungry to mess with it!
Lunch was followed by me asking if it was ok if I actually took some time to finish getting ready. She being the lovely friend she is, did of course not mind. Not only that, but sat by and talked with me and allowed me to feel as if there was no hurry at all and just chatted with me. Sigh, so wonderful. So after I was ready, with full primp in gear with the appropriate time given for it. We headed out on the town for our usual day of spoofing.
It is always asked right away from Miss Laura, "So, where do you want to go today?!" Another refreshing boost. No matter where in mind she has, she always asks me first to get an idea of where we both want to go. So nice. :) AND she always drives. Her car has wonderful AC, and she knows of my fear of driving our manual under pressure. So she doesn't even ask which one will drive, she just shows up. :)
We went to the post office, Berry's Camera Shop (she is looking for a camera, and I am trying to help her find the best one for her needs), and then off to 1st Class Clutter. Which is my absolute favorite antique store downtown. The woman that owns the shop I call my Lafayette mom. I go in there and we just chat and chat. She is in fact friends with my real mama now, ever since they met it was an immediate kindred spirits. And now she currently sells my mama's bag's in her shop (to check out mama's collection of bags see, http://www.flickr.com/photos/mamascollection/sets/72157622277251906/). So going in there is always a treat. I found exactly what I was looking for exactly how much I wanted to spend (which was not the marked prices, but what can I say. She is my Lafayette mom. She makes sure I am happy when I walk out of there). I got several cute little hankies and doilies that I am going to sew onto a gingham curtain that my mom is giving me to put against one of the walls in baby girl's nursery. It is going to be our sensory wall. All different types of colors, textures, and shapes to intrigue all her curious senses. I also FINALLY found a lamp! I have been digging digging digging for a simple little lamp to put by my nursing chair in the nursery. I even already had a cute shade! But I and the hubby are stubborn, and did not want to spend much on it considering God has provided everything else we wanted for the nursery for barely anything. So there it was, simple little lamp base. She gave it to me for a $1. Hallelujah!
Another great thing about dear friend is that she also comes from a marriage where budget is important. Not only for the sake of being smart with your money, but respecting your hubby's wishes and to make him happy. So going shopping is a complete understanding of logic, need, and want. And finding the balance of all three, and of course...following the budget.
So our next stop at Joannes was an obstacle. I WANTED to walk away with material to make my moby wrap, but after much thinking and dilliberation with dear friend. She convinced to wait, wait for a better coupon, wait closer till the baby is here, and wait to find someone that could use the remaining unneeded material for another wrap to save money. This whole experience I think would have been very stressful and disappointing, but with dear friend their, it somehow turned out to be a fun and lovely experience.
I did in fact get some beautiful blank cards for thank you cards for the Lafayette Baby Shower coming up because a lady heard me say I forgot my coupons and gave me one of hers! Oh, the kindness of strangers. Especially to an overwhelmed expecting mama.
So we headed back to my apt, feeling good about what he had found out and purchased and looked forward to going home and researching the wisest way to go about purchasing our big desired purchases.
As she left, I had a heat melt down and slunk away to our oasis bedroom to try to cool off and read my Pregnancy Book by William and Martha Sears. I just sat back and relaxed at my day well spent with my dear friend awaiting the next time and what we possibly might do.
I know I will be asked :)....