bridesmaid dresses to burp clothes

All the busy-ness of life led me to shopping for both a wedding shower and a baby shower a couple weeks ago. It was as I was running into my second Babies R Us, clad in my red peep-toe pumps in the middle of a day of meetings, in search of a white jersey knit crib sheet, that I realized that my life? Is changing.

Wedding showers are old hat these days. I can scan a Bed, Bath & Beyond in half an hour flat and leave with the perfect set of towels, cooking utensils, or engraved picture frames.

Baby showers? Are a beast that I hadn’t prepared myself for. The world of strollers, bumper pads, and bottle drying racks is completely foreign. Babies R Us is Italy and I’m the girl standing in the middle of it, unable to understand how to buy a train ticket out.

Simply put, I feel behind.

It will be at least a couple years before marriage comes my way. And many years after that before I’m attending my own baby showers. And I’ve begun to wonder how my friends will rally ’round.

When they were getting married, I was by their sides, paying for the ridiculous bridesmaid dress, going to all the showers and bachelorette parties, and fawning over the bride-to-be. It was easy because life was simple. We were young and childless. There weren’t late night feedings taking our Friday nights or 60 hour work weeks that left us equally exhausted.

Frankly, the narcissist in me wonders if, when my time comes, they’ll be there the way I was for them. Or if the kids and the obligations will make “my time” somehow less significant. After all, when I’m just planning seating charts and centerpieces, they’ll be developing the minds of the next generation.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m pretty happy with the path life is taking. I know I have someone I can spend my life with, and I’m no longer in a rush to walk down the aisle, because I know we’ll be together, wedding or not.

And I’m happy for my friends and the paths their lives have taken, but I also know that for the first time, my life is taking the other fork in the road. While I want to have kids someday, they’re the furthest thing from my mind today.

I’m thinking about bridesmaid’s dresses; they’re thinking about burp cloths. And the two are so, so different.

Miles to go…

Having barely driven since moving in July, I apparently decided to make it up to my poor neglected clunker of a Taurus this weekend. Though the long weekend was relaxing, there was a lot of driving involved.

Friday — A three hour drive to Grand Haven to see my friend, her hubby, and their new baby. Who is crazy cute. In other news, I learned that I in fact do possess the mother gene as I was able to (a) hold the child without dropping her, (b) calm the crying child down, and (c) put the child to sleep. This is all very good news for both DD and our unborn children.

My labor day visits to Grand Haven usually include beach time, but alas, having a 2 month old baby in the house doesn’t allow for such frivolities. Which I was slightly bummed about. Sometimes it sucks being an adult.

Saturday –Three hour drive home. Followed by me driving the ole Taurus to a wedding reception. When DD and I are going somewhere together, he usually does the driving (holla for traditional gender roles), but for some reason, he wanted me to.

The reception was beautiful. An outdoor, casual affair with a dessert and coffee bar. Since I knew approximately 2 people at the shindig, and since the mosquitoes were out and I have a grave fear of contracting West Nile, DD and I did our time, had some yummy eclairs and made it home in time to fall asleep in front of the Sopranos.

Sunday — Labor Day bbq with the fam. The more time we spend with DD’s fam, the more I dig them. Though there was a small misunderstanding that caused his 7-year-old nephew to tease me relentlessly (and then flip his shoe at my face) that had me all riled up. Apparently I, too, have the mentality of a 7-year-old because I soooo stooped to that little bugger’s level.

Sunday evening brought a bit of a scare when DD went out for his evening run. Luckily he’s OK, but the situation could have turned out so, SO much worse.

In related news, I love Detroit and all, but there are many, many times when my city and its residents just piss me off.

Monday — Mostly nothing. Though the car got a few more miles on it when I dragged DD to IKEA in search of a bookcase to fill up some empty space in the loft. We found something that I think will look great, though it means I’ve now got about 4 different wood finishes going in my apartment. I never claimed to be a design diva.

And with that, the car is back in the garage for awhile.

Her name is Stella

I’m in an insanely great mood. Which, for me, is really quite unheard of so I’m milking it for all it’s worth.

So, what’s the root of this great mood?

My new blackberry.

Sometimes, life really is that simple.

See, when my office moved a few months back, I lost an assigned desk and gained a laptop and the freedom to work wherever I please each day. Except, “wherever I please” was not always near a telephone. Which made it difficult to do my job. On the days I wasn’t working near a phone, I had to use my personal cell phone to make work-related calls or check my work voice mail.

Annoying.

It’s also annoying to get work calls on your personal phone while you’re, you know, ON VACATION. Yes, I’m just that important. And sadly, my colleagues had no other way of getting in touch with me since I also lacked e-mail access on vacation.

So after months of begging and pleading, I finally got the office to issue me a blackberry. (Really, they just switched to a better carrier and were able to get more of them. I’m not that special. No matter what I try to tell you.)

So now I don’t have to use my own minutes! I can check my e-mail everywhere! I can read blogs all the time!

My whole world has changed. Truly.

The funny thing is that I don’t even care that this now means I’m supposed to be “always available” to my colleagues. The pros of my new gadget far outweigh the cons. Besides, there’s always the “off” button.

Now if you’ll excuse me, Stella and I are going to frolick in the afternoon sunlight.