Home Sickness

This time 4 (ish) years ago things were different. I am happy things are different for so many reasons, but holy hell do I miss some serious pieces of of 4 (ish) years ago.

• Hippies. I need to find me some oasis over here. Urban Oasis in Cambridge, MA - how I miss thee. There is no one here to "give this baby some love" the way you did, hippy oh mine.
• MGH. Sure we had our fair share of terrible memories of that place, but the atmosphere was beautiful.  Despite many nights of feeling unstable, ultimately, some of the worst of my life - I can't help but think of the times it wasn't an inferno of hell. Like the weeks leading up to d day - the appointments, the days leading up to her release. For all it's crazy times you can't hide that the building is beautiful and the neighborhood surrounding it is gorgeous. While the doctor we are going to now is great, is connected to a great hospital with a level 3 NICU (yeah, I made sure) - the place smells like crap, looks like it's a left over from the 70s and the drive in is like driving through a scene of The Wire.
• Friends. We've lived her for a bit, and have some subset of some social interactions and we love it here, for the most part. There is something comforting about Boston though. Even though family was not right around the corner - we had friends. Good friends that we just don't have here. Most of the time it's the little things I miss, but sometimes it sneaks in that we are (almost) all alone here.

Black Cats & Bird Sh%t

Today was my first day of maternity leave. Sure no baby to speak of, but the looks on people's face was reason enough to stay home. The endless questions like, how do you feel? Anything new? As if I had had the baby or was in labor but just didn't say anything. The worst part about it was, I was becoming a shell of myself, not so much able to laugh it off and made to feel bad for not being as chipper as I had been. What can you do? Well I thought it was time to start taking the time- as it's only a matter of time at this point? Right? And it's important to leave with some kind of semblance of sanity and hey, maybe even some friends!

My first order of business was to go see my friend at Urban Oasis. Last time she put a lot of love into my massage. Today, she talked to the baby (I have no idea what she said- as it was silent, through her breathing and mind) to try to get the baby to come on out. No word yet if this child is responding to her speech- apparently she really gave the baby a talking to- but I've been trying to talk this kid out since week 35... so a lot of good that'll do. I will say, she did not disappoint, and even if the baby stays put for a few more days I'm happy, relaxed and have a new hop to my step, again.

She and her hippie friend googled some natural ways to go into labor, because she knows that I don't want to end up being induced. Of course, intercourse comes up. Good lord, I wish people would just give it up on that one. YOU go have intercourse. I'm all set, thanks.

C picked me up- he took the day as well and we went to have a late lunch at a fabulous lunch place- Dave's Fresh Pasta in Davis Square. For serious- best sandwiches ever. Looks like great wine, fresh cheeses, pastas (obviously), the bread, the grilling... yum. We salute Mandy, who introduced us to this wonderful place.

On the way to lunch we got all kinds of turned around (no I was not driving, thank you) and then stuck. Behind a completely black cat. Who just stopped in the middle of the road. And stood there. Arched his back as black cats do, and probably hissed. That's a good sign? Right.

Wrong. But no worries, right before we sat down to eat C noticed that down the back of my shirt that I just took out of the laundry... bird shit. Up. I got hit.

So one black cat, one bird hit... and all before lunch. Great first day. Tomorrow I'm hoping to walk under a latter or break a mirror then throw salt over my shoulder to balance it out.

God Bless the Hippy

www.urbanoasiscambridge.com

Where dreams are made of- I'm telling you. It's also where I got a pregnancy massage. No carnie there. It was the best 60 minutes of my life. First of all, they had me lay on my stomach- which I haven't done in MONTHS so that was a HUGE treat. What do you mean? Lay on her stomach? I can hear you ask now- well they had a table where there were holes in all the right places- so you could lay front first. It was amazing. And while the girl that I went in with had a weak handshake - and I thought I was doomed, again, she wasn't like the carnie. OH no - this girl worked it out. She was a bit of a hippy- there was a lot of deep breathing, ohms and Afterwards she asked how I felt- I said it was the best massage I had ever gotten! She was happy- but said she really hoped I could share the feedback with her. She wanted to know what was so good about it. I was kind of a loss for words- because I didn't know why it didn't suck. It just didn't suck- but I didn't want to say that.

She was really happy I felt so positive about the experience, especially because she put a "lot of love into it."

I started laughing.

She was dead serious.
It was awkward.

But I walked out with a new hop in my step.. so I thank you for that love, Hippy at Urban Oasis, thank you. It was a great way to spend my due date, other than giving birth, of course.