Here it is!

[This is long.]
    

 
They came back! :D

[Note: I did take a photo so you all could share in the glory of my talocrural joints, however a certain husband lost my card reader, so I cannot upload any photos until further notice. Not happy about this.]

- Antiope

 
Today was my first day back to class - last time I set foot in a classroom was 18 days ago. That time whipped by, but at the same time it feels like an eternity since I opened a textbook.

Tomorrow I have an exam in chemistry lab; I have NO IDEA what is on the exam and will probably fail it. I should start preparing myself for a B to blemish my perfect average... R.I.P., 4.0... :(

- Antiope

 
So, Theseus is gone again. 15 days was much too short. :(

He doesn't really have that much time left before he comes home for good (compared to how long he's already been gone), but that's hardly a comfort. I'm sick of staring at a calendar and bitterly counting down the days...

...this just sucks.
    

 
Today I am preoccupied with breastmilk - partly because Austin has spit up after every feeding today (a little worried!), partly because my friend and battle buddy just wrote about her own experiences, and partly because I keep stumbling on crap like this "study" regarding the perceived compentency of breastfeeding women (sample size for the study? In one experiment, 37 people. In the other, 55. How is this even remotely representative of the general population?? But that's another argument for another time...).

So: I am choosing to breastfeed. I was breastfed exclusively for the first few months of my life, then supplemented with formula. My mother always talks about breastfeeding as if it were the obvious choice for her, and for me, it was. Of all the considerations and decisions I've made regarding pregnancy and now mommy-hood, whether or not to breastfeed was on the extreme-easy end of the spectrum.
    

 
We picked him up from the airport last night... it's so nice to have him here again.

Today we hung around the house but actually got a lot done: we decided on an outfit for the baby to come home in, set up the changing table/bassinet, separated all his accessories into "stuff we need now" and "stuff we'll need later," and put together all his "now" accessories. This took several hours, but I'm feeling pretty good now that everything is all set up.

Tomorrow we're going to pick up the last few things we need from Baby's R Us and get Theseus some new shoes and a couple new outfits. He went through his closet today and decided he doesn't want a whole bunch of shirts and jeans, so now of course he needs new things. :)

Sunday through Tuesday we'll be in Atlantic City.

Wednesday we meet the baby!

After waiting for months (and months... and months...) I can't believe it's all really here. :)

- Antiope

 
I just don't know what to say. School and all that is great. Doctor says the baby is great. Weather has been (relatively) great. When everything is great, I feel very boring.

Tomorrow is 38 weeks - next week the baby will be here. And that's great!

I'm sure I'll have more to talk about soon. Until then, sorry... being great makes me dull, I'm afraid.

- Antiope

 
I didn't take chemistry when I was in high school; I've never been very confident with anything math-related. Chemistry always seemed like some weird (and hard!) mad-scientist class, and clearly mad scientists need to know a little math, so I stuck to the "easy" sciences - biology, earth science, anatomy.

Then when it came time to map out my classes for my biology degree, there was the chemistry requirement staring me in the face. I couldn't escape it any longer.
    

 
It still seems like an eternity away!

- I have all of Austin's clothes washed, folded and put away in his dresser (well, I put away everything that will fit in there - baby has a ton of 0-3 month clothes!)
- blankets are also all washed and ready to go
- I washed his sheets/crib bumper and got the crib all set up
- hygiene/feeding stuff is organized
- packed things I won't need right away into his closet
- made a toy pile for him (though it will be awhile before he can enjoy any of the toys he has)

I know I still have to get the diaper bag put together, get the car seat into my car and decide on a welcome-home outfit for him. I also have to get a stroller, but that's not really life-or-death right now. Otherwise - is that it? I feel like there are 10,000 very obvious things I am neglecting.

- Antiope