Baby Fever: The Bucket List

So , speaking of baby fever, I recently came across a fantastic blog by the Honey B about the trials of the wanna-be-mommy. In it, she talks about her Baby Bucket List, all of the things she wants to/needs to do before having a baby.

DF and I have our own baby bucket list that we have been working on since we decided that we were serious.

1. Pay off our credit card debt
   
2. Get engaged (before 2010)
   
3. Save as much money as we possibly can
   
4. Get married (summer 2011)
   
5. Make a baby (fall 2011)

DF and I worked out a 5 year timeline that I thought we could both live with, but we didn't really hammer out the details. While most women would be looking at bridal magazines, I stole my sister's copy of What to Expect Before You're Expecting, which completely freaked me out. It showed me just how far from prepared we really were. We have accomplished several things (bu-bye credit cards!), but we have so much to do.

The revised list:

1. Get married
2. Get down to goal weight for 6 weeks
3. Get my teeth fixed (I've got some major gum issues going on)
4. Save for and buy a 4-door car for me
5. Get a life insurance policy for DF (I don't make any money, I'm a teacher)
6. Quit drinking 10-tons of diet pepsi and the more than occasional bottle of wine
7. Save a lot more than I was thinking we'd need dependent on how much time I have to/ want to take off of work
8. Go on one more fabulous vacation
   

The list seems longer than anything I can accomplish in the next year and a half. To make matters worse, I got a pink slip last month that pretty much guarantees my unemployment next year. So much for savings. I feel like if wait for everything to get done, we just aren't going to do it. And if I have to take time off anyway, maybe its the perfect time to start a family. I'm all for Justice-of-the-Peace-ing it and making a baby right away.

Not so fast.... back to that terrible book. What to Expect says its takes the average couple 6 months to get pregnant. That means if we started now, and it took us 6 months, we'd have the baby around June, right when I'd have to seriously start looking at jobs for the following year. While I think it would leave a definite impression if my water broke right in the middle of the interview, that's probably not the best way to play it.

I guess everyone is just going to have to wait and see what we decided to do, me and DF included, because right now I have no idea.

Baby Fever.... Damn you face book!

Dear Facebook,

When we first met, you were a good friend of mine. We spent a lot of time (maybe too much!) together. You helped me stay connected to people I didn't get to see very often, and gave me plenty of juicy gossip.

But then, something bad started happening. All of the people you were connecting me to were starting to get engaged, married, and worst of all, having babies. Now, I don't know if you've made some kind of law, but everyone having a baby posts all kinds of pictures: preggo pics, ultrasounds, and baby showers filled with little teeny tiny shoes, and yellow ducks.

A couple of months later, baby pictures start to appear. At first, they aren't much to look at. In fact, they kind of look like gigantic raisins, with their weird little scrunched up faces and pointy heads. But gradually over time, they start developing into these crawling, then walking little beauties. And they are always doing something adorable. They never post a picture of a poopy diaper or a screaming fit in the middle of a restaurant.

Facebook, today, another friend from high school posted an ultra sound pic, and frankly, I'm fed up. I just don't think its fair that you play with my emotions like this. Seeing all of this cute and cuddly crap is giving me some serious pangs of mommy envy, and YOU are responsible. I just don't understand why you do this to me. All I can do is picture myself next to a chubby, round faced smiling little mini me. I can't picture poop, or sleepless nights, or the insane amount of money they cost, and I just don't think that is very socially responsible of you.

Here is my plea... please take down those pictures, and NEVER ever let anyone else post them... or any kind of baby related announcement for that matter. This would be greatly appreciated, and I promise, I'll cut down on my puppy pictures if make this happen.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Chubby Teacher's Aching Womb