Turning 30.

Turning 30 with a baby in your belly is different than turning 30 and being able to do shots, or enjoy a really nice, extravagant meal, or hop on a plane to New York or Chicago and really do the thing right.

If I wasn't pregnant, I probably would have spent the weekend before my 30th birthday in Chicago. But, the thing is, I've gotta save that money for going to Chicago when the wine can flow and when walking around a city all day doesn't require a 2-hour afternoon nap. When I do things, I really do them.

All that to say, I wasn't really that excited about my 30th because there's not much celebrating that can be done unless you really want to put your baby's health in jeopardy. And that's not my thing. So I was surprised how perfect it felt to have an intimate bonfire with 10 people who just enjoyed each other's company. It was the best birthday I've had in years...maybe ever. A great night with friends, and then another night at home with my Dan. Loads of messages and gifts that I didn't expect. A vintage picnic basket, a new dress, a new hat, a handmade mug, a shed, cards in the mail, and about two dozen text messages.

I felt loved and I felt full. I drank tea and my baby kicked like crazy and I laughed really hard. It was a great signal of things to come.

Baby Names That Have Been Thrown Out and Shot Down

Van Howard
Vaughn Howard
Mick Howard
Mack Howard
Frodo Howard
Indiana Howard
Gabe Howard
Jack Howard
Daniel Howard, Jr.
Alan Howard
Luke Howard
Glenn Howard




This is going to be a long ride.

Baby Store Fail No. 1

We finally dragged ourselves out to Babies R' Us to see about a crib and a stroller and other things, like baby carriers and bottles and stuffed animals. Daniel and I are not easily impressed by adorable baby bedding, but we are super eager to buy an expensive stroller that can easily push a baby through all sorts of terrain and coffee shops and city streets.

We quickly noticed that young couples like us were banding together. People were making friends in the aisles and offering unsolicited advice about which crib to choose. We tried to avoid them by leaving the crib section before they did, and making our way to the strollers. Unfortunately, they caught up to us right as I exclaimed, "Look, Dan! This one has cup holders for the parents. Sam and I could put our wine in here!" Then as a joke, I added, "Plus, it has a compartment for our cigarettes!" Daniel burst into a fit of giggles and then I started. We couldn't stop laughing.

One of the nice young couples tried to show us a really nice Graco stoller. It was nice, but it looked bulky and it reminded me of being boring. It's too late. We're sold on the $450 wine cups stroller.