I decided to turn my planning brain on today and spent a startling amount of time researching flights to DC (holy expensive!), neighborhoods in DC, crime rates, Metro lines, and apartment listings to try and wrap my head around the next four months of my life. It was a really bad idea. I am overwhelmed. I don't know when we're going, or even if we're going, but we go we have to be there by August.
I am generally pretty good at putting together a new life under especially silly circumstances, but these hormones are just messing with me right now and I am pretty sure I am going to die.
Obviously tonight is a You've Got Mail night. It's all I got when the world is ending. Something about that dreamy Greg Kinnear (thank your!) and the dancing hot dog seem to fix even the most unfixable problems, I have found.
In the meantime, I am turning my brain back OFF.
you are a girl after my own heart I turn on you've got mail or sleepless in Seattle or while you were sleeping when the stress comes my kids even know this now :)
ReplyDeleteIt's lunchtime here. That means it is diet coke time. That works. And if it doesn't (or if that isn't appropriate for pregnant people, I wouldn't know...) watch The original Parent Trap. A sure fire win.
ReplyDeleteSending you house selling vibes from down under. Because really, isn't that we are waiting on here..?!
My go to movie is When Harry Met Sally.. something about Meg Ryan is so thereapeutic. Maybe it's that always-ridiculous hair.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Clueless. I love that movie.
Things will be okay. I promise. And because I promised it has to happen... I'm not going to go around breaking promises.
Breathe easy, Mama. Worrying never helped nobody (this is double-negative serious biznass!).
Look past the fact that I misspelled therapeutic. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteHI There
ReplyDeleteI'm from the MD/DC/VA area and I now live in IDAHO! YOU CAN DO THIS! You can live in a hole in the wall apt. for one year. YOU CAN! A YEAR IS FINITE! REALLY IT IS! Georgetown is super expensive. But near the university .. there has got to be something. Is there married student housing? Ok .. probably not. Otherwise .. live in Chevy Chase/Bethesda -- near the metro line and he can commute down (I forget which line this is .. but I will look it up ASAP!). Don't decorate for a nursery and the baby can sleep with you, in a pack in play .. or in an open bottom drawer! I'm not kidding. You don't need a car if you live near the metro. I'm serious (not quite NYC - but close). If you are anything like me you are dreaming of baby blankets and planning nurseries. But trust me -- for one year -- this baby won't mind. You just need a great stroller and cable TV. YOU CAN DO THIS! I promise! Consider this your year to ignore your surroundings .. focus on the baby .. sleep a lot and watch some more TV. Oh yeah .. babies grow up and can nap in their strollers while you are in one of the greatest cities in the world. You can see monuments galore. All of the museums are FREE. Put everything in storage. This is just one year. Gosh .. I'm actually jealous : )
Sincerely,
Beth
Your 40 year old fan/reader from Boise!
Well, my fix-a-bad-mood-trick is out of order right now, but you two have magic in your fingertips, so yes, everything is going to be fine. I have decided that the worry mode is the worst one ever, but just around the corner is the sanity and the calm that makes you think, what was all that worry for. As my Granny used to say,
ReplyDelete"For Every worry under the sun there is a remedy or there is none; if there is a remedy hurry and find it. If there is none never mind it."
— LeGrand Richards
Ok .. I checked the DC Metro map. You can live in Bethesda and take the red line .. change at Metro center and go to Foggy Bottom. But he'll have to take the bus to GW or walk. It's a pretty walk (lots of window shopping). Or he can take the bus from Bethesda/Chevy Chase -- which is super safe and in MD. I've had many friends live in Dupont Circle -- it's just a mixed bag. Hip .. but a mixed bag! But it's also an option and closer to school.
ReplyDeleteCan you tell I'm super psyched for you!
--Beth
My go to trick to turn that frown upside down can be anything from a clearance rack at the Target (I'm talking 75% off, not that piddlin' 30%) to a nice nap with the dog. But the 1970s original Fame...Fame can do it too...
ReplyDeleteAs for tomorrow afternoon, I'm picking up what you're puttin' down, Mamma, and inquiring minds are dying to know if you'll be making onesies with flowers or dinosaurs? Rawr!
PS: GO BETH!!
My cheer up today was the Eclipse soundtrack and some White Chocolate Wonderful.
ReplyDeleteYou can do this. You GO to the mattresses, Nat, because you are what I like to call a F-O-X.
ReplyDeleteOh I love that movie...It took me forever to remember who Kathleen Kelly was, until I finally clicked and saw the pic :)
ReplyDeleteSo I'm going crazy wondering what you are having....and miss you too. I had fun eating sushi and talking, I really love you!
I watch episodes of the Gilmore Girls for a pick me up but I also love You've Got Mail. It never gets old.
ReplyDeleteYou've Got Mail is my love/therapy/relax/laugh movie. Always, always, always. It never gets old. I'm all about George (Steve Zahn) though.
ReplyDelete:-)
The Saint. Val Kilmer is my go-to mood uplifter. Batman will do it, too, in a pinch. : )
ReplyDeleteI vote non-shy baby, that's my vote!
Hope your Thursday is fabulously fine, and I agree w/ Beth about taking advantage whilst you're in DC. I *heart* that town!
We lived and worked in DC for 8 years. It is my favorite city. You my dear Natalie, will OWN that city. You so can do it. It's a city that inspires you every single stinking day. And it is the perfect city to explore with a new baby. The metro is so safe and you get priority seating if you have a stroller. I highly suggest an apartment on the green line around the 700 to 800 blocks of Mass Ave. This is in a new redeveloped part of town. It used to be a crappy area. But thanks to new condos, restaurants, office buildings etc. it is the new in place to live and is still rather affordable for the city. Get a 2 BR apartment, go into some debt to pay for the year and eat Spanish tapas at Jaleo's. You will love taking that little fetus out for strolls through all the museums which are all free. Imagine instead of seeing your St. Bernard friends or pheasants, spending your afternoon with original works by Renoir; then swinging by to see the real ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz. All in a white marble, blue sky, green grass wonderland. You can do it!
ReplyDeleteI will say a little prayer that the fetus cooperates tomorrow. Seriously good luck. And for what it's worth, I am guessing boy. Did you ever think strangers would guess the gender of your baby? How weird is that?
You've Got Mail has the worst ending line of any movie even though I lurve it. "Don't cry shopgirl. Don't cry." Gross.
Everything will most definitely be okay. It will. That is all there is to it.
ReplyDeleteAnd my go-to-bad-mood-fixer is cream cheese frosting. Works wonders!
chocolate of any shape and variety is a bad mood band aid, then getting lost in any cheesy 80's movie usually works too.
ReplyDeletecan't wait to hear if baby cooperates and I'll be saying a prayer for a house sale and the worry to go away for you.
a solo dance partay and some ben and jerrys always does the trick.....and my dear, dont stress about what cant be fixed today...everything always seems to have a funny way of working itself out..
ReplyDeleteand c'mon now...boy or girl!!! the suspense is killing us over here!!!!
The great thing about you moving to DC? We'll be practically neighbors! If that doesn't cheer you up... hehe
ReplyDeleteSeriously, this too shall pass. Seems cliche, but somehow everything works out. When I need a head clear, I read with a bucket of m&ms near by. Which is funny, since I don't really like m&ms, but there you have it.
BTW, I have a stroller/car seat dealy. Never been in an accident, so it's in good shape, other than needing a cleaning from being in the basement. I was going to put it on freecycle, but if you'd like it to save a few $$ when babe gets here, let me know. It's a pretty heavy one, which has its drawbacks, but I used it for both my kiddos, so it can be done. J-town isn't that far, really, from DC, and you can either pick it up on the way through or I can pop it by--we're always looking for an excuse to go to down there.
Dear Nat,
ReplyDeleteWhenever I'm dealing with something mindboggling (like an intercontinental move/anything else that requires massive planning) and it starts to get me down, I try to see it not as the insurmountable amount of work it may or may not be, but rather as an epic adventure. You're creative--close your eyes and picture, "Nat, The Holbs & Baby take DC!" it has potential, you must agree. As everyone else has said, there's all kinds of lovely things to do there, the weather is not as rotten as it is in many other parts of the continental US...
I know it's going to be insanely stressful, but the way I see it, the only way out is through. You guys will rock that city, I'm sure of it.
(besides...while you're plotting your adventure, you can still secretly hope for your preferred outcome, whatever that may be.)
Hang in there. :)
What works for me is a romantic comedy:like you've got mail, sleepless in seattle, or a good old black and white film-love it! and a pint of Starbucks Java chip-that is the best!! :)
ReplyDeleteSo you find out if your having a girl or boy today??? how exciting!!!
I know it's hard to pick up and move especially since your probably in nesting mode right now but I wish you the best ! Don't worry God is in control and you will be safe in his arms! :)
Tee
My cheer me up activity is to play piano. I start with all the melancholy songs and by the end of an hour I've moved on to upbeat show tunes and pop rock without even giving it a thought.
ReplyDeleteAs for your fetus, my wish is for a healthy child with a wonderful combination of both parents personalities. Really, what a winning combination that would be, don't you think?
And my two cents on the DC move - a year is a really short period of time. A baby doesn't take a lot of space. You can certainly do this move to DC with style with the right attitude - just consider it an adventure. You, of all people, are well equipped for this. You are amazing and you can do this.
Things will be okay.
ReplyDeleteYou are where you are meant to be! I lived 3,000 miles from my home for a year, its AMAZING how everything falls together! Pull out that inner gypsy, the fetus will fall in love with her truly!
ReplyDeleteDC is the BEST! You'll love it. And...you're a runner and there is no better way to see DC than on foot. Check out the Mt. Vernon trail which runs along the Potomac or do a loop up Constitution and down Independence. There's nothing quite like running past the White House, the Capitol and a million monuments.
ReplyDeleteDo yourself a favor and eat at the following restaurants: Tacklebox, 2Amy's, Lost Dog, The Italian Store (actually a store), and get yourself a dozen cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake. Those will make you feel better, for sure!
Someone up there mentioned you don't need a car if you live near a metro, and I don't necessarily agree. While you can get around quite a bit, the metro is somewhat limited. At the very least, invest in a Zipcar membership to supplement your use of public transporation.
Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap--you find out TOMORROW?!? Okay--I'm dying now. It's truly the most exciting moment in pregnancy besides the actual arrival!!! Karl and I were so nervous the first time with Camryn that we nearly barfed in the elevator after all was said and done--we hadn't realized we'd been so keyed up! I still remember the tech saying, "Oh! It's a girl!" out of the blue. I've never had a shy baby when it comes to ultrasounds--in fact, I always feel a bit embarrassed because their lady bits are always on such clear and unmistakeable display, I feel like getting a Post-It note and putting it on the ultrasound screen or something to defend their privacy! Good luck, and blog IMMEDIATELY after you find out so the rest of us can find out and then get on with our days!
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel--we moved when Camryn was still 4 months from being born, then again when she was 8 months old, and then AGAIN at 14 months. It was hard. Especially because I'd do ANYTHING to have my life planned out for me so I could anticipate every coming change, and that never seems to happen. My advice? You are 100% entitled to help from your ward. Let your VTs know, and your HTs, and every friend and neighbor, and they'll help you.
Also, babies that young don't need much, so don't worry TOO much about schlepping a ton of gear. I'd put everything I could into storage so I wouldn't fret about it. Well...okay. That's not true. I've moved so much in the last 6 years (6 times!) that I get a LOT of comfort from having my stuff around to make things feel homey! Do what you think is best. You're like me--we need our environments to be gorgeous and peaceful and comfy before we can feel truly happy! I'd make an excellent military wife--I can make a house feel like a home within DAYS of moving in.
And chick flicks are THE way to feel peace. That, and trawling the aisles at Target. And self-administered pedicures at 2:00 in the morning when I can't sleep because some little creature is taking up more than her fair share of space and kicking me. Good times.
And you'll love DC, if you go. I'm so jealous! A tiny baby is the perfect companion for all those museums!!! (A 2-year-old like Camryn? Uh...not so much.)
YAY! I know you'll find some absolutely amusing way to tell us about tomorrow. I'm super excited now.
ReplyDeleteWhen I'm feeling I either go shopping, take a random drive to nowhere and maybe buy something yummy to eat or drink along the way, watch a chick flick (any chick flick, especially old movies, and/or listen to music and maybe even throw in a dance move. Just being active and keeping the brain on something more happy is the way to go. :) You'll be fine. You have SO MUCH to look forward to.
*When I'm feeling down... (that's what I meant to say)
ReplyDeleteI love your blog but there hasn't been enough baby talk!!! ;) (Or baby-related pics!!!) :D
ReplyDeleteAre you all coming to DC?! How awesome!! It may seem like a huge overwhelming place, but it's really terrific. (And MUCH easier to navigate than NYC, are you kidding me!?)
ReplyDeleteAs far as something to cheer up...naps always work for me :)
Dear Natalie nesting will kick in by then and you will have amazing super powers to pack, move cross country and set up some adorable apartment! I'm with Beth...I think she said it...a year is not that long and storage is a life saver. Store your stuff take only the bare necessities and live life to the fullest!
ReplyDeleteWhen I'm faced with hard things to do...which is every day...I think of it as an adventure rather than a hard or depressing task.
Disney movies help a lot...Lady and the Tramp anyone...they make me remember my childhood and I reminisce about the easy days.
UGH that baby better cooperate I'm dying to know!! I was in Boston last Friday and saw a girl that looked like you with the chubbiest gurgley-est red headed baby boy! Good Luck, regardless of gender I hope that baby is healthy and everything goes well!
I drive and sing as loud as I can. I drive down country roads all by myself so people don't see - and no, having that little earpiece won't cover for you when you are belting out a Louie Armstrong's 'What A Wonderful World'. (People will worry for your mental health.)
ReplyDeleteI like show tunes the best, you know 'When You're A Jet, You're A Jet All The Way' but I also like 'You'll Never Walk Alone.' Cheers me right up!
You'll be just fine!
ReplyDeleteI wrap myself in a sewing frenzy when I feel overwhelmed. That always takes my attention off of my stressors.
Oh everyone, you are all too kind.
ReplyDeleteI'l be FANTASTIC once I get there, what I need is help surviving the next three weeks! The "have so much to do but can't do anything yet" is KILLING me!
DC is amazing. Well, I thought so as a missionary. Did I mention I have a sister moving there this fall? Well. Perhaps you will run into her on the metro and say, "you look just like someone I went to see some cows with once".
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your house. Selling this house of ours is making me very nervous. It will work out for you, I am sure.
When I was pregnant with my son and the hormones began to rage, I would pop in one of my Friends DVDs. Always made me feel better. Now I am 7 weeks along with #2 and I am thinking the time has coma again to pull those DVDs out!
ReplyDeletei don't know if this comment will be helpful to your overwhelming decisions but i just moved to dc (literally last week from la) so i can totally relate! and we moved here so my husband can start school (gulc) in august too.
ReplyDeletewe didn't fly out beforehand to look for apartments. it's a little scary but flights/hotel/etc is so expensive and there are so many apartments that are available immediately that we just went with it, crossed our fingers and hoped for the best. after a lot of craigslist searching and some serious walking around, we did. we're over on capitol hill and love the neighborhood. lots of strollers and puppy dogs. but it's across town from where you are looking (although i believe there is a bus that runs from gulc to georgetown).
i was a little nervous about the crime rates when i heard about some reports. obviously, i haven't lived here long but i haven't felt unsafe yet. anything can happen, but so far i haven't been as worried as i was when i was up late reading crime statistics from my los angeles apartment way too late at night.
be prepared for a lot of walking. apartments are tiny. metro smart cards are so much better than the touristy paper tickets. and you will learn quickly to only buy a few things at a time at the grocery store.
Dearest mp, your comment is VERY helpful!
ReplyDeleteOne question: Did you sell much/most of your stuff? Did you sell your car? We are looking into the Capitol Hill neighborhood as well, we might be neighbors. (The Holbs is attending the Law school, which is located right by the Capitol.)
I remember fondly my days in New York trying to grocery shop with what only I could carry home. Awful! Then I discovered grocery DELIVERY. You should look into that.
i just sent you an email - figured it was easier that way!
ReplyDeleteYou'll look back on this in two years and laugh at how stressed you were. But, stress is so normal. I would be stressed. Grab some chocolate and diet coke (an oxymoron) and enjoy a chick flick...
ReplyDeleteok, first off, rememeber me?? kellie HOBSON? from tualatin? second, DC!!!! My hubby and I lived there last summer. well, college park, MD to be exact, but right by DC. one MUST do there... Georgetown Cupcakes. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. Amazing.
ReplyDeletesecond, my stress relief? dr pepper. or the office. or shopping.
You've Got Mail all the way, Natalie Baby! Only for me it's the Tom that sets me straight, not Greg Kinnear, Thank Your very much!
ReplyDeleteIt'll all kick in and you'll be just fine!
Footloose soundtrack pretty much turns my day around - I actually used Footloose as an excuse for speeding once and the policeman bumped the fine down by about $100 and many demerit points because he UNDERSTOOD! I was going quite fast in badish weather and it was Footloose's fault.
ReplyDeleteYou're going to find out!!!! (maybe) Hooray!
ReplyDeleteI climb into a boiling hot bathtub with a novel, or I go for a hike with my notebook in hand.
You've Got Mail is my fail-proof way to get out of a bad mood.
ReplyDeleteTop 3 scenes:
1. When he brings her daisies and she's sick.
2. When she's mean to him in the coffee shop with the book and the rose.
3. The End...when she cries and says "I wanted it to be you so badly."
GOOD LORD do I love me some You've Got Mail!!
I came to DC 5 years ago for grad school...it has a way of sucking you in for one more year and one more year, but it really is quite a lovely city. I went to GWU and worked for a few years near Union Station (also near the Capital area). I've always lived in N. VA even though my job is in DC. My favorite place to live was Rosslyn (both the blue and orange metro lines go through there, and there are several scenic walking/biking paths in the area). I now work as a Lactation Consultant at a DC hospital and have either interned or had friends deliver at most of the hospitals in the area, so if you need any tips in the delivery/breastfeeding department I'd be happy to share with you (Assuming you wanted to use those new boobs for feeding of the fetus ;-).
ReplyDelete