Willing to suffer for free baby powder

I'm packing up and heading for New Jersey tomorrow for Johnson and Johnson's Camp Baby. Yes, that Camp Baby. The one that everyone seems to be chattering about. Regardless of the controversy and all the feelings that were hurt I'm going with an open mind. I'm very interested to see how a major corporation like J&J will be courting us Moms and I am approaching this not only as an opportunity to see some of my lady friends again and meeting some new ones face to face but also as I would have if I were still working for a corporation. It's a business conference, albeit one with baby powder and lots of mommies braiding each other's hair (Oy. No one is touching my hair) instead of macho, testosterone-laden technology salesmen.

I won't, however, be bringing my laptop with me so I won't be live blogging it. You'll just have to wait for a rundown from me. Try sitting on your hands or something.

There's just something about already dragging around all of these extra pregnancy pounds that doesn't make the idea of dragging around a heavy laptop around two airports that attractive.

I am worried about how I'm going to survive two days of activity and two relatively late nights of socializing, not to mention traipsing across busy airports. I am, arguably, in the worst shape of my life right now. I'm quite front heavy (well, duh, I'm eight months pregnant), I need to sit down a lot and I need to sleep with at least five pillows. I'm hoping the beds are soft, the pillows are plentiful, and the friends I'll be meeting there will give me their chairs. And I hope they'll sneak me a sip of wine or two during the opening night wine tasting or I might get cranky.

So, three days with no computer. And no drinking. What the hell am I going to do with myself?

-----------

Thanks to Sarah for nominating my Two Pieces post for a Perfect Post Award! If you'd like to read the other nominees visit Suburban Turmoil or Petroville.

The meta and the frog

One of the things that I've always found so fascinating about blogging is the feeling of intimacy that comes with sharing your words with thousands of strangers. Stories and feelings you might never share with people who are standing in front of you, bloggers willingly share with the nameless, faceless mass of readers that come to their blog through happenstance or regular following. I'm not quite sure what it is that makes us bloggers - especially parenting bloggers - feel secure in sharing these raw feelings but I do hope that many of you that I read continue doing so.

Your words have become an important part of my support team. If I question myself over this or that I very often turn to blogs to see what others have encountered in their lives with children. And sometimes, when I'm fence sitting on a particular subject, it's nice to read a real person's first hand account of what they went through and how they came out the other side.

One subject that I'm fascinated with is the two-child family. In the past I've have made no secret of my desire to stop at one child, but I will admit that lately I've been waffling. Could I do it? Could I make a two-child family work? Would I lose my mind in the process?

I have come to no hard and fast conclusions, but I have to say that after reading this post by Julie of MotherGooseMouse the answer to those questions are all yes. And because she was so candid with her words I'd also have to say that even though it would be really difficult at times, it's okay to admit that sometimes having two kids is no picnic.

No, I haven't yet decided to have another baby but Julie's post about her feelings on having two children is the most persuasive argument yet that I've seen and I thank her for sharing her experience. That's why I nominated her for a Perfect Post Award.

Julie, if I do have another baby you'll be the first person I call while in labor. I'll be the one shouting expletives into your ear. Probably something about how you got me into that situation.

Thanks to MommaK and Suburban Turmoil for hosting these awards. Go to their sites to see the full list of nominees.

-----------------------------------

Now for something completely different. What's the most disturbing thing you've seen? Well, forget that. This is now the most disturbing thing you've ever seen.

It's almost blasphemous. If you can get past the part where Kermit shoots heroine, believe me, it gets worse.