On The Road Again

Today we start our second road trip of the summer.  But rather than my husband as my travel companion (he has to work), my college friend will be driving up to Northern California with me for my first Baby Shower with my family and friends back home.  This road trip won't be nearly as long as our first to Montana, but we will still break it up over two days and spend one night with another friend in Southern California.  We're driving because a) I'm getting to the point where it's probably not so safe to fly, and b) I'll be bringing my family's cradle home with me.

My poor friend!  I put her to work all day in the nursery painting butterflies (which look fantastic, by the way--I promise pictures when everything is done), and then throw her in the car for a 16-hour road trip (well, 14-hour trip for her, as she lives about two hours south of my hometown).  But I wasn't about to attempt the drive by myself at 31-32 weeks pregnant!  And that's what friends are for, right? 

I know this must sound totally silly, but the only thing that I'm dreading about the drive is not being able to expose my belly.  On the previous trip with just my husband, I had my shirt up around my rib cage pretty much the entire trip and could rub and admire my growing belly to my heart's content, but I just don't feel quite right doing so with my friend (or my dad on the return trip, for that matter).  I'm sure I'll be rubbing my belly (I swear it's like a magnet), but I'm rather modest around other people, so I'll probably be doing so either under or over my shirt--but with my shirt still in place.

Today's blessing is simply the opportunity to take Vacation #2 of the summer.  I'm so glad to be heading home to visit my family.  Since we alternate between my family and my husband's for Christmas, I haven't seen my family since last summer (I take that back--I got to visit with my mom in the Denver Airport for about 20 minutes when we both had short layovers there back in March).  And I'm really excited to celebrate this Baby Girl with them at the Baby Shower with them on Saturday.  It really is a blessing to be able to take this time off from work (and still have plenty of time left for a substantial Maternity Leave).