It turns out that with this pregnancy, as opposed to my first time around, I'm a little less "Let's watch a movie, talk baby furniture and eat tons of ice cream!" and a little more, "Hey, I already can't wait to meet this child and, oh, by the way, where is he going to sleep?" I mean, I'm due in April. April. And it's not that I'm not feeling good. I feel great. Well, minus the occasional heartburn, which I didn't have with Nora. I'm not a fat of this heartburn. It somehow makes me feel bigger than I actually am, which is already plenty big. Like my stomach's the size of a quarter and I didn't even really do anything to deserve it. Or, I don't know, maybe I did. Eating is somehow both a reward and potential danger of this condition.

Anyway, I'm not feeling sick of pregnancy exactly, I'm just feeling a little impatient. There are cold months ahead here in New Haven and our big event is still a while away. I'm excited to move on to the action. To have two children. And yeah, totally, I know I'm going to regret saying that.

I was just downstairs making myself some decaf in my new French press (thanks, J!) in order to help me get through this particular afternoon of quiet writing at home, and I was thinking, "You know, I really wish I knew how to do this better." And that got me thinking, "Well, why don't you learn?"

Which brings me to the below, to chip away at the long winter, because it was so much fun last time and because I have a few leftovers from the summer that I wouldn't mind tackling. I'm not being quite as ambitious this time and you'll notice that this list centers more around relaxing...and I'm totally ok with that. Maybe you should make a list of your own and come along with me for the ride...

2011 Winter Goals

make the perfect pot of French press coffee go away for a child-free weekend with my husband finish "For Whom the Bell Tolls" FOR THE LOVE OF CHRIST go to Stew Leonard's get a prenatal massage paint the dining room and kitchen (or, more realistically, make someone else do it) begin a knitting project celebrate President's Day 2011 with good friends organize the basement for real purchase and listen to Kanye West's latest album (seriously) make a photo album of our 2009 Italy trip take Nora back to Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk go to the movies...twice exercise three times a week (barring any unforeseen doctor's orders that I don't) read The New York Times in bed