The weekend before school started (which is now about 3 1/2 weeks ago), I decided I better try on things in my closet to assess how my wardrobe was looking. At the time, I hadn't gained too much pregnancy weight (maybe only 5 pounds), but what weight I had certainly had shifted to new places. So nothing in my closet fit except two tank/tent dresses and some shirts (some of which I've had since high school -- who knows why I was buying clothes in high school that would still fit many, many pounds later). So I forced myself to go shopping.
I'm not a shopper. Sure, I can wander around Wal-Mart or a scrapbooking store for an hour or so, but I am just not interested in spending all day at the mall or (even worse) driving from store to store. And I really am not any good at clothes shopping. It's just such a hassle to try on clothes and get a different size and try it on again and find something that matches and then be willing to pay whatever new clothes cost these days. My sisters got the shopping genes, although both in different forms (one Gap, one Goodwill).
And to make matters worse, I knew that whatever I bought wouldn't fit in another month or so anyway. Phooey.
On my shopping list:
- something to wear to work -- two pairs of pants, one black, one gray; two skirts
- a tent dress if I can find one (what I really need/want is a mumu from Palau -- I could pick one out that would fit me for the next six months and beyond!)
- clothes for lounging around the house in the evenings and on the weekends because my t-shirts and running shorts not longer fit -- All of the books say to "shop in your partner's closet" for shirts and sweatpants to hold you over. Ha. I can't wear Alan's clothes even when I'm not pregnant. I apparently lacked the foresight to marry someone bigger than me.
I did pretty well in my school clothes quest, though didn't find a mumu. My favorite purchases were XL t-shirts from the Goodwill store (for a mere $2 each). Now it looks like I ran a 5K race in 1999 (before I even thought about running), helped out at the 2003 John Mayer/Counting Crows concert, support the Urbana Middle School Robo Tigers (whoever they are), and played on a soccer team last year with the slogan "We scored, now give us some kisses." Awesome.
And I'm gearing up for another round of clothes shopping soon. Hopefully I'll be able to find a t-shirt that says "I'm pregnant, not just chunky."
Nice wood-burning stove at the end of the room. We're anxious for colder weather so we can give it a try, but we're a little nervous. I bought a fire extinguisher this afternoon. (And yes, those are rabbit ears on our television -- we've decided we're too cheap to pay for cable anymore.) 
And we have plenty of room for our random antique office supplies and fans:
