Eh, Who Knows?

That pretty much sums up the way I'm feeling right now...I think it is the socks that are holding me together.

I was talking to my sister earlier this evening about house hunting in D.C., and I just got depressed. There is seriously nothing we can afford. And I SWEAR I am not exaggerating. What you can get in the city for under $250K is either in the ghetto or needs to be completely gutted and redone with an additional $100K, but most of the time it's both. And if I'm lucky, there's a bus nearby...not the easy access to Metro that I really need being car-less.

So we also are looking in this little suburb of D.C., Greenbelt. It's a wonderful community, totally planned and walkable, and it's more affordable. That is: If we had an extra $25,000 lying around to put down on a townhouse in the cooperative there and we could afford the condo fees on top of the mortgage. The houses are affordable because they are in the cooperative, but we can't afford one because we can't meet the downpayment requirement. Is that the definition of ironic?

Enough.

No point in stewing over it. The four of us will be very "bonded" in March in our little 550-sf apartment.

I am also starting to get anxious over having nothing prepared and no space to prepare for Baby Dos. We have no room for two sets of diapers, bringing back the newborn clothes, the co-sleeper, etc. But we'll have to make do. It's only 13 weeks away, and I'm starting to feel the pressure. I guess I should be happy that it's only kicked in now.

I have been working on my law school applications, but will have to kick it into high gear this week so that I don't have to spend vacations working on them. The Cap'n has been really helpful about taking Slim in the mornings. Today they went to the National Building Museum, which is an almost unknown gem in D.C. They have a great kids' playroom that makes for a wonderful (free) activity when it's cold out.

I also feel rotten today because I fell off the 4-day wagon and had a Diet Coke. See, I'm not making a big deal out of it, but I'm trying to get off the DC so I don't push out a hyper-caffeinated newborn who is going to start having caffeine withdrawal symptoms. Also because there are very confusing statistics out there about the safety of aspertame (NutraSweet) in Diet Coke. So for the last few days, I've been slugging back the flavored seltzer and being really good. And today while I went to the coffeeshop to work, I was back in a familiar habit -- having Diet Coke while studying for the LSAT -- and I just did it. It didn't even taste good. So it's back to raspberry seltzer for me, and the self-flagellation will have to wait.

So on to the socks...let's end this post on a happy note and with some pics, shall we?

I'm going round and round on the foot of the second watermelon sock, and since stockinette is not exactly rocket science or that photographically exciting, let's wait for the finished pair. Maybe this weekend?

But in more challenging news, I'm happy to report a successful cast-on and 3 full, un-screwed up pattern repeats of Nancy Bush's Child's First Sock in Shell Pattern. I am using the Lorna's Laces Shephered Sock in Brick, and it looks quite a lot like the socks in the book. (Please ignore the months-old pedicure...)

The Cap'n has already cast his vote of approval.

In baby news, Slim comes over to my belly and pulls my shirt up so he can hug it. I ask if he says hi to the baby, and he waves.

Let's hope that attitude lasts after Baby Dos gets here.