Spring, Showers, Babies and a Suicidal Cat

It's time for Spring. I am ready. The last several weeks have been brutal. We lost our electricity for a day (nothing compared to others around here), I missed a lot of work and had to use my stinking VACATION time for it, we had tons of big branches falling off our trees and one that even damaged our gutters and broke a fence, I have had half panic attacks while driving on sheets of ice, I have nearly killed myself while walking to the car (slippery ice and pregnant do not go well together), and 5 degrees is just not my cup of tea. I cannot wait to see the first buds of our day lilies sprouting from the ground. That will be a happy day indeed!!

My baby shower has been scheduled for March 21. It's a little later than I would have liked, but apparently I have no other option. I also have a baby shower that my work is doing on March 20. It's just around the corner too, oh my!

Last weekend we had some very dear friends come up to help us get our nursery together. My husband's friends helped him paint the nursery and they put together some of our complicated furniture too. We now have the nursery well on the way to being finished. I just have to wait until AFTER my baby showers are over to see what all I will have left to buy. I am sort of freaking out about all of the stuff we are going to have to purchase. For instance, the breast pump I need is close to $300. And yes, I NEED it. Also, the travel system I need is going to be over $300. Babies are expensive, obviously. Alas, this is what I signed up for. I will post pictures of the nursery once I have more of it finished. I am bad about taking pictures. One of my "virtual friends" documented her entire pregnancy with photos. I keep meaning to, but eh...I always forget or don't feel like it.

One of our cats is giving us major problems. We do not want our cats out and about once the baby gets here (at least not at first). And believe me, our cats will most definitely try to get in the cradle/crib/bassinet and bother the baby. They are just those kind of cats. So our solution is to lock them in the utility room at night. Sounds harsh, but this room is 20'x12'. It's roomy and has toys, beds, food, water, litter in it. A nice little set up if you ask me. Well, not if you ask Butters. He hates it and meows ALL NIGHT when we put him in there. We are seriously thinking that if he doesn't get better we are going to have to have him put down (long story, but it is not cruel...ask my vet, this cat has major psychological problems and has for years). We are doing all we can to spare him. I even bought Feliway Calming Spray that is supposed to help with stressed out cats ($40 for a one month supply!). I have slept the last two nights with ear plugs in and even that can't stop the sounds of his howling all the way across the house through two closed doors. Obviously, I cannot sleep with ear plugs in once baby arrives. So if he doesn't learn to shut up, he may be out of luck. This is stressing me out to no end. We are trying EVERYTHING and it's quite ridiculous for me to be losing HOURS of sleep over a cat. It's also doubly ridiculous for me to be wearing ear plugs to bed. I hope that he can learn over the next few months to shut the hell up. So far I am thinking that Butters is on a suicide mission...and doing quite well. Last night I got so angry with him that I wanted to drop kick him. We ignore his meows, but sometimes I fantasize about strangling him with my bare hands. And I love my cats and Butters is (or was) my favorite!!! He's pushing me to my limits.