Why, hello there.

So you may be asking yourself... what could possibly bring her out of her life-imposed blog silence after two months? The answer: EBOLA. E-freaking-bola.

In the 4th grade, I did a book report on Ebola and Bubonic Plague. Literally ever since, I've been obsessed with it. When Ebola broke out in Liberia, I knew about it before US news stations caught wind. When there was a single case of Bubonic Plague in China this summer, guess who was following it? This girl. (Btw- no one else got it besides the one guy.)

Being the wife of an airline pilot has it's own inherent risks. I've always been concerned with Bob's potential proximity to recycled germs. Now that Ebola has taken to the skies, my paranoia has taken my heart rate to stupid levels.

My husband, being the good Southern, well-mannered boy that he is, will stop and help anyone in the airport. They ask, he helps. They look lost, he helps. They're bleeding from their eyeballs and puking everywhere, he better not stop to effing help. We had to have this conversation this week.

This morning before he left for a trip to Texas (yay, better than Cleveland, I suppose), we had a frank discussion about Ebola. I'm not afraid of us getting it. I'm scared shitless of Charlie getting it. Is it unreasonable for me to be this afraid? Probably. But that's not stopping me from worrying about it. For the first time in my life, I'm responsible for someone's health other than my own. Holy crap.

Furniture decisions.

So. Nursery furniture. And pretty much everything else baby related...

In the past, I've picked out furniture based on style, color, and whether or not I like it. Baby furniture and gear, however, must include all those things AND safety. It opens a whole new can of worms making sure this kidlet will be safe in whatever we put him in. Crib? Changing table? Car seat? Stroller? So many decisions!!

After reading online reviews of cribs ALL AFTERNOON, I've finally narrowed down some that I like. Cribs are tricky suckers. On one hand, you'd assume the more expensive the safer. That cheaper ones will collapse and amputate some needed part of your baby's anatomy. However, that doesn't necessarily seem to be the case. After reading up on what to look for in a crib and what to avoid, I found some relatively cheap ones that, according to the reviews, are sturdy and safe. I've narrowed down to three, from which Bob will have the opportunity to choose his favorite.

Same with changing tables. I want one that is a also dresser that I use for storage. I refuse to pay $900 for a Pottery Barn Kids dresser/changing table, even though I love it. Again, after reading every review written by moms way more paranoid than myself, I've decided to get an Ikea dresser and use it as a changing table. We have the coordinating grown up bed already and that thing is a solid beast. So I feel confident that the dresser will be just as solid. And the Moms all love it. Sooooo.

We've received our stroller as well. After posting it on facebook, I feel validated that I picked the right one. Moms came out of the woodwork to tell me they had that stroller and it's one of the best. Of course, I'd read the reviews and been convinced in the store, but it's nice to hear personal testimony that something you will be putting your child is top notch.

My friend Kat has always been a super paranoid mom, and I've made fun of her for years. However, I can see how and why she's like that. I mean, I'm carrying this little beast for 40 weeks of torture and agonizing. pain. I'm damned well going to do my best to keep him alive and safe so I can torture and embarrass him during his teenage years in as many ways as possible.  Payback's a bitch.