Two of my best and oldest friends got me a spa gift certificate for my baby shower, good for a pregnancy massage at  the Red Door Spa in Mystic. I cannot emphasize enough how much any pregnant woman would appreciate this, but it was extra nice to have after a stressful weekend with quite a lot of family. A pregnancy massage is almost the same as a regular massage except you lie on your side instead of your stomach and the table raises your head and feet up so you don’t ever lie flat on your back. My therapist focused most of her attention on my legs and hips and even used a special gel that’s supposed to increase circulation and help with swelling. My joints definitely feel less stiff and I plan to do nothing but lie on the couch chugging water for the rest of the day to flush out my system. As much as I love all the adorable baby stuff I got for my shower, it was SO NICE to get something for just for me (actually, Evan’s cousin got me fancy bath stuff too – I’m going to bring it to the hospital for after labor). On behalf of pregnant women everywhere, I suggest spa gift certificates should be added automatically to baby registries. THANK YOU again to Sara and Erin for an awesome day.

I’ve missed being awake before 9 am, if only because I’ve been missing the really good infomercials. Today I watched one called “Your Baby Can Read!” It apparently tries to teach your child how to do something called “reading” that involves “books” and possibly “flashcards”. You’re supposed to spend lots of time with your baby, providing mental stimulation for their tiny brains. These crazy parents, don’t they know that’s what TV is for? But luckily, it only takes a few minutes a day! And you can start teaching them words at 8 months! And it can cure your baby’s heart defect! Ok, maybe not that last one, but one of the women in this infomercial implies it. Which was the point when my eyes rolled so hard I think I pulled a muscle.

Don’t get me wrong, I love books. My mom brought up all my children’s books and I’ve already starting reading them out loud to my stomach. (Do you remember “Hundreds of Cat?” How about “George and Martha” the hippos? Would you like to see my signed Tomie dePaola book?) I love love love reading and I hope Baby Evan learns to love it too. I just don’t think I need to spend a ton of money on videos or guides or tiny whiteboards to instill that love. If I’m going to waste hundreds of dollars on teaching my baby a useful skill, it’s going to be more like bar tending or car repair.