Irritable and Tired

5 weeks to go until baby arrives. 7 more days of working. It's a constant countdown now. We've started attending classes like infant care and childbirth preparation, we're going to see movies in the theatre like Gran Turino, we're researching childcare and pediatricians, and taking hospital tours. You could say that we have ramped up our baby preparation efforts.

It is getting tougher to get around and sleep is sometimes good and sometimes bad. That makes me a little more irritable and tired. I think that it's either to prepare for some future sleepless nights or to get me to start feeling like I would like to have this baby come out. I can see why the home stretch can be agonizing for some pregnant women. I've been pretty lucky. I haven't had bad morning sickness or gestational diabetes, so if this is the worst it gets, it's not too bad. Mostly uncomfortable.

This week was rather historic with the inaugeration of Barack Obama. I've never really been interested in politics. I'm still not that interested, but I did vote for Obama because he seemed different than most politicians and I think he will be an inspirational leader. I have voted in past elections, but this is the first time that I watched the inaugeration. There seems to be excitement and hope with this new president that I have never seen before. I like that he promotes volunteerism and change. I also like that he seems to garner a respect from other countries that we have not had in a long time. Most other presidents I would feel embarassed that we chose them because they seem to perpetuate the stupid American persona. Though Obama flubbed his oath, I think that it is interesting that people seem more forgiving of his blunders. If Bush had flubbed his oath, people would have made fun of him and thought "how typical." For some reason, Obama's temporary memory lapse makes him seem more endearing and human. Even those that did not vote for him have to admit that he does seem eager to make changes, that he is able to motivate people, and inspires hope for country that is in need of it.

After New Year's, there was a shooting at the BART station near our house. The BART police shot a man that was on the floor with his hands behind his back. (He was in some kind of altercation and was trying to calm his friend when he was shot.) I dropped off Edwin at the station the next morning without even knowing about it. We saw TV cameras there, but didn't know why they were there. A few days later, there were riots in Oakland. There were also peaceful protests, but the riots I think are more a result of the economic times and for people who want an excuse to justify violence. With this new leader, I hope that it ends that negativity and helps people to move in a more positive and constructive manner with their restless energy. For too long, I think that the people of this country have been irritable and tired.