11+ Sheets

... but not to the wind.


Wicked Stepmom called to check on me today. In case you haven't been around that long, she gave herself that name, but is a good and loving friend to me. Her youngest daughter is due about a week before I am *coughcough*with-her-sixth-child-by-five-men*coughchokecough*. Apparently youngest sister's friends threw her a baby shower. One of the games they played involved guessing how many sheets of toilet paper it would take to fit around her belly. Eleven was the winning number.


Wicked Stepmom wanted me to see how many it would take to go around my belly, too, because she looks at her daughter and wonders how we compare. We haven't seen each other since Corey was maybe 18 months old, so she does what she can to plant me there with her. It's really too bad everybody can't have a Wicked Stepmom.


We had this conversation today as the kids and I were heading back up the hill from my chiropractic appointment. Today's my first day of maternity leave, so why I scheduled an appointment down the hill is beyond me (oh yeah, it's payday, which means I can definitely fit it into my budget). The adjustment wasn't the only plan for the morning, however. I also made plans with a young woman I'd been chatting with online through this pregnancy forum I'm part of. She lives near me, just turned 19 a week ago and is expecting her first child, a boy, about four days ahead of me. And with the pregnancy came the joys of moving back home.


Been there, done that... only because of a divorce the first time and because of a massive pay cut the second time. It sucks moving in with parents after you've been out on your own.


Anyway, we have a ton of stuff for Fynn. Knowing in advance she's a girl made things a lot easier for us this time (although I've since learned that easier isn't always compatible with more fun and exciting). We waited for Madelyn's birth to find out. Thus, we had a bunch of gender neutral stuff in small sizes. Plus, people were so incredibly generous with us last time that she has ridiculous amounts of clothes and blankets. There were things we'd never even used with Mad. And now gifts have started coming in for Fynn, too.


So I packed up a bunch of the green and yellow clothes, a few blankets and some other odds and ends, and made arrangements to meet this young woman for lunch today. I told her I'd probably bring Corey and suggested she bring someone, too. Nobody needs to worry about being the next big news story that way.


Before the big lunch gathering, we stopped at Target. I finally got a trashcan for diapers. Yes, Mad's 27 months old. We've just been taking them out of the room 2-3 times a day... or immediately, when necessary. No, it's not a diaper genie or anything like that. I feel bad enough about using disposable diapers without wrapping each one individually in plastic. On the way out, I stopped to use the restroom. While in there, I thought about the call from Wicked Stepmom.


We had time, so I went ahead and counted out 15 sheets of toilet paper before pulling off the strip. Youngest sister is generally much more slender than I am, but the general consensus is that I'm carrying smaller this time than last time, so I didn't get all crazy with it.


Turns out we're pretty close. It takes just over 11 sheets, not quite 11.5, to wrap around my belly. (I'm dying to know... how many sheets does it take for you?)


Lunch was great, by the way. Not only did I get the strawberry pancakes I've been thinking about for two weeks since we made these plans, but I got to meet a couple of cool young women. Young Mama was really appreciative of what we gave her. It made me feel even more glad that I didn't get greedy and try to hold on to stuff we really don't need (it's usually just an inner battle, but sometimes I have a hard time sharing). She gave me a great big hug at the end. Loved it!


When we got home, I texted Wicked Stepmom to let her know how many sheets. She just responded:


"Okay, my eyes are closed and I picture your face and S's tummy. Okay, all is good. Love you so much."


Yep, everyone should have a Wicked Stepmom.