Friday Afternoon Fun

You are Bettie Page Girl next door with a wild streak You're a famous beauty - with unique look And the people like you are cultish about it What Famous Pinup Are You?

A-ok

Well, the glucose test came back fine so Yay! Of course, this week I've indulged in more sweet stuff than ever. LOL! Guess it's time to get back on track. :) We had another u/s yesterday and all is loooking well. Baby is about 3 pounds and growing right on track. He's been "quiet" over the past day, though, which may be from getting worked over yesterday by the u/s tech. Trying to get measurements, etc the tech had a hell of a time because Baby was moving all over. Too funny! I know that some complain that the kicks hurt, but I don't mind. They're a reminder that he's awake and ok.

I'm finally starting to look pregnant now, instead of "fluffy" or "thick" LOL. I've been kind of playing with Baby H for the past 10 minutes. He's pretty active right now and not only can I feel him moving around, I am starting to be able to see him move my shirt! Every time he'd move, I'd rub that spot on my belly and sometimes he'd move in that spot again. Of course, I'd rub back, etc. We've been doing this for almost 10 minutes. It's a trip, that's for sure. I had to to the glucose screening test this morning. The "concentrated sugar" drink wasn't too bad, but man I was jittery afterwards. Poor Baby H was too! My whole belly was moving because he was sooo hyped up. I must've looked silly because while I was waiting to have a blood draw done, I was staring at my belly watching him go. From what I've read, he weighs just over 2 pounds and is about 15 inches long head to foot. That's very cool to think about, but I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that he fits inside me! It really does boggle the mind. I was also thinking how fast this has gone. I'm in the last trimester and my appts are now every 2 weeks. I'm anxious for each one and thankful that I don't have to wait an entire month anymore. I've pretty much written off work for the rest of the day. LOL. I'm having too much fun w/Baby H.

Hmmm

I was thinking about baby being able to start hearing things now and possibly being one of "those" people who play music, etc to them in utero. Then I started thinking about how he may react to it, which then led me to remembering when I first felt him move around inside. It was around the beginning of December and J and I were driving to his parents for a belated Thanksgiving. J had put Massive Attack in the CD player and sometime during the first two songs, I felt muscle spasms/flutters in my belly. It wasn't painful, but it was different from the gassy feelings everyone says you'll feel when baby starts moving. I was excited and freaked out at the same time. Excited to possibly be feeling baby, freaked out because there was indeed something growing in my belly that didn't require a trip to the bathroom! I told J about it and we talked about it and various other things. Somehow, we got on the subject of playing music/reading to him as he grew, etc, etc. It was cool. We wondered what kind of music we should play and all that. We decided that Massive Attack might be a good option, since it got such a response from him already. I've thought about playing it in my car on the way to work so see if I get a response from baby. Maybe I'll try different styles. Am I bad for "toying" w/my child before he's even born?! LOL!

4 1/2 Months to Go

Baby H is moving around quite a bit now. Hell, last night we even saw him kick against my belly - which was kind of creepy as visions of "Alien" ran through my head! LOL! I can tell he's getting stronger because I can feel him more often. It used to be that I had to be very still and focus on any movement in/around my belly. Now, just sitting here I can feel him moving around doin' his groove thing. :) The infamous glucose test is coming up in 2 weeks. Not really looking forward to it and from what I've heard, no pregnant woman ever does. I've also learned that many "fail" the first one hour test and have to go back for a 3 hour test! I'm trying to eat well, but not too far off from how I've been eating already. As much as I don't want to deal with this, if I do end up getting gestational diabetes then I want to know so that it can be controlled. I'm hoping, hoping, HOPING that I pass the first test and don't have to eliminate my favorite sweet splurges! After this month, I get to go to the DR visits every other week! I'm excited because a) it means that I'm in the last trimester and that much closer to having Baby H in my arms and b) I get to leave work for a while. Who doesn't love that! It doesn't seem like I should be this far along already. Only 4 1/2 months to go. That is assuming my edd is accurate and I don't end up overdue.

Pregnancy 101

So there are many things that one learns during pregnancy. What foods to avoid, the amount of caffeine allowed, symptoms of gas, etc, etc. What do they leave out? Well let me tell you! That EVERY DAMN OVER THE COUNTER MEDICINE HAS A PREGNANCY WARNING ON IT! From a simple cough drop to vicks vapor rub - yup, there's the warning! God forbid you actually catch a cold and need something to help! As you might have guessed, yes I have said head cold and had to wallow in it for 1 1/2 days until I could call DR and find out what is okay to take. It was so insane it was funny, I kid you not, everything has a pregnancy warning. I could hardly believe it! I would've been laughing my ass off if it weren't for the hacking cough that would've ensued because I'd shaken loose the congestion in my head. Anyway, that's my vent! Other than that, I'm enjoying being pregnant. For the most part, anyway. I don't think anyone enjoys gaining weight, only sleeping on their side at night or the gas that creeps up whether you eat one cookie or an entire 4 course dinner. (gurgle on gas bubble, gurgle on)

The Minister of Silly Walks

Hump Day Fun

take the WHAT INTENTIONAL TORT ARE YOU test. and go to mewing.net. because law school made laura do this. It's all about intimidation! Grrr! I'm so loving Attorney Wrangler! The funniest stuff if posted whether it be some quiz (see above) or the job. I know about as much legalese as a bird knows about hockey, but it just gives me a good laugh.

It's A...

Baby H is a boy! J and I are very excited and are now working out names. If you were a fly on the wall you'd get a good laugh at some of the ones we've come up with. We've decided to not tell anyone else, though, when we do decide. They get to know the gender, they have to wait for a name. Plus, I don't want to hear comments about the name we choose. People can have NO TACT WHATSOEVER and be quite rude when it comes to stuff like that and frankly, I'd probably smack the person who makes a snarky comment. So, in addition to finding real names for Baby H, we're also working on fake names to give everyone else. LOL! Being fans of Monty Python, we thought of Minister of Silly Walks and another one that's like 25 names all together. Don't ask me to write it because I can't remember a single one of them! This should be fun! As for me, well, I'm still adjusting. I still don't look like I'm pregnant. Seriously, it looks like I've eaten a big dinner and that's about it. I keep seeing all of these other pregnant women w/the cute bellies and I long for that soooo much. It's like, if I'm going to be gaining weight and all then I want the belly to go with it. Of course, in a few months I'll be cursing myself because then I probably will have a huge belly! It's a catch 22. The other reason for wanting a belly is so that I can wear maternity tops and not look foolish! Tis the season for holiday parties, etc and it's getting more difficult to find tops/sweaters to wear. If I go with just a size larger than I wore pre-pg then the bottom is too short and my quasi belly pokes out. If I go in maternity top, the bottom hangs down and looks like a clown suit! Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I wanted to be pg for quite a while (in comparison to some, of course) and earlier this year thought it would never happen. I'm soooooo very grateful to be pg and have everything go smoothly so far. It's just an adjustment that has its bumps. Clothing companies would make a killing in creating "transitional" clothing for pg ladies. Sure there's some stuff out there, but it's mainly pants/jeans. Find me a top/sweater that isn't full blown maternity and I'd go ape over that! Give me twenty!

sofa king

I love stumbling across new slang. The one I read today read: "sofa king stupid" (courtesy of wwdn-see links) I've been trying to figure out when/where I can use it. I don't know why I like it other than it makes me laugh a little.

Hope for the Best

All seems to be going well with Baby H. The ultrasound looked good and we got to see the baby move like a kung fu master at one point, it was hilarious. That being said, I am learning humility during this pregnancy. Not that I've been overly arrogant like "Look what I've done!" "Look how cute I am." blah, blah, blah. But after really good appointments, I do tend to get overconfident. As if I have any control over what happens with this pregnancy. So after the great ultrasound, started to feel real confident and within a few hours found that I was spotting. This can be common during pregnancy, but since I haven't had any - well, it freaked me out something fierce! And knocked me back down to reality! Let me say, everything is fine. Haven't spotted since that day, which is a relief. Just an example of how I'm learning to be humble in regards to this. It's not like I'm overly religious, but am just learning to respect the whole process A LOT MORE! This is not something I anticipated having to "learn". I've read articles about women summing up pregnancy in one word and they usually say: miracle, annoying, long - that kind of stuff. For me, I'm going back to humbling. If for no other reason than the fact that I have no control over how the pregnancy will progress. All I can do is eat the best that I can, get some exercise and hope for the best.

I am Kung Fu Master. I like to be in control of myself. I dislike crowds, especially crowds containing people trying to kill me. Even though I always win, I prefer to avoid fights if possible. What Video Game Character Are You? or I am Jetpac Man. I love the outdoors; the sense of freedom, of adventure. I love the sensation of free-fall, and would parachute and bungee jump on a moment's notice. I know where I want to be, and I strive to get there, making great effort to collect what I need. I let nothing stand in my way. What Video Game Character Are You? It's a toss up.

What the hell :)

I saw this listed on Nico's site and thought what the hell! :) I'm bored at work and had a few minutes so here goes: Accent: Midwestern. I don't hear it, but when I call someone on the coast, they can. Bra size: For now DD. Ask me again after baby's born! Chore I hate: Cleaning the bathrooms Dad's name: Michael Essential make-up: Lipstick Favorite perfume: Only J's. - Currently Ralph Lauren's Romance, but also Tommy T. Gold or Silver: Silver Hometown: Wichita, KS Interesting fact: That I don't have any.... Job title: Admin Asst. Now that's boring! LOL! Kids: One in progress. Boy - Cillian Lee / Girl - Evelyn Leigh (Can you guess, Lee/Leigh is a family name on J's side.) Living arrangements: 2 Bedroom apt Mom's Birthplace: No idea Number of apples eaten in last week: Zip Number of apples eaten in entire life? Maybe 20 Overnight hospital stays: None Phobia: Bugs! I hate them. Oh, and needles, but I hate bugs more. Question you ask yourself a lot: What the fuck?! Religious affiliation: Agnostic, but I attend Lutheran church w/J. What does that mean? No idea. A compromise, if you will. Plus, there are no true non denominational churches here. Siblings: None Time I wake up: 6:15am Unnatural hair color: In high school I dyed my bangs white and left the rest brown. Vegetable I refuse to eat: Okra. I've tried it and it's slimy! Worst habit: Being critical/over analytical. X-rays: Dentist, a chest x-ray to check everything out after quitting smoking. Yummy food I make: Macarroni and cheese. Zodiac sign: Scorpio

So Far So Good

Test results came back within normal range, so that's a relief. Now is the countdown until the u/s - 18 days to go. I'm very excited and hope Baby H cooperatives and shows us whether we should say he or she! It'll be nice to have "current" pics of baby too. The last time I saw baby was at almost 7 weeks. So much has changed, I can't wait to see! Sure there are websites that can show pictures of the development, etc. But I want to see my baby, not some image of what he/she should look like!

A Sigh of Relief (for now)

The appt. went well. Baby H's heartbeat was strong and in the 150's. Didn't take much time for the DR to find it either, which was a relief! Everything appears to be going well. Of course, I'm a glutton for punishment and decided to have the triple screen blood test done. It's not so much a diagnosis and just to determine the "risk factor" of the baby having spinal problems/Down Syndrome. My DR knows me well! She kept saying not to panic if the results come back abnormal and that the test just indicates if I would need more testing. I'm hoping that everything is normal. Even though she says not to panic, you know I will! At this point, we don't have reason to believe that there could be problems. No one on J's or my side of the family has had Downs or any other genetic problems. That's one good think in our favor. Plus, I've been taking vitamins w/folic acid for almost a year before getting pregnant and have continued taking the prenatals, so hopefully there shouldn't be any spinal concerns either. All we can do is wait and see. The results should be back in a week. 7 days and counting...........

Cautiously Optimistic

I have my next appt on Thursday. Hoping that baby is still growing strong. Hoping to hear the heartbeat. Scared. 2 people I know have miscarried and we were all very close in due dates - only about a week apart. It's hard to wait another day and a half. Part of me, wtf, most of me, wants to go the ER with some story that I've been cramping a lot and can we check on things. The other part of me knows not to tempt fate that way! Trying to be patient and optimistic, and it's a bitch!

Here's A Thought!

"I just have to share this again today because Im so freaking excited!! We told all of our parents (6 of them! LOL) that we are PG last night!! My mom must have called me back like 10 times to talk about stuff and to tell me she wants to be called Nana" Message Board Poster on 10/20/05 So that is how your mother is supposed to respond! Someone should tell that to mine. Mother-in-Law has called twice to "check up" on us and see how everything is going. MY MOTHER was "forced" to call me only because J called her and told her that she might want to show some interest in her only daughter and the pregnancy! For fucks sake, she was the one who was harassing J and I about having children and her wanting to be a grandparent only a few months ago! Shit, MIL has already asked where we're registered at and has told us that she'll be helping us buy the crib. What has my mother done? Jack shit! She only does stuff when her hand is forced and even then it's difficult. Ugh, I wish I had a magic answer to figure out what to do. I've tried the have a deep talk with her, one on one and all that crap! She puts up a wall and doesn't take it down. I keep hoping for some miracle change. I keep hoping that she'll blow all of my assumptions/opinions about her out of the water and prove me wrong. I keep hoping that she'll do more than feign interest in me. Sometimes I wonder why she even bothers? Why pretend to care if all you'd rather do is be off by yourself? That's the impression I get. Then I wonder why do I get so worked up by her?! If that's the way she wants to be, then let her. But why does it bother me soo much? Probably because she's my mother and I'd like to have a decent relationship with her like many other mother-daughters do. I guess it stems from me holding out hope that she'll prove me wrong and really be interested in my life. I guess I should put that hope to bed. She hasn't changed since I was a little girl so the chances of her doing something different now are, well...........I'm not going to hold my breath.

Guilty Pleasures

Sometimes I just want to surf the web and see what new gems I can find. Today it was Attorney Wrangler. After reading through a few posts, I was "hooked". I don't know what it is, but I'm collecting quite a list of sites/blogs that I have to check daily! Some people have to have a double espresso mocha everyday or have the sports ticker running on their PC at all times. Me, I have my own. I can't say what it is about them. Maybe it's just a way to escape from the ho-humness that creeps up during the day sometimes. I don't care. I like them and they're fun to read!

AAAHHH!

Thank god for having access to pc's elsewhere! Mine crashed a few weeks ago and I've been a "nomad" for a while! I must brag about TigerDirect! I ordered everything through them and built my new one in no time flat. That is, once I got everything. Their shipping is great, but when you want it all to come in one shipment to save $$ of cost, well it takes a little bit longer. All is better, though. My new one is better, faster, stronger.....LOL! It Rocks! I sound like a fucking commercial! HA! I don't care! I have my PC back! Now, I just need to get FrontPage and I'll be back in business for my websites. That and to attempt to find the email addresses that USED to be in my outlook. I should've printed the contact list out as a backup a while ago - oh well. Too late for that now. Upward and onward! It's Friday. It's Fall. It's cool enough (hell, 32 degrees!) to wear sweaters that cover my bloated belly pooch that has yet to develop into a preggo belly. Ugh, this has got to be right up there with being the worst point in being pregnant. I'm sure labor takes the cake, but this "in-between" period sucks! People can tell I've gained some weight, but I just look overly bloated and not pregnant! I hope I pop soon. I don't need the huge belly yet, but a little one would be nice so that people can tell I'm preggers not fat. All in due time I suppose. Not feeling so mean lately. Still emotional and I don't have as much of a thick skin as before but I'm hanging in there.

The Bean

Our Announcement to the parents & The bean in early September. Things are going well so far. J and I got to hear the heartbeat a week ago (11 weeks) which was a relief! I wish I could listen to it more often - it seems like a dream!