Jonah

This is Jonah:

Looks innocent enough, right? So cute, so fuzzy. So incredibly EVIL it's not even funny!

He got to go to the vet yesterday. Had to get a rabies shot. What a fiasco. He HATES strangers, so we knew it would be a disaster. We had booked Dr. Conley and my friend Lara the tech, because they are both familiar with him. Lara took the carrier to the back to get him out, in an effort to see if it would help to get him out not in our presence. She actually came back into the room CARRYING him in her arms (she did have one leather glove on), but we thought MAYBE he was going to behave (riiiiight). She got grips on him on the exam table (sans gloves!) and Dr. C got as far as looking in his ears before he freaked. And I mean, FREAKED. Started rolling like a crocodile, tried to eat Lara, jumped off the table and cowered under a chair. When Lara went to get him, he then pooped and peed ALL OVER himself. Eventually he was forced back onto the table (this time WITH gloves on), got his shot, got cleaned up as best they could do, and shoved back in the carrier. What a mess! When we got him home, I had to throw him in the tub and sponge him down (I didn't want to get him totally wet) as best we could to get the stink off. Disaster, I'm telling you. But, he has recovered just fine, and is street-legal, at least.

In other news, things are just peachy. It is pouring down rain (which we desperately need) and quite a miserable, stay-in-the-house kinda day. I need to do some housework, but am trying to work up the motivation. I go back to work on Wed, so I am praying that Gracie decides to make her debut before then, so I don't have to go back!!! I'm NOT looking forward to it.

I am doing SO much better pain-wise since I've been avoiding fat in my diet. It really helps, and I actually feel like a normal person most of the time! (well, a normal person who is carrying around a lead-filled basketball in her belly!) I've been sleeping ok, too! It's kinda hard to find stuff I want to eat still, but it is totally worth it.

35 weeks belly shot

Here is me today- I look a lot bigger in the pics than I feel.

Talk about sway-back! Good lord! I'm really glad that my lower back isn't sore (knock on wood). I don't know how the child fits in there- I guess that explains all the "re-positioning" that she does. Her little feet stay on the right side of my belly, up near my ribs- sometimes she rubs them up and down- like one of those massager chairs with the bars that roll up and down your back, you know? There are times that I can almost get ahold of one of her feet- it is very creepy!

We just got back from dinner. We had sushi from Kanki- we've eaten there a lot lately, because I can eat several things there (salad, soup and a couple of rolls that don't have raw stuff in them) and I enjoy it.

Ok, so... my birthday present. I got an iPhone!!!!! Holy crap! I NEVER expected to get one, and it is the BOMB. I love it. I don't have an iPod, so it was like getting one AND a new phone. I've had so much fun setting it up. It will be great for trips, and for taking pics of the baby. I love the web browsing and email capabilities. Here is a pic:

I am very excited about it. It is so something I don't really *need* at all, but very cool to have, and I will use all of its features regularly. One bad thing is I bought Randy a new phone for Christmas, because he had this cheapy, no features, no signal phone he got to replace his old one when the screen broke. So I got him a slightly more expensive one with some useful stuff, and it turns out he really wanted MY phone that I had been using. So we have an extra phone now. Oh well. I had no way to know what he had in mind. Good thing the one I got him wasn't all that expensive. We'll keep it for emergencies or when one breaks.

I will try to take some pics of the nursery later on- it isn't done, but the crib area is finished (except for the mobile). She really won't be in her room much for a while, so we'll just get it done a bit at a time.

Here's a gratuitous kitty shot, for your viewing pleasure:

30

That's Cam Ward's number. It is also, unfortunately as of today, my age. How did THAT happen? Yeah, ok, I know how it happened, but still... I don't FEEL 30, shouldn't that count for something???
I had an awesome Christmas and my birthday was even better. Randy does SUCH a great job making me feel special on my birthday, since it is a point of issue in my life. He wrapped my gift in BIRTHDAY paper (which is a requirement) and he catered to me all day- I'm not easy to cater to right now, mostly because of my dietary restrictions. He gave me an awesome gift (more about that later) and the sweetest card I've ever received. Even though this year's holiday season has been tough emotionally on me (which I'm trying not to think about), he has made me feel like the luckiest girl on the earth. I am forever grateful for that.
We went and got the nursery stuff from Babies R Us, today, and got it set up- pics later. I'll write some more later, I gotta go find something I want to eat, and CAN eat- good luck there, Sary... =)

Wishing you all a....

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Love,
Sara and Randy

DingDingDing- round 2 and counting...

I had another visit to the Dr.'s office yesterday morning, due to contractions. These were more painful (like bad cramps) than Monday's, and were about 6 minutes apart for a couple hours. So I called and they told me to come in. I'm still not dilated, and the Dr. basically said, yep, you're having contractions, you'll probably have them off and on and at some point they will start you dilating (and I'll know this because I will start wanting to choke the closest person to me from the pain!)... He said since I'm 34 weeks, they won't try to stop them and whenever Gracie wants to arrive, she is free to do so! So anytime now, really. I don' think it will be all that soon, but I don't think I'll make it to the end of January. Maybe it will be before the new year??

Preterm labor- round 1

Well. Got inducted into the "Welcome to Rex Hospital" club last night. It was scary.
I had been laying on the sofa watching TV, waiting for Randy to come home. I decided to go get the mail, and I made it halfway to the mailbox when I was hit with horrible pain in my left lower back. I though, hmm, maybe I got up wrong or something. I made it to the box and back in, and at that point I thought someone was trying to rip my kidney out through my skin- it HURT. I thought, great, my lovely kidney stone is acting up. So I went to the bathroom to see if I had blood in my pee, but no. So I hobbled to the couch and laid down, but that didn't offer a whole lot of relief. I laid there for a bit and finally managed to reach my phone on the coffee table to call Randy, who I told to please come home N.O.W. and I was almost in tears. I called the answering service of the Dr. and Randy got home before the Dr. called me back. Of course, I never got my Rx filled, so I had Randy on a narcotics hunt through the house (all he found was some pills from my LAST kidney stone issue that had expired last year). At this point I was in less pain as long as I was still. The Dr. called and after I explained everything she asked me how my uterus felt, and it was tender to the touch, so she sent me to L&D at the hospital and said she wanted me checked out and she'd see me there. I started drinking water in case it was my kidney stone.
On the way to the hospital, I realized that my back pain was coming and going- to the tune of every 7-8 minutes, and my left side in the front was now hurting. So we get to the hospital and they checked me in pretty quickly, and put me in a gown and bed in triage. They hooked me up to a monitor, made me pee in the cup, put in an IV and drew blood. At this point, I was pretty much a nervous wreck to the possibility that this was IT and I could be meeting my new daughter any time now. Randy was very good to me- poor guy, I know he was as freaked out as I was.
The monitor was showing that I was having contractions every 8 minutes or so, and at first they correlated to my back/side pain, but as I got fluids into me the pain eased off and the contractions were just uncomfortable. Randy had fun watching the monitor for when I would have one, and watching Gracie's heartbeat- he could tell when she was awake and moving around versus sound asleep. The nurse checked my cervix (boy was THAT fun) and I wasn't dilated. She said Dr. Homeister was on her way to check on several patients, but she had noticed my contractions and told the Dr. and they wanted them to stop, so she gave me a shot of Terbutaline, which made me very jittery, but seemed to work almost immediately to stop the contractions.
I finally saw Dr. Homeister (we'd been there for a couple hours- poor Randy was starving, but refused to get something to eat!) and at that point I was just sore in my back. I'd gotten a liter of fluids and my cervix hadn't dilated- but she said it was soft. She thinks I was just dehydrated, which put the kidney stone in action, which caused the contractions to start. So I got to come home with instructions to drink a lot and call if I started having contractions again. I was worn out at this point. Randy and I stopped and got dinner (I won't tell you where, but there weren't many places open at 11:00 at night!) and today I have a long list of stuff to do, after our little reality check last night. BTW, I am feeling better after a good sleep, I still feel some occasional contractions, but not much pain- nothing like that "kidney trying to escape" pain, anyway.
So today: the carseat goes in the car. My bag for the hospital gets packed. Shelby's bag gets packed for boarding (in case we need to board her). Our co-sleeper, (which Randy's folks very generously bought for us this weekend!!) is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow- that's about the last thing we really NEEDED in case we come home with an infant any day now. The nursery isn't done, but it can wait.
Hopefully I won't be making another appearance at Rex until a lot closer to my due date. At least I know what to expect now, huh?

The Verdict

Went to the Dr. today. The doc came in and did the usual poke, prod and listen bit, then asked if I had any concerns. I was like, uh, YEAH! Can I get my ultrasound results?? He had no idea what I was talking about, and I sure hate it when Dr.'s don't bother to review a chart before they see someone they've never seen before. So he had to go track down the report from the u/s place, but he told me all my bloodwork was normal. He finally got the report, and I evidently have multiple polyps in my gall bladder (as well as some insignificant stones in both kidneys). So the offending gall bladder will have to be removed at some point after Gracie is born. Evidently the difference b/t polyps and stones is that polyps are attached and stones are free-floating, but they cause the same problems. So, until I get around to having a lap choly done, I'm supposed to minimize symtoms (read: pain) by avoiding fatty foods. All of my favorite foods are fatty! I can't have MILK (I Love Milk!) among every other good-tasting food out there. Grrrrr. He also Rx'ed me some Lor-tabs for pain.
Other than that, the appt. went fine. I had to have MORE freakin' blood drawn for some state-required test. I had gained 2 pounds and am measuring right on track. I go back in 3 weeks.
Oh, I did get some results (I hope) from Babies R Us regarding the dresser- it should be on their delivery truck tomorrow. The manager had to get on the phone to the warehouse and basically DEMAND that they put one of 140-some dressers they have in the warehouse on the truck. So keep fingers crossed that it makes it here tomorrow!

Some updates

I had my abdominal ultrasound on Monday. It went fine- the girl was really nice and gave us a peek at Gracie at the end (even though she wasn't supposed to), but she was sound asleep- the most exciting thing she did was move her hand a bit! She is definitely a girl, though- we checked!
It was an uncomfortable ultrasound since all my organs are so squished in my ribcage. The tech wouldn't tell me anything she saw, but Randy and I both are pretty sure there are at least 3 stones in my gall bladder! Oh, joy. She also measured something in my left kidney (I couldn't see the screen when she did the right kidney, but there is a known stone in there), but I don't think kidney stones have caused my pain. I have an OB appt. tomorrow so I guess I'll find out what they want to do then.
I've got to go to Babies R Us and give them a hard time today about the dresser/changing table we ordered more than 3 WEEKS ago! It was supposed to be at the store in 7-14 days. I've been calling almost every day, and I want some answers, in person, today.
We've had a busy week- Christmas parties, Dr. appointments and such. We went last night to The Mixing Bowl and made us a BUNCH of dinners to have in the freezer for when Gracie arrives and we can't get out of the house as easily. We did all full sized meals (for 4-6 people) and split them up into Randy and Sara meals when we got home. We have at least 15 meals in the freezer, which is great!

Christmas tagged

OK, I didn't really get tagged, but Erika had this on her blog and I thought it was neat! Here goes:


1. wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper, but I will use gift bags for oddly shaped gifts. I keep all bags given to me and re-use the cute ones. I LOVE to wrap, and I have to have several kinds of papers that match.
2. real tree or artificial? real, but I'm not against fake just to avoid having to string the lights!
3. when do you put up the tree? round about the beginning of December. Don't have one this year- we have too much else going on!
4. when do you take the tree down? before the start of the new year, usually
5. do you like eggnog? yeah, it's ok.
6. favorite gift received as a child? I really have no idea!
7. do you have a nativity scene? no
8. hardest person to buy for? Randy
9. easiest person to buy for? Trish
10. worst present you ever received? one year my Pop got me a racetrack thing with those electronic cars that went around the track. It would have been cool if I wasn't about 11 years old, trying to be all grown up and girly for once. There's a picture of me when I opened it, and I couldn't even manage a polite smile...
11. mail or email Christmas cards? mail
12.favorite Christmas movie? Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas
13. when do you start shopping for Christmas? November-ish
14. have you ever recycled a Christmas present? probably
15. favorite thing to eat at Christmas? CANDY CANES!!!! especially spearmint ones, if I can find them!
16. clear lights or colored on the tree? clear
17. favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night, or most stuff by Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Manheim Steamroller and the entire Peanuts Christmas CD
18. travel at Christmas or stay home? don't travel too far, usually
19. can you name all of Santa's reindeers? yep!
20. angel on the tree top or a star? Star
21. open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning, but my Nanny always got me a new nightgown and I got to open that on Christmas Eve. Nowadays, Randy and I rarely wait until the big day- we start about a week before and open one present a day. We're horrible about waiting!
22. most annoying thing about this time of year? Crazy shoppers and when the stores/radio stations try to start Christmas way back in October. TOO EARLY!
23. what i love most about Christmas? giving gifts, decorating, time off work!

Hospital Tour

At childbirth class last night we got our tour of the birth center. Not really all we had expected, but we got to see the nursery and a labor/delivery room. The room was nice, but I really wanted to see a postpartum room, too. We then got to go up to the new wing and it is sooooo nice! Everything is bright and shiny. We only got to see the nursery up there, but we witnessed a PRICELESS moment. There was a set of twins (boy/girl) getting changed, dressed and weighed by 2 nurses. The one nurse was tending to the girl and another nurse undressed and undiapered the boy and carried him over to the scale. As soon as she set him down, he let loose with a FOUNTAIN of pee, and he was aimed RIGHT at the other nurse and his sister!!! He had GREAT aim, too- the nurse hollered and jumped to try to get out of the way, but she got wet and the sister got wet- it was HYSTERICAL! We couldn't have planned our visit for a better time.

Went to get checked out...

I went to the Dr. yesterday due to that stupid fairy still hanging around. I wanted to make sure Gracie was ok and to see if they could do anything to scare the SP fairy away. Gracie is fine, growing well. The Dr. thinks I just have a virus, but she did a bunch of bloodwork on me, and I had to do a poo specimen thing (OMG that was so gross!). She also is wondering if I have gall stones, or even kidney stones acting up, so she ordered an ultrasound!!!!!! YAY! A freebie! They are supposed to call me to schedule it soon. In the meantime I am taking Immodium (Commodium as Randy calls it!) and it helped yesterday, but today the dreaded fairy returned. At least I am off work (FINALLY TRACK-OUT!!) so that makes it easier to deal with.
We have our childbirth class tonight and we get the grand tour- that should be fun. Randy is out of town today and we're hoping he makes it back in time.
In other news, our dresser STILL has not come in- I talked to them yesterday and for some reason it is listed as "pending" in the order, and the manager is investigating it- she's supposed to let me know something by tomorrow. I am anxious- I want it to come soon!

Feeling better and new crib!

I am feeling better than I was, despite several visits from the speedy-poo fairy over the past few days. My spot on my ribs/skin is still really hurting- I'm going to try to get checked out next week, to rule out a gall bladder issue.
On a really happy note: our crib came today!!!!!! It was supposed to be delivered yesterday, but the FedEx guy came RIGHT before I got home. So it came today, and Randy got it all put together! No pics, yet- there's no mattress. The black looks GREAT in the room, and the crib itself is fantastic. Not too high for me, which rocks. I can't wait to get all the decor put together in there. Our dresser we ordered should be here any day.
Not much else going on- 2 MORE DAYS til track-out! And Monday is the baby shower at work, which will be fun.

More sick

Yeah, so now I'M sick. I was thinking yesterday afternoon that my digestive tract wasn't quite right, and I was proven right last night. I laid around on the bathroom floor for quite a while before I finally threw up. I HATE to throw up. I fight it, and make myself miserable, even though I know I'll feel better afterwards. I hadn't eaten anything since lunch and I'm surprised there was even anything in there, but, oh, was there. I stayed home from work today as my insides are still not right. I'm trying to drink a lot and eat some soup and see if it stays down. I guess I have a virus of some sort- one of the kids in my class puked in our reading center yesterday and got sent home, and we had another one out sick- I'm guessing that's it.
Plus, poor Randy is STILL harboring a fever, and I can't get him to stay home. He has a big bid due that has to get done. That's really his only symptom, except for a sore throat, which could be from his indigestion issues. I've been making him stay on Tylenol. I wish I knew WHY he was running a fever, but I'll never get him to go to the Dr.
I've got to feel better for tomorrow's field trip. Only 4 more days until track-out.

Sick

Poor Randy is sick! He was complaining of feeling cold all day, but he didn't seem warm to me until we got home from some light Christmas shopping. I felt his forehead later on, and he was burning up! He has a low-grade fever, and he said he was all achy. I made him take some Tylenol. He has since turned off the space heater that was aimed right at him, and taken off his sweater, so I assume the Tylenol is working for now. I DO NOT want to get a fever. I am in enough pain as it is, and I don't handle fevers well. The spot on my ribs has been burning all day- its weird, because there is actually a spot (about the size of a quarter) on my skin that is numb/prickly right there- almost like I had sunburn in that one spot! Very strange.
Gracie has had the hiccups off and on ALL DAY! And when she's not hiccupping, she's kicking me like a pro soccer player! I told Randy earlier that sometimes it feels like I have one of those weasel-on-a-ball things that rolls around inside me. Except a really heavy one!
Other than that, not much else going on. I am sad that the long weekend is over, but I only have 7 more days of work until track-out- woohoo! Thursday we are going on a field trip, which I KNOW will wear me out- we're going to the science museum, which I typically like, but the crazies in my class will be hard to keep up with, for sure.
Wish me luck for these last few days of work...

30 week belly shots

Not many more of these to go!

Looks like Shelby's not so sure about that belly... I'm not either, to tell the truth. Doesn't seem like it can get much bigger, but I know it will! I'm running out of different colored tanktops that still fit over it to take these pics in! I have a system in choosing colors (for my scrapbook).

We had a good turkey day- not as hectic this year as it usually is. Looking forward to 3 more days off work.

I guess I can reveal my preggo friends officially now, as all families should have been informed: Sherry and Kelly are the newest members of the mommy-to-be club! We are all entering into this newest phase of life at the same damn time, and that is very cool.

Not much else going on- my Dr. appt on Wed. went fine- I swear, one of these days I will walk in there and NOT get my finger pricked- I bitch about it to the nurse everytime- they don't even smile apologetically at me anymore! I am now taking Zantac for heartburn, and it seems to help. I was going through the Rolaids like they were candy...

I got all the 0-3 month baby clothes and stuff washed and folded, and we ordered the dresser/changing table and crib finally! We start birthing classes next Thursday- should be loads of fun. I'm looking forward to the baby care aspect (lord knows I need it!) and the hospital tour. I'm hoping they give lots of tips on how to know you are in labor- that's my main fear right now, is that I'm going to ignore contractions or think they're nothing ("it can't REALLY be time, right?") and not get to the hospital in time for an epidural. Can't miss THAT! Or else I have a bunch of false alarms and wasted trips to the hospital. I need a little built-in button that pops up when real labor sets in, and it needs a timer to tell me when to head out the door for Rex Hospital... wouldn't that be nice?

O. M. G.

I had the surprise of my life yesterday, compliments of some very caring (and extremely sneaky) friends, and my hubby. Sherry organized a SURPRISE BABY SHOWER for me! And I honestly had no idea about it. I am very hard to surprise- I snoop and pay attention to things so I usually find out if someone is planning a surprise for me. NOT this time. I have never been so shocked in my life to walk into Sherry's house and see ALL of my close friends under one roof. I couldn't decide whether to turn and run or stand there and cry. I ended up crying!
So many people were there, and it required a huge undertaking of getting everyone together- Randy had to break into my email and go through my cell phone and a lot of networking of people went on. There were my friends from high school, work, relatives, social hour (craft night), and Grant's parents were there, too! I will post some pics as soon as I get them downloaded.
And these are all the most generous people on the face of the earth! They cleaned out our registries and there was so much cute stuff. We got so much incredible stuff for Gracie. This child is going to be spoiled ROTTEN- hell, she already is! It took me forever to organize and put it all away last night.
I have to send shout-outs to everyone that attended (and those that couldn't but wanted to be there), and special shout-out huge THANK YOUs to Sherry for putting it all together, Kelly for the favors and an incredible diaper cake (and driving to Raleigh AGAIN), Diane and Harmony for helping Sherry host, and Randy for facilitating and doing a great job of keeping the secret. I have never been so touched and grateful to have such incredible people in my life. I am a seriously lucky girl, as is baby Gracie. =)

Progesterone in the air

Randy and I have decided that we know WAY too many people who are expecting children (or have recently had a baby)!!! We keep finding out left and right about people getting pregnant. The most recent one is one I am VERY excited about, but once again, I must keep a secret for a bit. That's the thing about already being pregnant- you get to be one of the first people to find out when your friends/coworkers are preggo- but then you gotta keep a secret! We've got lots of baby gifts to buy in the coming months- yay! I love baby shopping. And just when Gracie is getting big and out of the newborn stage, I'll have plenty of friends' newbies to cuddle.
I think we are going to Babies R Us today to buy a crib and dresser. We got some really good coupons in the mail and we need to take advantage.
9 days until track out. Woohoo!

Gracie

I will now post the official (until-we-change-our-mind-again) decision on the baby's name:

Savannah Gracelyn

and we are going to call her Gracie. We think. We're 95% sure.
So far, everyone we've told has loved the name, and I already have several co-workers that call her Gracie. It just sounds right. We went back and forth several times about using a nickname for her middle name as what she will go by. But this way, she will have a bit of a choice about what name she likes to be called, and it can change as she gets older and grows out of Gracie.
Savannah is important to us because we went on a trip to Savannah, Georgia when we got engaged (even though Randy actually proposed in Charleston, SC). And Randy found Gracelyn on a baby-name website, and we both really liked it.
Not too much else going on. I'm still in considerable pain by the end of the workday. I got totally fed up and angry at my bed/pillows last night. I know I drove poor Randy crazy, huffing and puffing and sighing and carrying on. I could NOT get comfortable, and my heartburn was miserable and to top it off, I couldn't breathe through my nose! Let's hope for a better night tonight.
We're going to a Hurricanes game Saturday- we got an offer for half-price tickets, so Kelly and Jon and us splurged on really nice seats. I'm looking forward to it. I loves me some hockey! I just hope they play better than they have tonight- they are losing 1-5 right now!
Oh, I guess I can announce that one of my friends who is pregnant is Lindsay!! Most people at work know by now. She is due May 30. I am so excited for her!
The people I work with are doing a shower for me and 2 other preggos at the beginning of December- I am looking forward to it, and am so grateful to work with such great peeps, as this is probably the only shower I will have.
That's it for now. 11 days until track-out!!!!

525,600 minutes

525,600 moments so dear
525,600 minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?

Yep- I saw Rent last night. It was my third time. Randy surprised me with tickets (excellent ones at that). He knew I wanted to go, but I wasn't sure I'd be able to sit through it because of my back pain. But he took a chance, and I am SO glad he did! I loaded up on Tylenol before we went, and that helped. I wasn't insanely comfortable, but I enjoyed it so much that it didn't matter!
I LOVE that show. Adore it. Will be singing the songs for the next month. Will go see it again anytime it comes around here. There is something about it that just makes you think about your life, and makes you realize how precious and real life is. The music is incredible, and the show is funny, touching and so well done.
The baby seemed to enjoy it. She squirmed around the entire time, and the louder the music got, the more she moved.
The role of Collins was played by Anwar Robinson, who was on American Idol a few seasons ago- he was the music teacher that probably should have won. Sorta glad he didn't, because he seems to have found a place in musical theatre- he was awesome! I didn't like the actor who played Angel as much as the one the last time I saw the show, though the crowd seemed to love him/her. You could tell that most of the people there had seen it before. If YOU haven't seen it, you need to.
Anyway, that was my exciting night on the town. Not much going on it other news. We're having a big drama at work over changes that they want to make to the schedule. In the middle of the year. Big changes. And several people, me included, may not go back if they don't consider everyone's point of view and the roles we all play in their scenario.
We got the nursery painted. We have a bit of touch up to do, that may or may not eventually get done. Now, furniture. Seriously.

Tidbits

Let's see, what's been going on...
We started finishing the nursery paint today- we got the white paint to do the area under the chair rail- yeah, we copped out of the wainscotting. Oh well. We've done one coat, and it is looking really good. I think the black furniture will be perfect with the bee theme. Now, we just need to DECIDE on and ORDER the furnitre.
I got the loft cleaned out, and the nursery closet. All our tubs of stuff have been moved to the closet in the other bedroom or the attic, except for a few. I am tired. I think I hyper-extended my elbow in my carrying of stuff around, and it is sore!
My back/rib pain has reached unbearable limits. I even called the Dr. yesterday- they basically told me to deal with it. Gee, thanks. I'm ok as long as I am walking around, but I can't walk around all the time- by the end of the day I just want to sit, but I have to lay down to lessen the pain. Makes it hard to eat in the evening (which is bad because I haven't gained the weight the Dr. wanted me to gain- I'm gonna get fussed at at my next appt.). We went to a basketball game the other night and I stood up for most of it. I'm going to a play with my class on Monday, and I'm afraid I'm going to hurt since I have to sit for over an hour. I can't drive/ride in the car for long periods. I want to go see Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Hurricanes games and Rent, but I know I won't make it through the performances. It gets so bad at times that I'm almost in tears!
On the brighter side, the youngun gets the hiccups now! Very cute. And she is moving around more- for a few weeks she wasn't tumbling around in there as much, but now she is all over the place. It is very reassuring. I get worried if she hasn't moved in a while.
We have about 18 schools days until track-out. YEAH!
The weather has finally turned cooler, which is nice. And we get an extra hour of sleep tonight.
I had to go buy a new bra. Let me tell you, if you've never gone to Vicky's Secret and had a professional fitting, DO IT!!! The girl was SO nice and helpful. I needed one without underwire, which was just irritating my ribs situation. I am evidently hard to fit because I am so petite. I really needed a 34 DD (ACK- where did THAT come from?!!!!!) but had to go with just a D because the DD didn't fit my narrow shoulders. I tell you, it is so worth it to me to spend a small fortune on good underwears.
That's about it for now. Shelly had her baby- boy is he cute! I am getting really excited about meeting our kiddo, but I think I'll miss being pregnant- maybe that's why they make the last trimester so hard, so you'll want the kid OUT of you!

I've been tagged!

My friend Erika tagged me for these random questions--

Shelly posted these on My Space, and she is overdue for having her baby so let's all do the baby dance for her to get Gabe outta there!!

1. Are you taller than your best friend? There are very few people that I am taller than who are over the age of about 8.

2. Do you have a favorite type of pen? yep- they are made by Bic and are clicky-pens, but I can't remember what they are called...

3. Look at your planner for October 28, what are you doing? I don't have a planner except for my desk calendar at work, and because it is a weekend day, it is probably blank. I guess I'm doing nothing!!

4. What color are your toenails usually? some variety of pink- right now they are naked (NO!) because I can't really reach them to re-paint.

5. What was the last thing you highlighted? Some kind of important info on a note I sent home to a parent of a kid in my class. Not that they will read it anyway...

6. What color are the curtains in your bedroom? a very bright turquoise

7. What color are the seats in your car? gray/black

8. Have you ever had a black and white cat? yes, my P-cat (Porsche) RIP and currently Sophie

9. What is the last thing you put a stamp on? I sent a card in the mail

10. Do you know anyone who lives in Wyoming? Nope

11. Why did you withdraw cash from the ATM the last time? I NEVER get cash- I steal it from Randy =)

12. Who is the last baby that you held? a precious preemie that belonged to the mom of a kid in my class last year- she was SO tiny!

13. Can you spell well? yes

14. Do you like Cinnamon toothpaste? Can't say I've ever tried it

15. What kind of car were you driving 2 years ago? a green Nissan Xterra

16. Pick one: Miami Hurricanes or Florida Gators? I guess the Hurricanes

17. Last time you went to Six Flags? last year, to the one in Atlanta

18. Which show currently making new episodes should be cancelled? Survivor

19. Closest thing to you that is yellow? Some fleece material

20. Last person you gave a business card? I don't have business cards

21. Who is the last person you wrote a check to? Rex Hospital for birthing classes

22. Closest framed picture to you? one of Noah when he was little

23. Last time you had someone cook for you? Does restaurant staff count? If so, last night.

24. Have you ever applied for welfare? no

25. How many emails do you get in your inbox daily (excluding spam)? home- 10 or so, at work, 12-15

26. Last time you received flowers? for my anniversary from Randy

27. What is the weather like? coolish, clear

28. Do you play air guitar? Not really

29. Has anyone ever proposed to you? yes, 2 people

30. Do you take anything in your coffee? Splenda and creamer

31. Do you have any Willow Tree figurines? believe it or not, no

32. What is/was your high school's mascot? Hornet

33. Last person you spoke to from high school? Erika via email

34. How often do you use hand sanitizer? rarely

35. Would you like to learn to play the drums? nah, there's other things I'd rather learn first

36. What color are the blinds in your living room? white

37. Is you furniture cloth or leather? cloth- denim, actually

38. Last thing you read in the newspaper? some advice column from the Life section

39. What was the last pageant you attended? never been, never will

40. What is the last place you bought pizza from? I JUST placed an order from Papa John's

41. Have you ever worn a crown?sure, from the Burger King!!

42. What is the last thing you stapled? homework packets at work

43. Did you ever drink clear Pepsi? I LOVED Pepsi Clear!!

44. Are you ticklish? in some places

45. Last time you saw fireworks? 4th of July this year

46. Last time you had a Krispy Kreme doughnut? I don't remember

47. Who is the last person that left you a message & you actually returned? probably Sherry or Katie

48. Has your mailbox ever been full? my email box? at work, yes. My real mailbox, no.

49. Do you have a black dog? As a matter of fact I DO!

50. Can you give one reason why David Caruso is allowed to keep acting? I don't know who that is.

51. Are you an aunt or uncle? not yet

52. Who has the prettiest eyes that you know of? human- Randy, pet- Jonah

53. Last time you saw a semi truck? on Mythbusters today.

54. Do you think people lie on these surveys? probably not the people that I know

55. What is something you know you need to do, but you keep making excuses? decide on
nursery furniture and ORDER it, and get busy painting the bottom walls of the nursery, and make an official decision on our daughter's NAME

That was a fun bit of copying, pasting and reformatting.

The belly groweth

By request, the obligatory belly shots: 26 weeks

I swear the bottom one is NOT photoshopped- there are NO stretch marks yet!! You can see every vein there is, which is quite attractive. My bump is growing nicely. People tell me how cute it is. I've only gained 9 pounds, and my doc wants me to make sure I gain a pound a week from here on out, which puts me at a total gain of about 25 pounds. I've had people at work tell me they couldn't even tell that I'm pregnant, and I'm like, WHAT? I feel like I look pretty big, but maybe it depends on what I wear.

At my last appointment, my hemoglobin was pretty low, so I am supposed to be on a high-iron diet and taking supplements. I'm supposed to eat beef and chicken, and stuff like broccoli, baked potatoes, raisins, and several more things I can't remember. I have a list. I've been trying.

My newest complaint is quite possibly the worst so far- I get these horrible pains in my rib cage and back, on my right side. The doc said it was just organs and baby moving around in there, but by the end of the day, I am pretty painful. I feels like someone has stuck a knife in my back. I can get it to go away by laying down a certain way, but sitting up is the worst. It gets bad right after I eat, too.

I'm happy to report that I am sleeping better, though. She get so active right when I go to bed, and when I wake up in the night. I'm getting good about sleeping through it.

I'm also happy to report that I have several close friends who have recently found out they are pregnant too!! I can't say who yet, but it is so neat to have other people going through this at the same time as me. I've learned a lot, and am glad I can share my knowledge with my buddies now.

I talked to the AP at my school about my maternity leave, and I swear, as long as she comes close to on time, I could not have it any better. I plan to come back after December track out at the first of January and work about 3 weeks. I'll start my leave a week before she's due, and I'll have 6 weeks off, then I'll be on track out for 3 weeks, so I really get 9 weeks for the price of 6! I should have plenty of days to cover me while I'm out, and have some left over.

On a different note, we've finally gotten some rain around here! It's bizarre to see rain after so long without it- my kiddos were glued to the windows, like it was snow!

That's all for now- I'll try to update more often as I enter trimester 3!

Templeton returns from the fair

Oh, lord in heaven I did some damage at the fair this afternoon! I woke up with a tummyache, too, and was afraid the trip would have to be postponed. But I felt better later in the day, and managed to eat myself into oblivion at the fair.
I ate roasted corn, fried pickles, a curry chicken wrap, sweet potato ribbon fries (they were cold), and a bite of a fried oreo. I also had an orangeade. I would have liked to have had a fried Reese cup and/or friend PB&J, but I just couldn't do it! We did bring home some candy apples, and the one I had was good, but the candy part was really crunchy and hurt my teeth.
I am going to pay big time to the heartburn gods tonight. Oh well. They should start offering friend Mylanta or fried Tums at the fair. Yummmmm. Or they could top your funnel cake with Pepto. Ha!

Hard to believe

It is hard to believe that in 2 weeks I will be finished with 6 months of pregnancy! People have really started asking me how far along I am, and when I tell them, they all comment on how small I am. I guess that's good for now, because I'm sure I'll get tired of all the "whoa, you're HUGE" comments that I'm sure to get in a few months!
We went to Greensboro this weekend for a reunion picnic, which was cool. Almost everyone there had kids or one on the way. I guess I'm at that age. Then we carried on to Winston-Salem for a wedding, and it was very nice. I did find out that I can't take riding in the car that long. We were planning to go to Cullowhee to see Matt Williams at the end of the month, but we're not gonna go, because I know I will not be able to take the long car ride. I just can't get comfortable. We're also supposed to go to Busch Gardens for Howl-o-Scream weekend after next, and I'm not looking forward to that car ride. I might do better if I drive some of the way. It is going to be hard to be there and not be able to ride the good rides! I do plan on planting myself of the swings, however, as that's one of the few things I can ride. And I can do some of the Halloween attractions, at least.
This weekend is the State Fair. Woohoo! I plan to make Templeton look like an anorexic after I get done eating my way from one end to the other. It is actually supposed to be decent weather, which will be nice for a change. It was over 90 degrees today!!!
The youngun has been moving around all over the place recently. I can watch my belly and see her movements, which is very cool. I think I'm having Braxton-Hicks contractions every now and then, too. I go next week for my ultra-fun glucose screening- blech. I just hope I pass it!

Back to the grindstone

I have had to work the past 4 days. What was I thinking??? I agreed to fill in for a couple people, which is good because they will work for me later on, but it was not fun being at work when I really didn't have to be. Ungh. And I had to go on a field trip that required hiking in the woods- one of the chaperones was also pregnant (though a lot further along than me) so we suffered through it together. I have been SOOO tired. I've been able to sleep a bit better, though, which helps.
We started painting the nursery last weekend- we got the no VOC paint so I could help. The nursery has a chair rail, and above the rail we're painting a buttery yellow. Below we will put up wainscoting eventually- we'll have to get Randy's dad to help us with that.
We also went to try to decide on some furniture. I've found a cabinet/dresser that we can use for a changing table online, and a crib- but we can't find a floor model of the crib anywhere! I need to see it in person before we decide- especially because of my height. I want to keep the nursery sort of minimalist, even though the room is huge.
Not much else is going on. I go back to work for real on Monday. Still no name picked out yet. I feel her move all the time when I'm relatively still, and she loves to do headstands on my bladder- I need a name so I know what to call her when I fuss at her to stop poking my internal organs! =)

I am a lazy bum

Yeah. I am. I've been tracked-out for the past week and 2 days, and have enjoyed every bit of it. Today I haven't even gotten out of my jammies. I have a headache, because I forgot to drink my little Pepsi at lunch, so now I'm getting the caffeine, but it hasn't helped yet.

A few things:
*My neck muscles are so tight! I'm having this weird yawning/neck pain thing. I'll get this cramp in my neck and it causes a yawn which sets off a whole string of yawns. I can tell it is muscle related. Randy has been good about rubbing my neck (with some IcyHot sometimes) and I am using a different pillow which helps some. I need a professional massage.
*I HATE sleeping on my side. I usually wake up on my back, and as long as I'm not uncomfortable, I go right back to sleep that way, even though I'm not supposed to. At this point I can still sort sleep on my stomach if I hike my leg up to my chest. But my arms end up asleep under my pillow then, because my pillow is so fat to help support my big noggin when I sleep on my side like I'm supposed to.
*I am already feeling like I have a hard time moving around- especially getting up off the bed, rolling over in bed and getting up off the couch. (yeah, I know, if I got my fat butt OFF the couch and stayed up I wouldn't have to worry about that...) I don't feel too off balance yet. I know not working isn't helping either, because I move around so much at work. I am working this Friday, then next Mon-Wed, to fill in for a couple people. That should help with the mobility.
*Randy and I took an impromptu trip at the end of last week. We went to GSO to see Kelly and Jon on Thursday, and to pick up a rocking chair. It was so good to see Kelly (and Jon). I miss them. I wish they would move up this way- we seem to have a lot in common these days as couples, which makes spending time with them very relaxing. Then we were going to go to the zoo in Asheboro, but it was supposed to rain, so we ended up in Charlotte. We stayed at a really nice downtown hotel and did a lot of walking around (I was wiped out!). Downtown is really nice. We also went to Concord Mills Mall- that place is HUGE!
*We think we have registered for most of the stuff we need. We did Target and BabiesRUs. Now we have to find furniture. I really want to do black furniture, because it will go so well with the bee theme. My problem is my height. I haven't found any cribs that I am comfortable reaching into. I don't want one with sides that drop (they seem flimsy) and I don't want to use a stepstool (that seems unsafe with a baby in my arms). So basically, I want too much. I also don't want to spend a fortune. I just want a sleigh crib (though I'll settle for a non-sleigh) that converts into a big-kid bed, and a dresser/changing table. That's it. I'd like an upholstered glider, but I can do without if need be.
*I need to register for childbirth classes. I really don't want to . Either does Randy. I am convinced I'll have to have a c-section anyway, so why bother? I guess it is a good idea to do it, I just need my heart to be into it more.
*Still no decision on a name. We had a hard time picking out baby stuff- how are we supposed to pick a NAME that this child will use for the rest of her life?????? I think neither of us wants to commit to any of the names we have on our list. We don't want to make the wrong decision.
*I still haven't gained much weight. I'm up about 3 pounds from where I was before I got pregnant. I seem to be doing ok and I'm eating ok. I probably shouldn't worry- I'll end up ballooning in the next few months and will regret ever wishing I had gained weight!!! =)

Ok, that's about enough for now. I suppose I ought to go get dressed, huh?

Finally the pics!!

Here they are! This is the best quality I could get with my scanner- maybe I should have paid the $40 at the Dr.'s to get them on disk!

This is the best, of course! I love to look at this one! The whole time she had her hand over her face- the tech was fast and got this shot when she finally moved. This is her profile, as if she is looking left- you can see her little nose and lips!!! Squeeeeee! You can also see her arm where she had it up then moved it across her neck.

This is the indecent shot of her girl parts. It's as if she were standing up and then bent over to touch her toes and the pic was snapped. One leg (her left) extends down, and she has the other one bent. I don't know what the white blob in the middle is.

Footprint!!!

That's an arm- looks a bit disembodied... Looks like her fingers are curled into a fist.

And the creepy spine shot:

Randy and I went to start a registry yesterday. I wanted to get some decisions made so maybe I can start painting the nursery while I'm tracked out the next few weeks. (I know I'm not supposed to paint, but Sherwin Williams sells a kind of paint that lacks the chemical that I'm supposed to avoid, so I can use it if the room is well ventilated.) We decided on the Honey Bee set, and bought a pillow from it to match paint with. I think we're going to go with yellow as the wall color. Randy had fun with the scanner gun- we only got about a third of the stuff done- it took forever to make decisions, and we got tired. We got a lot of big ticket stuff done- stroller and car seat (which I LOVE!). We have a lot more to do, but we'll get it done eventually!

Pepto Bismol!

"The sanctuary looked like it had been hosed down in Pepto-Bismol!"

So did my desk at work on Thursday! LOL. I was inundated with pink stuff from my coworkers. They are so incredibly generous, and I am very lucky to have them as friends. This little girl is going to be sooooooo spoiled by them, it won't even be funny!
I still haven't gotten a good pic of the ultrasound photos. I need to get the scanner out and scan them in- maybe later this weekend. The 4D pic is so neat!
Randy and I have been going through internet name sites (something I thought I'd never do!) and making a spreadsheet (Randy's idea, of course) of names that are possibilities. So far on the list are: Meygan (not sure how we like it spelled best), Savannah, Gracie, Gracelyn, and Arianna. We haven't even started on middle names... We still have the end of the alphabet to browse through. I really want to get a name chosen so I can start calling her by it and make sure it's what we want. It seems like SUCH an important decision- so many factors to consider.
I've done a little shopping for her- I am excited about registering for stuff, too! This kid is going to have so many clothes. Probably more than Randy and I combined!!!!

It's a GIRL!

We found out today, without a doubt, that the baby is a girl! Everything looked good at the ultrasound (I will try to post pics later). We are excited, but we need help! We didn't have a girl name picked out, and there aren't any we can come up with so far. So send us your name suggestions, please!!! I gotta go to bed, but I'll write more tomorrow.

Counting down...

So, on Wednesday, we go for THE ultrasound. The one at which the sex of the kiddo shall (hopefully) be revealed. I can't wait! I am so excited. I will be sure to post as soon as I get home. I hope everything else goes well, too, of course.

Things are going ok recently. I've had some emotional trauma that doesn't really have anything to do with the pregnancy, but I've tried to keep my emotions under control so as not to get worked up. I'm starting to show a lot more these days, but I still haven't gained any weight. I probably shouldn't complain.

I am still ready for fall. I track out at the end of this week, and am really looking forward to a 3 week break. I know I'll be ready to go back at the end of 3 weeks, but it will be nice to relax for a while. Maybe get some baby shopping done.

Here's a recent belly shot- it is so hard to get a decent pic of me!!! Especially planned ones. :P

Minor hysteria...

I had a bit of a conniption fit a bit ago. It involved my belly button. I hate the things. That commercial a few years ago with the belly buttons singing "I'm Coming Out" was the worst commercial ever conceived. So- I was standing in the kitchen putting our new juicer together and absently rubbing my belly, when I noticed my belly button. I usually pay it no attention, except for the other day when I realized it had a weird indentation forming in it. But I noticed it tonight because.... IT IS STARTING TO POKE OUT!!! NOOOOOO!!!!!! Not yet! This cannot be happening. I figured I had until at least 7 months before I had to worry about it. But it is definitely on it's way out of the hole it lives in, and I freaked out. I was crying and laughing and screaming- Randy thought I was crazy. He has been teasing me mercilessly about it, and now it can only get worse. Ew. I am NOT happy about this. Gross, gross, gross!!!

Hormones...

I've been having some conflicting thoughts lately. Mainly fleeting ones, at that, but conflicting none the less. One moment I'll look at my belly (which for now I wish was larger but I know in a few months I'll want to shoot myself for EVER thinking I wanted it larger) and be so excited and happy about being pregnant. Then, a moment later, I'll think, "What in the hell is wrong with me?? Why did I ever want to be pregnant, and put my body through this, and what am I gonna look like and feel like in 4 months or so? Can I take it back?" Then, it's almost like I come back to my senses and wonder why I just thought those things. And I'll start thinking about finding out the sex (3 weeks to go!) and holding the little newborn and introducing him/her to everyone and everything else and I'm back to excited mode. I guess this is normal? I've heard the hormones are crazy and I haven't had any major crying episodes or anything (except for OnStar commercials for some reason) so I guess if this is how they are going to affect me I should just be grateful and get used to it.
That said, besides some headaches lately, I'm doing fine. I get a pain in my lower back if I sit on a hard surface for too long, and sleeping is getting interesting now. And if the peeing every 5 minutes doesn't stop soon I'm going to go insane! Sorry. A few gripes.
I got my hair cut and colored this weekend. It looks SO much better. I went to a real salon and it was totally worth it- the girl did a great job. So, a shoutout to Rose at The Spa by Mitchell's. I actually look older now, so maybe people won't see me in Wal-mart and wonder why a 14 year old is pregnant. Let's hope, anyway. =)

Woosh, woosh, woosh...

I had a Dr. appt. today, and we got to hear the heartbeat!!! It was really neat- she found it almost immediately and I was amazed at how well you could hear it- the little bean is only about 4 inches long, after all! The rate was around 150 bpm, which is good. That was basically the entire appointment, then I had blood drawn for the quad screen, which is weird to me, because all it tells you is the odds of having a chromosome issue- I guess it can help ease fears, but it can also make them worse if the result comes back that the odds are worse. Nothing definite, which really, nothing is until the kid is born.

I have my big ultrasound appointment in 4 weeks- Sept. 5th. I am VERY excited and can't wait to find out the sex- I sure hope kiddo is in the right position- that would be agony if not!

I haven't gained any weight. I am back up to my starting weight after losing several pounds. My belly is expanding and STILL invading my bladder's space, but no weight gain, which I guess is good.

It is hotter than HELL here this week- it was 103 today with a heat index of 114- and the humidity didn't even get over 40%- I guess it could be worse. Carpool has been horrible, and the people I work with are making me stay inside, which makes me feel worse for them, 'cause I can take the heat if I have to, but they won't let me. We can't take the kids out to recess so they are off the wall. I have NEVER looked more forward to fall than I do this year. I keep having these thoughts of crisp air, changing leaves, breezes coming through open windows, wearing long sleeves, the state fair (mmmmm... fair food....) and they are like mirages- I SO long for those things right now- maybe hormones acting up? I hope we have a long fall and mild winter. I'm afraid we'll be bringing the baby home from the hospital in an ice storm or something! I was brought home during an ice storm in 1978 and the power was out, so they used hot Coke bottles in my bassinet to keep me warm. I'd probably use warm kitties to keep the baby warm!=)
I had a whole rant about baby stuff written, then the internetz messed up and it got erased, so I'll save it for another post. At least the cable guy came and fixed the modem...

A gratuitous belly shot

Or lack thereof. This is me at 13 weeks:

Out of the first trimester- YAY!

I am now almost out of trimester 1, and I could not be happier about it. I have been feeling much better this past week, and have been able to eat more and actually gain a tiny bit of weight instead of losing it. I'm also starting to show (at least to other people and not just me!) and I've had a couple people touch my barely-there belly. It didn't bother me the way I thought it would, either. Granted, they were people I knew, but anyway...
I've got to get my house cleaned up this weekend. I am DONE WITH CLASSES, hopefully forever, so I should have so actual free time now. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself.
I also finished HP, in a record 8 hours. All I will say is that it turned out the way it should have. I am sad that there will be no more, but at least there are 2 more films to see.
I think I have come close to deciding on a decor for the nursery. I had said that I was going to do dragonflies, and despite the selection you can find on the internet, there just haven't been any that I've really loved. So I saw this at BabiesRUs, and I really like it! It is simple, which is what I want, and doesn't have any silly, busy patterns and isn't too cartoony or anything. It looks really good on a black crib, too, which I wouldn't have thought I'd like, but may be a possibility. My problem is going to be finding a crib that I can easily reach into, since I'm so freakin' short. I'd rather not have one that has a side that lowers, because they seem to be a pain to lower, but I may have to. Here's the link to the little bee bedding that I like- the mobile is absolutely adorable!!! http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2266594&cp=2255986.2256244.2256251.2256261&view=all&parentPage=family

It's Harry Potter Day!

Yay! I leave in a few minutes for Target to get my book. Then I will spend the rest of the day reading- so that I can get schoolwork done tomorrow. I am excited and sad at the same time. No more HP after this... =(
I am feeling much better. This was a very short-lived cold, which I am quite thankful for.
We went to Babies R Us last night just to look around. They have SOOOOOO much freakin' baby stuff! It is overwhelming. I'll never be able to decide what I want. I feel like there's so much research you have to do on safety of stuff and whatnot. Can't I just pick the stuff that looks good?
So, I gotta go get a Hogwarts fix. Yay!

As I crest over the top of Millenium Force...

310 feet above the ground, prepared to drop and "Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" Back down the roller coaster hill. Unfortunately, in my world of the roller coaster metaphor to pregnancy, the ride is not so enjoyable as it is in real life. (Boy do I miss being able to ride coasters.)
I have a head cold. Like, snot out the wazoo, sinus headache, lightheaded, can't breathe misery. I didn't think I would make it through work today. As the day went on I felt a bit better, but I crashed in the bed when I got home. I can't really take anything good for it, either. I need to do some work, especially since the last HP book comes out this weekend, and I know I'll be reading until I finish it once I get it. I just can't get motivated.
On a HP note, I have seen the new movie twice already. Randy took me to see it opening day, then we went with Grant and Sherry this weekend. It was good. Umbridge is incredible, and the Luna Lovegood character was great, too. I don't like that they had to cut so much out- I would rather had to sit through 3-4 hours if I had to, just to get more in. Anyway, go see it. That's a direct order.
My 2 year anniversary is Wednesday! I totally forgot it was coming up until this past weekend- Randy has made surprise dinner reservations for us! Looking forward to that! I sure hope I feel better...

Feeling a bit better!

The past few days I have been doing better on the coaster of queasiness! I've still had a few moments, but I think I've been able to eat more, which I needed to do. However, I have a little boy in my new class who BATHES in Polo cologne each morning. Or at least the past 2 mornings- he was ok today. So whenever he would walk by me, I would immediately turn a sad shade of green- he's lucky he didn't get puked on! Maybe it was just a "first days of school" thing. 'Cause if it continues, I'm gonna have to say something to him. I just can't handle that.
I also seem to have a belly that has popped out overnight! I need to get Randy to take a picture to start a belly archive. Maybe since I'm eating better I'll gain some weight back that I lost.
I'm still really tired, though today was better. I went to bed Monday evening at 8:00, when the sun was still up! I have 5 more days of class (woohooooo!) so if I can just make it through that, I should be good to go.
On a career note, I have an interesting little class this year. Last year's kids were SOOOOO good and well-behaved, so we knew we'd end up with a more challenging group than they were, and that has proven true. We have several little mischeif makers, but we've been riding them hard and laying down the law- lettin' 'em know we ain't playin'. It's always so hard to imagine bonding with a new class of kids at the beginning, but I know I will eventually. The rest of the school is incredible- our numbers are low with track 4 out, and the school is orderly and quiet and the cafeteria is relaxing and calm. I didn't think it possible, but we've really worked as a team to set down the rules and procedures and it seems to be working! Makes me really like my job again.
I am going to relax for a bit then do some studying. Sounds like a plan.

Consistency would be nice...

I am a bit tired of this roller coaster of queasiness. I would be ok if I could predict when I would feel icky. But I can't. I have no idea. For a while, it was mid-morning, when I got hungry, or when I ate too much. Some mornings, though, I feel fine. Sometimes when I eat, I feel fine. Usually when I get hungry, I do feel yicky. Today, I was doing ok (except for waking up with a headache), then I ate some pizza for lunch (not too much), and now I just wish the tile guy would finish working on my bathroom so that if I start feeling worse I can go lay on the floor in there. (why does it always feel good to lay on the bathroom floor when you are nauseous??!) I won't fit to lay on the powder room floor. When will this madness be over, I ask you?
I also seem to be in this stage where I don't really look pregnant, so sometimes its hard for me to remember that I am. And I still have this nagging feeling that something could still go wrong, so I guess I'm trying not to presume too much. Most people I work with know by now, so I get a lot of attention and congratulations from them, but it still doesn't seem real. I guess it will soon enough, right?
(and, by the way, I really wish the tile guy would hurry and finish. I don't like having weird workers in my house. I would hate to go hormonal on him and kick his ass out. =) )

First Trimester Woes

I've had a hard time updating this blog, and I'm hoping that once my classes are over (end of this month) things will calm down and I'll do a better job. Our ultrasound appointment was really cool! We could see the little heartbeat and our little blob with the big 'ol head. She said everything looks great and I go back on Aug. 8th for my next appointment. Hopefully a month after that we'll know the sex! That I am really looking forward to.
I'm about ready to be out of the first trimester. I feel queasy half the time, and I want to eat stuff that I can't. I can only eat small amounts at a time, and I haven't had that much of an appetite. Hence, I have lost about 4 pounds since I got pregnant. So, I'm not showing at all, even though I really want to be. But yet my pants are tight because my belly is rounding out, so I can't wear a lot of my old pants. I also have to get up in the middle of the night to pee, and that is getting old fast. People tell me that the second trimester is great, and that I'll feel good and be all happy and glowing. I certainly hope that is true. Right now I just want some normalcy, and it can't be good that school starts next week and I'm in classes and just have so much going on. I just keep thinking that as long as I can make it through the next 4 weeks or so I should be home free for a while.
I'm looking forward to the new school year- this year-round bit will take some getting used to, and I have to leave early on Tuesday and Thursday for the first 3 weeks, which I know will put a strain on my coworkers. This whole Sara going back to school thing has proven to be a big pain in my ass. It's almost over, though. Right??

First photo!

Big NEWS!

So I wanted to wait until all the main parties had been informed before I continued the blog with its new theme. Since the house is no longer under construction, we needed a new project. And its a BIGGIE. I'm...

Ok, so you can't see it well in that picture, but trust me. I'm PREGNANT!! YAY! I am very excited. As of right now, I am going on 8 weeks, and am due at the end of January. That could change slightly after my first ultrasound next Wednesday. It did not take long- in fact, Randy and I were both shocked at how quickly it happened. I think he's still in shock. =)

Things are going good, so far. I've had off and on nausea- mainly if I get hungry or if I eat too much. I'm starting to feel really tired, too. Like I can't get enough sleep. And the running to pee needs to stop. Other than that, no problems. We are getting settled into the new house, and everyone is adjusting just fine.

So far everyone I've told has been really supportive of the kiddo to come- my mom, of course, is tickled pink, and Randy's sister takes the cake for the best reaction to the news: she kept yelling "You're gonna have a baby???!!!!!!" His folks are happy, too. And all our friends have been great.

I'll try to update when I can with news of what all is going on in our life.

Cheers to all!!!

more pics

more

More pics:

It's FINISHED!!!!!!

Well, it has been awhile, mostly because they started locking the doors and we had to go by while the agent was there to let us in, and because our camera has been dead and we kept forgetting to get batteries! BUT! It is finished! Tuesday is our walk-through, and we close Thursday we CLOSE!

Today we took pics, and the carpet is all vacuumed and power is on. Our fridge and washer/dryer are the last things to come, and they may not be delivered until after we close. We are SOOOOOOO excited! it looks terrific. But judge for yourself:

We have paint! And cabinets! All in one weekend...

Here are the latest pics. We haven't been by yet today, so there will probably be more pics later tonight. We're hoping our solid-surface countertop got put in today! Our gray that we chose for the walls turned out INCREDIBLE! It looks sooooo good with the white trim. It's a neat color, cause it changes in different light- sometimes it looks blueish, sometimes purpleish, and sometimes gray.

They put our kitchen and bathroom counters in yesterday, too! We were worried how the off-white kitchen cabinets would look, but they turned out good! I love the wood color in the bathrooms, too.

Dining room

Loft
Kitchen

Master bath

Upstairs bath

off topic, but needs to be done...

I just want to take a minute and post a memorial to a friend of mine at work who died suddenly last Wednesday from a brain aneurysm. Beth Jackson was a first grade TA, and an incredible person. She leaves behind a husband and 2 children. Her death has affected all of us and she will be very missed by so many people. Rest in peace.

Molding!

Here's the latest, folks. They have been working like dogs getting stuff done. We have a walkthrough scheduled for 5/29- That's only 24 days away! They got all the drywall mudded in one day, then one day to sand, and they've been working on molding this week. We went by today and they were painting our gray!!! We will take pics later this weekend.

These aren't such good pics because of all the dust in the air...

Picture molding in the dining room:

Chair rail we had put in the back bedroom upstairs.

We're gonna put wainscoting under it and paint it white!

We have drywall!!!

Woo hoo! We have walls for real! We went by today and they had completed all the drywall. It isn't taped or mudded yet, but it's up! You can tell what the rooms look like now, kinda! We can't wait until they get our cabinets and countertops done- we hope the colors we picked will work well together.

On another note, we have a PODS container in our driveway and have been diligently packin' it up this past week. We have most of the big stuff in it, and we had a yard sale today to get rid of some stuff, too. Our house is sooooo bare! We close on the condo on the 26th, and on the house on the 30th. Then the townhouse is supposed to be ready to close on May 31st, so we'll be living with Randy's folks for a month. Shelby will be staying with her grandmama and goompa (I'm sure she'll be kept fat and happy!). I can't thank everyone enough for taking care of us and the pets.


We also decided on decor for the half-bath and bought a rug and accessories at Target (of course!) today, along with some rugs to help protect our hardwood floors. We need to start thinking about what rooms we want to paint and what colors. Our half bath will definitely be painted- we're thinking a light sage green. The upstairs bath will be my dragonfly room, and will still be lavender, but I want to pick a more subtle shade. The back bedroom upstairs will have a chair rail when we move in, and we want to put wainscoting in and paint it white. The wall above the rail would be some shade of aqua blue, I think. The other bedroom upstairs we're not sure what to do with. All of downstairs and the loft will be the gray we picked out.





Here's the pics:

This is where our kitchen bar top will be:

The Loft:

Back Bedroom: