Magnet for Ailments

That's it! I am convinced that I've become a magnet for any ailment working its way around our city. I've gotten a stomach bug, a cold, sinus infection, a touch of the flu, and pink eye (twice). What the hell?! Meanwhile Aaron, meh, he gets the sniffles and a sore throat (which I now actually have).

At this rate, I fully expect to come down with the plague or something equally unpleasant.

Photo Update

Our room at the Castle at Skylands Manor, B&B. Nov. 14, 2010
















Aaron on the staircase.

















Photos from outside the B&B, the New Jersey Botanical Garden












































Me on Christmas morning, 35 weeks.

Well, Don't I Feel Smart?

Yaaaay for thinking ahead. Sure, I feel a touch like my Mom but I don't care, I was right.

A few weeks ago, there was a whisper of a snow fall, so I went out and did the responsible thing; I went out and got snow supplies for our cars. During the warm months one of our snow shovels apparently got up and walked off. Rather than try to figure out the mystery, I just hit Home Depot. I had a feeling the supposed snow wasn't going to be bad when the store was pretty empty and all the snow supply piles were untouched. But Meh, I was already there. I picked up a heavy, flat edged shovel and a new snow shovel, a few big jugs of salt and a new snow brush/ice scraper thingy.

Yeah, I got looked at funny at the checkout but like I said, I was already there. When I got home Aaron, while very thankful, kind of rolled his eyes and TRIED not to look at me like I had monkeys flying out of my ears.

Needless to say, today, the day after the first snow storm of the season, he's really thankful I thought ahead. He otherwise would have had to dig his car out via the Force. Perhaps he'll listen to me now when I tell him he should have a small emergency blanket and keep a roll of paper towels in a waterproof bag in his trunk? We shall see...

But yes, he was also really happy I insisted on getting him duck shoes. Duck shoes are those shoes with the heavy treaded rubber bottoms, leather tops and insulated to feel like you've jammed your foot in a teddy bear's ass even when standing in a huge puddle of ice water. They also tend to make your feet look like duck feet because of the ribbing lines on the tops. But I digress. I've had a pair since my freshman year in college and still have the same shoes. The things are not pretty but they are awesome! I will never be without duck shoes. Anyway, I've been meaning to get him a pair since I realized that he just doesn't have good winter shoes. So this year I finally did it. He wasn't sure he'd have much use for them and when he tried them on all he kept saying is that they felt funny. Well, duh!

Last night, as he was pointing and laughing hysterically at the blizzard (it was more of a laugh of utter disbelief), I asked him if he wanted me to lace up his new duck shoes. He gave me a defeated, "yeah." I still have to ask him what he thinks of the ugly duck shoes now. But I'm guessing that he'll be happy with them. I also got him a set of shoe spikes that slip on over your regular shoes, I think LL Bean calls them Stabilicers. He didn't have to use those this time around but I'm sure that once he does, he'll be happy he has them. Those things are awesome.

Fumbly Hands

I've broken another cup and don't even get me started on how slowly I have to type and retype things. Yep, carpal tunnel set off by the pregnancy is taking its toll. I'm talking, I may well switch to sippy cups to keep from breaking the rest of the cups around here.

But yes, despite the numb hands, insane heartburn (I think I very well could melt paint off walls if I exhale just right), and increasing lethargy, I'm still staying chipper damn it, and I'm getting into the holiday spirit. I've got all my favorite Christmas movies out, including Nightmare Before Christmas and one of my all-time favorites, National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. And although I didn't make the doughs (fear of lobbing off a hand) I bought cookie doughs and started up the oven. Sure, it's kinda cheating but meh, they're still tasty :D

Luckily, I'm just about done with my shopping. I have two more gifts to get but I have a touch of time on those. I spent a touch more than I anticipated but it's okay. Now we're just going to have to tighten the purse strings and go back into saving mode.

But yeah, since I'm apparently going with a Christmas thing for this entry, I thought I'd share some great news with all of you. My aunt made it to her birthday and is still with us today. She was over the moon when my parents showed up. The visit made her so happy she honestly started feeling better and it even gave her the strength to eat more, which has been helping her, overall. Sure, it's not a perfect miracle, but as far as I'm concerned, it's enough of a miracle for me to be extremely thankful.

How Exciting

This is very exciting. Aaron and I found a house we really, really like and we put a bid on it. Unfortunately now, like with anxiety inducing milestones in life, reaching back to SAT scores, to hearing back from a potential employer, we’re holding our breath and waiting to hear back. I’ve no inkling about what we should expect to get back because apparently there are two other bids on the place. Sigh… I’m not sure my nails are long enough for this.

Another big thing that’s been on my mind has been the passing of Aaron’s aunt and my aunt’s current condition. My brothers and I decided to send my parents down to Florida to see her. It was a complete surprise for her and it put her in great spirits. She seemed really lively and beyond ecstatic. She even managed to eat and drink a few things and kept them down. My Mom even said color started coming back to her face.

I’m just excited that my aunt has gotten one of her wishes so far. She told everyone around her that she really wanted two things before passing. The first is to make it to her 70th birthday the second is to make it to see one last Christmas. I’ll be calling her today to wish her a happy 70th. I’m also happy that my parents were still there this morning to spend some time with her on this special day.

And lastly, the baby is still doing her thing. We have about 46 days to go. I’ve been keeping track of my Braxton Hicks contractions since I’ve been getting them fairly often. Not sure what this means, but I was told to keep track of them on a daily basis till my appointment next week. I suspect my doctor is trying to predict if the wee girl will be making an early appearance.

Catch Up Entry

Thanksgiving: I ended up cooking the bulk of the meal, but it was all good. My Mom helped and no one had to lose a digit. It was a much smaller gathering than usual but it’s all good, it made it much easier to speak with everyone.

Baby Shower: It ended up a surprise after all. I knew it was supposed to occur. I figured the most logical time would have been this past weekend. I thought it would have happened on Saturday (and I was right) but Aaron threw me off. His aunt has been up from Florida and I know she was supposed to head back soon. He said we were supposed to have lunch with them. I then figured it was going to happen on Sunday instead. Then we got to Aaron’s sister’s place and I heard the voices. :)

I got a lot of really great things and a few things that I hadn’t expected. It made me really happy and made me realize that the wee girl is going to be here before I know it. I mean, according to the ticker, I have 60 days left to the due date. That’s nothing!

House Keeping: So now I’ve given Aaron the task of making room in our closets during his days off. As it is most of the baby stuff is in our living room. The crazy part is that we have to get creative in putting her stuff out. I think I am going to ask Aaron to pack up our book shelf to make room for a small dresser and the basinet. I don’t think he’s going to be too thrilled with the idea, but we have to pack them up anyway. We’re house hunting and if all goes well, we’ll have a new place by mid-to-late spring and hopefully be set to move by the beginning of the summer.

House Hunt: Speaking of a new place… we’ve hit a milestone! We wanted to have a certain amount socked away in our house fund by the beginning of November. We’re a month behind BUT we made the number. Now Aaron is saying that he’s getting back in full house hunting mode (as if he actually stopped or slowed). I’m pretty excited about this. Granted, yes, it brings up a whole new set of issues, like what is the commute going to be like, what are we going to do about daycare, what are we going to do about his brother, but we can get to those when the time comes. Besides, the whole brother thing is just a big headache and makes us both get really irritated. Quickly touching on it, I have been helping him with cover letters and helping him hunt for full time jobs. BUT what gets to both Aaron and I, is the fact that unless we’re there hounding him about getting a full-time job, he doesn’t do jack to search or to reply to things. YET he says he wants to keep the apartment. Yeah… not bloody likely at this rate. All I know is that he’s NOT moving in with us.

Christmas and Chanukah: I can’t believe he’s already ahead of me. I thought I had a jump start on him but no. Aaron is just about finished. Ah well. The good news is that we should be pretty much done by this weekend. I have a few more items to pick up and voila! And I’ll have a Chanukah gift for him for whenever he decides he wants to exchange gifts. I know he’s really anxious to give me a gift. He even said last night that he hates buying me things and then having to wait to give them to me. He doesn’t really care that I got him anything since I’m already giving him a very big gift.

The sad thing is that I really think I have to skip decorating after all. I looked into our hall closet and there is NO WAY I can actually get to any of my decorations— at least, not with all the new baby stuff in the way. Boo… but it’s all good. I’ll just have to make up for it once we’re in our new home and get to throw a big Christmas party.

Sad News: I haven’t spoken about this but I think it’s time… Aaron and I have two aunts who are coming to the end of their days. As a matter of fact, one is in hospice care and the other elected to remain at home, rather than be moved into a hospice. I can’t say exactly why I haven’t mentioned it sooner, I just haven’t. Now of course, with the new baby, house and all the other good stuff happening, I can’t help but think that my two aunts are going to be missed. These are the kinds of things they would love being there for. The aunt on my Dad’s side, while she has had her issues, has always been pretty great with me growing up. She used to take care of me when we first moved to NYC, and was the one who encouraged me to break the rules every now and then, much to my Dad’s chagrin. But she’s also the one who made me realize that you simply can’t take things so seriously all the damn time. And the scarier part is that, as I get older, I am starting to look a lot more like her. Aaron’s aunt (on his Dad’s side) is just about one of the happiest, sweetest people I have ever encountered. She’s a kook and he grandchildren even call her “Cuckoo” rather than grandma. Apparently, she and Aaron’s Mom used be pretty tight when they were younger, which doesn’t surprise me. We’re not sure how long either one of them has. But unfortunately, doctors have told them their cancer treatments have gone as far as possible, and that it is now in God’s hands. It’s odd; while thinking about them makes me sad, I really think I’m still in denial about both their cases. I’m just thankful for the nurses they have caring for them. These people really are doing God’s work here on earth. God bless them.

And They Say Time Flies…

I can’t believe it. This morning I turned on the radio and there they were; two stations playing Christmas music. Holy crap we’re back in the holidays!
I feel like I’m a few steps behind already. Blech… I mean usually, I have some gifts worked out and I have a good idea of what I’m getting Aaron, but it feels like the whole thing just snuck up on me.

The good thing is; I DO have Thanksgiving worked out. Even though my “sous chef” (Aaron) is going to have work overtime the day before the big day. Yes. You read that correctly, this year, for obvious reasons, I am actually calling in an assistant. I’ve also modified the side dishes. They’ll be a lot less complicated.

What I’ve got so far:

Turkey (a slightly modified version of Alton Brown’s Roast Turkey)
Stuffed Mushrooms (app.)
Butternut Squash Soup
Cornbread (the spoon bread version I make every year)
My Mac N’ Cheese
Sautéed Brussels Sprouts
Sautéed Green Beans with almonds
Wild Rice w/ Red Grapes
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pecans
Cheddar and Sage Biscuits
Stuffing/Dressing

I know I’m missing an item or two but I don’t have my list with me and I can’t remember at this point.

As I said, the dishes are a lot less complicated and I can do a lot of the prep ahead of time. Unfortunately I may have already hit a bit of a snag. I have been preparing Aaron for this—well, more like training— but unfortunately, he just learned yesterday that he has to work overtime the day before. SO… I may have to work with my Mom on this. This is kind of getting me a little nervous though. My Mom and I have very different takes on how things are done. She likes to throw things in or change things up on the fly, whereas I don’t. I’ve gotten most of these dishes down to a science and it would make me freak the hell out if she starts "tweaking" or changing things up on me.

Evan, my brother-in-law volunteered to help with prep. I told him it be best for him not to. It was very sweet of him to offer, but that could potentially be disastrous. He doesn’t “cook.” His idea of cooking usually consists of throwing a group of pre-made items together and calling it a meal. I need someone who will understand what I want when I say, “mirepoix,” “chiffonade” and “finely grate,” and will know that there is a difference between, stock and broth, finely mincing and chopping. Hell, we’re talking about the same guy who, just the other day, used my pie dough cutter as a pizza cutter! (I wish I were kidding).

Don’t get me wrong, I really love cooking for the holiday. It’s one of my favorite meals to make. I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t. I’m just very particular about the way things are done. I mean, I plan things out weeks in advance and usually have the timing worked out so that all dishes are pretty much done at the same time. So it’s not a pretty sight when things gum up the works. Imagine if you will, one of the crabbing boat captains from Deadliest Catch… yeah I have the potential to get that cranky when things don’t work out. I almost stormed off when my brother burned one of my dishes and my one of sisters-in-law decided to not start one of her dishes until everything else was already finished. She held everything up by about an hour.

Ah well… We’ll see, perhaps I can get an even earlier start and not have to call in the reinforcements. Wish me luck!

The Great Eclipse

Now I know that pregnancy is a time of changes, the problem is I know there are changes going on; I just can’t easily them all. For example, Aaron keeps mentioning that my belly button is looking more and more like it’s going to pop. I have to take his word for it. If I were to look down on my own, I can’t really see the darn thing. Sure, I can use the mirror, but I don’t have a full length mirror to be able to get a proper perspective. Another good example: my feet. I can’t see them if I’m standing up. The belly’s in the way. I know they’re getting puffy because I’m having issues putting on shoes that just a few weeks ago, I considered comfy. Ah well at least I can still see them when I sit down. :/ It’s going to be weird not having a belly in the way after all this is over.

Ooh, ooh. I now have my quasi official leave date. It’ll be Jan 14th. This may change if my doctor tells me to stop sooner. I met with the HR people and my supervisor to iron things out and to answer the tons of questions I had. I’m just glad they were able to explain things to me. I was getting freaked out a touch. I went in with a real fear that I was only going to get 17 percent of my paycheck while I was on leave. Luckily that’s not the case. While it is a percentage, it’s a frick of a lot better than 17 percent. I’m also entitled to get 8-12 weeks off, depending on how my doctor fills out the paperwork.

Sigh… we’re getting there.

Hello Mrs. Snippy-Pants

I’m assuming the hormones have me a touch on-edge. I’ve noticed lately that I keep losing my temper with people. I mean really losing it to the point where I find myself clenching my jaw and fists to keep from lashing out at people. I feel bad but so far I’ve been able to put up a good front. The only who really seems to notice is Aaron. When he sees this happening, he smartly pulls me away from the general area and finds a way to defuse my ass.

Unfortunately, he’s not there to do this while I’m at work. And of course, this has been where my temper has been flaring up the most. I know, I know, doesn’t that happen to most of us? Yes, but I’m mean even I felt like hissing at the phone when I was in the middle of writing up an e-mail earlier today. Then of course there was the co worker who came by to just say “hi.” I almost jumped down her throat. I felt awful afterwards but I was at least able to restrain myself, smile and say a quick hello. It gets a lot tougher when I get the stupid questions or get things back that don’t make sense. Good lord!

But yes, Aaron has really stepped up his game and has been incredibly helpful (he even helped me put on my socks the other day when I was having issues reaching my feet) and even keeled when I start losing it. Luckily, he’s also there to be my Pit Bull when it I’ve had a reason to be angry.
Inhale… Exhale…


Oh yes, and just because it's suits my mood today, and because the song is catchy as hell adn makes me smile... (enjoy)

Aaron just started playing The Force Unleashed. It looks awesome!

Test Results

My Glucose Tolerance Test results came back and the results showed that I’m totally fine. I’m not exactly sure why I was concerned considering that I’ve been eating fairly healthy throughout the pregnancy so far. I’ve only indulged on a few occasions and even then, it was mostly apples; lots and lots of apples. :)

But anyhoo, the only thing I have to do now on doctors orders is take an iron pill. Apparently my iron level was a touch low, nothing serious, but considering that babies tend to suck up minerals like that, they want me to just pop a pill to boost that.

Now if I could only start feeling better I’d be a happy camper. I’m not sure if I’m coming down with a cold or if this is just a bad allergy attach but I have been congested as all heck for the past three days and yesterday I barely had a voice at all. Today I’m just draining, sneezing and feel generally blech. Ah well. At least Aaron’s been very comforting. He’s been giving me quite a bit more extra attention and helping more at home.

E's Blog

Ony of my favorite Bloggy people and fun author has once again posted his trivia challenge. Check it out. It's always good fun, E's Blog

Glucose Tolerance Test

Today started nice and early. I had a 7:15 am appointment to have a glucose test done. Basically, they're testing to make sure I'm doing okay and to check for gestational diabetes. The sugar drink they had me drink to prepare for this thing tasted like the quarter drinks from when I was a kid but with a few extra teaspoons of sugar added. If you know the ones I’m talking about, you know just how sweet those are to begin with.

Anyhoo, the nurse today was awesome. I hate needles. No, really, let me state that again. I HATE NEEDLES. I used to give blood regularly because it was the right thing to do, but when it comes down to it, I cannot stand the things and pretty much have to cringe and look away. I’ll openly admit it; I’m a big baby when it comes to them. But I digress. The nurse today drew blood and I hardly felt a darn thing. I had to tell her that that was the most painless and fastest I’ve ever had blood drawn. She took out to vials. I was really impressed. I may have to go back in the mornings if I have to get blood drawn again. Like I said, she was awesome.

So yes, I was supposed to get my flu shot today but I may have to hold off on it for a little longer. I’m starting to feel the all too familiar itch that signals the start of a sinus infection. I was asked how I knew and I told them that because my allergies are so bad, I get them at least once a year. Ah well. The nurse wholeheartedly agreed with me. So I’ll have to call them back and try to schedule it for when I’m feeling better. Yay. More needles. Sigh.

Oh yeah, my doctor didn’t give me crap about my weight this time around. I was only up two pounds from the last time. I told him that I cut out a lot of my favorite juices, cut back drastically on my apples, added more vegetarian meals to the week and I started walking a bit more while I still can. He seemed pretty pleased and told me to keep it up. So yaaay! Hopefully at this rate, I won’t end up feeling like a big, round cow. Although Aaron’s convinced the baby’s going follow suit with the other babies in my family and come out huge. I’m talking the smallest one was Munchkin #6 and she was seven pounds-ish, almost eight. All the others were damn near close to 10 lbs.

So now all I have to do is make it to our childbirth class and try to not pass out during the thing. At this rate, I’m not sure how well that’ll work out.

100 Days...

I just realized I have 100 days left to go till the baby arrives (in theory anyway).

Teehee... I am now really excited. Good lord. It really has gone by quickly. Yes, that’s despite the puking fits and the times where I actually had to walk around with tissues in my pockets as improvised nose plugs.

But really, where the hell has the time gone?

Was I Wrong?

I did something yesterday and it’s kinda bugging me a touch. So, you know, I have to air it out here.

So as you know, Aaron has been struggling with putting the cigarettes down for good. There is no smoking in our apartment any longer. Not even in Evan’s room. Especially now that there’s a baby on the way. So Aaron has been doing well for several weeks, possibly months. But then recently, like a dumb-ass he went and had a few. Not sure why, he said he was having a stressful day, and while I can understand that, I’m not sure I can fully understand the reasons why he went and lit up when he was perfectly fine and chipper. Before you go on, I know damn well that it’s an addiction and therefore, prone to cause irrational behavior. ANYWAY...

Tuesday we spent the day with my Mom for her birthday and while we were there, I moved Aaron’s jacket and felt the unmistakable shape inside his pocket. I thought to myself, ‘I HAD to be mistaken. WHY would he have a pack in his pocket?’ I felt through the material and there it was, about a thumb-length up from the bottom edge, the lid gave just a touch. I considered my next step, but decided to do nothing. Instead, I would let it go. Perhaps there was some other kind of explanation. Yeah, right! Later that night he made a comment about wanting to smoke a giant cigarette. I nearly lost it, but rather than brining this up in front of my Mom and getting her involved, I held my tongue.

That night we went to our first childbirth class. I’m still not 100 percent convinced this is necessary but I figured, why not, I’ll listen to see what the maternity ward nurses (i.e. the experts) have to say on the whole subject and learn a thing or two. Right after the thing, I noticed he was getting antsy and a little short-tempered. He seemed a bit anxious to meet up with his friend Jerry who I know smokes. ‘Hmmm,’ I thought. Right before he dropped me off at the front of the building, I kindly reminded him to not smoke. He got really agitated and started yelling at me. “I haven’t smoked! When did you see me smoking. I haven’t smoked at all!...” It was an awfully sharp response for a simple request. Hmm... Nicotine withdrawal anyone? Ding, fucking ding!

For the rest of the night I was pretty pissed off. He didn’t get back until after I fell asleep. In the morning, however, as I was on my way to work, I got my jacket out and saw his jacket on the hanger next to mine. I reached in the pocket and wouldn’t you know it, there they were. I thought I could do something fucked up to them and put them back, but that would still mean he’d reach in and want to get one. And what if he didn't noticed I tampered with them until after he lit up. Gah! So, I just took them. I threw them out once I got outside of the building. But for the rest of the day I was pissed off beyond belief. I mean, how dare he?! Its one thing to behave irresponsibly to a certain point, but when you know your behavior, because of the damn things, is affecting those around you when they are already emotionally sensitive? That just takes fucking balls. I was so pissed, I honestly wanted to turn right back around and cause a huge fucking scene. Not to mention he lied to me. He outright looked at me, while yelling at me for no good reason, and LIED to me. But once again, I tried to cool off on my own and not think about it. It mostly worked. The drive on the way home was challenging at best. I started thinking about all the other stuff he could be lying to me about. Then my mind traveled right on into kooky town. I’m talking, I could have easily convinced myself into thinking he was cheating; was not the person I thought he was; possibly some kind of sociopath; or even worse. By the time I actually got home I was so damn agitated I didn’t even want to talk to him. I walked in and he gave me a kiss on the cheek. What the hell is that?! I kept reminding myself to remain calm and not to jump to conclusions.

I asked him if he noticed anything missing? He said no. NO. HA! I then asked him about his day. He went out to have lunch with a friend. They talked for a while, just catching up; he played with her son, read him a book and she told him about her experience with the whole childbirth thing. And there it was again that twinge of jealousy. No good reason for it, but there it was, just the same. Hormones and anger are a hell of a combination. In those few seconds I got to the point where I wanted to throw something at his head for being untrustworthy and for daring to cheat on me. Now, I knew I ventured off into kooky town again so I forced myself to calm down and behave like a normal person.

Then he stated making dinner I helped but he pretty much took charge. Hmmm? Is someone feeling a touch guilty? Perhaps. I didn’t bring the topic of the disappearing cigarette pack. I may tonight. Only goodness knows what that conversation would have led to, given my state of mind yesterday.

I still feel a touch bad about what I actually did (going through his pocket and taking the pack). I keep thinking that it wasn’t the right thing to do. But then again, in a situation like this, perhaps two wrongs do, actually, make a right. Eh. Who knows?

"Watch That Weight"

I should be more upset but I’m kinda not. Yesterday I went in for my monthly doctor visit and was told that I have gained too much weight in the last month. I thought that might be the case, but I didn’t think it was THAT bad. So yes the doctor told me that he really wants me to watch my weight because ideally, he would like me to be delivering at the weight I’m at currently and no more than five pounds from where I am. Boo. :(

The problem now, is how do I keep the weight steady without going hungry? Somehow, I don’t think it’s a great idea to go on a diet while pregnant. I can try to get more exercise but what foods should I eat then? I don’t really pig out on “junk” food. My snacks usually consist of fruits (apples are my go-to snacks), fruit juices or yogurts. I may throw in a handful of non-salted nuts once in a while, when I’m feeling sassy. He told me to cut back on the fruit juices and the fruit. The juices I can do without. The fruit, however, that’s a tough call. Like I said, it’s all I usually snack on between meals (one snack between meals). Like I said, I’m not exactly a big fan of eating chips, sweets, or your standard crap food fare. Gah! I feel like I would have been better off eating all the crap foods. So now I am on the hunt to find a solution.

Luckily everything else was okay. The baby’s HB is going strong and well. Growth is normal, the kicking activity is normal, and the hand falling asleep in the middle of the night are all, well, normal. Next time I go in I have to do a glucose test and get my flu shot. I told Aaron he and Evan have to do the same thing. He wasn’t so thrilled about it; mostly because of the thought of potentially getting sick because of it. But I told him that as long as there will be a baby in the house and as long as they’re in it, they have to get the shot. The baby’s due in the middle of the flu season and there is no way in hell I’m taking any chances. Luckily, my parents, who will likely be helping take care of the baby when I first go back to work, already get their flu shots around this time of the year.

Besides, Aaron and his brother can suck it up and deal. I have to deal with all the other aspects of being pregnant; they can deal with getting a teeny shot. Big babies.

Creatures of the Night

For those who have known me for any amount of time know that I have had a long history of loving vampires. I’m not certain how it started or why, but I absolutely love the stories, the endless variations of the creatures themselves and yes, the lore from all parts of the world.

So whether you like them or not, here’s my little tip of the hat to the classic (to me) vampires from when I was growing up. And in case you’re wondering, the cut-off point I used was high school. I’d be here forever if I included all my favorite vampires.

The Count


Yeah, I know, 'really?' But let’s face it, he was quite possibly the very first vampire I ever saw and still one of my favorites. SO, here’s to you number ONE! AH. AH. AH.

Count Duckula


You know, I don’t know if many people out there would remember good ole Count Duckula. He used to be a regular vampire but during a resurrection ritual one of his servants called Nanny dropped in ketchup and so he became a vegetarian vampire. It was really a cute cartoon, but sadly short-lived.

Love at First Bite

I think I was entirely too young to see this movie when I was a child, but I saw it anyway. And wouldn’t you know it, I loved it. I thought it was absolutely hilarious and it’s still a great flick. One of my favorite things about it is that George Hamilton is in it, and he’s not day-glow orange. They actually had to make him look pale. HA!

Monster Squad


Okay, okay, this isn’t strictly a vampire move but it’s still great. And Dracula is the sort of leader of the monsters.

The Lost Boys


Enter the hot vampires. Until I saw The Lost Boys, vampires weren’t really hot. Ah but then I had never seen Michael before. Sigh… “Say hello to the night, lost in the shadows, say hello to the night, lost in the loneliness”


Once Bitten


Cheesy, yes. Campy, oh hell yes. But come on, it’s one of the earliest Jim Carey flicks and Lauren Hutton is in it.

My Best Friend is a Vampire


Robert Sean Leonard could have been the first Edward. I’m just sayin.’ He was turned into a vampire but was trying to be good and not feed from humans. Trying to get the girl and save the day. And because of his odd behavior, his parents mistake him for being gay. It’s not a very well known movie, but it is fun and yes, you guessed it, it’s loaded with 80’s cheesy camp.

The Original, Bella Lugosi as Dracula


I can’t say enough about this one. I usually catch it on a yearly basis. I mean, really, how can you go wrong? Not to mention, would any classic vampire, “look” ever exist without Mr. Lugosi?

Interview with the Vampire


Hello! As in most cases, when you have a book turned into a movie, the book is better, but can anyone deny that pre-crazy, couch-jumping Tom Cruise was just hot personified? His portrayal of Lestat, in my opinion, was spot on. The look wasn’t quite what I pictured in my head, but damn it, the attitude was spot on. For a while there I toyed with the idea of getting a neck tattoo that read, “Insert Fangs Here, Lestat.”

Vampire Hunter D


Manga or the Anime, version, this is just an awesome flick and was one of my first introductions to my other crazy obsession, the world of Anime and Manga. Not to mention, D is kind of a tragic hero that you just can’t help but really feel for.

Nosferatu


For years and years, I saw this character and didn’t quite know what to make of it. The look of Nosferatu is about as classic as the Bella Lugosi look, just not debonair. He’s actually kind of grotesque. Then at some point in high school I actually got my hands on a copy of the movie and watched it. I was surprised how much I actually really enjoyed it and it quickly became a favorite.

I Love When Things Work Out

I do love it when things work out better than expected. Case in point, I just put my boss on an NPR program. He wasn't sure it went as well as he would have hoped, but I told him that he did a great job and that because of the program's reach, it was a fantastic spot for us. I got him feeling better and then right after I got off the phone with him, I got a call from the program's host to say thank you and to invite him on again in the future. Who rocks?! Booyah!

Can't Work, Ah Well

Ahhh, it should be a relaxing day at work, but it so isn’t. But damn it I can’t really think so I’ll just churn out a blog post to get the writing groove started.
Ever since I work up this morning, I’ve had Lee Dorsey’s “Working in a coal mine” song stuck in my head. In case you don’t know it, it starts off like this:

“Workin' in a coal mine
Goin' down down down
Workin' in a coal mine
Whop! about to slip down
Workin' in a coal mine
Goin' down down down
Workin' in a coal mine
Whop! about to slip down
Five o'clock in the mornin'
I'm all ready up and gone
Lord I am so tired
How long can this go on?”

So yes, the event I was working on went over very well we got a lot of good media coverage for it and I’m a happy camper. I got a ton done, but I’ve still got oodles of stuff to do to actually reach the happy place -which I’m almost convinced is fictional- called, Caught Up. Ah yes Caught Up, it’s a lovely place to visit, just south of Hogsmead and Hogwarts.

Blech. So yeah, I have a few deadlines handing over me like the sword of Damocles. But I will be damned if I get myself as worked up as I was last week. It’s just not worth it. Not to mention poor wee girl may end up coming out looking like Tweak from South Park, if I keep that up. I just won’t let it happen damn it.

Ooh speaking of the wee girl; you know how you so often hear parents say that every day brings something new once you’re a parent. It’s actually very true. I have never experienced so many random things. For example, it turns out that the wee girl is under the impression that my bladder is a bouncy house. I normally get the giggles when I feel the movements but when I already have to pee and she decides it’s time to play, it’s not so cool. Another thing is, I used to be able to sleep with very minimal movement. I used to be able to wake up, pull the corner of the cover back and viola! The bed is made. Now, not so much. Because of all the position changes, the middle of the night pee breaks, hot spells and numb hands and arm (so need to get back to this) my room, not just my bed, now looks like a frat party made its way through my room in the middle of the night. I’m talking there are papers, magazines, articles of clothing and empty cups all over the damn place by the time I wake up.

So yes, I’ve apparently come down with a common symptom of pregnancy. I’ve experiencing numbness in my right hand and sometimes part of my arm. It mostly happens in the middle of the night but it really happens at all hours. The other day I was at work my fingertips started going. As it turns out my chair at work sucks. Ah well, at least I haven’t actually started leaking yet.

I’m not kidding, this is actually something I’m happy about. Aaron seems to like reminding me about that. He thinks it’s funny. He learned all about what to do and what not to do from the book I gave him, “The Expectant Father” or something like that. So yes the book says to be nice and to not make fun of your wife, significant other, baby momma, whatever. So what does he do? Yep, he sticks to his ways and uses the stuff he learns about as comedic material. Not in a bad way of course, he’s not a complete bastard. He’s just a smart-ass who can’t help himself. So yeah, the potentially leaky boobs thing had him rolling when he first read about it. The other day he joked that I should use them as water guns or something equally ridiculous. Yes, my husband who’s about to become a father has reverted to a 12-year-old. :)

The good thing- yes despite my bitching, there are several good things- is that the rounder I get the more he insists on rubbing and talking to the belly. He’s even made it part of his daily routine. Things like that make up for the childish behavior.

Aw crap, I’ve looked at the time and I should probably get back to work. Booo.

WTF Giants?!

Bad Blogger

wow I have been a bad blogger lately. What's sad is that there has been plenty to write about, I've just been too damn pooped when I get home from work and my weekends lately have been reserved for the stuff I should have done after work all week long. Blech.

So here's the quick recap of what has been going on.

Pregnancy front:
- It's a girl Woohoo!

- My boobs which were once normal, are now waaaay too big. I was a bit startled when I came to this realization. I once thought it would be neat to have bigger boobs, but as it turns out, I don't really like it. The damn things just get in the way.

- We picked out a name and then went a few rounds over the middle name. I wanted Jade as a middle name but it was pretty much decided that it sounded too much like a stripper name so we nixed it.

- The wee girl keeps moving around randomly and has a tendency to move more when Aaron speaks to her.

- The other day Aaron made me want to laugh while at the same time cry. A friend of ours suggested that in the future their boy and our wee girl can date. I told this to Aaron and as it turned out we had the same thought, except mine was more along the lines of, 'over my dead body, especially if it's anything like the father.' Aaron's thought was (thankfully he only said it to me), "keep that little cross-eyed bastard away from my beautiful princess." He called the wee girl his "beautiful princess," awwww...

- I finally have items on my registry.


On the work front:
- All I've kept envisioning at work lately Mr. Hand from, "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" saying, "What are you, people? On dope?" That should pretty much sum it all up.

- The work lately has been piling up like mad and I think I may have to take a
personal day next week after this Capitol Hill event that I'm in the middle of wraps up.

- I'm also convinced that some people have no concept of how much crap I have to put up with in a single day. But then again, those very people are the ones who bother me the most.

Family and friends:
- No complaints really, except I haven't gotten to see them much. I did get to see some family last weekend, during Munchkin #3's birthday party but that was about it.

Home:
- We went to see a few homes. We liked some of the ones we saw, but alas, we haven't found one that struck us as the one we want. Ah well. The search continues.

That's pretty much about all I can think of right now. I'm positive there's a lot more to say, but I'm actually now fighting to keep from doing a face-plant on the keyboard.

Tis The Season

Ah, welcome Fall; it’s been a while. How ya been?

Yeah, today my mind is pretty much outdoors. Yesterday, I was all about figuring out how I was going home without crashing (migraine). But since I got to go home early to drink lots of tea and to get some rest, I’m now right as rain.

But yes, the Fall. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I really believe it’s my favorite time of the year. I mean, there’s apple picking, the farmer’s markets, hearty food, the fun holidays and the kickoff to the Christmas season. Not to mention, you can even walk around with a sweater, sweat shirt or a light jacket and be toasty without having to look and feel like the Stay-Puffed Marshmallow Man. But yes, it’s just a happy season. Oh, and let’s not forget, it’s the time of the year when I get all antsy to drink cocoa, and go crazy baking. What can be better than that, I ask you. What?

At the very least, it beats the hell out of the scorching temps of Vegas. This past weekend Aaron and I went out to a cousin’s wedding. She and her now, hubby got hitched at the Bellagio and even had an appearance by Elvis. How cool is that? But I digress.

I braved the 100-107 degree days to walk around and even ventured out to meet up with an old friend and meet her new fiancé. They’re both doing really well and seem to be just about prepared for their big day. It sounds really exciting, but unfortunately I won’t be able to attend by then. Luckily they said they will have a webcast of the actual nuptials. I’ll have to remember to get that link.

Stuck in My Head and I Do Not Mind

For the last few days (since Aarond randomly started singing it to the belly)this song has been stuck in my head. Luckily it's one of my favorite songs. I just wish I fully understood how it's possible to understand him better when he sings. Eh, either way here it is:

Things That Go Bump in the Night

I don't know if I've mentioned this before but lately, Aaron has become one with his inner hunter, or fisherman, I should say. He picked it up a few weeks back when his work buddy invited him to go deep sea fishing. He has now gone just about every week since then and last night he went on his own. I don't mind this at all. I actually find it really nice that he's found something to do that gets him out of the house for a little while on his days off. Not to mention, being out on the open water actually makes him feel really good. I told him it's the positively charged air, he thinks it's something else.

Eh either way, I'm happy he's found something he really likes doing. I actually can't wait to be able to go out with him. I used to go with my grandfather years ago. I'm just not sure if I should go out with him now. I'm usually good with the motion, but it's the smells I'm concerned about. I have the olfactory senses of a bloodhound now so the fishy smell probably wouldn't be so great.

So yes, last night he got home kind of late. But the thing I noticed is that since the first time I felt the nudges, flutters, whatever you call them (wee one movements), a little bit ago, they don’t really occur unless he’s there. So last night, I was asleep when he came home. I asked him how he enjoyed the trip, blah, blah, blah and as soon as he walked out of the room to let me go back to sleep, the wee one starts in with the movements. I heard that their ears are actually functioning at this point (18 weeks) but I quickly becoming convinced that the wee one likes it when Aaron speaks. Actually, when I feel the wee one the most is when he goes to give the belly a rub and a kiss good night. So yeah, there I am trying to get to sleep and the wee one is doing somersaults. Nice. And of course, I can’t just ignore it, feeling the wee one’s movements is just too nifty.

I’m sure I’ll change my tune later on when the movement becomes more pronounced and occasionally embarrassing, but for now, it’s just new, odd and nifty.

Oh yes, Aaron did actually catch a few fish.

It Feels Like Fall

Today feels like one of those glorious Fall days that remind me of just happy things like apple picking or walking across the UConn campus or the elementary school Halloween parades. I love it.

I can’t help it; I’ve always been big on the Fall. I love the happy crisp, but not too cold weather, the colors, and the smell apples and of cider doughnuts when you go apple picking. Oh and how can I forget the aroma of cinnamon that lingers on everything after banking. Ahhh… it’s like a giant hug.

So yes, if you’re wondering, I have already started coming up with ideas for decorating. My friend Marie told me she’s going to throw a Halloween party at her place and recruited me to help her decorate. Muuuuahahahahaaa. Yeeees! I told her about my skull candelabra and she wants one of her own. I’m also thinking of making flower holders out of plastic skeleton hands to place everywhere. I may go nutty and try to make a platter with the pedestal made of plastic bones or skulls, but it will depend entirely on what I can get my hands on and how crazy she wants me to go. She already has me working on designs for her Jack O’Lanterns. I’m so excited. I sketched out a few that she immediately loved but I think I can do better. Luckily I have several carving kits that can be used for the pumpkins. Now I just have to figure out how much dry ice I’m going to need for the other decorations.

How Fargin’ Exciting!

I am really excited. Last night I was kind of outed on FB by a friend who was asking about how I was feeling. While I haven’t exactly been keeping it a secret, I haven’t actually gotten around to letting the world know about the news on a grand scale like this. So I took the celeb route and made the announcement myself. :)

My poor phone wouldn’t stop beeping all night long. It’s connected to my FB and every time I get a response to something it lets me know. I had to set it to silent to get to sleep.

Earlier in the night I experienced something really cool, as did Aaron. We felt the baby move. I kept noticing that the belly would kind of make mini swishy moves all day long. When Aaron got home I showed him. When he put his hand on my belly I felt the most definitive movement ever, right where his hand was. I was thrilled. He was positively over the moon.

Then of course, I got yet another bit of happy news. Early in the day, I sent my friend a text to let her know I sent her an e-mail through FB. I originally wanted to ask her if she would be up for going to lunch or something soon and to get her address for the shower. She said he’d be happy about getting together and then told me that SHE was also expecting and her 11th week! Mind you the last time I saw her it was back in June, I told her I was expecting and she told me she and her DH were trying for baby number two. Teehee! Love it!

PISSED

I really hope the asshole who hacked into my e-mail and blogger has a very unfortunate accident. Or perhaps has a bout of severe bad luck. Something along the lines of oh, say, flesh eating virus or perhaps a spontaneous testicular explosion (if it's a male).

Sigh...

Why You Little...

I find it amazing that the moment someone shows that they aren't completely useless around computers, others will automatically assume you're the next Bill friggin' Gates.

At work, I do some of the updates and I fix a few things around to make them run smoothly. I wish I had never started this. Today I was referred to as the webmaster. WRONG! But the worst wa that while I was out sick yesterday a huge mound of work piled up that was all web-based and out of my capabilities. Had they actually spoken to the IT/ webmaster in the office, they would have gotten a lot of things straightened out and I wouldn't have had to freak the hell out while trying to catch up with the things I am actually responsible for.

There. Now that I've bitched and feel remotely better.

Today is the kind of day that I wish I could sit down and throw back a beer or two. Ah well, I suppose an herbal tea will have to do.

You Win Again Mr. Target...

All I meant to get is a new pillow, two storage bins and Listerine. Ah yes, the best laid plans...

Target has always been this magical spot that seems to take my money the way a casino slot machine does. I approach it knowing I am going to walk away with less money than I started with but have some fun in the process. By the time I walk away, however, my wallet is empty. I hate that.

I walked out of Target with a bill that's a few dollars away from the $200 mark. Granted yes, all the items I got except for the Ravin Rabbids game ($14.00) were necessary. It just still a little jarring when you see the sales total.

Ah well, at least I've been able to clean the apartment without getting pass-out tired and I was able to get all the pre-pregger clothes that just don't fit anymore out of circulation and into the new bins. I suppose I'm pretty lucky that although my tummy is getting bigger I haven't gained a whole lot of weight yet (only about 5-7 pounds so far), so I can still fit into my looser tops. Pants are a different matter all together. I can get them on, I just can't close a lot of them. Luckily I have the belly band thing, so I can use that to keep them sorta closed, or covered enough that you can't see my pants are actually open. :)

Revenge of The Wee One

Yesterday we had our NT scan. The wee one was most displeased about getting swished around. The wee one was not positioned correctly to get the image they needed so they had to bounce the sonogram thingy on my belly to get the wee one to move around. I couldn’t help but laugh after she told me it doesn’t harm the baby at all. It was pretty darn cute. The baby looked like it was waving hello and at one point the wee one just kept mooning us, then it wouldn’t keep still. My thought was, ‘why am I not surprised?’ It figures our kid would do something like that.

It was pretty cool. We got to see much more detail of the wee one, like the facial features, little teeth buds, the ribs and spine and the heart beat. There was even a shot that let us see the developing brain. Aaron got to see it on a much bigger screen but sadly where I was, I didn’t have a very clear view, I had to see it on the small monitor. We also saw the wee one’s little fingers every time it seemed to wave hello. Aaron looked completely awestruck, looking up at the screen.

But yeah, everything looked normal so all is good. The only sucky part is that I had to have more blood drawn to do the tests for the Jewish panel. I know; I’m not Jewish nor has anyone in my family. BUT Aaron is Ashkenazi (meaning, Jewish of Eastern European descent) and so I had to be tested to see if I am a carrier for things like Tay-Sachs. Why test me? Well, because apparently it’s easier to run a test on the mother from an insurance standpoint. Booo!!

After the appointment I went back work and Aaron went home. Then, about five minutes after I get back to work I have to go to the bathroom. Then, about a half hour later, same thing. This keeps going until I leave work. I hit shitteous traffic on the way home and by the time I do get home, I’m starving and really tired. Aaron got me dinner and set up last week’s True Blood for me. A little while after I finished dinner, I start feeling a little eh. That feeling becomes a little worse. I luckily ended up in the bathroom by the time I began burping because it wasn’t an innocent burp at all. Nope. My entire dinner came back with a vengeance. I puked so hard my entire face turned red. I mean, it looks like I have small pox.

Aaron tried making me feel better by telling me I look wonderful. Dirty liar! He then tried to console me by suggesting that perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad by morning. I hoped he was right. Morning came and I didn’t look a smidge better. I had to run out to the 24 hour CVS and pick up concealer and foundation. I seriously considered not going to work but because I had two big meetings and I had just taken three days off, I decided to slap the stuff on and try to make the best of it.

I looked like RuPaul or one of his “girls.” Aaron thought it was more along the lines of Michael Jackson. Very powdery and heavily made up. Either way, I was displeased. I still feel like I have a cake on my face but at least I don’t look diseased; just freaky. So yes, the baby got me back for the sloshing. Sigh…

Moments in Growing a Person

It’s official. I’m preggers.

I know what you’re thinking, ‘Hello, weirdo, wasn’t that the case the day you saw the second pink line on the pee stick?’ Well, yes. Yes it was. However, it hasn’t “felt” real until today.

Today (this morning, really) was the day I went to get dressed and ran out of things to wear. I have three dresses that still fit and a pair of shorts that I can still close if I roll the top down. Other than that, I can’t close anything around the belly.

I swear, this whole affair of growing a person is really something else. Aside from the clothing thing and feeling like a Mumu may become a viable clothing option, there’s a whole list of moments you run into that you never, ever, thought you’d experience. Here are some examples (Warning, some of these may fall under the TMI category, but I've been dealing with it, so…):

Smells: I have quickly developed an olfactory sense that could very likely rival a bloodhound. While this is a great thing when surrounded by yummy food, this is actually a terrible thing when standing in an elevator with a person with poor hygiene. OR when going #2. It’s gotten to the point where I frequently have to plug up my nose to go to enter a public bathroom or actually “go.” I found out that the slightest hint of a bad smell sends me into a bout of gagging and has actually led to me puking my guts out. Fun!

I also know when Aaron works with his buddy Park or his boss. Park smokes his boss doesn’t. Aaron quit smoking a few days after finding out we were expecting. When he works with Park, either Aaron or his buddy will get out of the car when Park takes a smoke break. It’s faint but it’s there and damn it I can smell it.

Shoes and socks: Yeah, who knew that something as mundane as putting on socks and shoes could become a chore? About a week ago, I discovered that the belly/bloat-belly was actually starting to get in the way. I know this is to be expected and will likely get worse, but I really didn’t expect it to happen so quickly. I’m not showing that much at all. At this point, it only looks like I’ve eaten waaay too much during that time of the month (at least that’s what I think, although judging by the pants thing; I may be way off base here). But yes, it’s gotten to the point that I can’t just bend down to put socks on. No. The wee one does not approve of this at all. I have to sit down and swing my legs over to the side to put them on. OR I have to get Aaron to help me. I wish I were kidding.

Going to sleep: I’m pregnant, I should be able to conk out at the drop of a hat, yeah, not so much. Often, this is when the wee one decides he is displeased with some morsel of food I may or may not have consumed during that day. Yes, heartburn city! Woohoo! There is nothing worse than being so dead tired, you begin to feel really cranky, but not able to go to sleep, despite the fact that you’re in bed.

What makes things worse is that I know I can’t feel the wee one move around yet. Apparently the middle of the night is when they like being active once they can move voluntarily. I’ve been told movement during that day rocks them to sleep but once you’re out cold and still, THAT’S when they wake up and start kicking around. Fabulous!

But wait, there’s more. On the few blessed nights when the wee one is pleased with the food, the thing that keeps me awake is the discomfort of having a belly. I can’t sleep on my right for some reason (too uncomfortable) and sleeping on my left just feels funny. So I have to sleep on my back. The problem with that is, I’m not used to doing this and the weight around my middle feels odd. OR, it’s too damn hot and I can’t get comfortable no matter how cool I try to make the room.

Peeing: Racehorse comes to mind. Now, this one very often affects the sleep thing too. Usually by the time I fall asleep, I have to wake up to go pee. I get up about twice a night now to go pee. I wish I were joking, but I’ve considered switching to adult diapers. Luckily, I just can’t bring myself to do it. Not to mention, I really don’t think Aaron will ever touch me again after something like that.

Sex: So apparently there’s a great divide between some women who are into it and those who are not during this phase of life. I fall into the group who are. The problem is that we’re quickly running out of options. Nothing, I mean nothing prepares you for the funky-ass sensation of feeling like someone put a rubber ball between your bellies while in missionary (he felt it too). Talk about a show stopper! I think we’re down to about two positions that work.

Eating: Ah yes, eating. I can’t predict when and what I will want to eat. There are times that I really, really crave something then can’t eat it at all once I get it. Case in point; about two weeks ago, I got a corned beef sandwich. The thing had been running through my head since the morning. As soon as I got it, the wee one decided it was repulsed by it. I managed to take one bite before the wee one decided it would push the gag reflex button. I had to order a soup instead. Then there are the days it wants to pig out. Last week I woke up and immediately wanted pizza from a particular shop down the street from my parents place. We got out early that day so I drove out of my way to go to the shop. I ordered a pizza. I got it home and proceeded to eat all but three slices of the damn thing. I would have kept going but I realized how much I ate and got a little grossed out with myself.

Then of course there are the moments where I will be perfectly fine then within minutes be ready to eat my desk.

So yeah, these are just some of the things I have been experiencing so far. There are more, but I really have to go pee.

Ahhh

So after a few shitteous weeks things have started to calm down a bit. Work life and getting stuff done at home has left me pretty much wiped out to the point where the ide of getting back on a computer in the evening actually made me feel a little sick.

Eh, whadda ya gonna do?

So here is a quick, quick recap.

Aaron, has been telling me he's going to try to help out around the house some more.
while I appreciate the sentiment, I'll be happier when I see it.

I've been feeling as sleepy as a teenager in homeroom.

I'm getting huge. Well, I feel it anyway. I'm stll pretty bloated and today, I actually had issues reaching my shoes to take them off.

The wee one, peanut, or "THE FETUS" is happily doing its thing. We went for a sonogram (well it was an appointment to take blood but who cares about that)and as soon as they turned the screen for me to see, the wee one started doing a little jig. It was really odd. The fact that something is apparently performing on command inside me is just trippy.

I think that once we actually get a house, I may have to look into house cleaning services.

Ooh, Look Charlie...

Okay so this is not a monster but still... It's a friggin Unicorn

Still Sad One Year Later

It's been a year an I still get a little choked up whenever I hear certain songs. I just hope that wherever he is, Michael is surrounded by love. This song brought me to tears last year during the funeral.




Like A Comet
Blazing 'Cross The Evening Sky
Gone Too Soon

Like A Rainbow
Fading In The Twinkling Of An Eye
Gone Too Soon

Shiny And Sparkly
And Splendidly Bright
Here One Day
Gone One Night

Like The Loss Of Sunlight
On A Cloudy Afternoon
Gone Too Soon

Like A Castle
Built Upon A Sandy Beach
Gone Too Soon

Like A Perfect Flower
That Is Just Beyond Your Reach
Gone Too Soon

Born To Amuse, To Inspire, To Delight
Here One Day
Gone One Night

Like A Sunset
Dying With The Rising Of The Moon
Gone Too Soon

Gone Too Soon

My Mom The Hero

For the past two days I have been feeling like poop. No. Actually, it's been worse than that. I've been feeling outright green. Between feeling like someone strapped a space heater to me, the hearburn and upset stomach has been just insane. I've had a few days that have been good but then the last two days have been beyond anything I've felt so far. I haven't puked but I've been consistently on the verge.

Today I woke up and before I even got to the shower, I was gagging. I mean really, what the hell?

So yeah, I eventually took refuge at my parents. We took a quick trip to Homegoods and Costco. Then my Mom made me chicken and rice soup and kept super cold fruit coming my way when I needed it. I can't say how much I love my Mom during times like these. I mean, I love her to pieces anyway, but there are moments when I know the woman has a superhero cape tucked away somewhere.

Ever Puke So Hard It Left Red Spots All Over Your Face?

If you haven’t, I envy you. And if you have, I give you a hug. Yeah the wee one made his thoughts on meetings known today. Much like Momma, he doesn’t care for them. I’ve always joked about puking during a meeting. Never thought it would actually be inconvenient to do so.

Yeah about an hour into our monthly all staff meeting, I started feeling queasy. This progressed. About an hour and a half later, I scribbled a note to my manager telling her I had to get air. I left the conference room and about three steps into the hallway, I had to do an about face and jet to the ladies room. Luckily, the place was empty and I was free to gag, heave and puke away.

A little while later I actually managed to run back to my office get some mints and head back to the conference room. I’m not sure which part was harder, the trying to keep the sick feeling at bay before or after puking. Either way, I was extremely grateful when the meeting was called to adjournment a few minutes early.

Now I’m trying to eat small bites here and there to get something back into my system and drinking ginger ale. I still feel like crap and my face looks terrible, but at least the day is progressing and if I call it an early day, my manager knows I did try to stick it out.

Control Your Anger Young Jedi…

I swear it is getting harder and harder to not to biotch-slap people. This morning Psycho-Biotch showed up nice and early and even accompanied me to work.

Psycho-Biotch is my personal version of Jenny McCarthy’s Psycho-Chick from her book, “Belly Laughs.” By the way, I burned through her book on Saturday afternoon and loved every page. I’m now mildly afraid of the surprises in the delivery room but, hey, at least I now know what may or may not pop up.

So as I was saying… Yes, Psycho-Biotch. I’m normally pretty flexible when it comes to routines. Yes, I’m totally a creature of habit but when things come up, I normally go with the flow. No biggie. Yeah, no one told Psycho-Biotch that. I normally take a shower, do my hair, eat breakfast then do my makeup. I do it this way, because I hate having to retouch my makeup after eating breakfast. This morning, however, my brother-in-law jumped into the shower as I was eating breakfast. Normally, he’s never up at this time. And so it’s never been an issue. But for some reason the fact that he dared go into the bathroom without consulting me first, burned me up. I know, I know. What the hell? It’s not like he’s a mind reader, nor did I put a sign up or anything like that. It was completely irrational. I understand this. But still, I was pissed! Then he took forever and I couldn’t get my makeup on by the time I had to leave for work. I was pissed. In fact, thinking about it now-- knowing full well the anger is irrational-- I’m still getting pissed. Ooh yeah, but that was only her entrance.

As I walked around getting my stuff together I then noticed the shoes in the entrance were out of order. Actually, no. Not out of order. They just weren't where they were supposed to be; on the rubber mat. In fact, the only shoes that were on the stupid mat were mine and half of one of Aaron’s shoes. This burned me the frick up. I got the mat so that when you come in, particularly on a rainy day, you can leave them on the thing, rather than track water, mud, etc. all over the apartment floor. Then I noticed dried mud on the area rug in the entrance. That did it. I went bonkers. I kicked a shoe halfway down the hallway and began raising hell about how neither one of them bothers to help keep the place clean and how I may as well just leave shoes strewn all over the ****ing place. Or perhaps I should just start carting in loads of mud since they liked living in a ****ing sty. Aaron was so confused.

He his attempt to calm me down was giving me a hug and kisses. The problem is my nose has been replaced with that of a bloodhound. So him trying to kiss me while rocking the morning breath was not only displeasing me but displeasing the wee one and it was starting to let me know it. I politely tried to break away, which in turn, made him try even harder. This was not good.

I tried to sound as calm as possible (ha!) and tell him that as much as I appreciated the attempt at making me happy, his breath was having the opposite effect and that I was angry about having to go to work without makeup and seeing the place get dirty after being clean for only one day. He apologized for the breath and told me I still “look beautiful.” I called him a wonderful liar but that I appreciated his effort.

I went to work, still kind of fuming. What greeted me at work was not a pretty sight. I will once again spare you the gory details but I was in a meeting and left with nail imprints on the bottom of both my palms. I also felt the powerful urge to throw my computer through a wall when I got an e-mail that just pissed me the hell off. Yeah. Psycho-Biotch is kind of hard to rein in, but at least the bouts of queasiness from time to time, seem to be keeping her at bay a touch. Basically, if I move too quickly, the wee one will become even more agitated and make me boot. I nor Psycho-Biotch want that.

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"It All Started With the Peanuts"

This Afternoon

Not that it's really that surprising but everything is going to change today. It's awesome and kinda scary but mostly, just doesn't seem real. I suppose that's to be expected, though. I suppose nothing this big is ever real at first.

Luckily, I have a great sypport system to turn to should I need them. And really, that's all I could ever ask for.

I know, it's not very like me to be so cryptic, but I'll make sure to let yall know what I'm talking about in time. At this moment, I'm just not ready.

Down time. It's a good thing

Holy Bleeping Chriminey!!!!

I am so fargin’ sleepy. I can’t seem to get anything together today.

I'm serious. I'm all out of whack. For example, on my way into work, I hit the down button in the elevator instead of up. I should explain, I come in on the second floor and work on the third. And before you ask, no it’s not out of laziness, I can’t get out of the staircase on the third floor. I can get into the stairwell, just not out. Anyhoo, I packed three notepads to bring with me for the trip to DC tomorrow. I meant to only pack one. I apparently kept forgetting. And lastly, I have three cups on my desk. One is water the others are coffee. I got one coffee earlier, set it aside and forgot it. Then later I got water and coffee. Sigh. At this rate, I may have to just bring everything on the top of my desk (including all the cups), out of fear of forgetting something important.

Ah well, at least I haven’t fallen asleep with my finger on a keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Still Here!

Hiya. In case you have been wondering, no, I haven't disappeared off the face of the earth and yes there is stuff going on. I'm just not exactly comfortable posting the news at this time. I am keeping a long and detailed entry that I will post when the time is right, but for now... Hiya.

I can't believe we're already at Memorial Day. Holy crap has this year flown. I mean honestly I have no idea what happened to the last three months. All I know is that I started work and, boom we're here at the unofficial start of the summer. Next thing you know, we'll blink and it'll be the 4th of July, then we'll give Halloween and Christmas miss and proceed directly to Groundhog Day. Huzzah!

Ooh, speaking of Huzzah! I'm really excited. I've already know which items I will be getting at this year's Ren Faire. It is almost the season es, This year I'll be getting the apron portion of the garb and a head cover of some sort. I haven't decided if I like the bonnet style or the floppy-style hats. Eh, I'll decide later. But yeah, I am so looking forward to all the Summery stuff .

Activities I've got planned for this summer:
Hiking
Kayaking
Camping (still have to determine where and get a new tent)
Ren Faire
Beach (Duh)
Vegas (Labor Day weekend)

The other thing I have decied on is finally getting a digital camera. I still use my old-school film camera which I adore and will NEVER give up on, but I think it's time to bite the bullet and get a point and shoot.

It All Started With the Peanuts

May 27, 2010




This post is obviously backdated. I have been keeping a running log of stuff but have resisted posting anything until I felt the time was right. If you haven’t guessed it and the picture hasn’t given it away, yep, Aaron and I are going to be parents!

Two days ago as I was leaving work, I noticed that my time of the month was feeling awfully late. I counted backwards and yep, I was, indeed late (I’m now 6 days late). I called ‘Chele to confer. I would have purchased tests then but I got sidetracked. Yesterday I picked up a pack of tests. Drank water. Waited. Ate some honey roasted peanuts, watched TV then peed.

As Aaron put it, the test (at the time), "appear inconclusive." I had a dark pink line and another line that was lighter. Now, the box says the second line may appear lighter in color but he wasn’t convinced. Mind you, the last time I took the test there wasn’t a single trace of that second line there. Still, I waited till the morning and redid the test. There it was again, another line. It wasn’t as dark as the first line, but very much there. I took it as a positive. I later found out the damn things are incredibly accurate after the missed period. Woohoo.

What’s funny is I should have known something was up. Last week while I was out food shopping, I got the craziest craving for honey roasted peanuts. It’s not like I don’t eat them, but it was almost like a cigarette craving when surrounded by chain smokers. I HAD to have them. I didn’t actually get on the road before I popped that bad boy open and polished the thing off. No I ‘m not that big a pig, it was the small, small container. I went back and got the glass jar of them to bring home. Aaron looked at me funny when I took them out. All I could say is, “I wanted them.”
So today, rather than do a good amount of work, I have been doing my homework, reading up on what to do, what not to do, etc and writing creating this post.
TheBump has been my go to site since we decided to try for kids and now I’m really happy I knew about it. Hell, I’ve only been a frequent visitor to its sister sites TheKnot, and TheNest since I used it to organize my wedding. Blech I wanna go home and read up on more baby stuff, but I don’t think I should just bolt. At least my boss is gone for the day and so is my supervisor. My ass is heading home at 4:00. I have been getting in the office at 8:00 am all week, damn it.


May 28, 2010

Holy crap. My tummy hurts and I have to pee like a racehorse. I actually feel like I’m having really bad cramps. Apparently the cramps I’m feeling are called round ligament pain. It’s basically caused by the ligaments that surround and support the uterus thickening and stretching. But wait, it gets better. Apparently this is supposed to hurt worse in the second trimester and usually worsens when you move quickly , laugh or cough. Woohoo!

Oh yeah. Aaron is finally convinced that the tests were accurate. All it took was for me to relay what the receptionist at my GYN said about the lighter pink lines and the timing. Yes, I told him the very same thing. Eh, wadda ya gonna do, right? But I digress… I called them yesterday to schedule an appointment. I’m going in on June 8th to have my first prenatal visit. Aaron’s going to be going with me in case they do a sonogram.

Last night we finally had some time to talk about the baby and when we’d like to tell people about it. I think we decided to tell the families during the July 4th Weekend. After that we’ll officially tell our friends. I know it’s a while but Aaron’s concerned about anything potentially going badly. I can’t really blame him. If anything bad happens it’s most likely to happen during the first few weeks. I just have to make sure I’m disciplined enough to keep my mouth shut till then. We shall see.


Monday, May 31, 2010

Let's Go Yankees!
Today I got to see, A-Rod hit a grand slam, a new angle of the stadium (I've sat in almost all of the different areas) and myself almost go cookoo for Cocopuffs over just about every food item I saw and/or smelled, except for one of the stands that was making something with curry. I normally love curry, but today, the smell was turning my tummy. THEN after Aaron who was wonderful enough to get me the biggest stadium steak sandwich I have ever seen, I turned into a friggin machine. I devoured that thing in no time, flat. Hell, I'm surprised I didnt eat the wrapping too.

Ah well, at least I'm still working out. I'm cutting back on the harder stuff or the stuff that can involve falling, like roller blading and perhaps biking, but I'm making it a point to continue walking, jogging and lifting light weights.

Ooh yeah, I've also noticed that my mood swings have been just charming over the last day or two. I learned that I can go from zero to psycho bitch on wheels and back again, in under three seconds! Woo! I can't help it or explain it. Like Dr. Banner, I try to keep it under control as best as I can, but when pushed too hard (or, not at all)... I have the strange feeling that you wouldn't like me when I'm angry.


Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Leaping lizards! I haven’t felt this sleepy in ages. I’m not sure if it’s the fact that my boss is out today or what, but all I want to do is put my head down on the comfy looking keyboard. The keys have some give to them. That should make it comfortable enough, shouldn’t it?

Ooh yeah, I’ve gotten a better idea of just how bloated I am. I tried on several different outfits that shouldn’t be fitting as snug as they were this morning. All I keep telling myself is that this is happy thing. It’s a good thing and that I’ll have a good reason to buy bigger comfier clothes. I did this of course as I tried not to burp my breakfast back up. I feel so lady-like.

I’ve also noticed the first signs of “morning sickness.” The symptoms aren’t bad. It’s mostly been heartburn and a touch of gas. I normally don’t get heartburn and/or burp like that after eating a bagel and fruit. Then again I also started feeling that after dinner the other day. All I had was rice, veggies and chicken. Go figure. ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…


Sunday, June 6, 2010

What have I learned today? I learned that I can’t clean the way I used to. Today was a low activity day. I went to church and went food shopping. We’ll have to reexamine the logic behind sending the pregnant one to buy food at a later time. After I got back I took a nap, and then woke up feeling the need to clean. I get that way some times. I just can’t sit still until things are cleaned to my nutty (Marthaesque) standards. I cleaned the bathroom swiffered (dry and wet) the floors and vacuumed the two area rugs in the living room and entryway. By the end of that, I felt like I was going to pass the hell out. Mind you, normally this is what I do when I have to clean in a hurry, like when company is coming over, or when I’m just beginning my cleaning day.

I mean I was actually out of breath and dizzy. I got a huge glass of water and sat my ass down. Aaron got a bit concerned when I told him but I think he was okay as long as I didn’t actually pass out. I told him he’d have to finish the chores tomorrow. I didn’t touch the laundry, I still have to dust and wipe down all the common surfaces like counters, handles, door knobs, light switches, etc. He happily agreed.


Monday, June 7, 2010

Buuuurrrrp!

So as far as “morning” sickness (or any time sickness, really) goes I’m getting lucky. All I’ve really been experiencing is heartburn, a bit of reflux and burping. No nausea, vomiting or anything like that. The problem with this is that there’s no rhyme or reason to what sets it off. It’s not like I can say, okay, I’ll avoid this kind of food or that kind of item. Nope. The other day, a simple smoothie set it off. What the frick?

Ah well, at least it’s not nearly as bad as the incessant need to pee. THAT has gotten old really fast; especially when it’s 2:00 and 3:00 A.M. and I have to make a mad dash for the bathroom. Coordination and I are not friends when I first wake up, particularly at that time of the morning. I’m just glad I’ve made it a point to keep the bathroom light on at night. Goodness knows there’s a good chance I’d end up peeing in the bedroom next to the bathroom is the light wasn’t there to guide my half comatose self. Imagine trying to explain that one in the morning.

Ooh, I have some other changes. Aaron decided to tell his sister, brother-in-law and his parents about our news. Once again, he’s the one who wanted to wait till July but he’s totally pinning it on me. His reasoning is that I’m the one who’s been dying to tell people. I’ve kept my mouth shut. The only people who know at work are my supervisor and the office assistant and I did this in case I have an emergency and have to take off early. He’s told his boss and just about all of his work buddies. But, you know, I’m the one who wants to tell everyone. Uh-huh… riiight.

His behavior is sweet though. Even though he insists he’s only 98 percent sure that we’re having a baby until we see the doctor (HA!), he’s sure acting like an excited man who’s trying to play it cool. But I think he’s slowly but surely getting used to the idea of being openly excited. He even rubbed my belly to say hello to the little one yesterday. Awwww…


Tuesday June 8, 2010
It’s Official We’re Having a Tadpole!

Yep we went to the doctor’s today. Poor Aaron hadn’t slept at all but was still pretty happy to see the little dot on the screen.

Aaron worked last night but rather than being able to get some sleep he had to take his brother to a doctor’s appointment in the morning and got home just in time to sit down for a bite to ear, before he had to get right back up and head out to my appointment. He was so tired he was actually shaking.

When we got there I actually thought we were going to go through the whole thing quickly. Well, the sonogram went quickly. I have no idea what the hell I was looking at, it was all kind of grey and then there was a black spot with a few white sections in it. It looked like an amorphous blob. Apparently that was the embryo. When she did a close-up, it looked like a tadpole. She then said, “Oooh look, you can see the heartbeat.” I stared and leaned in but really didn’t see a damn thing at first. Then she had to point it out. There was a wee little section in the tadpole that was blinking. Apparently that’s the forming heart. Cute! So yeah. The little guy is now the size of a pea or an M&M. HA!

After that whole thing, we then waited around some more and argued over how long I’ve been off the pill. Aaron seems to think it was one month. It was two. I know this because, well, I marked it down on my calendar. Duh! So yeah, then we got into the stuff about what I can, can’t, should and shouldn’t be doing. Basically it all comes down to, don’t be stupid and listen to your body. Sweet.

Now here’s the thing. This appointment just happened to coincide with my yearly exam. I’ve always been in that doctor’s office on my own. Having Aaron there, however, felt really odd. I mean, he has never gotten to see or have any inkling of what happens when I go to the GYN appointments. This time, however, he got to stay in the room for the whole thing. We didn’t really talk about it, but I’m just not sure who felt stranger about being in that room.


Friday, June 11, 2010
The Wee One Was Displeased


Yesterday was the first day I actually came close to booting. I called in sick yesterday because since finding out the big news, I haven’t used my prescription allergy medications. Then about an hour after eating breakfast, I experienced the first episode of “morning” sickness. I thought I was going to be safe with a bowl of cereal and a small bowl of fruit. Nope. The wee one was displeased.

What an unpleasant experience. I didn’t actually vomit, I just wish I had. Blech. For only God knows how long, I just sat on my bed waiting, still as a statue. I wasn’t sure whether I was waiting for it to go away or waiting for boot. All I knew is that if I moved I wouldn’t like it.

Since the day we found out the big news till yesterday, I’ve been pretty lucky. My cravings have been fairly mild. The biggest thing has been anything that has the salty/sweet combination, namely, honey roasted peanuts. The only other symptom I’ve noticed is an uptick in heartburn episodes (I hardly ever get heartburn). Ah well. I knew it would happen at some point or the other. Like I said, I’ve been pretty lucky so far. Here’s hoping the luck lasts.


Sunday, June 13, 2010
Got Plans? The Wee One Says 'No'

I don't mind being flexible, just be reasonable. I've already come to learn that when the wee one has plans of its own, he makes himself clear. By the way, I'm calling the wee one a him, but we still have no idea what the wee one is.

So yes, earlier this week I got to find out why the term "morning sickness" is laughable. This morning I got a repeat lesson. Blech. I once again didn't boot, I just had to stay still and wait. Blech.

But yeah, like I've said before, it's really not bad in general. But when the wee one acts up or wants me to pay attention, there's just no ignoring it.

Here's a funny story. This afternoon I got a smoothie thingy from starbucks. I told the dude at the counter to use no fat milk or soy. He said, "you got it." Needless to say, I think the bastard had no idea what I was talking about. So a little while ago, I began feeling terrible. I'll spare you the details but I came back into the livingroom rubbing my tummy, grumbling, "F***ing little bastard!" Aaron immediately responded with an offended, "HEY!" I then had to explain to him that I wasn't referring to the wee one but the idiot at Starbucks.

He laughed at the misunderstanding and said that he wasn't surprised that I wasn't feeling so great. Apparently dairy may not agree with my system at this stage. He started reading the book I got him! What a good soon=to-be daddy