Weekly Workout Summary

Well - I'm one week into my experiment.

I can't really report any results (however, I was told that I seemed happier), but I almost reached my waddling goals. I waddled 13 miles (would have been over 16, but I did an indoor workout yesterday because of the cold), did weights one day and did the elliptical & bike yesterday. I also did a couple of visualization exercises imagining long, slow runs. I do miss my long, slow runs.

I'm looking forward to another week of waddling and experimenting.

Happy 34th Birthday Buttin!

Happy Birthday Buttin!
I love you and me posting this picture proves it!!

Thirty Second Movie Review - Edge of Darkness

Edge of Darkness

Pretty entertaining thriller; however, they tried to cram WAY too much into one movie. Buttin says the movie is based on an 8 hour BBC mini-series and you can tell - unnecessary characters were introduced and then never seen again.

Fetus Friday - Week 31

This has been a very eventful week of Lumpy posts . . .the hypnobabies class, the hospital visit and now it's Fetus Friday!

This is what Baby Center has to say about Lumpy this week:

He weighs about 3.3 pounds and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up.

I think I was right last week when I said Lumpy's job from now on is to grow and put on weight. I'm also pretty sure Lumpy is a night owl, like Buttin. Lumpy is extremely active at night especially in the couple of hours before I go to bed. I LOVE laying on the couch and watching TV and just feeling Lumpy move around; however, in the morning Lumpy is one LAZY baby. I have to poke Lumpy to make him/her move around in the morning just to make sure everything is OK. Lumpy kicks me a few times as if to say, "Yes, Mom - I'm fine, now let me go back to sleep."

Baby Center has this to say regarding me:

Have you noticed the muscles in your uterus tightening now and then? Many women feel these random contractions — called Braxton Hicks contractions - in the second half of pregnancy.

I'm not sure if I've felt BH contractions yet. They might be kind of like feeling Lumpy move for the first few times - it happened, but since this is my first pregnancy - I didn't really recognize it. Also this week I have turned into an EATING MACHINE. During the last half of pregnancy my appetite has really decreased (I think it might have something to do with not running 30 miles a week), but this week - WOW - I think I'm back to my running diet. Oh well - I guess Lumpy does need calories to do his/her job, so I will do my best to provide Lumpy with the most nutritious food for developing babies - Girl Scout Cookies.

Bad Interweb, Bad . . . Bad

**Warning, may contain parts too sad for some readers**

OK - I'll try to make this quick. I've previously written about the Baby Center message boards that I frequently visit for advice and some entertainment (these ladies can get bitchy - meow, makes Psycho Stephanie look downright angelic).

As you might imagine some of the stories other women tell are very sad. In the beginning there were many miscarriages, then many stories of micro-preemies who did not survive, but yesterday in my office I found myself balling.

Michelle's story is such a sad one. She wrote one post back in late November that detailed her situation and it's had well over 2,000 comments. Basic story, she had a baby about a year ago (a little girl, Lucy) who died at 6 weeks of SIDS. After learning she was pregnant in July (of 09) she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Her doctors recommended (because of her need for aggressive treatment) that she have her baby on December 28th (at 25 weeks). On December 28th baby Harrison was born. Oh, did I mention that she also has two adopted daughters?

So, on this one long post - Michelle and her husband (Jeff) would periodically post updates on both Michelle and Harrison's progress. Two days ago, this was the update from Jeff:

**You don't have to read this part if you don't want to be sad, bottom line - Michelle dies**

Michelle passed away peacefully in her sleep on Monday evening. She was able to see Harrison after her biopsy, but she said she felt tired, so it was a very short visit. I stayed a little while longer with him, and when I came back up to Michelle's room, she was asleep. I crawled into bed with her and held her, and she passed away a few hours later. The cause of death is as yet unknown.

We have lots of my family swooping in to help and Michelle's family coming in the days to come. I'm scared for Hailey and Madeline. Some of you may have known that we adopted Hailey and Madeline. They have already lost one mother, and it's horrible that they had to lose another. They're afraid I am going to send them away, which I would never, ever do.

I'm using this board as a sounding board for myself, which is maybe not the right thing to do. Michelle loved you all, even if she rarely posted on the board after her diagnosis, whenever I'd come see her she was always reading. She knew your names and your due dates, she even knew what most of you were having and what you were going to name them. Your support of her on this thread, to me, was absolutely incredible, and although I don't feel like I owe you this update, I feel like I know you'll offer implicit support, and like you won't expect me to act in a way that you want me to.

She was brave and strong and incredible, the sweetest woman you could have ever wanted to know. She never had strong words for anyone. I am taking comfort in knowing that she and Lucy are together now. She didn't speak of our daughter much, but I know she missed her more than I could ever say, and I know that it changed her and affected her very strongly. I miss my girls, but there's a comfort in knowing they're together, and that now I have to focus my energy on my other girls, my girls who now more than ever need a good, stable dad, and my son, who still has a long fight to fight.

Thank you for your prayers. I may update you more infrequently now but I will still update you on Harrison and his progress.

jeff

Two days ago (while reading this), I was a mess in my office. This was the most heart-wrenching thing I had ever read. I thought about it all night long - I think I even told Buttin a few extra times how much I love him because I was just feeling SO THANKFUL for our health and for Lumpy's health.

Well last night (it's very early morning right now - feeling VERY wide awake) I started looking at the message boards (and had already told myself I would stay away from the December 28 post). I started reading other posts about breastfeeding, weird cramping and random off topic things when I ran across a post that essentially laid out in detail how Michelle and Jeff were BIG HUGE FAKERS (I know my friend Liz and my mom probably saw this coming from miles away).

Apparently, there are other women on the Baby Center message boards that have nothing else to do but internet detective work. They found pictures of Michelle and Jeff's baby, Lucy (the one that supposedly died of SIDS), wearing a hospital bracelet with a boys name on it. They pointed out inconsistencies in other posts and in other pictures. It was some crazy CSI kind of stuff. Their theory is that "Jeff and Michelle" were praying on the sympathies of sweet, wonderful and good-natured pregnant women (pretty much the definition of me, doncha think?) and looking for money.

Like many of the other women who frequent the messages boards, I felt relief that the story was not true, but angry that someone would take the time to construct such an awful story. I felt like a gullible doofus that I fell for this story (but I didn't really have reason to doubt it and I certainly didn't have time to research it) I've said it before and I'll say it again, the interweb can be a bad, bad place - especially for me while pregnant.

Picture Of The Day

Me & Two Misfits

The Twilight Zone

There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man (but known to woman). It is a dimension as vast as space (because my belly is so huge) and as timeless as infinity (or forty weeks). It is the middle ground between light (happy) and shadow (psycho), between science (doctor) and superstition (doula), and it lies between the pit of man's fears (read Buttin Turns Green) and the summit (more like the top of an ant hill) of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination (and perspiration). It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone (Labor & Delivery).

Tonight Buttin and I checked another thing off our Lumpy Preparedness List by taking a hospital tour. The tour itself was pretty informative and made me feel very relaxed and confident about our decision to have Lumpy at North Austin Medical Center. However, there were some real characters on the tour with us and I got a major case of the giggles.

The tour was scheduled to begin at 5:30. Buttin and I arrived around 5:15, signed in and got a little brochure. We were the second couple to arrive and during the next 20 - 25 minutes about five more couples joined us in the waiting room. The labor & delivery nurse/tour guide (we'll call her Sally) came in around 5:45 (I'm starving by the way) and did a little welcome speech. She also told us a few interesting things about their security procedures. For example, Lumpy will be wearing a heat sensitive security anklet (kind of like the tag on an expensive pair of jeans). If Lumpy is taken too close to the outside doors - the whole labor & delivery section of the hospital automatically locks down. If the heat sensitive chip is removed from the anklet, an alarm goes off. These folks aren't messing around and this makes me feel VERY comfortable.

After Sally reviews all the security features and check-in procedures, we head upstairs. On our way upstairs, we run into another pregnant lady and her mother (we'll call them Pregnant Lady and Crazy G-Mom). Sally explains that they should join us and that she will fill them in on all the information she's already discussed with the group at the end of the tour. These two women (especially the mother) were the highlight of the tour.

Our first stop is a Labor & Delivery room. Here is the exact description from the brochure of the L&D room, "Our labor rooms have a direct telephone line, Wi-Fi access, a flat screen TV, a sitting area with couch & glider, personal temperature controls, a private restroom with shower and heat lamp, 'made to order' room service . . .". Yes, the L&D room sounds better (and is better) than some hotel rooms I've occupied. It's only real flaw - the pillows. We really must bring our own pillows from home.

While we are in the L&D room, Crazy G-Mom asks the following question of "My daughter just bought some nursing bras - should she wash them before wearing them?" WHAT??? Are you serious?? God bless poor Sally, she very diplomatically said, "Well, it's always a good idea to wash any article of clothing your purchase before wearing it." At this point, Buttin and I started to look around the room - trying to find other people who found this line of questioning strange. We found another couple and exchanged looks that seemed to say, "Did she really ask that question out loud?".

After that wonderful question, Pregnant Lady asks Sally "Well, when I was at Baby's R Us, they said I needed special pacifiers if I'm going to breastfeed - is this true?" Really? I don't have anything against Baby's R Us employees (I'm sure they're all very wonderful), but I doubt any of them have real medical or lactation training - but oh well - maybe Baby's R Us is Pregnant Lady's primary source of pregnancy education. Again Sally gives a very diplomatic answer.

As we all walk to the nursery and postpartum room, Crazy G-Mom explains to the group that she's really just a nervous wreck because she doesn't know what to expect because it's been 30 years since she's given birth. Her daughter (the one actually having a baby) is much calmer, but still weird. While we're walking Crazy G-Mom tries to make conversation with all the other mommies around her - Buttin keeps pulling me back so that we are as far away from the Crazy G-Mom as possible (we don't want to get sucked in). At one point, Crazy G-Mom corners another mom and I just start cracking up - I can hear her asking the mother (the look on her face was one of a frightened, trapped animal) a stupid question like, "Should I wash my hands before holding my grandson?"

Once we're all in the postpartum room, the ridiculous questioning continues. Pregnant Lady asks, "Are there electrical outlets in the rooms so that I can plug in my laptop?" Again, I can't believe that people are asking these kinds of questions. At this point Buttin and I are pretty much ready to go, but Crazy G-Mom asks the following doozies:

• If we want music, do we need to bring our own boom box (yes, I guess some people still use that term) or does each room have a sound system?
• What number should we give our family to call to check on my daughter and grandson?
• Can I get a "grandma" security bracelet?
  
• Do you have indoor plumbing?

OK, so maybe she didn't really ask that last one.

Honestly, being on this tour made me so thankful for my mother - if Crazy G-Mom was my mother, I'd run (waddle) away and never be seen in public with her. Crazy G-Mom asked so many more questions that I cannot even remember and NONE of them seemed very relevant, but several of them made me laugh.

The other character on our tour (and I felt kind of bad for her) was a 16 or 17 year old (that's Buttin's estimate) girl. She didn't really talk very much, but she was wearing the shortest little skirt and the tightest little top I've ever seen on a pregnant lady (keep in mind, I'm in no position to give maternity fashion advice - I was wearing gray stretchy pants, a yellow t-shirt, a blue sweatshirt and pink flip flops). She had a female friend with her, but I hope she has a parent or significant other as a support person. All I could think about when I'd look at her was, if Lumpy is a girl, please do not let her be like Bristol Palin, but if teenage Lumpy girl were to get pregnant, please let me be her support person on the hospital tour (and not some other teenager, smacking on bubble gum and texting on a cell phone).

On the whole, the hospital (aka twilight zone) tour got me very excited (I know it'll sound weird, but it's a similar feeling to visiting your wedding venue a few weeks before your wedding). I feel very comfortable with my ability to make choices and Sally said that all we need to do is communicate our desires with our nurses. Her words exactly, "This is your experience and we're just here to help".

Birthing Choices

***Warning - contents may be too graphic for some readers*** I'm not kidding - this could make you (yes, you) uncomfortable***

As I mentioned last week, the conventional medical world and the granola world (hypnobabies is a part of the granola world if you didn't already know) are somewhat at odds. Last night during hypnobabies Buttin and I learned all about our various birthing choices. Buttin and I just plan to listen, research and then make up our own minds.

Here are a few examples of some birthing choices:

• Nothing by mouth. This means that I would not eat or drink anything during birth. Ehh . . that's not going to happen. I don't care if Buttin has to sneak food in - I have to keep my strength up. Luckily, the hospital I'm going to provides a little refreshment center in each room, but I still plan to bring my own snacks.
  
• Vaginal exams. This is pretty much what it sounds like - the nurse checks your who-ha every couple of hours to see how things are progressing. I plan to have these whenever I'm comfortable and reserve the right to not hear the results.
• IV to maintain fluid levels. I do not plan on having an IV. I would like to get up and move around as much as possible. Also, since I plan on eating and drinking (see choice #1), I will not need it for hydration purposes.
• Epidural anesthesia. I'm open to any and all possibilities, but the point of taking hypnobabies is to avoid the epidural. Color me crazy, but the idea of a needle in my back is more frightening than a watermelon passing through a pin hole.
  
• (PROBABLY MOST CRINGE INDUCING) Episiotomy. This is where a small surgical cut is made in an attempt to prevent a larger tear (if you have no idea what I'm talking about or where this cut is made, do not google it and good God - stop reading). I would prefer not to have an episiotomy; however I understand the need for one in some circumstances. For example (and this is when Buttin and I both got a little queasy), if a woman starts to tear in the upward direction (instead of down) an episiotomy would be VERY NECESSARY.
  

OK, that's enough birth choices for one post. There are many others and during the next couple of weeks I plan to draft my birth plan and share it with Dr. Elephant so that we can discuss all my preferences.

On another topic, in an attempt to not repeat last week's Molly tantrum when it was time to do the relaxation part of our evening - I let her in during the beginning of the night, in the hopes that she would tire of us quickly. No such luck. She was fascinated by anything and everything Doula related. You'd think she'd never seen paper or a pen or a doula before. When Buttin was successful in getting Molly relaxed, Mouser would then start to attack her dry erase board (apparently, anything brought into the house is fair game for rubbing against according to Mouser - this includes the Doula). For the most part, the animals just had us laughing.

Odes To Peanut Butter & Chocolate

Barbie brought me this delicious double-stuffed, king sized Reese's Peanut Butter Heart. It only (hee, hee) has 340 calories, but it has a whopping 8 grams of protein and I've been told by my doula that I need to eat more protein. It'll be difficult to eat it - but I'll do it for Lumpy and for the protein.

In honor of this magnificent occasion, I've decided to write some poems.

A Haiku

Peanut butter yum
Eating it at one time, delicious
Can I wait till lunch?

A Limerick

Chocolate and peanut butter together
In my tummy, they belong forever
I'll eat this king-sized heart
and promise not to fart
Unless the iron in my system gets the better

A Roses Are Red Variation

Roses taste like peanuts
Violets taste like sweets
I love the taste of chocolate
much better than the taste of beets.

Weekly Workout Summary

This past week has been great for jog waddling (over 12 miles), but not so good for anything else. Yesterday, I went for my longest jog waddle ever - 4 miles (only took me 1 hour 13 minutes - so speedy). I felt some mild soreness in my pelvis, but other than that - it felt very good to be moving for over an hour.

This week, I start my new experiment. My goal is to jog waddle at least 16 miles, do at least two weight workouts and try to spend 2 hours visualizing a long, fun run.

Thirty Second Movie Review - Legion

Legion

I think this movie had an interesting concept (God sends angels to Earth to exterminate people); however, I don't think it was executed very well. There were a couple scenes of creepy imagery, but for the most part it wasn't very scary or interesting. The one thing that REALLY bugged me - in the very beginning of the movie, "December 23rd 1:03 AM" is shown at the bottom of the screen and we never get another date or time for the rest of the movie - strange.

It's Not My Body, It's My Mind

**The is the post about the RAGE I've been alluding to**

Here is a very talented artist's rendering of me as Psycho-Stephanie (as Liz likes to call her):

Since I've entered the third trimester I've been reading all about the good (and by good, I'm being sarcastic) things to come regarding my emotions. Most things I've read say that I can expect a return to my "first trimester moodiness". Hmm . . . that's funny, I don't remember feeling homicidal one minute, deliriously happy the next and crying the next during my first trimester. I have a theory.

I blame my huge increase in moodiness on my inability to run. I honestly believe that running (for many miles at a time - not just the 2 I'm doing now) during my first 22 weeks of pregnancy, settled me. For the last 8 weeks, I haven't been able to run nearly as long (or far) as I used to and mentally I'm suffering. I'm not concerned about my body (I'm still getting some jog waddling done), I'm worried about my mind.

This theory isn't a unique idea. I read many posts from other running mommies that say their families literally push them out the door for runs if they haven't been for a couple of days. Apparently these mommies become unbearable without running - and they're not even pregnant right now. I'm sure my body has enjoyed the rest (while it's working hard to nurture a baby) from running, but I don't think my mind has enjoyed the time off.

OK - so going back to 6th grade science and I'm going to apply the scientific method to my theory.

My Hypothesis: Running (if you can believe it) helps me to cope and regulates my pregnancy mood swings.

Experiments: This is difficult since I can't really start running 10 miles a day again. I'm going to try a couple other things -

• Do more cardio and sweat more (to the best of my ability and without harming myself).
  
• Use my hypnobabies relaxation techniques and try to visualize myself running (we used to do relaxation and visualization for swimming all the time, so this isn't really as crazy as it sounds). Maybe I can trick my subconscious mind into thinking that I HAVE been running and get some endorphine benefits for my efforts.
  

Data: I'm going to try the above techniques for the next TWO WEEKS (ending with my February 7th Weekly Workout Summary) and see how it goes.

Conclusions: I'll report on if any of this helps with the crazy little roller coaster (known as the 3rd trimester) of emotions I'm on.

Fetus Friday - Week 30

It feels like I just wrote a "Fetus Friday" post - time is going by entirely too quickly.

Baby Center has this to say about Lumpy during week 30:

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds.

The only other thing that Baby Center mentions during this week is that Lumpy's eye sight is still developing and will continue to do so even after birth. I wonder if I'm reaching the point of pregnancy where Lumpy's only goal/job is to put on weight.

I don't even want to copy all the wonderful things Baby Center has to say about the changes happening to me - apparently I will experience even more moodiness, fatigue and clumsiness - none of which I can afford to have increase. Seriously, I am working on a post about my rage issues - I think I need a nick name for this alter-ego, maybe something like stormy Stephanie or crazy irrational lady.

I honestly cannot believe that come next week - we'll be in single digit weeks till Lumpy's birthday.

Thirty Second Book Review - Belly Laughs

Belly Laughs - Jenny McCarthy

Quick side note: According to my hypnobabies course - this would not be a good book for me to read (but I started it before I started class). Ms. McCarthy uses words like "labor", "contractions" and "pain" - all of which are no-nos for hypnobabies.

This book has delightfully funny and quick chapters. It was the perfect "bathroom book", but that's probably too much information. I enjoyed hearing that celebrities get bad skin, gain weight and are grumpy during pregnancy too.

Boy or Girl?

I've been meaning to write about the topic of Lumpy's sex for quite a while now, but other topics just present themselves more forcefully (like finding a roach in my sugar scrub or the KFC incident).

Well, the last TWO nights I've had dreams about Lumpy being a boy (even though, I'm very confident Lumpy is a girl, for reasons I will go into later). Two nights ago, I dreamt I was in the doctor's office and they gave me a form to fill out and right on the form it said, "Baby's Sex" with a box checked "Male". In my dream, I started crying in the doctor's office - first out of joy and then out of anger that they would let me find out (maybe you remember crazy Stephanie from the KFC incident - I'll have more on the topic of my increased rage on another post) Lumpy's sex. Last night I had a dream that Lumpy was two days old before I realized Lumpy was boy! Poor kiddo, I hope someone changed his diapers. I felt so strongly in my dream that Lumpy was a girl that I just didn't even question it, so when I found out Lumpy was a boy - I was a little shocked.

I'm taking my dreams from the last two nights as a hint that I finally needed to address this topic.

Like most expectant parents, we want a happy and healthy Lumpy - BUT, if I was forced to pick between boy or girl - I would want Lumpy to be a GIRL.

First of all, the reasons I'm 90% sure Lumpy is a girl:

• I'm the mommy and I just have a feeling (call it intuition) Lumpy is a girl.
  
• I think the ultrasound technician let a "she" slip (although, she quickly used the "he" pronoun in her next sentence - but I think it was just a cover).
• Most of the old wives' tales point to girl - how I'm carrying Lumpy, my teenage acne, my lack of morning sickness . . .etc.
• The Chinese Gender Prediction calendar says Girl (and everyone knows interweb quizzes are right about EVERYTHING).
  

Secondly, the reasons I WANT a girl (even though I'd be very happy with a boy too):

• Girl's clothes are cuter - this is just a fact.
• I would like to replicate the mother/daughter relationship that I have with my mother. (As a side note, I would also love the mother/son relationship that Buttin and my MIL share; however, I've heard the stories of Buttin as a child and I'm not sure I could be as angelic as his mother.)
• I know Buttin would just be puddy in the hands of a little girl and I'd love to watch that relationship.
  
• I'm not sure I know what to do with a little boy. I guess, since I'm a girl - I just feel more comfortable with the idea of a little girl Lumpy.
  

I know, no matter boy or girl - Lumpy will have a bald spot on his/her head from all the kisses we give him/her. It certainly is fun to guess - even though I'm pretty sure I know.

A Lazy Post With Pictures

Today's post is going to be a lazy one.

I wasn't sleeping well last night and I'm kind of tired this morning - so please forgive the lack of creativity.

I thought I'd take this time to share a couple of the photos that I've taken during the last week or so for my Photo Of The Day 2010 Project.

Last Wednesday night, I went out to eat with my friend Liz at one of our favorite places - Asia Cafe.

Here's a picture of our favorite dish - Mustard Greens with Bean Curd (I know it sounds disgusting, but it's wonderful- it even has the word "bean" in it).

Picture - 1.13.10
This next picture is from the weekend (Saturday) - our cat Scratch is quite healthy in size and we never knew he could get onto the roof of our house (our other cat, Mouser, is always on our roof). Here's evidence that Scratch can get his fat little butt on the roof.

Picture - 1.16.10
This last picture is my favorite. It's also from this weekend (Sunday) and involves our animals. Our animals firmly believe that everything we are eating, they should be allowed to eat too - and it's not just the dogs who feel this way.

Picture - 1.17.10

Watching Buttin Turn Green

***Caution - maybe too graphic for some readers***

Last night, Buttin and I had our second Hypnobabies class.

It's difficult to describe, but the hospital/conventional birth world and the more organic birth world seem to be in conflict on a lot of things - and it's not just on what you might consider to be the BIG things like pain medication during childbirth. It's everything from the usage of drugs after childbirth (to help deliver the placenta) to the use of eye ointment on the baby after birth. Who knew that eye drops could be so controversial? Like with pretty much everything else in life, Buttin and I will just pick the parts we like from each and make our own decisions.

We spent the majority of last night's class discussing nutrition and exercise. It seems strange that we would be discussing these topics THIS late in the game, but oh well. I pretty much have the exercise part down, but the nutrition - well that part only so, so. (Maybe you've read about my mac n cheese, cookie dough and fried chicken obsessions.) Hypnobabies subscribes to the Dr. Brewer diet plan. The Dr. Brewer plan is BIG on protein and BIG on lots of calories - the plan recommends a 2,600 calories/day diet! (Again, here's where we pick and choose). I agree that I probably need to eat more protein, but I'm not sure I want to shoot for 2,600 calories/day. I'm supposed to keep a food journal for the next week - I detest food journals.

Next we get to the fun part - discussing the stages of birth (we don't call it "labor" in hypnobabies). This part didn't really seem to bother Buttin, but then we got to a part where our Doula started discussing the importance of perineal massage. (If you don't know where your perineum is located - I wouldn't suggested googling it because you may get some images your uncomfortable viewing at work.) I think Buttin is all for doing pretty much anything to make childbirth and pregnancy easier on me; however, this is where he may draw the line. He started to turn a little green when our Doula gave him a handy-dandy pamphlet on this topic. Poor Buttin.

Last night, we did a quick hypnosis session (Molly was the least cooperative puppy EVER) where I learned how to stay hypnotized while keeping my eyes open. If I'm being honest, this is still a lot to digest and "buy into" - but I am trying and I do believe that it will be helpful. We have a lot of practice to do this week and my goal is just to keep Buttin relaxed and rosy-complected.

Doctor Appointment Update

Before we get to the my doctor's appointment this morning - isn't the picture above cute? My friend Jen was in Palm Springs over the weekend and she took a picture of this store. I'm going to pretend that it's not for golf, because I'd like to think that Lumpy would have a more interesting type of store - like a Harry Potter store (a spa or fried chicken restaurant would also be acceptable).

OK - now onto my doctor's appointment update, in bullet point form:

• I've lost 4 lbs! Yup, that's right I knew my post-holiday weight was probably half Lumpy and half fudge. Now that I stopped eating fudge - I figured my weight would correct itself.
  
• My blood pressure was good - 112/68. It's been good this entire time, so that's good.
• We heard Lumpy's heart rate right away - Lumpy's heart wasn't hiding behind my bellybutton like last time.
• Dr. Elephant was pleased that Lumpy had a growth spurt and was now in the 30th - 40th percentile for weight.
  
• We also talked a little about Lumpy's kicking - I told Dr. Elephant that some times I can only feel Lumpy move about 5 times an hour and other times it's about 55 times. He said this was perfectly normal and that I will feel Lumpy move more and more during the next 10 - 11 weeks.
  

It was a relatively short appointment and I'll go back again in 2 weeks.

Tonight - Hypnobabies class #2!

Thirty Second Movie Review - The Book Of Eli

The Book of Eli

Very stylish and beautiful (in it's own way) post-apocalyptic movie about a man with a singular mission -- go West. The action sequences are really well done and I fully believe that the world is a better place with Denzel Washington.

Weekly Workout Summary

This week was better than previous weeks - but that's not really saying very much.

Luckily, the weather warmed up so I was able to jog waddle outside pretty regularly - I only go 2 miles at time, but that takes me almost 30 minutes. I also did a couple weight workouts and there was the Tuesday night Lumpy registry workout. I know it might not sound like much of a workout, but seriously that zapper gun was heavy and there at least four aisles that Jen made me walk down multiple times.

Yesterday morning I went to the gym very early (couldn't sleep) and did some elliptical and bike work. While on the bike, I started reading my first parenting book, The Happiest Baby On The Block. My hypnobabies classes are starting to make me feel more comfortable about childbirth, but now I'm starting to worry about the whole being a mom part of this adventure. Reading books makes me feel more comfortable, but sadly these pregnancy hormones sometimes get the best of me and I actually started crying while on the bike reading The HAPPIEST Baby On The Block. Luckily, there were very few people in the gym to witness my silliness.

The KFC Incident

Last night I spent a nice, relaxing evening with my friend Liz; but not before suffering the trial and tribulation that will henceforth be remembered as, "The KFC Incident".

Liz and I enjoy KFC. We even have a "usual", and while some might consider this to be trashy - I consider it to be pretty classy and basically a life sustaining ritual (akin to breathing or Law & Order watching).

Anyway, we were planning on going out to eat last night, but with the dreary and cold weather we decided that comfort food (in the form of fried chickeny goodness) was just what we needed (that and some Harry Potter).

I drive to KFC on my way to Liz's house and here is a very accurate re-cap of the incident:

I arrive at the drive thru.

Me: Hello, I would like a 3 piece extra crispy meal.
KFC Worker: We've gone through a menu simplification and we are no longer serving extra crispy - only original and grilled.
Me: What?
KFC Worker: Well, we do have extra crispy chicken strips.
Me: Ok, I'll take a 3 piece original meal with double mac n cheese.
KFC Worker: I'm sorry, we've gone through a menu simplification and we are no longer serving mac n cheese - only green beans, cole slaw, mashed potatoes and fries.
Me: Huh? People actually order green beans. OK, I'm going to have to make a phone call - cancel my order for now.

I drive to a parking spot, and shaking with uncontrollable rage -I call Liz. I try to remain calm, but as soon as I break the news - we exchange a series of "What?", "Inconceivable"!, "How is this possible?", "This is the first sign of the Apocalypse", "The terrorists have won." and "This is an international incident." We finally calm down long enough to determine that Liz would like a 3 piece original meal and she'll make her own mac n cheese (our other life sustaining food ritual).

I go back into the drive-thru line.

Me: I would like a 3 piece original meal with french fries (I figure if I don't order any sides - it'll really confuse them).
KFC Worker: OK, we're currently out of chicken thighs, but it'll only be about 2 minutes.
Me (to myself): Really? They've now run out of chicken - it's 6 o'clock on a Friday night and they have NO CHICKEN!
Me: Alright, I'll wait.

I proceed to order my 3 piece meal (with mashed potatoes and coleslaw - thankfully, they still had those things) and drive to a parking spot to wait for them to bring me the food.

Have I mentioned that I'm pregnant, hungry and it's rainy and cold outside?

So I wait in my car . . . and I wait . . . and wait . . . I look at my receipt, quite sure that time has just gone very slowly because I'm so hungry. My receipt says 6:10 and my watch says 6:26!!! I decide that one woman can only take so much injustice in this world and walk (waddle) into KFC.

I calmly (but sternly) place my receipt on the counter and say, "I've been waiting in my car for over 10 minutes. I should not be required to pay for this food." (I stick my stomach out as far as possible for dramatic effect.)

Thankfully (for the KFC worker) - she has the right answer, "I'm so sorry - here is your food and a refund plus a coupon for another box meal on your next visit.".

I say "thank you" and decide that I should probably check the food (I mean, they ran out of freaking chicken - at this point I'm thinking there might just be gruel and a twinkie wrapper in my box meal). Well, wouldn't you know it - NO BISCUITS!! It was just about all I could do to not call in the National Guard (I don't often eat my biscuit - but that's not the point). Poor girl apologized again and got me the biscuits.

By the time I got to Liz's house it was practically my bed time, but we ranted while preparing our plates. Liz had already left a compliant on the KFC website and I think she's started some kind of letter writing campaign. After we finally calmed down and ate our food - we watched some Harry Potter and got comfortable.

My picture of the day for yesterday was taken at Liz's house (and no it's not of our KFC boxes). Her dog (Oliver) and cat (Nigel) were sleeping/relaxing so cutely on her legs. There's nothing like the love of animals to make you almost forget about something as tragic as The KFC Incident (almost).

Fetus Friday - Week 29

Week 29 . . . just like my age (ha! ha!)

Baby Center has this to say about Lumpy this week:

His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain.

It seems like this week is just a grow and grow stronger kind of week for Lumpy. Baby Center also says that Lumpy should be about 2.5 lbs now, but I think Lumpy may be a little larger (Lumpy was 2.25 lbs during my last ultrasound). I think I've mentioned it before (but as I'm learning with my positive pregnancy affirmations cd - you can't say it enough) - I want Lumpy to be a healthy-sized baby (but not a Buttin sized baby - almost 11 lbs!!!).

Baby Center has this to say about me:

Your baby's very active now. Your practitioner may ask you to spend some time each day counting kicks and will give you specific instructions on how to do this.

Yup, this is very true. Every so often during the day - Lumpy will kick VERY HARD. It kind of startles me, but then I laugh. Other times during the day it's like Lumpy is doing a little Riverdance in my belly - constant fluttering. So far, feeling Lumpy moving is certainly my favorite part of pregnancy (well, that and the increased intake of cookie dough and french fries . . . for Lumpy's sake).

In other Lumpy news - my wonderful friends Liz & Jen are hosting a shower. The invites went out this week and now my mom's favorite thing to do (besides look at porn - another story) is to look at the registry and see what people have bought for Lumpy. Her favorite thing so far is blue jeans - so if you bought Lumpy a pair of blue jeans - congratulations, you're my mother's favorite person!

A Couple Quick Things

I don't have a profound topic for today (usually my topics are so ground-breaking, Earth-shattering, life-altering - take your pick) so I thought I'd just mention a couple of things.

First of all, there's nothing like a devastating natural disaster to kind of put things into perspective.

All the images from Haiti are so horrifying (and not really very good for me to look at) and they make me feel rather insignificant - but in a good way. I have a great deal to be thankful for and sometimes it's just seeing real people with real problems that kind of slaps me in the face with gratitude.

Secondly (and completely unrelated in anyway to the first thing), I did my first "Deepening Hypnosis" cd last night. I'm supposed to do this cd every other day. I wish our animals would cooperate with my need to be completely still - but they didn't and I had a very unsuccessful hypnosis session. Here's a list of some of the highlights:

• Minute 2:00 - Scratch starts to dry heave.
• Minute 3:30 - Scratch vomits (I hear him, but I'm not supposed to open my eyes) next to the table.
  
• Minute 4:00 - I give up trying to keep my eyes closed, so I turn on my light switch (it's a hypnosis term) and go clean up the cat vomit.
  
• Minute 5:00 - After vomiting Scratch decides his tummy is empty and he needs to go eat, so I hear him munch, munch, munch.
  
• Minute 6:00 - Mouser jumps onto my lap and starts attacking my hand, wanting attention. He scratches at my hand, my tummy, my legs - I try to stay perfectly still. Eventually he settles on my legs and falls asleep.
  
• Minute 7:30 - Scratch decides (after filling up his belly again) to jump on my lap. At this moment, a small hissing-fight between Scratch and Mouser begins.
• Minute 8:30 - Fight ends with Scratch jumping to the chair.
• Minute 9:00 - Mouser, now fully disturbed starts to make bread (that thing cats do where they push their paws into your skin) on my lower abdomen. He tries to be gentle, but he catches skin with his claws every so often. (Keep in mind, I'm supposed to stay perfectly still during my hypnosis).
• Minute 10:00 - The cats get situated and I'm finally able to start relaxing.
• Minute 10:30 - Molly starts crying.
  
• Minute 11:00 - I turn on my light switch again and tell Molly to be quiet.
  
• Minute 11:30 - 30:00 - I try to settle back into relaxation, but it doesn't seem to be working. My ear itches, my back itches and I'm getting really uncomfortable.

Overall, a rather unsuccesfull hypnosis session - but that's why I'm supposed to practice. Next week I learn how to stay hypnotized while being able to move and talk - that should be very helpful, especially when dealing with our animals.

Finishing Lumpy's Registry

Last night, my friend Jen and I went to Target to finish up Lumpy's registry. Wow - it's a little overwhelming. Who knew that you needed sheets for a pack n' play (I thought you just threw the baby in it and let them play while you go shopping, take a nap and go to a movie)? Well - Jen knows all these things.

I will say that once you get going with that little zapper gun - it's quite fun. That was my first time using a little zapper gun for a registry (I did all our wedding ones online). Jen made sure that we included a few little outfits (apparently Grandmas love to buy outfits) in Lumpy's registry - although I'm sure that clothes shopping will be much more fun once we actually meet Lumpy.

There were a couple of onesies that were just too cute (and also on clearance) - so Aunt Jen bought Lumpy a couple.

Here is my 1.12.10 Picture of the Day: Aunt Jen with Lumpy's (or at least Buttin's) favorite little onesies.The Run DMC outfit is Buttin's favorite. When I showed it to him last night, I think he wanted to wear it.

My Bubble of Peace Is Green (Buttin's is Blue)

. . . And other things I learned from my first Hypnobabies Birth Class.

Buttin and I started childbirth classes last night. We're taking Hypnobabies (although Buttin refers to it as Hippybabies) childbirth classes every Monday night for the next five weeks. Hypnobabies teaches you most of what you might learn in normal birthing classes (baby positions, nutrition, etc.) PLUS how to hypnotize yourself to manage the pain (actually, they don't use the word pain - instead it's discomfort) of childbirth naturally.

Yes, it is my goal to experience Lumpy's birthday without drugs (insert your chuckles here . . .).

Well, here are a few things that I learned from last night's class:

• 30 seconds into relaxation, Buttin falls asleep (he's able to deeply relax very quickly);
• Hypnobabies will work - if Buttin and I can stop giggling;
• If you are trying to relax, kitties take that as an invitation to jump all over you and Molly will start to cry uncontrollably;
  
• There's lots of homework involved in birthing classes - seriously, we have to practice daily;
• I'm pretty sure that I was able to successfully hypnotize myself;
• Even though I usually dislike humus (made from icky bean-like chickpeas); if you combine it with enough pita chips - it's not so bad.

My doula is actually the course instructor and we're the only people in this class - so she came to our house (hence why the kitties were jumping and Molly was crying). I take comfort in knowning that even if I flunk the course - she will be there for Lumpy's birth to help Buttin and me.

This morning (on my way to work) I listened to my "Pregnancy Affirmations" cd. This is the only cd that is safe to listen to while in your car (other wise, you might go off the road). I have to admit, that it made me chuckle a little bit.

Here are a few examples of the affirmations and my edits.

CD: "I am eating healthy for my baby."
Me: "I am eating healthy cookie dough for my baby."

CD: "I am enjoying my pre-natal exercise."
Me: "I am enjoying my pre-natal nap-ercise."

CD: "My bubble of peace is always around me."
Me: "My bubble of peace is a little silly."

Speaking of bubble of peace, here is an artists rendering of me in my bubble of peace. My bubble is green with pink bows.

Buttin said his bubble is blue - but who knows, I think he fell asleep during the "Bubble of Peace" relaxation exercise.

News In Bullet Points

OK - I didn't have much time to read the news today, but as I'm looking over the headlines on MSNBC (this, The Daily Show, some podcasts and my 5 minutes of NPR as I drive to work are my only sources of news) I'm struck by a few things:

• McGuire admits to steroids - I guess the fact that he's admitting to something most people (who breathe) already knew qualifies as news, kind of.
• Palin gets deal as Fox commentator - As though I needed another reason to NOT watch Fox News. Here are the topics she's qualified to cover: "Proper hairstyling for ice fishing", "Five ways to prepare moose", "Things I can see from my kitchen window" and "What sound does a cow make?"
• Simon leaving American Idol - Oh well, I'm kind of over American Idol anyways. So long as Law & Order is still on the air, I'm OK.
• Trial begins in murder, womb-cutting case - Hmm . . .maybe I shouldn't try to read everything. This I will skip.
  
• Walmart pulling toxic jewelery - This is just very funny to me. Apparently this is some kind of jewelery for children and children like to eat, suck on and bite jewelery.

I'm hoping tomorrow will be a better news day.

Top 10 Movies - 2009

Every year Buttin and I make a list of the top 10 films (we've seen). We make our list separately and then compare. Our taste in movies (at least the really good ones) is pretty similar, so there's usually some overlap.

Being the awesome movie critic that I am, I decided to share our picks with all (two) of my readers.

My List		Buttin's List
10	500 Days of Summer	10	Paranormal Activity
9	Drag Me To Hell	9	Fantastic Mr. Fox
8	Coraline	8	The Damned United*
7	Where The Wild Things Are	7	Up
6	District 9	6	Up in the Air
5	Fantastic Mr. Fox	5	Goodbye Solo*
4	Inglorious Bastards	4	District 9
3	Up in the Air	3	Inglorious Bastards
2	Up	2	Crazy Heart*
1	The Hurt Locker	1	The Hurt Locker

Here are some Honorable Mentions:

Mine: An Education, The Hangover, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, The Invention of Lying and Paranormal Activity.

Buttin's: The Hangover, Moon, The Road, Sin Nombre*, Thirst* and Where The Wild Things Are.

This year we added a new category - Best Male & Female Performances.

Buttin's list includes - Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart), Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Bastards) and Michael Sheen (Damned United*); Mo'Nique (Precious*), Carey Mulligan (An Education) and Samantha Morton (The Messenger*)

My list includes - Sharlto Copley (District 9), Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) and Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Bastards); Carey Mulligan (An Education), Catherine Keener (Where The Wild Things Are) and Anna Kendrick (Up In The Air).

*Movies that I did not see.

Buttin also added a category: The George Clooney Award.

This year - it went to George Clooney (Up In The Air).

George Clooney is pretty awesome. It'd be difficult to give that award to anyone else.

Weekly Workout Summary

If you count putting away Christmas decorations (what I did today), I had about 5 decent workouts this week. I did the elliptical machine twice, did a couple walk/weights workouts and did a jog waddle yesterday - something new!

The jog waddle is relatively embarrassing, but I don't really care because it gets my heart rate up more than walking, but I don't get the same pressure/discomfort in my pelvis as I do when I jog/run. Imagine a race walker, with their arms out a little further from their body (for balance) and their feet actually leaving the ground - that's the jog waddle! Yesterday I would walk about 100 steps and jog waddle for 100 steps and it felt really good. I had to wait till about 1:00 in the afternoon to do my jog waddle because it was WAY too cold at 7:00 AM.

Next Tuesday, my friend Jen and I are planning to go to Target to finish Lumpy's registry and she's assured me that this will count as a workout. This means I'll have a new workout to share with you next Sunday.

Thirty Second Movie Review - Daybreakers

Daybreakers

Decent vampire movie. Horrible dialogue, but some pretty cool visuals. I love movies that transport you to an alternate world and while I don't love this movie - I thought it was pretty fun.

Thirty Second Movie Review - Youth In Revolt

Youth In Revolt

Pretty funny & cute teen comedy. I really like Michael Cera, but in this movie - it'll all the supporting cast who steal the scenes, Fred Willard was hilarious.

Fetus Friday - Week 28

Really? Week 28 already . . . time has really gone by so quickly.

Lumpy & I are now officially in the 3rd trimester. The home stretch!

This is what Baby Center has to say about Lumpy's development:

She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb.

Every time I read something now, I think - that's so cool! In the beginning when Lumpy's cells were just multiplying - I wasn't as impressed (even though I know all that early stuff is cool too). Lumpy is now opening his/her eyes and looking around - that's just so exciting!

I've heard of some women playing the "flashlight game" with their baby. They say, if you shine a light on an area of your stomach - sometimes the baby will kick that place. Maybe I'll try this game and if ya'll are lucky (very, very lucky) - I'll make a movie of it like I did with the "remote control game".

Baby Center doesn't really have anything interesting to say about me during this week except for the fact that I'm in my third trimester and will probably gain another 11 lbs. I hope it's only 11 lbs.

Sometimes I don't like to read all the stuff it says about me on Baby Center - I don't want any new issues. For example, Restless Leg Syndrome was mentioned in the "week 28" update, but I don't want anymore symptoms. I think the power of suggestion can influence me and if I don't read about it - then I don't know it's a possibility, so then maybe I won't get that "problem". That's my theory anyways.

Hook'em Horns

I'm probably the worst watcher of football - EVER! I hide my eyes unless my team is ahead by at least 40 points and I scream painfully obvious instructions at the TV (kind of like how TV announcers break-down the game strategy, "Well, the key to this game is scoring, turnovers and keeping the other team from scoring."). Some of my favorite thing to yell at the TV are "Run faster, run faster." and "Get him, get him.". Like I said, very obvious and simple instructions.

I'll be watching the game tonight at Liz & Jonathan's house. We'll have a yummy feast of wings, mac n cheese and salad (I probably won't be eating the salad). The good news for me is that if the game is a blowout or I get really nervous, Liz will probably let me change the channel to a Law & Order rerun - I'm not sure if Jonathan will be so willing. I'm gonna try to be strong for the Horns.

In other news (totally unrelated to football), I got my glucose tolerance test results back and I passed (yeah!); however, I'm anemic so I have to take an iron supplement. Apparently, anemia is VERY common in pregnant women (something about blood volume decreasing and less concentration of red blood cells - I almost sound scientific). I'm not looking forward to the side effects of increased iron, but I'll do whatever it takes to keep Lumpy and me healthy (including consuming massive quantities of cookie dough, but only because this is what Lumpy wants and needs).

Scene Of The Crime

**WARNING - BARBIE - You may not want to read this post**

So yesterday, when I was creating my Photo A Day post - I honestly thought - what in the world will I take a picture of EVERYDAY (I know when Lumpy gets here, it'll probably be easier)? I live a pretty fascinating life of cookie dough, naps, misfits and Law & Order - but really, will anything interesting enough happen to justify photo documentation (for example, yesterday's photo was of my belly button - it's starting to pop out a little and for some reason I finding lots of hidden moles, but I'm sure no one really finds this interesting)?

I should have known to ask such stupid questions of my life.

I will set the scene.

I'm peacefully taking a very warm shower. My wonderful MIL got me the Fresh Brown Sugar gift set for Christmas, which includes 3 packets of brown sugar scrub (my favorite product in the set). Seeing as I'm a frugal girl - I've already used this packet a couple of times, but there's still plenty of sugar scrub left for my shower today and possibly another day (I'm a sugar scrub hoarder). I gently start to shake the packet of sugar scrub onto my loofah (thank God I didn't pour directly onto my hand), but the little sugar crystals don't seem to be coming out. I start to shake a little harder . . . the sugar scrub looks a little darker than usual, but I don't really think anything of it . . .it also seems to be coming out in one HUGE clump . . .

Dun, Dun, Dun . . .

The clump of sugar scrub is actually a GIGANTIC ROACH. I'm being attacked by a roach in my shower! I throw the loofah, scrub packet and roach onto the tub floor - I scream - I prance around a little as I scream more - I shake my hands in the "eweeeee, I just touched something gross" way that girls do - I scream some more.

After what feels forever, I realize that the roach is dead. I guess he died while eating sugar scrub (maybe a good way to go?). Even though the roach is dead, I firmly believe that I was the one attacked. I will say as much in any court of law.

As I calm down, quickly rinse the conditioner out of my hair and slip out of the shower (having not really gotten a chance to fully wash - sorry misfits if I'm smelly today), I realize that maybe this is something interesting enough to document.

Here is the photo:

I don't think the picture accurately represents the true size of this roach, but you can kind of tell by the size of its antlers (or antennas - whatever they're called). I was traumatized and still get the yucky chills just thinking about it.

I called Buttin this morning and told him that there was a crime scene in our shower and to be prepared. We've been watching a lot of true crime shows lately and I fully expect there to be a Snapped, Dateline or 48 Hours documenting my ordeal in the near future.

Picture A Day

I actually got this idea from a fellow running blogger. In 2005 she made the New Year's Resolution to take at least one picture a day. I love taking pictures (and now videos - if you hear a scream right now, that's Liz yelling at herself for buying me a video camera for Christmas).

I have three cameras (one at work and two at home) and one video camera, so I figure I've got plenty of equipment. I don't plan to post every single picture that I take (or have taken of me - I figure that counts too), but I thought it would be a nice way to document 2010 (I have great feelings about 2010).

To all misfits, Buttin, Liz and anyone else I encounter frequently - I will more than likely always have a camera with me - consider yourself warned.

Here are the last couple of days - nothing too inspiring (except for my 1/1/2010 video)

January 2, 2010
Buttin actually took this picture, but I cut myself out - it's pretty blurry, but we're still experimenting with my new camera.


January 3, 2010
Molly with my new camera.

January 4, 2010
We didn't get ultrasound pics on CD, so I took a picture of the pictures they printed out for us.


So - the Lumpy picture is pretty good and the January 1 video is awesome, but I promise not to just take 361 pictures of Molly in the backyard. I'm sure once Lumpy gets here - it'll be mostly "Picture A Day of Lumpy".

Doctor Appointment Update

Wow - this morning I had two doctor's appointments - here is a brief re-cap in bullet point form:

• I've gained 10 lbs in 5 weeks! I think that 5 of this is Lumpy and 5 of this is fudge. Oh, well I don't usually escape the Holiday Season without gaining a few pounds, so I expected it to be a little high with Holiday + Pregnancy (my new mathematical equation: holiday + pregnancy = chubby me). Dr. Elephant said this was "generous", but he also said that I was "trim" to start, so provided I don't continue to gain 10 lbs every month for the next 3 months, I should be OK.
  
• Lumpy's heart was right under my belly button this morning, so Dr. Elephant had a little trouble finding the heartbeat (I really don't need a freak out like this right now, Lumpy). He found it and then he did a little ultrasound just to see why it was so difficult to find (hence, how I know why Lumpy's heart was right behind my belly button).
• Dr. Elephant just went over a few pre-term labor symptoms and said that I should probably think about getting a car seat soon. Honestly, I'm starting to stress out a little over the lack of things that I currently have for Lumpy. Lumpy has about four outfits, two binkies and a sippy cup (really two, but one is for Texas Tech and I don't see Lumpy using that one) and that's it!
• Dr. Elephant informed me that I should take my glucose tolerance test today - so I got my icky drink and went onto my next appointment.
  
• Next, I went to Dr. Sweet's office. If you'll remember, Lumpy was on the lower side of the growth curve last time, so they just wanted to make sure that Lumpy wasn't "growth restricted".
  
• Right before the ultrasound started, I drank my icky fruit punch stuff. It tasted like Gatorade fruit punch - not pleasant.
• The ultrasound was relatively short - she measured Lumpy's head, leg bone, stomach and heartbeat. Dr. Sweet said Lumpy was in the 39th percentile now, so we wouldn't need to have another ultrasound (it's kind of fun to think that the next time we "see" Lumpy - we'll be meeting and holding Lumpy).
  
• Next, I went back to the Dr. Elephant's office to get my blood taken. (This next part would have been a nightmare for Buttin). The blood-taker lady prints out the little stickers to place on my vials of blood, takes my two vials, gets my band-aid on and then looks down at her stickers and realizes that she needed THREE vials of blood, not just two. So, I had to be stuck again with the needle. Wasn't too bad for me, but it would have been HORRIBLE for Buttin.

I should know the results of my glucose tolerance test within the next week. Hopefully, all is well - even with all the fudge I ate during the last three weeks.

I will now start seeing Dr. Elephant every two weeks.

Weekly Workout Summary

As with the week of Christmas, I've been a little more lazy this week than I'd care to admit.

I did 3 cardio workouts (including one waddle and two elliptical) and one weight day. Not really as much as I'd hope for, but at least it was something.

My mom has a goal of 1,000 miles (of running for 2010). I'm going to try for 500. So far - I've done 2 miles - only 498 to go! I figure I can waddle a few miles a week for the first half of the year and then (hopefully) start running about 10 - 15 miles the second half of the year.

A Few Goals For 2010

I'm not very good at making or keep resolutions - so here are a few goals:

• Manage personal and work related stress better (ha, ha, ha - much easier said than done).
• Continue to workout (waddling included) till Lumpy's arrival and start running/jogging again by my birthday (6/5) - provided I don't have a c-section.
• Complete at least two races (one being the San Antonio Rock N Roll Half Marathon) in 2010.
  
• Continue to blog.
• Continue to make my oh-so-popular flip video movies (much to the dismay of my friend, Liz).
• Throw old stuff away (I know a whole new wave of stuff will be entering our home).
• Be the best wife, mother, friend, daughter, family member and small business owner I can be.
• Focus on the good - in my life and in others.

OK, there you have it - a few goals/wishes for myself in 2010. Can't wait!

Puppy Marathon Film

This is probably my most inspirational work, to date.

If you got dizzy during the Blair Witch Project, the first part of this film may be a little difficult to watch. However, the jerky footage was required for the accurate documentation of this momentous event (our walk in the street) and I am nothing, if not honest, to my film-making craft.

You must have the sound ON in order to fully appreciate this documentary film.

Fetus Friday - Week 27 & Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I'll probably post some resolutions and more about welcoming 2010 tomorrow.

Baby Center has this to say about Lumpy:

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds . . .She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on.

I don't think I've felt Lumpy's hiccups yet, but it sounds very cute. There have been a couple of times that I've thought I felt my heartbeat in my stomach, but maybe those were Lumpy hiccups.

Baby Center has this to say about me:

The second trimester is drawing to a close, but as your body gears up for the final lap, you may start noticing some new symptoms. Along with an aching back, for example, you may find that your leg muscles cramp up now and then.

Yup, getting leg cramps - have had leg cramps for quite a while now. From what Baby Center says, they'll probably get worse before they get better.

In other "me" news, I finally broke down and bought a pair of pregnancy jeans.

We went out to dinner with our friends Liz & Jonathan last night and since it was New Year's Eve, I thought I should probably ditch the gray stretchy pants and wear something a little nicer.

So, I went to Macy's - they had two brands of maternity jeans, one brand was $159 and the other was $20. Seeing as I don't wear non-maternity jeans that cost $159, I was really hoping that the $20 pair would fit OK. I tried on both pairs - just in case the $159 pair turned me into Angelina Jolie (or to gold). Both pairs were VERY comfortable. Maternity clothes (at least at Macy's) only come in S, M, L & XL - so EVERYTHING stretches (there are no zippers or buttons.) These are my kind of clothes - I picked the $20 pair.

Here I am, in my very first maternity outfit (Nana bought the top for me a couple months ago, and it's very comfy too)


Notice Scratch's butt. I would have cropped it out, but I think it adds a little something to the picture - doncha think?