Random Tidbits

We have, of course, been having rather overcast mornings, so I have not been able to recapture the glowing paint moment. I will keep trying, though.

I have decided that LittleGirl is already a blackbelt in something. When I sat down at my desk this morning, you would have thought there was a full-grown Tazmanian devil in my belly trying desparately to get out. My abdomen was being pushed out hard and far, and quickly, too. And then she got to the same activity but from under the ribs. Ouch! I was sitting there at an angle, rubbing my belly, and saying, "ok, ok, I get it- you're cramped in there." What else is a girl to do?

There must be a term for it, but what do you call it when your ankles go from cankles to something that better resembles a bean bag? I mean, by the end of the day, it looks like I am trying to smuggle softballs out of the office. Not pretty.

I have not read the new Harry Potter yet, but I should have a copy by the weekend.

Best day at work: On Monday, I called my parents' house to see how Gabe was doing. My dad answered and shortly thereafter, I heard the extension picking up and clicking down over and over. I knew that Gabe was playing with the phone. I then hear a little, "Hello?" and so I answer, "Hi sweetie!" Gabe immediately yells, "Grandma- it's MOMMY!" in the most excited voice I have ever heard. Melted my heart right there on the spot.

I *Heart* Purple

The nursery has now been painted. If I can remember in the next couple of days, I will take pictures at various times of day to see if I can share with you the changes in the color throughout the day. Mr. D painted the trim on Friday night and the walls on Saturday. And I decided that I love the color. I had been a bit nervous because it is a challenge to know what a small square of color will look like on a big wall. Then, Sunday morning when I woke up, the sun was coming into the nursery in such a way that the room seemed to glow. It was wonderful. The pigments in the paint (which Mr. D said kept coming unmixed) blended in such a way that the walls reflected purple, blue, and rose- all at the same time. They were almost iridescent. I'm not sure if a camera can capture the effect, but I will try.

Two of the three furniture pieces have had their stripes repainted. If Gabe gets to sleep early tonight, perhaps the last piece will be completed. Then I just need to finish the curtains. I am currently in search of ribbon for the top (I'm making them tie tops instead of tab tops), and I may have found what I need.

Supremely boring post, sorry. My brain is fried and it's only Monday. This does not bode well for the rest of the week...

Baby Update- 31w4d

I went to my checkup this morning and everything looked good. For some reason, they did not write down the fundal measurement, so I have no idea whether I am still measuring ahead. But the heartrate is good, blood pressure is great (110/65...my normal is about 100/60), and I only gained five pounds this month. Of course, that means I am only two pounds shy of my prepregnancy weight with Gabe, a number that I decided I would not surpass. Hmmmm- only gain two pounds in the next eight (or less) weeks? Not likely. So, I guess I will be busting past a number I never thought I’d see again. But it’s for a great cause! (For those wondering, I’ve gained 30 pounds so far. With Gabe I only gained 27, but I was also 32 pounds heavier at baseline, which makes a huge difference.)

The c-section is tentatively scheduled for September 13 (I can’t be on the official books until six weeks or less before the procedure). The doctor jokingly said, “Don’t worry, it’s not a Friday.” I responded by telling him that I have no problem with the number 13, and, in fact, I prefer odd numbers to even ones. He gave me the oddest look. Like I was some fruitcake. Hey, buddy, you’re the one that just reminded me that September 13 is not a Friday. I guess it’s a good thing that I didn’t express my preference for prime numbers, too. Gabe was born on May 17. If this baby shows up on a prime numbered day, it would make me happy (although a living, breathing, healthy baby outweighs any number preferences...).

I don’t see that I will actually make it to the 13th, but I guess now we know the latest possible birth date. Let the countdown begin!

Nursery- Stage 1

This past weekend, Gabe and I escaped the house for the day (and then overnight) to allow Mr. D to paint the nursery. Ok, techically he primed the nursery. So, while he was slaving away with a brush and roller, Gabe and I were enjoying the zoo with my parents. As I mentioned in a recent post, he just loved the fish. He was content to stare into one of the tanks for quite a long time. Other kids would run up, take a quick look and run off. Not my Gabe. He would study the fish. Watch their every move. Poor kid's probably going to be an unemployed marine biologist in 20 years.

So, the nusery is now primed, and the ceiling fan has been fixed. Both are positive. Tuesday night we went and actually purchased the paint. The walls will be "purple whisper" and the trim is something like "blissful moment." Essentially, rosy purple and light cream. I did forget to take a picture of the room in the "before" state, but I snapped a couple of the guest room in its current state of disarray.This one is the bulk of the stuff from the other room. Yes, there is a bed under that huge pile. And the scariest part? Everything in this room will now be staying in this room. The baby furniture has been moved out and is either in the center of the nursery or in the hallway. Oh, and the space on the far side of the bed is stacked high with boxes from the floor. Unpacking all of this should be fun. And most of it is Mr. D's.

Here is another shot of the room because there just wasn't enough chaos in the first picture. Please do note that most of the bookshelves are empty. That's where the bulk of the boxed stuff will reside...which makes me a little less nervous about rediscovering the guest bed.

31 Weeks

Yeah, I know I said I wouldn't update until Friday, but I figured a belly pic update wasn't out of line. Gosh, I sure do look like I've consumed a beach ball...

Oh, and I don't have a strange rash on my leg. I was sitting with my legs crossed, and I have VERY pale skin that gets red at the slightest notion.

Not All Gamers Are Evil

Ok, just to clarify, even though we appreciate gaming in our house, we are certainly not these people. I can’t even imagine starving my kids for a game. I will admit that I have not experienced addiction first-hand. And, as someone with extensive training in psychology, I do know that there are plenty of addictions outside of drugs and alcohol (the factors usually associated with that word). But I will admit that the mom in me has trouble with any child neglect, especially one that could put a bad name on my hobby. And although I don’t do video/internet gaming, specifically, we all know that if you damn one form of a hobby, every other form (no matter how close) gets swept into the sh*t pile, too.

Enough about that. Here are some life tidbits to hold you over until I get a minute to write some more on each:

The nursery has been cleared. The walls are primed. A paint color has been chosen. Fabric was obtained for the curtains (tried to find pre-made and nothing spoke to me). Photo montage (as promised) will be delivered soon.

No one in the group went insane at our gaming session the other night (and, therefore, no children were starved or otherwise ignored).

My major work projects will all conclude within two weeks. While this is making my life crazy at the moment, I love the fact that August will be the month of “passing the buck” rather than scrambling to complete big projects.

Went to the zoo yesterday. Fun was had by all. The big hit = fish.

Next doctor’s visit (32 weeks) on Friday. Will update again then.

Shhhhhhhhhhh

I am typing this very quietly so as not to offend the pain gawds.

My back seems to be a lot better today. I did nothing special. But, shhhhhh, don't say anything too loudly or that old lady will move right back into the vertebral column hotel. And that bitch needs to make herself scarce.

Last night I had a whole series of weird birth dreams. Essentially, I was at my IRL gestation (30w2d) and my water broke. I knew that I needed to get to the hospital, but I was completely convinced that without the amniotic fluid in which to float, the baby would crush her own umbilical cord and die. Mr. D kept trying to get me into the car to go to the hospital, but I would have nothing to do with sitting up because I knew that lying on my side was the way to keep the baby alive.

The dream was odd on a few levels, but the strangest was the fact that with Gabe, my water broke first. I was not even the least bit concerned about him crushing the cord now that gravity was pulling him down. Why a smaller, lighter baby would case more distress? Who knows. It's a dream.

Gaming at our house tonight. Cthulhu. Wanna stop by and go insane? Don't worry, Gabe will be busy reading his book.

Back

I'm back in the old routine, as it were, if the old routine includes searing lumbar pain. The gaming extravaganza was fun, especially those parts where I could sit on my butt and pretend that I wasn't hurting. When I walked, I used the stroller as a crutch. Quite the sight, I'm sure.

The pain has not abated in the last few days and today I finally called my doctor's office (I know, I know) to see if I should be concerned. The doctor did not seem to find the symptoms alarming, but suggested that I stop by in the next few days and leave a cup o'pee to let them check for any bladder or kidney infection just to be sure. I'll swing by tomorrow on my way to work. I'm not experiencing any of the classic UTI symptoms, so I suspect that it is simply my back taking a holiday.

I felt so good at the beginning of last week. Nothing hurt, I had energy...but now I feel like a 90+ year old woman has taken up residence in my lower back and stabs me out of spite every time I lift my rear-end from the chair. I actually have to stop and muster up the strength to deal with the searing hot pokers running through my back in those first few steps. Subsequent steps are not much better, but once I'm moving, I'm moving. And sleeping has become an activity that is conducted while sitting up. Lying down, even with an assortment of pillows is quite painful. And Tyl*nol? Ha! What a joke.

Enough of my bitching. Besides, who the hell let a 30-week pregnant woman go to a gaming conference? Oh, right...me.

Summer Fun

Many thanks to everyone for your support of my conspiracy theory. We (the neighbor and I) have not done anything yet because we've both been working like dogs this week. I will have to reconsult.

We are off for a short vacation to wild, wonderful Ohio. Yes, the vacation destination of champions. Actually, there are some pretty cool places in that state, but we will be spending the next few days inside the convention center with a bunch of smelly gamers at Origins. Lucky for us, they keep the A/C cranked up to maximum. That doesn't necessarily help when the people you encounter have been sleeping in the back of their van for a few days, but it certainly doesn't hurt.

In the meantime, I leave you with some photos of our summer fun so far.
First, after the adventures in nature with two robins nests in our yard, we decided to take Gabe to the aviary. He made friends with a blue crowned pigeon that proceeded to follow him around the room. He really loved seeing every bird in the place. And now when we ask him what a parrot says, he responds with, "hello," in bird voice. Too cute.

Then, we took a day at the local amusement park. I love the place because it is a turn of the last century historic park that used to be a trolley park (picnic area at the end of the trolley lines). I have a few action shots that I will share once I have had a chance to photoshop out the random folk. In the meantime, here's one that made me laugh. Gabe saw the statue, yelled "doggie lick!" and then proceeded to walk over and lick the dog's tongue. I got there as fast as I could to break off the lurid encounter. I mean, really, who wants their kid to french kiss Odie?