Where do I start...

I was going to launch into how my weekend unfolded but I really can't focus at this point...vacation is the only thing I can think about (besides the baby of course).

So I'll get straight to the point.

My test results for my glucose test (testing for gestational diabetes) came back abnormal. The normal level is 75 to 100 but my level was about 147. So I had to go take the longer 3 hour test which consists of fasting the night before, an initial blood sample then drinking the yucky sweet glucose drink and then coming back every hour for 3 hours to get blood drawn.

Well this morning the nurse at my OB/GYN office called and my test results are normal and I don't have GD. YAY!!!!

So excited and relieved you have no idea...

And now it's off to Hawaii I go. I will try and post from there but you will not see pictures until I get home because I'm not shlepping my laptop there and back just to download pictures. You'll get over it at some point!!! If for some reason I don't post from Hawaii or get swallowed up in a landslide or something, I will be posting when I return in about 2 weeks.

Oh and did I mention, today is the last day of my 2nd trimester and tomorrow starts the beginning of the 3rd trimester and I'm officially in the double digits count down club...98 days and counting to estimated date of delivery!!!

Aloha!

I'm drawing the line in the sand...

Can you see it?

I can!

It's right over there...see?

I'm not in Hawaii yet...I haven't felt the sand squish between my toes nor let the crystal blue water wash over my feet erasing everything I am going to leave in NY so I can enjoy my vacation...but I am drawing the line in the sand...as far as my dreams...my crazy...demented...pregnant dreams go! I'm done...no more!

I could deal with the dream where I was given the mission of rescuing the bishop from two of these henchmen type guys and i stabbed one of them in the heart with his own pen to get to the bishop.

I could even deal with the one where my friend gave birth to a boy and I was there and all I saw as the baby was being born was his private part and there was a yankee logo on it and I was all like..."How did that get there?" and it turned out her husband put it on while he was still in the womb.

And I could deal with the multitude of others I've had since being pregnant.

But last night...NO WAY...so disturbing...thus why I'm drawing the line.

It started as my friend taking her son to the doctor and asking me to come along with them. While we were at the doctor's office, we learned that her son had lice and just before we were about to leave her son had complications, they tried to save him but it was too late and the doctor came back in and told both of us that her son had died of lice invading his system. (Seriously, who dies of a lice infestation and better yet, lice DO NOT burrow under the surface of the skin) The worst part...I was more upset than my friend...she was all nonchalant about the whole ordeal. Then we left and I look down at my arm and there are all these little white things moving just below the surface of the skin on my forearm. I pinched one of these little white things, my skin opened up and out popped this thing. I didn't make it to find out whether I died of lice infestation in my body, but seriously how disturbing is that. I was really thrown for a loop this morning. I love my friend's son like he's my own nephew, how could my dream script such a thing to happen?

So..from now on...no more dreams...at least the ones I can remember. That dream was traumatizing at best. So I draw the line in the sand NOW...I can't have such dreams anymore. And you can be sure that line in the sand is going to be farther up on the beach where the waves can't erase it!!! I will not be an emotional victim to my dreams any longer.

3+ days to real sand!!!!

Thursday from the "Observation Deck"...

So I've decided when I want to post about general observations or even not-so-general-observations I'll be referring to it as the "Observation Deck". Just like we have "Confession" days, we will also have "Observation Deck" days! It's my little way of transporting you onto a ginormous cruise ship maybe once a week or so (maybe sometimes more depending on the week I have) and who wouldn't want to be on a cruise ship than sitting here reading my blog...but why not be able to do both at the same time!!! So any time I blog from the "Observation Deck", just imagine a soft breeze blowing on your face, the sound of the ocean waves crashing on the bow of the ship, the deck beneath your feet, the big blue sky with white puffy clouds above your head water surrounding you and over the railing (you're leaning against so you don't get sea sick) is my little world where I provide you with a glimpse into my goings on and the things that I've noticed or thought too long and hard about for my own good!!! (I'm really good at analyzing stuff 6 ways to Sunday!!! OK...got it...good!

So anyway. I was about an hour past lunch time and it was a good lunch...baby liked it too. I even ate salad of the green variety...YAY!!! I decided I really needed one for "left" and one for "right". For those who don't know what "left" and "rights" are...it means I had to get a cookie for my left hand and a cookie for my right hand...cause really every cookie needs a friend to go down together. So I meandered my way down to the cafeteria and upon exiting the elevator I was cookie-sidelined by a coworker who is also pregnant. We hugged...she complained about the hurting boobs so the hug was short-lived. She is due 2 weeks after I am and when I tell you that her belly is bigger than mine, it is. She was with one of her coworkers who is new and as the conversation wore on the new coworker said, "wait, you're pregnant too" (meaning me!!!). And I replied, "yes, actually I'm due 2 weeks before she is!" If her eyes could've bulged out of her head they would've...she said..."but you don't even look pregnant". :-( I've noticed...believe me...I've noticed! I'm sure my time will come...I keep saying that I'm sure it will. But seriously, if you could see the pictures of women's bellies on the message boards I check daily...you would understand. There tummies are not baby bumps anymore like mine still is. They have some basketball belly action goin' on and look great, etc. So where's mine. I know, I know...soon enough...careful what you wish for, etc. etc. etc.

I think I have a theory about where it is. Wanna hear? Too bad, you're gonna hear anyway! See, I leave for Hawaii in 4+ days and I am trying to envision how uncomfortable I will possibly be on a 12 hour flight. Since the tickets were purchased I've thought my belly would pop and I wouldn't even be able to use the tray table for anything. My theory is, my belly isn't popping for just that reason. It wants to be able to fit behind the tray table. Also, did you know it's up to the airplane captain whether he allows a pregnant woman on the plane or not. At this rate, the pilot isn't even gonna know I'm pregnant. Woohoo!

My fear is the flight to Hawaii will not be so good, I'll be uncomfortable, etc. and then I won't want to have to deal with the flight home and then I'll just have to stay there. (Wait did I start this sentence by saying "my fear".) What was I thinking? Maybe I'll despise the flight so much going to Hawaii that I'll HAVE to stay there!!! WOOHOO! Any objections?

Last night, mom came over for dinner and although someone on the message board today basically told me (not in so many words) that I was crazy for thinking that hubbie and mom actually heard the baby's heartbeat by putting there bare ear on my belly...mom heard it for her own ears last night too. See, I'm not going crazy! As soon as I got home, I snagged mom to go upstairs with me to the bedroom where it was quieter to take a little listen. We first stopped off to admire the new ceiling fan that has now been installed in the baby's room (which unfortunately will need to be fixed because some how the light fixture doesn't work in it...HELLO?...it's brand new!!!) Whatever! Sure enough when I laid on the bed and mom put her ear to my babybump she first had to put her hand on the pulse on my arm to be able to differentiate, but she sure did hear it. Then we had dinner...Chili to be exact. Then mom left and we went to bed and hubbie went to take a listen but my tummy was gurgling too loud to hear anything. Teehee...good chili honey!!!!

Did I mention 4+ days to Hawai????!!!!!

Just one submission for..."Tuesday's Confession"!

I JUST ATE ONE OF THE MOST SERIOUS PIECES OF FOOD CONFECTIONS.......EVER!!!!!!!!!!!! So I decided to take a picture as proof that I sinned...and I'm now confessing...and I will do my penance like a good Catholic girl!!!! I'm confessing for it, but really it's NOT MY FAULT...but I'll confess anyway. See this is how it happened. I was sitting at MY desk...minding MY own business...doing MY work (for a change)...sipping MY water...checking MY e-mail...etc. etc. etc...and then a coworker came over and plopped a whole pizza pie and 6 of these devilish food confections in a plastic thingy on the other side of MY cubicle wall on the counter top (which is where items of general consumption go to get consumed) and the funniest thing happened next. This silly BIG ASS cupcake made it's hasty escape from the latched shut plastic container thingy...jumped over the cubicle wall partition...found my drawer with the plates and napkins in it...found it's way to the pantry CLEAR ACROSS THE OTHER SIDE OF THE 5th FLOOR to get a cup of milk...came back to MY desk...hopped back onto MY desk (a 3 foot leap up from the floor...easily) plopped itself onto the plate next to my keyboard and said..."EAT ME...EAT ME!!!" So here it is...

BEFORE.....









And then...



AFTER......










IT TOLD ME TO!!! So is it really sinning? The baby wanted it! I'm gonna be feeling kicks from the "baby-sugar-rush" that's gonna take place right about...oooo...now!!!! I really think the only thing I have to confess is that I actually ate the thing with a fork...can you believe it...a fork...a cupcake...sheesh...I never thought I'd say that...it's like eating pizza with a fork and knife...THAT'S SINFUL!!!! Can I get an AMEN? Would you please just scroll BACK UP and look at the proportion of the cupcake versus my keyboard...honestly...why so big?

So I guess saying an Our Father and 10 Hail Marys isn't really gonna atone for my sin in any good way... so I'll just atone by doing something healthy...

Like this......










But again...isn't the apple how EVE got into trouble in the first place?

But anyway!

And in closing...like any good Catholic...Oh my God I am heartly sorry for having offended thee and I detest all my sins because of thy just punishment but most of all because they offend you my God, who is all good and deserving of all my love...I firmly resolve with the help of thy grace to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sins...AMEN!!!

IT REALLY SHOULD'VE READ...

Oh my God...I am heartly sorry for me and the baby having demolished that entire cupcake and I detest the the darn thing because of the terrible temptation it lured me into its clutches with...but it was good and deserving of every bite...I firmly resolve never ever to use a fork to eat another cupcake with and to avoid the near occasion of cupcake luring...AMEN!!!

6 DAYS UNTIL HAWAII!!!!!!!!!!!! Good thing I'm not watching my waste line to fit into a bikini...have the preggers bathing suit already packed which will hide the cupcake that now resides on my right butt cheek (and NO I'm not including a picture of that)! I will however, once I start showing post a pic of the babybump...but I'm really not showing so much yet....YET is the operative word there people...YET!!!


Please note...the boss walked by and told me to put the 3 remaining cupcakes in MY refrigerator under my desk because he'll want ONE tomorrow...ok...why then do I have to put ALL 3 in my refrigerator if you want ONE tomorrow...that can only mean sinfulness tomorrow too...oh jeez!

Weekend recap...

This weekend was oodles of fun...and then some!!!

Friday we actually found a Chinese restaurant that makes a real brown sauce. The Chinese place closest to us makes this sauce that pretends to be a brown sauce but really isn't and it's gross...so I appealed to hubbie to find something new. And...guess what...we did! And I finally was able to eat chicken and broccoli in brown sauce and it was actually decent...it wasn't Great Wall in the YO, but nothing is...so this new place will suffice.

Saturday morning a friend deposited an almost 2-year old on our door step for the morning. So what to do to occupy an almost 2-year old?

What could be better than going for a ride to the doctor's office, to the lab with us so I could have my 1 hour glucose blood test? I mean really...why didn't anyone take me to a doctor's lab when I was an almost 2-year old? Well the almost 2-year old didn't even actually get out of the car while I went into the lab. Hubbie was instructed to do laps because otherwise if he came to a complete stop for an extended period of time, the almost 2-year old would no doubt want to get out of her car seat and do something other than wait for me to come out of the lab...and God only knows if we would have been able to get her back in her seat. So hubbie drove around town in circles playing Baby Einstein over the CD player to keep the almost 2-year old content. I should've started by saying...when mommy left...it was okay for a minute while we were in the house but then when we tried to get the almost 2-year old in her car seat...and it wasn't pretty. She remembered seeing mommy last INSIDE the house...and didn't make the connection that mommy's car wasn't even in the driveway any longer. But with a bit of coaxing...ok M&M's and Baby Einstein CD...she gave up the crying fit. Am I good or what?

After leaving the lab...we made a bee line for the deli to get breakfast sandwiches...the baby's tolerance for fasting for the glucose test was almost expired...it figures when I made my way into the deli of course the guy ahead of me had ordered about 10 sandwiches and the grill was only the size of a typical stove at home. YUM...breakfast sandwich and chocolate milk...YUM!!!

We decided we needed to expend some of the almost 2-year olds energy and not in our house cause really there's nothing to do there...yet!!! Give the house a year, there would be plenty, but until then we're still a house without things to occupy anyone under the age of 30. So...we made our annual trip to the apple orchard. We didn't find a need to pick our own apples this year, but in the coming years I'm sure that will make a comeback. The apple orchard was a playground of all sorts for the little almost 2-year old. There were the chickens she chased after...the rabbits we gawked at from behind their safe haven of chicken wire cages...the chickens she chased after...the pumpkin patch she trampled through...the chickens she chased after...the ponies she pet...the chickens she chased...the goats she called horsies...the chickens she chased...the pumpkins she picked...and did I mention the chickens she chased??? After all that...when I finally decided she'd done enough laps around the place I told her it was time to pick pumpkins and she decided to fill our less than stable wheel barrel with the little ones she could actually pick up...as hubbie went in search of the perfect large pumpkin I kept her occupied. We picked out a small, medium and large size pumpkin for our house and the almost 2-year old picked one for herself. We paid and you'd think we had enough, but we still hadn't even picked out the apples we wanted so we went back inside and got a couple of baskets...ah and we didn't forget to purchase the annual pumpkin cheesecake which is our absolute favorite this time of year. Our second round in the apple orchard the almost 2-year old spent in my arms with her head on my shoulder. Our plan worked...she was a tuckered puppy and zonked out almost immediately upon exiting the driveway. YAY!

So we made our way to Destination Maternity where I had to return a pair of pants because they were defective and I only had them for less than 2 weeks and their return policy is 14 days...so I had to get there. The only problem was...they didn't have the blown corduroys in my size anymore, but I was able to scoop up a pair of gray corduroys instead and get $4.99 back on a gift card because they were on sale!!! YAY!!!

Made my way back to the car where hubbie and still sleeping almost 2-year old were waiting for me. We returned home and once we pulled in the driveway and shut off the car...almost 2-year old woke up... :-( Oh well...it was a good 45 minute nap anyway!!! YAY!!!

Mommy soon returned with the almost 2-year olds' brother and sister and they even had a gift for us. So sweet! My friend bought us a baby rattle and it is the cutest baby rattle ever. It's more of a keepsake rather than one the baby will actually use, but it is adorable. Thank you!

And once hubbie and I recollected ourselves...we were off on our next adventure. We had to run up to the vineyard to pick up mom's pre-purchased two cases of wine that is hard to come by and then we had another baby sitting venture with my own niece and nephew. We didn't get home from that adventure until about 11:30/midnight or so.

Sunday I didn't have a great morning. I woke up with back pain, so i was pretty much immobilized to the cuddle chair laying on top of the heating pad for the morning hours. We didn't even make it to church. **gasp** In the afternoon I met a friend for lunch at the cheesecake factory and we had a really nice visit and it was so nice to catch up with her. Besides it being a great visit I must say the next highlight was the coconut cheesecake I had for dessert....YUMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!! After lunching we mosied over to the Destination Maternity store and when i tell you this store is GINORMOUS...it's SOOO BIG!!! I didn't really find anything tho. I know..SHOCKER!!!

We parted ways and I made my way home and stopped to pick dinner up for hubbie on my way.

This is where it gets to be Li'l Foot's moment in the spotlight...are you PAYING ATTENTION?

Hubbie had to work overtime last night...from midnight to 8 this morning. So we went to bed early hoping hubbie could doze off for a couple hours so he could make it through the night. When he woke up at 10 p.m. to get ready he then came back to say goodbye before he left...just as he does every morning. This time though he hugged and kissed me and then lifted my shirt to reveal the baby bump...gave my tummy/the baby a raspberry/zerbert and then put his ear to my belly. And guess what...with his bare ear...he heard the baby's fast little heartbeat. I was so excited for him...and you know if I was a contortionist in any way I would've listened to it for the next hours until I had to go to work...but alas...I'm not that flexible. Do you think when the dog puts his head on my tummy each day he hears the baby's heartbeat too? :-)

So here I am...it's October 9th and today I am 25 weeks preggers and as of next Monday I will be done with my 2nd trimester at 26 weeks!!!! YAY!!!

Seriously, the more anticipation that builds the slower the time seems to pass by...sheesh!!!

7 DAYS UNTIL HAWAII!!!!!!!!!!! WOOHOO!!!!!

October monthly doctor visit...

This past Monday was my monthly doctor visit. As the doctor was listening to the baby's heartbeat with the doppler, he said, "the baby's heartbeat sounds good" and I replied with..."Yeah and the baby is kicking too"! Had a waited just a few more moments I probably would have figured out that the baby wasn't kicking but actually had the hiccups. :-) So cute.

I mentioned to the doctor how my muscles under my shoulder blades were painful lately and he indicated it might be because of any breast size increase...yeah...that's happened!!! Hubbie loves it by the way! But I really think it is work related and was a preexisting condition before I was preggers...but whatever! So when we left the doctor we were driving home and I turned to hubbie and the following conversation ensued:

me: So, you heard Dr. McG, right? He said the only way to alleviate the pain in my back was for you to massage my back EVERY day!
hubbie: No, I must have missed that conversation!!
me: Really, you were sitting right there when he said it.
hubbie: Nope, didn't hear anything like that...you and Dr. NcG must have had a little sidebar conversation cause I didn't catch that part.
me: hmmmmm... (shocked I couldn't convince him that part of the conversation actually took place when it really didn't and I was trying to make him believe it did!!! dang it!!!)

So in my world I'm kinda hoping for natural child birth BUT...I'm also realistic in thinking anything is possible (worst case scenario) and know that if an epidural is necessary so be it...or if a c-section is necessary so be it...whatever! I just know that there was no such thing as pain killers back in the day and if I can withstand kidney stone pain and my ruptured ectopic pregnancy last year...why not try natural? What's the worst that can happen...we wind up calling the anesthesiologist? So be it...whatever! Which brings me to my next point which was the conversation with the doctor about child birth classes. We've decided we'd take a Lamaze class, now I just have to enroll in one. We did find however some cool free baby classes. One is a breastfeeding class, another is a baby bootcamp 101 class (aimed at gear ing the parents for what to expect the first couple weeks after the baby comes home) and they also even offer a grandparents class but mom doesn't need that...she already has 6 grandchildren...she's practiced up enough and the other grandchildren have already dusted off her cobwebs so Li'l Foot should be good to go with grandma! But the classes are free, so why pass them up?

And that was basically the doctor's appointment in a nutshell. HEY...12 DAYS UNTIL HAWAII!!!! WOOHOO!!!

30 And Pregnant...

Happy Birthday to me...Happy Birthday to me...Happy Birthday to...Meeeeeee...Happy Birthday to me!!!

Yup, that's right, yesterday was my birthday and what a great day/weekend I had...turning 30 doesn't weird me out...turning 40 in ten years time doesn't really weird me out either and as a mater of fact neither does 50, 60, 70 or any age for that matter. Thank you to all who sent me an e-card, called me, etc. Love it!

All last week the only thing I could focus on was this weekend and it did not disappoint one bit. Hubbie and I hopped in the car and drove 2 hours north to South Deerfield, Massa-two-shits (Masschusettes) and went to Yankee Candle Company. That's right, we drove 2 hours/118 miles (according to mapquest) just to go to Yankee Candle Company. It was so much fun. We hadn't been there in a couple years and the place had changed just a little bit, for the better, and we spent hours just walking around. We even got snowed on...okay not the real stuff...but in one of the many Christmas decorating/ornament rooms they had like 10 huge (fake) pine trees in the middle of the room and as I'm looking in the little room adjoining it, Sean yells to me to go out into the main room and what I find there is...It's SNOWING!!! And it wasn't exactly that fake crap they put in store windows or use in a blizzard on TV either...it was melty stuff...man made...but melty all the same. It melted pretty much instantly, but was fun anyway. SO COOL!!!! I HEART SNOW!!!

We got home at about 6:30/7 p.m. I guess and the only reason it was so much later was because we stopped at the mall on the way home to drop off a package to my friend ES and decided to roam the mall too...and then stopped to pick up salad fixin's for dinnering...yum!

And what Saturday night is complete without 2 episodes of "Cops" and an episode of "America's Most Wanted". **sigh** Watching those shows makes you really think that you aren't so bad afterall...seriously...where do they find these people?

So Sunday (October 1st) morning (MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!) rolled around and after first going to church, we came back home and made some breakfast...okay...hubbie made breakfast...but he does it so well, why would I do it? Then, we were off to Tranquility Spa to get massages (thank you DL and BA for the gift certificates to get a pregnancy massage...it was AWESOME!). I won't mention the robe that happened to crawl inside my bag and just so happened to come home with me.

Then, we went to The Candlelight Inn restaurant and had some of their out-of-this-world hot wings coupled with football...what a delectable pairing!

Then we were homeward bound for a little rest and relaxation before our dinner plans with mom and the godmother. Our dinner was delicious. We had 5 o'clock reservations at Rraci's and man it was so yummy...topped off with Creme Brulee! Double YUM! I even took the virgin drink concoction recipe the bartender in Kentucky introduced me to and asked for it for my birthday dinner. So, whoever you are in Kentucky...thanks for the drink idea...ideas for interesting drinks when you're pregnant are few and far between. That was a really good mixture of club soda, OJ, pineapple and grenadine. Sometimes, you just can't drink another glass of water!

What an awesome birthday weekend. I was hoping for a little bit more fall foliage scenery driving to and from Massa-two-shits but it wasn't a total disappointment. I just knew we would completely miss the foliage here in NY while we were in Hawaii in t-minus 14 days and counting. WOOHOO!!!

So, I highly recommend a drive to Yankee Candle, it's worth it.