Sunday, December 28, 2008
To Do...
Kind of weird to think this may very well be my last night without children.
I'll keep everyone updated, as promised!
Saturday, December 27, 2008
One Million Billionth of a Millisecond on a Sunday Morning
Something that came up in our conversations tonight was the hospital situation, and specifically if it was ok to visit me in the hospital. My response? Absolutely! I would love to see you! But please, not until after the baby gets here.
My preference is that no one comes to the hospital until after the baby is safely delivered. I realize that not everyone is going to be down with not coming to the hospital until that point, so I just request that you stay out of my room until the baby is here. I don't want you in there. Nothing personal - I just already have to share the room with 10 doctors and nurses and Josh will need a place to stand, too, and I just don't want to see anyone until after we are all done. Thanks!
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Update: I've been having contractions! Like, real contractions. Alas - they are like 15-20 minutes apart and aren't killer yet, but things could be happening on their own! Of course, they could come to a complete stop and go nowhere, but it would be cool if I went into labor on my own before Monday!
Friday, December 26, 2008
The Waiting Game...
It seems that the waiting is not over for us, yet. At today's doctors appointment I learned that not only has Michael not done much at all in the last week, but I have acquired a brand spanking new UTI. Doctor: You have lost 2 pounds, and you have blood and protein in your urine. Actually, you have a UTI. Have you been eating? Me: Uh, yeah, eating definitely has not been a problem for me. Doctor: Oh, have you been drinking water? Me: Ummm, yeah, I've been making sure to drink that from time to time.
Also found out that my doctor decided to go ahead and be on vacation from now until January 8th, which is a major frickin' bummer. What the heck! I'm not mad that she is on vacation, but I'm a little irritated that I had to find out from the receptionist. I really was hoping she would deliver my child, but now it will just be whatever Doctor happens to be on call that night. My doctor did leave instructions to go ahead and induce me at 39 weeks, so I have one last ultrasound on Monday to check for growth and position. Then the final wait begins. APPARENTLY there are doctors out there that will induce women at 39 weeks just so they can get a tax break. WHAT?!?!? Then you have me, with sumo baby, and I'm going to have to compete with these women for an induction. They said they are going to put me on the schedule as fast as possible, but they can't guarantee that they will be able to get me in on Monday for sure.
So - what does it all mean? I guess it means that I'd be much better off just going into labor on my own. How does December 27th sound to everyone?
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Merry Christmas, Baby...
Husband and I are laying low around the house for Christmas Eve, and will be heading up to spending Christmas morning in Scottsdale with DH's folks and my Sister-in-law, too. Here is hoping for a nice, quiet, uneventful Christmas. Of course - in typical Josh and Kerith style, I will not be surprised in the least if our baby is born on Christmas day - my Husbands least favorite day of the year, lol.
Monday, December 22, 2008
And still, nothing...
I go from feeling like I'm about to have this kid any second to resignation that I will have to be induced a week from today. Ohwell - at least I'll be able to crank him out before New Years! Hooray for Tax Credit Babies!
I've had an overly productive day (well, at least overly productive for an overly pregnant lady). First I walked down a few houses to Sean and Farrah's place. Sean and Farrah are awesomeness. They were our first new friends in the neighborhood, and we've had plenty of good times hanging out with them over the last several years. Sean and Farrah also recently had a baby - he is just now 2 months old! It is going to be great for Michael to have a little guy to grow up with since Sean and Farrah are in the same housing predicament we are (as in, our houses are now worth 50% less than what we paid for them). Anyway, Farrah is on maternity leave until she starts her new job in January, so I got to catch up on all her exciting baby adventures. Dilan is apparently a dream baby - a good natured snuggly little man. My strategy was to make Michael jealous that I was snuggling another baby, hoping this would induce labor. After an hour or so, I still wasn't in labor, and Farrah needed to run errands, so we parted ways.
After that it was off to the grocery store. I <3 the grocery store in the middle of the day during the week. It was still crowded, but I didn't have to wait in line for 8 million years like normal. I was able to stock up on several 12 packs (coke products were 5 for $12.00 - woo hoo!) and also picked up wrapping paper and other stuff. By stuff I mean a big fat bottle of wine, which I will most definitely be enjoying a glass of tonight!
Upon arriving home after the grocery store, this strange nesting phenomenon set in and I've been a cleaning fool ever since. I mean, our office is CLEAN people. I don't remember the last time our office was clean. The kitchen was "re-cleaned" for the 3rd time this week, and then I started in on putting batteries in all the battery operated baby gizmo's.
Now I'm off to make the hard working husband some Shepherds Pie for dinner, and I think tonight I'll finally write out all those thank you notes and Christmas cards so I can mail them out tomorrow (hey - it counts as long as they are postmarked before Christmas, right?).
I leave you with my all time most favoritest Christmas song ever. Karen Carpenter has the voice of an angel. /contented sigh
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Recommending...
1. Panko Bread Crumbs: These seem to be ALL the rage on The Food Network lately. Guess they are usually meant for Asian/Sea Food dishes, however, they translate well to EVERYTHING ELSE! I've never had such tasty, light, crispy chicken. Uh... I didn't check calories, but they can't be too bad. Tonight I made chicken tenders breaded in Panko, and they are DELISH!
2. The Dave Ramsey $10 Sale: All of his books and software are on sale for the Holiday's for $10.00 each! And, if you spend more than $65.00 you get free shipping!
3. Weight Watchers Online: The only reasonable way to lose weight, IMO. I would never be able to stick to in person meetings, but their website has so many awesome tools! I'm looking forward to using Weight Watchers to lose the baby weight (errr, and those couple extra 20 pounds I put on after the miscarriage last January). The new Weight Watchers Momentum plan seems pretty cool, and I look forward to jumping right in as soon as little Mike makes his grand entrance!
Husband is betting that I'll be in labor by Sunday night. I tend to agree with him, but honestly, who really knows. What I do know is that I will have my sweet baby in 10 days at the very latest :) Pretty exciting stuff!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Progress...
1-2 Centimeter's dilated
Lower/Anterior Cervix Position
80% Effaced
-2 Station
"Soft" Cervix
Doctor says to get my butt in motion (ie, go walking) and I should have this kid out in no time!
We did discuss induction at great length. The doctor said that I shouldn't feel anxious about the size of the baby; that my body will be able to handle this kid. However, she can appreciate that he has been measuring several weeks ahead. With that in mind, Doctor gave me the go ahead to be induced on December 29th. That is my official "39" week mark and no amnio will be required in order to have an induction at that point. However, based on my "progress" the Doctor said she wouldn't be surprised to see me in the hospital this weekend.
Woo hoo!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
What Strangeness is This?
Josh is worried that this sudden burst of energy = going into labor soon. I told him I'd wait til Friday so he doesn't have to take too many extra days off work ;)
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Yule Shoot Your Eye Out....
1. Super Fancy Pepper Grinder
I lurve pepper. I lurve lurve lurve it. I especially love freshly ground pepper. I had a pepper grinder (a tiny little crappy one) and I abused and broke it. I need a big fancy one :)
2. Food Processor
Because everyone on the food network has one. And I want to make stuff. Like chimichuri sauce for all the grilled pork tenderloins husband is going to grill me once the back yard is looking spiffy again.
3. Spaghetti/Steam Pot Set
Again, because everyone on the food network has one of these. Screw strainers! I want one that is built in! How cool would this be for making pasta and potatoes, or even steaming brocolli!
Ok, I swear there are other things that I want that don't have to do with food.
4. Nikon D 60 DSLR (yeah, I'll need to save up for this one)
Isn't she magnificent? Of course, the $600.00 camera is even more expensive once you factor in all the lenses and other accessories I would want. I'll stick it out with the 12 mega pixel Fuji Fine Pix for now :)
5. This Ikea Arm Chair (x2)
6. CD Player (for the Jeep) that my Zune can plug into
I love my Zune, but I need an aux input in order to plug it straight into the jeep and not have to deal with a stupid FM Tuner thinga-majigy. The only solution is a new cd player because the factor cd player does not have this input.
Ok, I suppose that is a long enough list of Kerith's Christmas Presents to herself, lol. Now, if only I could actually get motivated to do some shopping, lol.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Maternity Leave...
-Pay Bills
-Clean Out Fridge
-Take out Garbage
-Schedule Landscaping Company to Blow up my Backyard
-Drive into town to get car washed (Jeep is now worthy of car seat)
-Meet Husband for Lunch
-Pedicure (My feet are still fat, but at least my toes have snowmen on them!)
-Costco! (I accomplished 75% of the grocery shopping here --- the rest manana)
-Drive back to Maricopa
-Put all the food away
-zzzzZZZzzzz (this is me sleeping on the recliner)
-Dishes! (My sink was stacked to the ceiling with dishes for some reason)
Life is good :)Or at least it will be rather fantastic while I only juggle home and a baby. I'm sure it'll go back to insanity when I put work back in the mix. But - perhaps with a little help from Fly Lady and Dave Ramsey, I might be able to get my household to a tighter running ship over the next 8 weeks, and when I go back to work it will be easier to manage!
I leave you with a picture of Michael, at 37 weeks:
Sunday, December 14, 2008
It's cold outside...
Ummm - not if I my baby weighs 13 pounds and I have to have an emergency C-section! Blargh!
So, kiddo, please, work with me. Daddy put your swing together, and set up the bassinet in your pack and play! He even installed the car seat base in the Impala. We are totally ready for you! We've got you a bitchin' Christmas onesie even! I'm already on Maternity leave! Mommy can't walk, none of her shoes fit, and she is retaining water up to her belly button.
On second thought - how about you wait until... oh, Friday. Then I can have at least a week off between work and a baby to get things done around the house :)
Monday, December 8, 2008
Always...
In other news, my hospital bag is packed, along with the baby bag, and they are both loaded up in Husband's car and ready to go. Now all we have to do is get the car seat installed and we are ready to rock :)
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Sagittarius Baby?
Planet - Jupiter
Element - Fire
That happy-go-lucky child in the play circle is bound to be a Sagittarius. These carefree tykes march to their own drummer, and yes, they will walk early! They'll also be beating a path to everywhere, since they love to explore. Independent and free-spirited, it's imperative that the Sagittarius baby have lots of room to roam. Confined spaces are a disaster for these wandering souls, so they'll simply flail about until they can get out. The good news in all this is that the Sag baby won't have to be entertained every second of the day. That said, be sure to keep tabs on them in public places, as they could easily wander away! Above all, the Sag baby loves to explore, whether it's a new toy or a new friend. No fear here! This kid is a sponge, soaking it all up with relish. Thankfully, this child will know how to make friends and can be counted on to have lots of them. They love being part of a group, whether it's at home or out in the big, brave world. And it's that world they want to see, which may be why it's so easy for this baby to hit the road. Whether by train, plane, or the high seas, the Sag baby will travel better than the rest. To sum up, the Sagittarius baby needs freedom, has a curious mind, and is forever on a journey of discovery. Happy trails!
Friday, December 5, 2008
An Early Christmas Gift...
So - we at least have a game plan now. Doctor said that it is still too early to induce me right now, but I have another appointment at 37 weeks and they will perform an amnio to test lung maturity. Assuming his lungs are mature, the countdown is on. The doctor said to cross my fingers that I go into labor on my own by 38 weeks (and she really believes that I will), but if I don't that is when they will induce me. What that means is that Michael, at the latest, will be here by December 22nd.
With that in mind, I'm going to go ahead and begin my Maternity leave a week earlier than I originally anticipated, and my last day of work will be December 12th.
Let the countdown begin :)
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Now and Then...
Then: (i'm the one on the far right)
and Now: (I'm the bloated puffy whale on the left)
Don't get me wrong. I am SO SO SO excited to be a mom - so looking forward to meeting my baby - I can't wait, really. But, I'd be a big liar if I didn't also admit that I'm looking forward to getting my body back. To being able to exercise, get back in shape and lose a couple hundred pounds of water weight, too.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Productive Lunches...
But - I'm not done yet! I have many more things to accomplish today! On the way home from work I'm going to stop at Kohl's and attempt to purchase Nursing bra's (ok, I'm weirded out by seeing that written out). According to every Hospital Bag packing list I have read, a Nursing bra is essential. *Shrug* What if I wasn't going to nurse? What if I can't nurse? Should I bring a bottle to the hospital? Formula? These items are not mentioned on packing lists that I have seen. I'm also getting conflicting information on what Hospitals do and do not provide. Everyone is saying "BRING SOCKS!!" but then a co-worker who just delivered said that her hospital gave her socks. What gives? What do I really need to bring? I want to pack as lightly as possible :)
Finally, when I get home this afternoon, I'm going to teach Guinness how to vacuum and Sammie how to unload the dishwasher. While the dogs clean the house for me, I'm going to assemble the baby swing, finish unpacking the babies room, and knock out my Thank You cards!
Now, everyone cross their fingers and lets hope that my appointment on Friday leads to scheuduling an inducement date of December 27th! Hooray for tax credit babies and not having to stress over what my hospital co-pay will be effective January 1st when our insurance company switches from Cigna to United Health Care.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
The last time...
Costco, like always, was a terrible mess. I'm not sure what I was expecting given that this is the biggest shopping weekend of the year. We loaded our cart up with all the necessities (dog food, toilet paper, paper towels, zip lock bags, garbage bags, laundry detergent... etc) and then after deciding we didn't want to spend $9 on an 8 million pack of Q-tips, we made a stop off at Target so we could spend $4.50 on 750 of them instead, lol.
I allowed myself to get lost in my thoughts on the way home, and a few things occurred to me. First - woah - 35 weeks pregnant. Technically Michael can come at any time now and it wouldn't be any sort of disaster. Yeah - he should probably hang out another 2 weeks, but I think I'm ready to start wishing for him to be here. Other things that occurred to me is that we will probably never have a day like this again - or at least we won't have very many more. You know - just picking up after sleeping in until 10:00 am on a Saturday... heading to see a movie and then spending the afternoon shopping. Nope. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to sleep in until 10:00 am again, lol.
Yeah, life is definitely about to change. But I'm ok with that. I'm ready for that. Because even though things will be different, I know that the adventure we are about to embark on is going to be the most meaningful and happiest time of our life.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
The Final Countdown...
19 Calendar days until Mike is "Full Term"
14 working days (24 calendar days) until my Maternity Leave Begins
9 days until my last ultrasound to measure for growth
4 Days until my self imposed deadline to have everything "ready" for baby
So, in these final days, I would be a big huge liar if I said I was loving everything about pregnancy. It is hard to walk, hard to sleep, hard to breathe and hard to stay awake. I've started to experience some form of contraction - they feel like menstrual cramps - but they usually only bother me in the mornings and are intermittent.
I'm looking forward to the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. My holiday begins this afternoon at 1:30 pm when I leave the office to head home and start making pies. I'll post the recipe and pictures of the concoction I am whipping up. Other than that I'm looking forward to putting my feet up tomorrow and taking a big long nap. To think that this time next year I'll have an almost 1 year old and the traditions I have grown accustomed to over the last several years may be completely different. Husband mentioned that he was feeling a bit saddened over not getting to spend time with June this year (my grandmother that passed away a year and a 1/2 ago). This will be the 2nd Thanksgiving we have spent without her and I still miss her a great deal.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Turkey Day, stay safe, drive safe and eat til you collapse! Happy Thanksgiving!
***Congrats to my little sister, and her exciting news! Looks like Mikey is going to have a little girl cousin about 4 months younger than him :o)***
Monday, November 17, 2008
You Can't Have it Both Ways...
Well, guess what? You can't have it both ways! The government can only take away the freedoms you allow it to, and at this point in time politicians have convinced the majority of American's that they can't figure it out for themselves.
Don't get me wrong. Tax and Spend Liberals are no worse than Borrow and Spend Republicans. I feel the government should be much smaller, and should govern in the limited intentions the original framers of the Constitution had. Should the government be allowed to say who and who can not get married? I personally feel that it should stop at "Only consenting adults may enter into a state of marriage." Whether that is a man and a woman, a man and a man, a man and a woman and another woman, 3 dudes and 2 chicks --- whatever! Government should butt the hell out! But you can't get pissed when you invited them in the first place and now they've made a big stinkin' mess out of everything.
Next time? How about voting for real change.
A wise and frugal government which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government. – Thomas Jefferson (1801)
A government that is big enough to give you all you want is big enough to take it all away. – Barry Goldwater (1964)
Saturday, November 15, 2008
And now he has a place to sleep...
I was able to get some items checked off my to do list for the baby this weekend. I managed to put together the car seat, the stroller, the pack n' play, the crib bedding set, and I also washed everything that will be coming into contact with the baby clothing wise. Mike officially has more clothing than Husband and I combined :)
I tried to allow the dogs to sniff out the new baby gear - I want them to become accustomed to the car seat and stroller specifically, and I also have the pack n' play set up full time in our bedroom, too. Since the dogs sleep in the room with us, and the baby will be sleeping in our room for at least the first few weeks of his life, it seemed like a good idea.
From Baby Stuff |
From Baby Stuff |
From Baby Stuff |
From Baby Stuff |
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
The New Hotness...
But --- every once in awhile a song (or two or three) comes out that I just adore. For your listening pleasure:
Whatever you like (T.I.)
M.I.A. - Paper Planes (also known as the theme song of most Dems/Liberals)
Not sure that one actually counts as hip-hop. Maybe some form of funky alternative?
Had a baby appointment today. Michael is doing splendidly - heart rate of 145 bpm. My blood pressure was ok at 120/84. I have to get some blood work done and come back in a week. Oh, and I am officially "grounded." No traveling for this pregnant lady.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Menu Planning: 11/09 - 11/15
Chicken Salsa Quesadilla's w/ Spanish Rice
Monday:
Beef Stew with Dumplings
Tuesday:
Chili with Corn Bread
Wednesday:
Chicken and Dumplings
Thursday:
Porcupine Meatballs
Friday:
Bangers n' Smashed Potatoes
Saturday:
Tailgating!
Babygate 2008!
Pile of gifts!
From Babygate 2008 |
Pile of gifts from a different angle:
From Babygate 2008 |
Josh coming down the stairs:
From Babygate 2008 |
Lindz and baby Broc:
From Babygate 2008 |
Baby Broc and his feet:
From Babygate 2008 |
Ryan, Broc and Lindz:
From Babygate 2008 |
The Party on the Patio:
From Babygate 2008 |
Friends and Babies:
From Babygate 2008 |
Karl playing lifeguard to the little guys running around the pool:
From Babygate 2008 |
The back of Todd's head, Jess, Cherylyn and Steph:
From Babygate 2008 |
Zach and Drew:
From Babygate 2008 |
Karinne (holding Max), Max's mom Misty, and Zach:
From Babygate 2008 |
Max (1 month old!):
From Babygate 2008 |
My BFF Val and her sweet baby Aubry:
From Babygate 2008 |
April holding Liz's baby Shannon:
From Babygate 2008 |
Val with Aubrey and Liz with Shannon:
From Babygate 2008 |
Val's son Wyatt getting ready to enjoy some Pumpkin bread:
From Babygate 2008 |
Partygoers on the Patio:
From Babygate 2008 |
Buddies watching ASU:
From Babygate 2008 |
Steve, Stephanie and Brian enjoying some Barbeque!!!
From Babygate 2008 |
I couldn't have asked for a better event! Everything was great, and Josh and I can't wait to finally have our own baby to bring to these shindigs!
**if you have pictures from the event, please feel free to email them to me!**
Friday, November 7, 2008
Fun Finds!
The nights have recently become much longer. For most of my pregnancy I have been able to sleep through the night, but this is just not the case anymore. I can count on waking up at least once with a screaming bladder, but lastnight I actually woke up 3 times! When I came back to bed the 2nd time the husband decided to snuggle up to me and lay his arm across my belly. He became upset when he felt the baby going spastic in my belly in the middle of the night. "Honey... why isn't the baby sleeping?" "Because... baby hates Mommy and yet still wants her company."
And after I'm done being uncomfortable all night, I make sure to complain a lot during the day. I walk (waddle) slowly everywhere. My back is killing me. I have to pee every 5 seconds. Or at least I THINK I have to pee, but I'm mostly dealing with false alarms. Going out to eat has become a fun game of "Where does Kerith fit in a booth?" As it turns out, not many places, ha.
The cats aren't too pleased with my predicament, either. Finley, my sweet lap kitty, lost the ability to snuggle up in my lap many many weeks ago. But - he still trys to find a way to make it work. Today he decided to just relocate to my new lap:
(please excuse the multiple chins and flabby arms)
At my next ultrasound (36 weeks) the Doctors will take final measurements of Sumo baby and come up with a delivery game place. In the mean time the doctors are worried about my blood pressure again (it was 142/80 at my appointment on Thursday) so I get to do some more fun blood work on Monday to monitor that.
Tomorrow is baby gate! Hooray! I'm very excited to celebrate baby Gaines with all our friends and family!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Scary Times...
Of course, I shouldn't be concerned about anything but my own immediate situation. And believe me, I am worried. I'm 8 months pregnant, with my husband and I both working for the same company. Yes, this company is strong with a long history of standing through troubling economic times, however, it seems like every company in the finance world is having to do layoffs right now. We've been really lucky so far, but it is something that I'm worried about.
I had been holding out hope that a President would be elected that would have the right economic policies to get America out of its slump and get us moving again. I think Wall Street showed its expectations yesterday with a 500 point drop in the Dow. I think raising taxes on the people that propel this country forward is going to take us all backwards.
Despite all this, I refuse to resort to the sort of shenanigans that most liberals have in the last 8 years. I'm not going to be bitter. I'm not going to be filled with seething hateful rage. I'm going to do the best I can to take care of my family, and in 4 years I hope that conservatism actually makes it on the ballot at that time so I can vote for a conservative instead of a Republican.
***Update***
I have passed the 3 hour glucose test --- no GD (Gestational Diabetes) for me. I guess that just means I have sumo baby.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Voting...
During the 2000 election I was 6 months shy of 18 and instead stayed up all night at my Dad's house to watch the results. Every time Bush won my dad would play U2's "Beautiful Day" at full blast. I'm sure this woke up the entire neighborhood, repeatedly, since Bush won and lost and then won and then lost the election a million times that night. Didn't we not actually know the results of the election for like 30 days after that? My senior year of high school was an interesting time for me politically speaking. My opinions were just forming, and honestly I think I just liked to take positions that got a rise out of my more liberal classmates. They were adamantly pro-choice, and I was hard core pro-life. They were pro-gun control. I actually stood up and told my classmates that I wanted to be a lobbyist for the NRA and my mission wouldn't be complete until every household in America had an assault rifle. If you asked me why, could I have told you? Absolutely not. I wasn't actually thinking about my personal opinions, rather, I was mostly reflecting the opinions of my Father to irritate those around me, lol.
By the time the next election rolled around, I had some time to do some serious thinking. When I actually got the opportunity to vote, I really reflected on what my vote meant - and who I wanted in office. I was going to ASU... I didn't have a lot of money... I wanted wanted wanted and John Kerry had some mighty appealing ideas. Honestly, I was trying to get a degree in education, and I thought to myself that John Kerry's education policies would allow me to become a teacher with the least amount of effort. Screw that no child left behind crap. I didn't want to be held accountable. That was what immature and lazy Kerith was thinking, anyway.
But - for some reason I was tuning in to conservative radio. I was listening to Mike Savage, Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh. Despite my selfish, lazy ways, these guys actually made sense to me. While watching the RNC, I listened to Arnold speak and explain why he was a Republican. I was sold:
I voted for Bush in 2004, and from then on I remained interested in politics.
Over the years my views have changed. After that election, the terms thrown around to describe the parties switched from democrats and republicans to liberal and conservative. I was a Republican as far as I could tell, but in the last four years I first and foremost identify myself as conservative. I believe that the government should be smaller, and that the government is the cause of most this countries problems, not something that will solve them. I believe that if the government just gets out of our way, we can be successful and achieve greatness.
So, when John McCain won the Republican nomination, I was dissappointed. Out of all the candidates, I felt that he was by far the least conservative. I was on the Fred Thompson band wagon. I wanted a candidate that would champion smaller government. When it came down to John McCain and Mitt Romney, I crossed my fingers that it would be Mitt. It wasn't.
But - tomorrow, I have to make a choice. I'm not going to call this the lesser of two evils choice. No - it isn't that for me. But, over the last 8 years I have had enough time to think and really analyze what I believe and why I believe it, and I can honestly say that between the two choices, John McCain will keep the government smaller, and will stay out of my way as much as possible. We may not agree on illegal immigration or global warming, but we do agree that this country is much better off when the American people are left unrestricted to achieve greatness without being overburdened by the government.
I don't know how the election is going to turn out. I hope that I get to see some great changes coming from a McCain/Palin administration. I guess we'll know tomorrow.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
New Threads...
Anyway - Josh and I picked up some cute tops at Target, and then some of those "secret fit" jeans from Motherhood Maternity. I wish I hadn't resisted a Maternity store for so long. These jeans are AWESOME! The band goes all the way up to my rib cage, but it it is a really lightweight stretchy fabric that somehow holds up without making me feel like I'm wearing a girdle.
During our United Way campaign at the office, I donated $50.00 for a "Jean Pass" for the months of November and December. Now I'll actually be comfortable in jeans at work! Hooray! I'm just glad to get some relief - I've been miserable having to constantly pull my pants up as they slip off my belly. Plus, none of my shirts seemed to be long enough, so if the pants slipped down, my poor stretch marked skin was left exposed to the world. Not a pretty site!
Speaking of stretchmarks, as we were checking out at Motherhood Maternity I noticed this skin oil meant to help with itchy skin. Since my skin just literally started getting itchy in the last couple days, I decided to pick up a little sample size bottle. I even said to the clerk "Perfect - my skin just started itching!" Her reply? "Oh - definitely use that, then! And don't scratch your skin... that is what causes stretch marks!!!"
WTF?
I didn't realize that my incessant ass, thigh, calf, belly scratching is what had caused all these claw marks. *sigh* I just assumed it was my stretching skin that caused stretch marks.
The one downside to all this walking around malls today? A stroll through Macy's has me longing to be back to my normal size! There are so many adorable sweaters that I want! Good thing I registered for a jogging stroller. I'm going to need all the help I can getting back in shape after Mike gets here.
And just for fun - a picture of my "Baby Daddy" and Mike's Grandpa showcasing their crib construction skills (and this crib is freaking MASSIVE!)
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Cribs and Candy...
Friday, October 31, 2008
Arnold Tells It Like It Is...
And in 1 day polling, Zogby has McCain with the advantage over Obama by 1 point. Now - I know that polls are worthless (because otherwise George Bush would have lost in 2000 and 2004) but it is good to know that there is still a race!
Other fun news? Obama's aunt is living in the United States illegally, and with a standing deportation order has still somehow managed to live in public housing. WTF?
I'm so worked up for this election, but glad that I get to cast my vote (even if it is in AZ where McCain will have no issue winning).
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Is It December 19th Yet?
So, yeah, I keep telling myself that all I have to do is make it to December 19th - my last day of work before Maternity Leave, and then I am home free! Well, at least I am free to concentrate on the baby. I feel awful right now for poor little Mike. I can only imagine how my stress is rubbing off on him. I think he is trying to send me hints by the occasional jab to the ribs. "Hey, Ma, knock it off! Calm the heck down!" Sorry, sorry, sorry. I'll calm down in 51 days when I can finally put my feet up and relax until you make your arrival, kiddo.
I really can't compartmentalize my life as much as I would like to right now - everything is sort of infringing on the other crap going on. I get home and want to sleep, watch tv, or play WoW, but there is a behemoth package at the door containing a gift for Mike... his travel system! Oh, goodness! His stroller and his car seat! Wow! I have a car seat in my house?!? Reality is setting in. Who is going to put all this stuff together before he gets here? And my Jeep is so messy right now - how can I possibly think about putting a baby in there. At least Mike's room is clean :)
Babygate is just about a week away! I'm so excited to spend time celebrating our baby with our friends and family! Good food, good drinks, and even if ASU can't make it on to TV so we can cheer them on, I still think it'll be a good time for all! I will make sure to take LOTS of pictures to put up on the ole' blog.
Pregnancy has changed my musical preference for the time being. I'm sure I'll go back to my metal lovin' ways soon enough after the baby is born, but for some reason all I can listen to right now is soft/wus/alternative drivel. Ok - really it is just kind of slow relaxing somewhat sad music, but it is all I can tolerate right now. Hooray for music that doesn't give me heartburn!
The Fray: I'll Look After You
O.A.R. - Shattered
One Republic - Stop and Stare
Monday, October 27, 2008
Bar Stool Economics...
Our Tax System Explained: Bar Stool Economics
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
So, that's what they decided to do.
The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. 'Since you are all such good customers,' he said, 'I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20.' Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free.
But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?'
They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer.
So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.
And so:
The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).
Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.
'I only got a dollar out of the $20,'declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man,' but he got $10!'
'Yeah, that's right,' exclaimed the fifth man. 'I only saved a dollar, too.
It's unfair that he got ten times more than I got' 'That's true!!'
shouted the seventh man. 'Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!'
'Wait a minute,' yelled the first four men in unison. 'We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!'
The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.
The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!
And that, ladies and gentlemen, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics
University of Georgia
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Mooning the Room...
Monday, October 20, 2008
75% done, 10 weeks to go!
After getting about 3.5 hours of sleep (I was too ramped up coming off of vacation to get to bed at a decent hour) I was woken up by Mike kicking up a storm and a racing heart. I'm attributing the racing heart to the fact that I had flipped over. This mere act is enough to get me sweating. I just couldn't get back to sleep, so I laid in bed waiting for the alarm clock to go off. Luckily, I only laid there about 15 minutes.
I've wanted to write a 1/2 dozen times in the last week, but I couldn't seem to make the time (even though I was on vacation, lol). Josh and I got a lot done around the house. In fact, it is all ready to receive baby with the exception of our office which is still a terror, but one that we will attend to this week. Now it is a matter of KEEPING the house clean. Mike's room is quarantined now - the door is shut and no animals are allowed to roam on the freshly steamed carpets or newly scrubbed walls.
I've set a goal of having the nursery ready to rock and my bags packed for the hospital by December 1st. After my most recent appointment on the 17th it seems like I had better be prepared early. You see, my baby, 29 weeks gestation at the time, was measuring at 30 weeks plus some extra days from his toes to his neck, and his head was actually measuring 32 weeks! Holy crap! Oh, and no wonder I've been feeling him kick so hard - he is closing in on 4 pounds now, lol. Most people I saw at the doc's office that day said "that is one big baby!" In fact, we were told that not so little Michael is in the 95th percentile for his gestational age. I get the results of my glucose test today, and everyone seems convinced that gestational diabetes is the cause of my enormous baby, so we'll see if I have to go back for the 3 hour test now. To frost the baby cake, our nurse practitioner asked me if I knew I was anemic. Huh? I am? My blood has been fine thus far. So, yay me, I find myself now on an iron supplement. On a bright note, my blood pressure was a respectable 120/80, so at least that was normal.
And now I find myself back at work - where things are just crazy. Lets face it, if you work in the financial industry, nothing is normal right now. I feel pretty confident working for GE (we have a pretty good track record of being able to weather storms) but I'm still nervous in general. I've got 9 weeks until my scheduled maternity leave (let's see if I actually make it the full 9 weeks since the Doctor said they will induce me early if my babies big head does not slow its roll). I'm frantic to get everything perfect before my 6-8 week departure (haven't quite decided yet) and with the US economy getting worse by the second, I'm not sure this is possible.
Does anyone else feel like the US economy is in large part being caused by the Main Stream Media? I can't help but feel like they started this whole mess with their doom and gloom outlook on the housing bubble.
Alright - I have a million more things to write about, but my morning free time is quickly coming to an end, and I must now play catchup after having been gone for a week. Have a wonderful week everyone!
(Also - I have ultrasound pictures to show off! Mike refused to show his face, but we got some great shots of his sweet little tush and his big old feet --- I'll get them scanned and posted today).
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
The end is in sight...
It's going to feel so good to have a clean house :)
Monday, October 13, 2008
Clean up time!
The plan of attack is as follows:
Monday: Any room that doesn't involve furniture moving. Kitchen, Master Bedroom, Office and Bathrooms.
Tuesday: Furniture moving required. Great Room, Nursery.
Wednesday: Backyard while the carpet cleaners repair and steam the carpet.
And then we get to lay back and enjoy Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday as actual vacation days.
Perhaps some before and after photo's are in order?
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
What's in a name?
In any event, now that the cat is OFFICIALLY out of the bag, as in, on invitations to the Babygate party we are having, there is no reason to keep it a secret from my blog any longer.
From here on out, Baby "G" shall be known as Michael Patrick. Or Mike? Mikey? MP? MPG? Hmmm... so maybe we haven't worked out exactly what he will be called, but the first and middle name on the sweet baby's birth certificate will be Michael Patrick.
Husband (otherwise known as Josh) expressed his desire to name his first son Michael pretty much the moment we started dating, and we haven't wavered from that decision once in the last 7 years. Michael is my Father-in-laws name, and we could not think of a better person on earth to name our son after. Of course, that is where Patrick comes in. The middle name is intended to honor my best friend's father, who has always been like a father to me since his daughter dragged me to her house in the 8th grade. Two great men, one great name :)
I am so incredibly happy to know that our son will get to know such great people, and will be surrounded by love from both our family and friends. This kid is going to have more aunts and uncles than he can count!
And what exactly is Michael up to at this point in his development? Read on...
Week 29 of Pregnancy: Baby Fat
Which explains why your energizer baby feels so…well…energized! Space in your baby's living quarters is now at a premium, so you'll be feeling jabs and pokes from elbows and knees mostly. But those kicks will be more vigorous than before (and also less erratic) because your baby is stronger and excitedly responding to all sorts of stimuli — movement, sounds, light, and that candy bar you ate half an hour ago.
Luckily, your baby doesn't have teeth yet that would need a brushing after that sugary treat, but it won't be long before you'll need to buy that first baby toothbrush! You'll recall that your baby's baby-teeth buds formed weeks ago, but now the buds for permanent teeth are forming in his or her gums as well.
And back to those kicks, who's counting? Actually, you should be. Now's a good time to start doing a kick count twice a day to make sure baby's doing just fine (plus, it's a good excuse for a rest). Lie down (preferably after a snack) and keep track of your baby's movements. You're looking for at least ten movements in an hour's time (don't forget to count movements of any kind — kicks, flutters, swishes, rolls, and so on).
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Heroes of our Time...
After Costco, Husband and I had a late lunch at Chili's. Do you have a Chili's near you? If so, I highly recommend you get in there and try the Chicken Crisper Club Taco's - super tasty! Husband and I stuffed ourselves silly and began our journey back to Maricopa and into Fry's Marketplace. This place was even more packed than Costco! I frickin' HATE shopping at this stupid Fry's. The prices aren't that great, and you can expect to wait in line for a stupid amount of time no matter what time you are there day or night. When Walmart opens in March I will be doing all my grocery shopping there. I've said it before, but if I'm going to wait in lines and fight through crowds, I might as well be getting a good deal! And unlike many people, I <3 those Capitalist Pigs at Walmart!
When we finally got home from our adventure, we were both so exhausted that we crashed on the bed and passed out for an hour, after which we were rudely awakened by one of Josh's guildmates asking if he was going to make it to the raid! WTF!
Oh oh oh - before I forget! GO SEE AN AMERICAN CAROL!! Greatest movie of all time! Plus, the liberals are trying to keep the movie from having a good opening weekend. Lastnight the husband and I along with 5 of our friends had a "dinner and a movie date" to go check this flick out. After hanging out at the restaurant for a few hours we walked across the street to the theater. We walked up to buy our tickets only to discover that the movie time of 8:25 was not listed! What the crap!??! We figured it was sold out, but I asked anyway. The guy tells me the movie is not sold out, and in fact there are 258 seats left to sell for that time. I mention to him that it isn't listed on the display above his head, which he seemed confused about. Ohwell - we buy our tickets and then run off to shop since the movie doesn't start for another hour. At 8 we walk back into the theater and towards screen 19 which is where our movie is playing. The marquee outside the theater door says that "How to Lose Friends" is playing at 8:10. WTF? We go in anyway and sit down. At 8:10 the movie starts. Now this is ridiculous. We go complain that the movie is starting 15 minutes early and finally all is settled. Meanwhile there is a crowd of people outside of the theater not wanting to go in because they don't want to walk into the wrong movie. *sigh*
It seems that AMC was doing everything in their power to make sure no one watched the 8:25 showing of An American Carol. Oh - and the trailers that were played before the movie started? You guessed it - every American Hating piece of crap movie coming out. Oliver Stone's "W", along with Bill Maher's "Religolous." Since when do they play trailers on other movies for a movie that is coming out THAT SAME DAY! I wonder if this was happening at AMC's across the country?
Alright - before this post gets ridiculously long, I want to say that the new Dragonforce album is pretty good! The first track is called "Heroes of Our Time" and it rocks my socks. I wonder if there are any other bands that fall into this genre known as "Glory Metal."
Check em' out!
Friday, October 3, 2008
Happy Third Trimester
Doctor then measured my stomach, and according to her I'm measuring a week ahead (or an inch ahead of what I should be measuring) and that the baby "feels" big to her. Oh brother.
The exciting news? On October 17th we have our 30 week ultrasound! I imagine that I will really get a good idea of what our baby is going to look like, which will be fun :) The not so exciting news? Stupid glucose test that I have to do before the next appointment in two weeks. Lameness.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Martha Stewart Madness
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
It's gonna be a good month, Tater...
By the end of this month, I will be more than 30 weeks pregnant. Holy schmoly! Every day Baby "G" is getting stronger and I'm feeling his kicks all day and night. The little dude is about 2.5 pounds now, so I can only imagine how this is going to feel when he gets to his full capacity.
Husband and I will be on vacation from October 13th through October 17th, so that is also extremely exciting! I can't wait to knock out the last of our projects to get the house "baby ready."
This month I'm going to try something new. I'm going to try and harness some of my creative abilities to embrace the fall season. First - props to Lula for her delicious looking Pumpkin Crisp recipe. I will be making this for the Husband for sure! I've also found a use for those coffee filters (haven't been drinking much coffee for, oh, I don't know... 7 months or so). I'm going to make bats!!! Don't ask me where I'm going to hang them up, lol.
And lastly, Halloween is on a FRIDAY this year! Hooray! Halloween is always much more awesome when the little ones (and their respective adults) do not have to go to school the next morning. I'm trying to con my pal Valerie into dragging her husband and children out to Maricopa for some dinner, trick-or-treating and of course handing out candy to the neighborhood kids. We'll see!
Happy October everyone!!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Burning Down The House...
(Youtube keeps having this video shut down... I hope it doesn't have to do with this fact that it places the blame of the current crisis completely on the shoulders of Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Chris Dodd and Barack Obama)
Monday, September 29, 2008
Happy 100th Post!
Random thoughts for a Monday morning:
1) Dole Ruby Red Grapefruit juice is not nearly as good as any other grapefruit juice I have had. Overly sweet and not grapefruity enough. Bummer.
2) The snowbirds are back. This means more traffic in the morning and more traffic in the afternoon, all behind extremely slow drivers that are in the left lane with blinkers on the entire length of the 347. Why are the snowbirds here already? It is 101 degrees on the second to last day of September. Surely there is more comfortable weather elsewhere.
3) On that note, not only is it 101 degrees here in Phoenix at the tail end of September, but there is already a Christmas display set up at the Fry's grocery store close to my office. WTF!?!? And then it occurs to me - only 87 days until Christmas! And only 47 days until 99.9 KEZ starts playing Christmas music 24/7 on the radio.
4) While we are on the countdown theme, only 12 weeks until my Maternity leave starts. Perhaps I should contact the maternity HR rep so I can get the ball rolling on that whole thing.
5) Husband felt the baby kick for the first time on Saturday night. The initial response was a look of shock and delight. Now I just think he is slightly weirded out that I have a 2.5 pound small being the size of an eggplant beating the crap out of me from the inside out. Only 13 more weeks, little guy!
6) Hello 3rd Trimester!
7) Why will I need every last second of the next 12 weeks to be ready to be gone for 6 weeks from work?
Monday, September 22, 2008
MBA in Accounting? or just plain' ole MBA?
For the last, oh, long time, I've been working towards my MBA at the University of Phoenix. I picked Accounting because I was somewhat interested in taking a role as a Risk Analyst for my company, and I also picked accounting because it was the longest program and I wanted to postpone my student loans forever and ever. Regardless of what direction I opted for, University of Phoenix has me complete all my "regular MBA" courses first. I assume this is in the event that I lose steam and want to drop out, I will be closer to graduation and decide to stick around anyway.
Anyway - as of tomorrow, I will be starting what could potentially be my last class at the University of Phoenix. In 6 weeks, I will have completed all the necessary coursework to graduate with my MBA. If I want to stamp the Accounting specialization on after that, I have to take 6 more courses.
Here is my dilemma... I am so done with so school. I have taken to procrastinating quite badly lately. All I want to do when I get home after work is sleep - I really don't want to get online and contribute to group work and online discussions about business. Oh, and finally, I'm not so convinced that I want to work as a risk analyst any longer. I'm kind of a people person, and at times I worry that our risk analysts spend too much time with numbers and not enough time getting to know the customer. Of course, that is what I'm there for - to work with the customer. Not to say that I wouldn't change my mind at some point and want to work in risk - but even if do change my mind, the MBA in Accounting isn't a requirement, I would still be qualified for the job without it.
IF I decide to just cut it short to a plain ole' MBA, my last class would end November 5th. With Baby G arriving at the very end of December, that would give me 7 solid weeks of nothing being able to relax through the holiday season after work before our first child is gobbling up my attention.
So - why do I feel guilty? I want to be done and finished, but I feel like I'm letting someone else down. Will my children look down on me later in life for not having the accounting title strapped to my degree? Will husband and I buckle under the financial stress of having my student loans come due again in January instead of May?
My potential last class starts tomorrow - I better make up my mind, and fast! (although I feel like I have already made up my mind to just make this class the last one...)
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On a side note, I start my new Flexible Work Arrangement (FWA) today. My company is awesome, and has rolled out a company wide initiative to allow for flexibility in scheduling. It has always been available, really, but they have officially rolled it out and training everyone on how to use the program. I was looking at doing 4x10's (four 10 hour work days with a 3 day weekend) but that would have been a bit much for me, and a bit of a strain on my team with one already out on maternity leave. For now my schedule is 9x9. I work nine 9 hour days, and then I have every other Friday off. My first "off" day will be October 3rd, along with the 17th and the 31st! Hooray for having Halloween off! Yay!