Kimba

Meet my dog, Goose

So..........we think the mutt has kennel cough. Which is great, apparently a pee-soaked bed wasn't enough. He didn't start coughing until the day Caleb returned from Utah, and we thought it was just because Bear was so excited to see him. Whenever Caleb is gone Bear spends the entire day on the rug in front of the front door, waiting. Every once in a while he'll get up and sniff the air coming through our mail slot (makes it a little difficult to keep it warm in the winter, doesn't it? Cold air seeping in...) hoping for a whiff of Caleb. Anyway, we came home from picking up Caleb at the airport and I let Bear out to greet his lover and he immediately launched into full hacking mode, completely unable to continue with his ritual of whining and licking and butt-wiggling. We laughed at him, like, look how funny, he's so excited he's making himself puke! Look at him puke into the bushes! Hahaha! What a freak!

And then he kept doing it, intermittently, for the next two days. Hacking, mostly unproductive (sometimes uh...productive...), and always with this insanely annoying honking sound. This morning I finally agreed it probably wasn't something caught in his throat, googled "kennel cough" and immediately decided that's what he's got. I even saw a video on YouTube, and yeah. That's it. (Don't you just love the credits? Like, "Starring Rex the dog and some dude's hand!" ) Most sites said if the dog is still acting normal you can just let it run its course, which is funny, because it also said that running, playing, and getting excited will increase the hacking, which pretty much means our dog goes from one hacking session to another. What?! It's food time?!?! Hey!!! Is it frisbee time?!?! MASTER!!!!! YOU'RE HOME AGAIN!!! AFTER BEING GONE FOR 8 WHOLE HOURS!!!! LOVE ME!!!!

It also doesn't help that it's over 100 degrees at the moment, as he spends a large part of the day panting while our little window air conditioner puffs it's little heart out trying to cool the place down. Right now I'm thankful for our wood floors. Much easier clean up than carpet.

So that's it. My dog is a goose. A furry, drooling, panting goose.

Baby Bump Wednesday: Week 14

We spent a large part of this last week in Utah visiting family and friends and enjoying our mothers for Mother's Day. I spent a large part of the day thinking about how next year I'll have an 8 mth old. I'll be a mom. Like, with a real live baby and stuff. Who eats and poops and cries and all that stuff. My family is excited of course, this will be the first grandchild on my side, which ohmigosh, my parents are going to be grandparents. And they don't even have grey (for the most part) hair. Maybe they will soon.

Speaking of grandparents, I had a fun little encounter with my grandma, my mother's mom. I went to pick up my mother who had been working in my grandma's yard, and the first thing my grandma told me was that my boobs are bigger. Then she went on to talk about how they grow, and your husband thinks that they are his "personal play things", and "I was always more sensual than your grandfather, but I didn't marry anyone else, did I?"

And what do you say to that? Hmmm.....yes.....well, yeah, I did have to buy a new bra last weekend...

She followed this talk up with a sigh and said, "I miss him. I miss him so much. It's just not fair." And what do you say to that? We all miss him, but of course not nearly as much as she does. It made me grateful for Caleb and for the father he will be. Grateful for everything he does for me.

Like fix me smoothies and buy me A&W Root Beer. And suffer through my pregnancy hormones.

Speaking of which, those are serious, those hormones. On Monday I decided to get "P.S. I Love You" at the RedBox after I picked up some groceries (more like an entire cart full) since Caleb was still in Utah, and what else would I do? Turns out the only thing I'd be doing that night was crying. It seemed like I was either in the middle of crying, wiping away the last tear, or starting with a fresh batch, the entire movie. I wish I was kidding. The blanket and pillow I was using were completely soaked. If something even remotely sad or touching or uncomfortable happens, all Caleb has to do it look at me, and I burst into tears. He's going to be so used to it by the end he won't even notice. Like every women out there cries when they forget to turn on the oven.

My baby is officially 4 inches long, which is bigger than Caleb's fist. We measured. Most sites said that I should start showing this week, and I think I might be, but I don't know, this Dreaded Bloat is still constant. Gas Baby or Real Baby, I've rediscovered and fallen in love again with gauchos. How great are these pants? I feel sort of guilty wearing them, they look dressy but I feel like I'm wearing pajamas all day long and I LOVE it. I think I'm going to have to add to my collection.

I have an announcement. I haven't woken up to pee in the middle of the night once this last week. Granted, I wake up in the morning and have to make a mad dash for the bathroom, but! A full nights sleep! Consequently I'm feeling much more rested and more energetic, which is good because I have a new Mother's Day present that just arrived today and I need to start using it. (Pictures to follow tomorrow...right Caleb? He's putting it together while we watch Ellen's Mother's Day Expectant Mother's show, and why was I not there? Free cribs and baby gear? And look at all these hot mama's! I think Caleb's secretly enjoying it...)

The rest of this week and weekend are supposed to be hot, like, 100's hot, and I'm already starting to understand how miserable this summer is going to be. I foresee lots of ice and cold foot baths, as my hands and feet are the first things to swell up, always have been. I also foresee our electric bill going up just a wee bit, I'm currently praising our white trash window air conditioner. We were already planning on moving it into our room so that we wouldn't freeze the baby, but I think it's going to be moved a bit earlier than planned. Like, tomorrow. Or how about right now? Right now sounds good...

That looks like a bit of a bump, doesn't it? Plus a bit of bloat...I hear that it doesn't last the entire pregnancy, and I'm patiently waiting for that to happen. Any day now.

Oh, also? What's up with the stuffy / runny nose thing? How come I was never informed of this before? I'm just now reading how common it is, and I constantly feel like I'm getting over a cold. I have to admit something: this is the first time I've ever blown my nose while Caleb was in earshot. Partially because I really don't get sick that often, but mostly because...I just can't do it. I've been forced to though, and I don't like it. Not one bit. I'd like to take it up with someone, I just don't know who. The inventor of Pregnancy?

Hmm. That may be a little difficult. I don't think he'd pay much attention.

A slight delay

Last night I flew home from Utah by myself, lucky Caleb got to stay a few extra days. My plane was supposed to leave at 9:20, but when all was said and done we didn't leave until well after midnight, putting me into Oakland at about 1:30 am. It was fantastic. By the time I'd picked up my luggage, waited for the shuttle to drive me to the "economy" (at $15 a day...) parking lot, waited for the attendant to come let me out, (apparently they don't man the stations at 2 in the morning...) and drove home, it was nearly 3:30. AM. Needless to say, I didn't go to work today, rather, I slept in until the very last possible second before Petsmart charged me another day to board the mutt. (Which is an entirely different story, I'll sum it up for you: urine-soaked bed and dog, bath for both of them, and I puked for the first time since I've been pregnant. The smell was that bad. Petsmart got an earful, I assure you.) Anyway, I would like to thank Anita Shreve for getting me through the delay and flight. I read the entire thing and had a few minutes to just start to doze before we touched down. Trusty old author.

And now I'm exhausted and will go to bed. Updates and pictures to follow, once Caleb returns tomorrow with the laptop. And all of our pictures. And stuff.

Not in Kansas anymore

Two things I've seen in the past 24 hours that made me question whether I was really in Utah:

-One little boy removing all his clothes on the side of a very busy street in Salt Lake

-One vulture feasting on the remains of a bird in the middle of the road in residential Bountiful

I love being home.

Baby Bump Wednesday: Week 13

Finally! I'm officially into my second trimester, which is exciting and frightening all at once. I can't believe how fast it's gone, and I can't believe I've only got 6 mths left. I haven't done a thing to prepare, and the weeks just keep ticking by. Like a train, rumbling toward us bringing one very large (yet tiny) package. I just hope we're ready when it arrives.

Looking at my weekly pregnancy guide thing, it says the baby should be about 3 inches and weigh a little over an ounce. Still pretty tiny, though I just measured three inches and that seems rather large to me. There's really something that size inside of me? Right now? The pregnancy calendar also mentions that "pregnancy amnesia" could start to kick in, and um, yup. It's here. Today for instance, we met up with Bridgette and Owen to pick up a few things at our favorite seasonal farmers market (which started today, finally) and I drove, which is rare. Caleb, as the male, believes he should be the one to drive and for the most part I let him. It's nice to sit back and relax. Anyway, we got out of the car and as we walked away I turned and asked him if he'd grabbed the keys. He hadn't, of course, Car Custom requires the driver to be responsible for the keys. The driver, in this case, being me. The keys were in the ignition, right where I'd left them. Never in my life have I ever done that. Who gets out of the car without their keys?! Later on I was measuring some fabric for a mother's day gift (I know, but trust me, I didn't go near a sewing machine. Pics to follow soon...) and had to re-measure about eight different times because I kept making one dumb mistake after another. Maybe all those headaches knocked something loose up there.

I went shopping over the weekend(while Caleb cleaned the house! I know! It's like every girl's fantasy) to try and get a few...loose tops. There are two certain objects that refuse to cooperate with 98% of the current clothing I own, and I'm getting pretty sick of wearing the same three shirts. My trip to the mall was a total bust, coming away with only a bra (SO needed...) and a Bella Band, which I totally love. Every pregnant women out there should get one, for reals. I became desperate and ran to Target the other day at lunch and actually found three shirts (out of the nine bazillion I tried on) that would work, and I bought all three. It was that serious.

(Terrible picture, I know, I forgot that taking the photo lengthwise produces giant pictures on Typepad and no one needs to see a life size photo of my stomach.)  (Also, please forgive my sleep lines...) It might not look like I need new clothes, but trust me, a few hours from taking this shot the Dreaded Baby Bloat rears it's ugly head and settles in for the rest of the day, leaving me feeling and looking like I've just downed an entire Family Size Value Meal from Kentucky Fried Chicken. And then requested seconds. Nevermind the fact that I've stopped eating my daily Dannon Activia to combat my issues (can't stomach it ever since I became pregnant). I'm just a walking time bomb, people. I could blow any minute!

Tomorrow we're hopping a plane to Utah for a crazy-filled whirlwind of a weekend. It seems like every time we fly home we end up running from one function to another. We've got Caleb's best friend's wedding and all that goes with it, a baby blessing, my sister calling from her mission (yeah!!) and Mother's Day. It's going to be exhausting, and I won't get to see everyone I want to, which is always the case, but know that if I don't see you, I wanted to, really I did. Reassure yourself with the fact that you didn't have to stare incredulously at my Gas Baby. You're better off, I swear.

Off to switch the laundry out, fold, and pack last minute items. And try not to disturb sleeping beauty and his mutt in the process...

Like a car wreck, you just can't look away

So I'm not one of those women who congregate on message boards. Some people do, and they enjoy it, talking to people who are going through the same thing they are and such. I get it. I just don't feel the same, or need that, I guess. Most of the time because you run into people who um, maybe aren't the smartest? The most with it? These are just a few questions I found (spelling left as is, of course...). Heaven help us.

*my stomach is round, good-sized and hard ont the outside, but still kinda squishy on the otside. And my belly button looks normal. why?

Because you're pregnant, duh. Wait, wait, your belly button looks normal? It hasn't morphed into a baby-viewing device? Nevermind then. You just ate too many burritos.

*I just read that it's not safe to use dish detergents, like Cascade, in the dishwasher when pregnant because some of the detergent will be left on the dishes after the cycle is done and phosphates are bad for the baby. Is this just silly?

Oh, totally true. The correct method of cleaning your dishes is to place them on the floor and call your dog over. We hear their mouths are cleaner than ours anyway.

*What will happen to my preganancy if i eat spicy foods?

Your baby will grow horns and a red tail and will subsist on Mexican food only. Shoulda steered clear of the cayenne...

*This may be a silly question to ask but I am a bit worried. I woke up this morning and a gland in my left armpit was swollen and sore. It still hurts but has gone down a little. Is this a common occurance when you are pregnant or could it be something else?

GASP! Your baby has moved to your armpit! Quick! Push it back down!

*I am soooo craving some popcorn shrimp and I have it sitting on the counter getting ready to fry in a few. But I thought I would get some other opinions before doing so. I havent broken any rules since i've found I'm pregnant... I'm almost 9 weeks. I don't smoke, don't drink, NO caffeine at all, no chocolate, no deli meats... Can I pleeeasssseee have some popcorn shrimp just this one time?? I mean it's going to be fried so obviously, the shrimp will be cookied and it's my first time having shrimp since bring preggo. Is it ok???

As long as it has the word "popcorn" in it, it's fine. Also, three cheers for not eating any chocolate, that evil, vile stuff is right up there with alcohol. I love that she has it sitting on her counter ready to eat, but ran to her computer to ask the pregnancy message board if it was okay. Like, screw the doctor, screw books, I'm going to the source! And one more thing, can we talk about how much I hate the word "preggo"? It makes me want to throw up a little.

*I am going to ask my doctor, but I was wondering if anyone out there could tell me if they know anything about energy drinks such as boost or ensure.
Are these safe to drink during pregnancy

Boost? Ensure? Perfectly normal for the very young and geriatric, but we can't have you drinking vitamins and minerals and stuff. In fact, cut back on all fruit and vegetables, those have a lot of good stuff too.

*Is it safe to drink regular coke while pregnant? Does it have to much sugar or caffeine? What sodas have no caffeine? Maybe the clear ones like sprite and ginger ale?
Also, is it ok to eat real fruit popsicles?

That's right, as long as the drink is clear, you're okay. We all know caffeine is brown. Vodka? Totally fine. Drink up! I love that she asked what sodas don't have caffeine, who doesn't know that? Can't she look it up? Isn't that what Google's for? I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but before I go asking someone a question I usually try and find the answer myself. Do my part. Try to not look like a fool. Also? I'm not even going to touch the "real fruit popsicles". I have no words for that.

*I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE APPEARANCE OF A BEATING UNDER YOUR NECK IS A SIGN OF THE BABIES HEARTBEAT.IS THIS TRUE?

No, that's a sign that you're alive. Your baby just so happens to be alllllll the way down there, chillin' with your bladder and stuff. Last I heard it's pretty much confined in your uterus, (might want to Google that, sweetie) and that mean old organ doesn't want to share.

*hi. i was just wondering what would happen if you were pregnant and you started taking birth control??

Time will turn back and poof! Baby's gone! Instant accident re-do. The government is keeping this information from us, in an attempt to increase the number of unwanted pregnancies. But! It leaked! Oops!

*Does ANYONE out there know about any risks involved in using hand sanitizers while pregnant?I have been using this periodicaly for my entire pregnancy which is 14 weeks, and it just now dawned on me that it might not be safe. The main ingrediant is ethyl alcohol.This may be a dumb question, but can that get absorbed into the blood and cause fetal alcohol syndrome or something else?

YES. Those little alcohol beads head straight to your baby and before you know it, baby's rollin' around TOTALLY WASTED, DUDE.

I think I'll just continue on, ya know? Skip the message boards. Go for a little doctors advice sprinkled with a little common sense and stuff. And hey, I might even indulge in some CHOCOLATE and FRUIT POPSICLES. I'm so bad...

Online Shopping

Finally. It came! My salvation! Bear's saving grace. (At least with this issue...)

First though, The Old Way of keeping the mutt off the couch.

We gather everything we can to fill the couch. Baskets. Magazine holder, tripod, video camera, weird little chest thing that Caleb brought into our marriage and we still have for some odd reason, my didgeridoo, remote, magazine, the handle to my Swiffer sweeper. I'm sure there's more in there, you just can't see it. We had to put this on every morning before we left for work, and any time we left the house afterward. It got to where I didn't want to take it all off, so I'd hole up in the bedroom. Clearly, something had to be done.

Behold.

The New Way. The Sofa Scram. "At the touch of a paw" it emits a loud noise, which sounds exactly like your smoke detector when the battery is low. I only wish I could have set up our video camera when we left that first day, we'd be a shoo-in for AFV. (Which just so happens to be our favorite evening past time, what better way to relax and unwind than groin shots and people falling down?)

I love technology.

Can't wait 'till I have my own...

I teach a class of 3 year olds at my church. 3 year olds, as you might know, say the darnedest things. Like the conversation that ensued today while in primary:

Cute little girl: (loudly exclaims) "When is your baby gonna come out?"

Me:(whispering, trying not to draw attention) "Not 'till November."

Cute little girl: (whispers) "Okay."

Sits still for three seconds.

Cute little girl turns, begins rubbing my stomach and then upwards...I grab her hands before we cause a scene.

Cute little girl: (grinning) "I like your boobs."

Me: (really whispering now, and trying not to laugh) "Okay, let's sit still, shall we?"

Like a school girl

On Monday night we got a call saying that our friend Josh, the one who had come with us to pick out Caleb's bike, had been hit by a car while riding his. After a few hours of little bits of information we heard that he was okay, all thanks to his helmet.

On Tuesday we picked up Caleb's bike. Then we went to visit Josh and bring him some nice soy ice cream from Trader Joe's. We got a look at his helmet, the one that protected his head from the windshield, and I immediately made Caleb vow he would never ride his bike without his helmet. That thing was cracked in several places and crusted with blood. So Caleb agreed.

His new bike, his new helmet, his new gloves, and you can't see it, but his new bike underwear-shorts thing with a gel butt pad. For cushy protection. Also, his mutt Bear with his new Halti, purchased solely for the purpose of keeping him under control while riding with his master and love of his life, Caleb. The Aussie's herding instincts are strong and it doesn't make for great bike riding, if you can imagine. (Just try, it's a funny image.) We're trying to curb that and it seems to be working, so long as Bear forgets he's wearing it. I came home from work and put it on him to get him used to it and then sent him outside. He immediately jammed his head into the grass and continued walking forward, head shoved into the ground. It was hilarious. I took him on a quick walk and he spent the first half tossing his head back and forth like a horse and trying to pry it off with his paws. Thankfully he got the hang of it (mostly) and Caleb was able to take him out. He's now crashed on his bed and I am LOVING it.

Best birthday present I've ever given Caleb.

Also? Caleb loves it too. You should have seen his face when we picked it up, he made me drop him off halfway home so he could ride it. He was grinning like a school girl.

Baby Bump Wednesday: Week 12

Last week of the first trimester, which is so odd. You mean I've been "technically" pregnant for three entire months?! Didn't I just pee on the stick? No? Crazy. At this rate I'll be having this baby in no time. Maybe I should start to think about cribs and strollers and bedding and furniture and the like. Not to mention decide if we're going to try and find another home to rent, and let me tell you, we're both REAL excited about that thought. It's not that we aren't enjoying this place, we are, I just can't picture my little baby playing on the hardwood floor, and this morning I lay awake wondering where in the world we were going to store all the diapers and clothes and all the other odds and ends that come with taking care of a child. Cause right now I have no idea, we're using both mini-closets and WHERE ARE THE ONESIES GOING TO GO?!??!??!

And this goes on and on until oh! huh, that's Caleb's alarm going off. Wonderful. I just lost two hours of sleep. Sweet.

I am officially entering the Headache Stage of pregnancy, and hoo boy are they somethin'. Nice deep, throbbing pain in the temples. My first clue that these headaches meant business was this weekend when I had one from Friday evening until Sunday morning. It was great. Sometimes I imagine a little gnome inside twisting some kind of mini vice and shrieking with glee. A walk used to be part of my after-work routine and now I'm back to lying in bed, both fists jammed into my temples and waiting for the Tylenol to kick in. Dreaming about Excedrin. Oh Excedrin, how I miss thee!

But! I think I'm officially down to one pee-run a night and while that might not mean anything to you, it means an extra two hours of sleep for me and duuuuuuude.  So nice.

So today I went to my FTS (First Trimester Screen) ultrasound, a genetic screening test.  Basically determining my chances for the baby to have either Down Syndrome or Trisomy 18. I told Caleb he didn't need to come because I wasn't exactly sure what to expect and it was in the middle of the day and....that was a mistake. It was awesome, I can't believe how fast they grow. It's starting to look like a real live baby, with a cute little nose and everything. It wasn't in the right spot for the test so the technician dude (yes, these are technical terms) practically beat my stomach like a bongo drum to get the baby to move. It worked, thank heavens, because I had to pee again (for like the bazillionth time today, somethin' about that Propel...) and had he continued we both would have been sorry.

People, my baby has lips! And they moved! And check out those nuchal folds down there, (white lines on the baby's neck area) those are some good lookin' folds. So far so good. I'll have another test around 18 weeks to double check.

According to some websites I should be starting to show now, even having people ask me how far along I am, and according to others I shouldn't be showing for another few weeks. So. I'm definitely not in either category, more in the woah-girl-lay-off-the-seconds-category. And put down that donut. (Except I hate donuts...so maybe put down that delicious chip) I'm slowly running out of shirts that fit, and the need for a new bra is high. I checked out the bra's at Target but was turned off by the huge, loose grandma bra's they had marked as "Maternity Bra's". Are they serious? Do they realize that women these days don't wear Mom Jeans anymore? Times have changed! We need support!

Ah, sleep lines. If only they meant I'd actually been sleeping, rather than worrying since 5 am.