Kimba

The one time he was right

Caleb wanted me to get all Martha on you - so here it is. We're havin' ourselves a boy! A real live man-child. A mini-Caleb. One that hopefully doesn't come equipped with Caleb's fur-disease.

 

This was our favorite part, where she inserted a little arrow pointing to his mini man parts. And while humorous, I'm glad. I can't read these ultrasound pictures, not unless I'm there and the tech is pointing them out to me. For all I know that's his arm, or insides, or nose.

That, dear internet, is one lovely spine. He was chillin' on his head when we first started the ultrasound, and she had to pummel my stomach to get him to move.

This is a tough one. Just think Van Gough's Scream. Or, Alien Baby. The tech pointed this shot out to us, and we all paused, silent, looking at it, and she said, "Don't worry, they get much better."

We're so excited. Caleb didn't say much during the ultrasound, but after it was over he just kept talking about how great it was that he was right. I say it's because this is the only time he's been right. He loves this explanation. Now I just need to figure out what I'm going to do with a boy, me, the oldest of four girls. I was talking to my grandma today on MSN Instant Messenger (that's right, my grandma's totally tech savvy. Hi Grandma!) and she told me to definitely send my dad The Deciding Shot of the ultrasound. "(He) needs to see that."

But seriously, a boy. I've been trying to picture myself with a little boy and it is so strange! For some reason I can picture what a little girl would look like, a combination of my sisters and I, a little of Cabe's features, but a boy? I haven't a clue. But I'm excited to find out.

Just stating the facts

You know it's bad when you're driving to Costco for $4.00 gas. Along with nine million other San Joseans (that's what they call us here, doesn't that sound lame? They might as well just come out and say San Josers. You know it's what everyone is thinking), we're lining up like cattle at the cheapest gas station we can find, hoping the pump doesn't run out. Please don't run out, please don't run out, no...noo!! Can't they see the line at the next pump is twice as long?

The gas station closest to me reads $4.29 at the moment. A dollar more and you can guy a six-inch Subway sandwich, baked chips and Diet Coke included. I've long ago quit looking at the pump after I've filled up, there's no use. However, I can't get away from it when I'm checking our expenses online, and suddenly I'm yelling across the house (not that you have to yell, raising your voice above a whisper will do), asking Caleb what this near $70 charge in Hayward is for. Oh right, gas. A week and a half's worth of gas. If we're lucky.

Prius' are starting to look really good, despite the fact that they're a dime a dozen around here. Here in California, people are very conscious of their uh, what is it...carbon foot print. Or whatever. Today I was at the grocery store picking up a few things and the woman in front of me rang up her groceries at over $150 (doesn't get you as much as you'd think at Safeway) and put them all in cloth bags. I stood there as she and the checker were talking about the fact that soon California wouldn't be using plastic bags at all, and that they'd be charging for paper bags, encouraging everyone to switch to cloth. Not only would you not have to pay for the paper bags, but they give you a discount for using your cloth ones. The woman left, her entire cart full, and the checker, seeing my lack of socially approved cloth bags, quickly changed her tone. "Well," she said, "I still have a few plastic bags left, it's so hard to remember to bring your cloth ones...". Right. About those. Psst! Shhh....I haven't got any.

So I walked out with my four plastic bags, to my gas-guzzling car, feeling like all eyes were on me. I hate to admit it, but I sort of felt a little defiant. The best observation I've heard about not having any plastic bags anymore? There's going to be a lot more dog poop around the city.

Baby Bump Wednesday: Week 16

This is The Week, when we (hopefully) find out what we're having. As in, two days from now I will (hopefully) be able to narrow down all baby names, nursery decorations, clothing options, etc. etc. etc by half. That's what I'm telling myself at least, the reason I haven't purchased a single thing yet, nor really thought about it, until suddenly I'm hit with this holy-crap-I'm pregnant-and-I'm-going-to-have-a-real-live-baby-soon ton of bricks. And people, babies need a lot of crap. I was reading a fellow baby-cooker's blog recently and she was saying her Mother's Day present was to go to Babies-R-Us and purchase things. Like onesies and burp cloths. And I was like...oh yeah. I need those too. Huh. Anyway. Where are my keys again? What was I doing in this room? So anyway, this is (hopefully) it. I keep reminding Caleb that this IS early, and it's highly possible that they might not be able to tell for sure, or our baby might be a coy, shy little thing and decide he / she doesn't feel like having it's no-no area on TV. He's not listening though, and we're hoping for the best. The best being one gender or the other. Preferably.

I'm a little confused, because half the websites I read said the baby is around 4.5 inches, and the other half said 6. I'm going to go with the earlier, since an entire two inches in one week seems a bit extreme. Baby is officially developing it's fingerprints, hopefully never to be needed other than the obligatory "booking" at birth. The biggest development is the possibility that I could feel the baby move this week on out. Quickening, little bubbles popping, fluttering, butterflies,whatever it is, I don't think I've felt anything yet, though they say it's harder to recognize for first-time mothers. So we'll see. It's so strange to think about a little baby swimming around in there, despite the fact that I believe I have an official bump. The bloat is still here, yeehaw, but the bump is for real. I'm loving my Bella Band more and more, (totally mentioned this like, ten times, but seriously...) since the number of pants I own that I'm able to zip and button have dwindled to like...maybe one pair that was larger to begin with anyway. Thanks Mom, for them Costco capris. They're finally commin' in handy. This is also the cut off week for sleeping on your back, as your uterus is large enough that it can cut off blood flow to the uterus. Just another thing to add to the Items to Stress Over list. Like, what if I end up on my back when I sleep?! WHAT THEN?! Also, I love sleeping on my back. My side it is though, and stomach for as long as I can handle it. Time to start looking for some kind of body pillow.

Still experiencing: back pain and stuffy nose. Sweet. I am so hot.

One thing I'm grateful for is the return of my energy. For the most part I feel normal, like, pre-pregnancy normal, and it's been awesome to be able to use the treadmill. And still have the energy to keep up with my daily cleaning of the house, making dinner, and other random chores, instead of collapsing into a heap of bones in my bed, wondering when exactly would be an allowable time to turn in for the night. 

So...Friday. Any guesses? Caleb is still sure it's a boy. I haven't a clue.

His shiny new pet

(First, before I get into anything else, can I just say how much I am not loving Typepad's new compose features? It's screwing up all the formatting and driving me insane. That is all.)

Caleb acquired a new project today. I first heard wind of it on Saturday and by Monday night he'd agreed to purchase it.

He is so excited. Walking on air. Giddy as a school girl. Tickled pink. Or, purple in this case. I'm sorry Cabe, but it IS purple. It's a 1976 BMW 2002. And yes, I had to ask Caleb to tell you that. It runs, the inside needs work (his project), and it was cheap. Less than our camera. A little more than his bike. He immediately went to work washing it and came in even more excited than when he'd gone out, shocked at how many people had stopped to ask about it (partially because the For Sale sign was still posted in the back...) and how many people had stopped to admire it. Our neighbor was shocked that he'd bought it for so cheap, telling him he just had "no idea" how much he could sell it for right now, as is. And if that's true, then I'd say we made a fantastic investment. However.

I foresee a lot of this in the near future:

And a little of this:

He did this the entire time, only giving up after three hours to mope on the rug in front of the tv, occasionally glancing up at me with these woeful eyes, like, "could you please pull him away from that thing? I'm feeling a little replaced...".

I'm thinking I'm going to be getting a lot of reading done this summer. And dealing with a lot more moping from the mutt.

Grateful for the freedom to sleep in

Our Memorial Day started out pretty crappy. Literally.

The mutt woke us up at his usual unholy hour of 6:30 to be let out. We have a little system down, Caleb gets up and lets him out and I run into the bathroom to use it before Caleb can. This morning however, Caleb shut the door and went back into the bathroom. I thought this was odd, since we'd stayed up late and couldn't imagine why he wouldn't be running back to bed. I got up to see what the deal was and found him kneeling on the bathroom floor in two inches of water. Two inches of toilet bowl water. Dirty, nasty, toilet bowl water. The previous night it had been clogged due to an altercation with Caleb, who was supposed to fix it before we went to bed, but didn't. For some reason our toilet runs for 5 seconds every 10 minutes, and I can't figure out why it does this, I've never heard of another toilet doing it, and don't know what the purpose is, or how to fix it. Anyway, this 5 second running added up all night long until we had two inches of nasty toilet water all over the bathroom. Thank heavens the floor is uneven and our wood floors escaped this tragedy. Anyway, we had to mop it all up, dry the floor, and then re-mop with cleaner. And by we I mean Caleb, who wouldn't let me participate other than to grab rags and such, and I didn't argue. I'm sort of a germaphob, and this sort of thing really gets to me. I made Caleb wash his legs after it was all cleaned up and then washed my own, just for good measure. Once cleaned up we collapsed into bed ready to fall back asleep.

A few minutes pass, and I start to get really comfy. Then we hear the garbage truck, the one that is supposed to come empty our garbage cans, the same garbage cans that were still in the back of our house. Caleb, ignoring my suggestion to put them out the night before, insisted they wouldn't be picking up this morning, would be by Tuesday instead. Despite the fact that every single person on our street had put their cans out. Caleb groaned, rolled out of bed again and muttered, "I hate being the husband...".

When he gets back inside we settle in and 10 minutes later his cell phone alarm goes off, once again jarring me from sleep land. He laughed and said, "Happy Memorial Day!", and we settled back in, for the third time, to sleep until well after 10.

All I have to say is thank heavens for grilled artichokes and Haagen-Dazs ice cream bars. Hope your Memorial Day started out better than ours, and ended as fabulous as ours.

A shameless plug

Just saw this movie two nights ago. Fantastic. A little hard to watch sometimes, but absolutely amazing. If you don't know the premise to the movie, it's about a rather famous French man who suffers a massive, rare stroke. He ends up writing a book by blinking his eyes. The book is on it's way (bless Amazon!) and I can't wait to read it. It will be such a privilege.

Twins

Did I freak out you a bit with that title? Sorry, just one bun in my oven. I promise.

It has been said that everyone has a twin living somewhere in the world. What, you don't believe me? Google "everyone has a twin", you'll be surprised how many articles pop up on just this topic. (Check out this article!) It's a strange concept, though I guess it does seem plausible that some people could find someone out there that resembles them. There are, what, a gazillion people out there? I'm not the type of person to entertain this kind of thing, I don't believe in the Loch Ness Monster, aliens, or that spiders have a place in our homes.

But.

I sort of found my twin once.

I was sitting in the audience with my best friend and her family supporting her brother's friend who was in the high school play. We must have been in elementary school, or possibly early junior high. I don't remember what the play was about, I don't remember anything about it actually, because this girl walked on stage and I literally couldn't see anything but her. Me. Her-Me. It was like a dream, or some movie, showing me what I was going to look like when I was older. I remember leaning over to my friend to tell her about it, but she was already up to speed. As was her entire family. It was uncanny! It was me! That was me! I only saw her once after that, several years later exiting an improv performance that I had also attended. I've never met her. I don't even know her name, except that her last might be Cole. I just know she's out there and it was strange. I wonder if we still look similar today.

This would have all been strange, and possibly a little flukey...

But.

It happened again.

We were in Oregon at Mark and Bridgette's house meeting one of her good friends, MTB(her name has been changed, because she is innocent! Right M?) who had flown in for the weekend. When Abby and I saw her we nearly died. She looked almost exactly like one of our good friends, Corey. We couldn't believe it, couldn't get over it all weekend. She even had many of her mannerisms, and I swear to you, their hands are the same. As strange as this was it seemed so familiar, and we all quickly became very close. Not a day or so later I was spilling all sorts of deep, dark, secrets from my past. Whether she wanted to know or not. (Sorry M!)

What do you think? Have you found your twin?

Baby Bump Wednesday: Week 15

Week 15! Meaning, one more week until we find out what we're having. Well, a week and a few days, we find out the 30th. It's crazy, most people I know have found out at 20 weeks and I've sort of been freaking myself out, like, can they really be certain this early? What if they tell me one thing, and then it ends up being another? Could I totally switch gears like that? Not that I'd have a choice, right? I just like to be prepared, that's all. Again though, I think it's going to help it all feel a little more real. Like, this little thing that is supposedly growing inside me is suddenly going to be someone instead of this obscure fetus baby. The reason I'm peeing every three minutes and now completely unable to button 90% of my pants.

Apparently the baby is about the size of an apple or beefsteak tomato (though I confess I have no idea what a beefsteak tomato is...). It's arms and legs are growing and some sites even said I could start to feel it this week or next. There's a thin fine hair covering it's body called lanugo that they say goes away before birth. Just a little reassurance that your baby won't come out looking like a little gorilla, right? Which is good news in our case, I believe I've mentioned Caleb's leg hairs before, completely impenetrable to mosquitoes. What a relief to know I won't be shaving our newborn's legs.

Let's see, new symptoms? Backache, literally started last Wednesday or Thursday, and I totally wasn't expecting that so soon. I understand why women get them later in pregnancy, but now? At first I thought maybe I'd pulled something somehow, (can you pull something when you're not doing anything but walking on a treadmill?) but an entire week later and it's still here, a burning pain on one side. Uncomfortable in almost any sitting position, which is great, because that's about all I do all day at work, sit.

I think I'm showing now. I think there's a little less bloat (finally) and a little more baby. Which is exciting and strange all at once. I have to try and change my whole way of thinking. I'm still working out (have I talked about my Mother's Day present yet? No? A treadmill! I'll show you soon!) yet I'm getting bigger. Eating the same (strangely) and getting bigger. And it's...okay! Good! Supposed to happen! And be happy about it dang it!!

How exactly do you change years and years and years of ingrained thinking? Not overnight, I'll tell ya that.

The topic of lifting has come up a lot lately at work and at home, and I've been asking a few other pregnant women what the deal is. When you shouldn't, what the limit is, and no one can tell me. I finally googled it today and found...no clear answer. Some sites said to use "common sense", some said 50 lbs, some said whatever, as long as you lift correctly. What am I supposed to do with this crap? As soon as I told my coworkers I was pregnant, way back when I was 5 weeks along (early, I know, but how long can you be "sick" before people start to get suspicious?) and they wouldn't even let me lift a pair of skis. Sometimes it's nice (oh, too bad, you'll have to take out the trash, honey...) and other times it's annoying (no, really, I can carry my own purse, thanks). My decision? Eh. Whatever. Common sense, right? I have it, so long as I don't start asking Caleb if I can have real fruit popsicles and asking some message board if it's okay if I eat the popcorn shrimp I have sitting out on my counter, waiting to be cooked.

(I cannot tell you what the thought of shrimp is doing to my stomach right now. Ugh.)

Again with the sleep lines. I was completely OUT three minutes before taking this shot. Might have to do with the fact that we haven't been to bed before 11:30 this week and it's getting to me. I need a nice long weekend to relax, and I am so looking forward to it.

Yes, this is all there is

 



















Like my new rug? That's not my new floor, I wish, but the light in our front room is low at the moment (it's high time I bite the bullet and get a stupid console table to house the fabulous lamp I bought two months ago, I KNOW, ALRIGHT ALREADY) and I couldn't wait to post it until later. This rug? Looks fabulous in front of our door, and the best part? $28. Thank you, Urban Outfitters. You were right outside the restaurant we ate at this evening, and isn't that just how it is with you? Always there when I need you.

(Can I tell you that we saw a grown man in full swab-the-deck attire at the restaurant? Not with a sailing group, not a joke. This was his serious date dress. And it was odd.)

Do you know who is also always there for me? Until today? Target. I made a quick run during my lunch break today to grab some S.O.S. cleaning pads among a few other necessities (organic peanut butter and whole wheat bread) and a few non-necessities (chocolate Skittles? I had to try them and all I have to say is they shouldn't mess with a good thing. Brownie Batter? Blugh.), but S.O.S pads were no where to be found. Who doesn't carry S.O.S. pads?! Also, am I the only one who didn't know what the acronym stood for? Soap On Steel?  And another thing, ever since my best friend and I began cleaning her grandma's house when we were but wee little girls, we have always called them SOS pads, as in "Sauce Pads". I still call them that, and then end up having to correct myself in front of everyone. Note to self: do not pass on odd nicknames to your children: it's cheesy.

I swear I had something a little more substantial to write about than S.O.S. pads and new rugs. I did, I promise, but then I forgot. I sat here idly clicking through Facebook and my email and who knows what else, trying to remember what it was I was going to expound on tonight. Such is pregnancy. Next time I'll try to have the piece of mind to write it down. Note to self: start carrying a separate "pregnancy reminders" notebook...

Something to look forward to

This is my favorite time of year, when barbecues are the norm and you can spend lazy afternoons relaxing with a cold drink and a magazine or two. That's how we spent the weekend, several barbecues and lounging.

It got me thinking about our plans for this weekend, or rather, our lack of, and I've been trying to come up with something fabulous. Anyone have any great Memorial Day plans or ideas? Either way, they should include a great barbecue, right? I've found a few recipes I'm thinking of using.

An herbed potato salad from Martha Stewart, a fabulous ginger lime syrup over fruit (I've made this several times and WOW. My favorite way to serve fresh fruit! Seriously, you must try this!), and how great does this brisket sound? I've never made brisket before, but it's never too late to start, right? And who doesn't like a fresh strawberry tart? Though I don't know if I could stick with just strawberries, I think if you added some raspberries and blueberries in there no one would argue.

So again, what are you doing this weekend? Any fun Memorial Day traditions? Any great recipes I've missed?

Involved

Bridgette and I are sitting at the table looking through magazines while Caleb and Mark's colleague are playing Rock Band. I overhear Caleb telling him, regarding one of the guitars neither of them are using, "Yeah, it's a difficult one to use, but I want to practice with it and get better. I really respect it."

Said in all seriousness. For real.

And that's when you know it's time to take a little break. Regroup. Leave the Rock Band world for a bit.

(Addendum: Caleb mentioned that there might be a few people out there not living a fulfilled life, and wouldn't  know what Rock Band is. I'm sorry for you. Here's a link, in case you'd like to be fulfilled...)

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.