A Kick in The Ribs (32 wks)

Some little girly just found my ribs. Maybe it's the way I was sitting, but last night, watching TV, she was practicing her tap-dance on my rib cage. Ah, such a busy girl. As far as I can tell, she's head-down. Here's hoping she stays that way, right?

I'm getting less solid, restful sleep at night. It's a love/hate relationship. Why does sleep hate me? I know that when I was younger I didn't spend much time with it, but that was then, and this is now. I need it! Oh, Sleep, where is they blessing? Where is thy balm?

I have been successfully gaining my requisite pound-a-week, and hopefully the baby is gaining herself some poundage, too! I have increased in girth by an inch in the last 3 weeks, so maybe that's a good sign? I have an appointment with my OB this Thursday, so we'll know more about growth then. Eating is still a challenge for me. Pregnancy is no time to be pickier than ever before in your life, lemme tell ya! And since I want to stay healthy while I'm gaining the weight, I'm not indulging in multiple milk-shakes each day. Yes, some days I make one at night, right before bed, but it's not every day. Oh, there are times I say "Health, schmealth...bring on the danish(es)!!"...but those times don't happen very often. :o)

According to Babycenter, the baby should weigh between 3.5 and 4 pounds, and should be almost 17 inches long. Her new length is causing my uterus to be shoved even higher up into my rib-cage, which makes my lungs even more compact, which makes it even harder to breathe. I get winded going up one flight of stairs! I think part of my less-than-desirable sleep is due to this breathing difficulty. And there's hip pain. And the it's-5:00-and-time-to-dance-a-jig routine.

And my belly button still hasn't popped. I like to think that means she's not done cookin' :o) (think pop-up turkey timer). We've still got 8 weeks for her to marinate. And work on her yoga...or whatever it is that's keeping her so active. :o)

Well, here's my usual belly-button measurement -- 37" this week. Not bad, not bad.

And the not-so-telling shot from the side. I just look round. There doesn't seem to be much definition between belly-bump and regular-Melissa. It's probably the extra layers of warm clothing I was wearing. It was chilly when I woke up this morning. Like, I don't know, 55 degrees or something. I needed all those extra layers! (snigger, snigger)

And, the lying-down shot. I apologize for the ruffled clothing...again, I was trying to keep warm! I still think it's fascinating how different my belly looks standing versus lying down. Gravity is a marvel, no?

Other than that, there's not much new around here. We're hopefully going to paint the baby's room soon, and we (read: I) finally registered us at Babies-R-Us and Target.

Ho.Ly.COW! That's an exhausting ordeal or two! I'm so glad they have those gliders you can test-drive. Otherwise, I would have had to call for an emergency rescue or something!

Well, I think that's all I know. It's probably time for me to go guzzle a big jug of water. Again. And start thinking about what to make for dinner. Again. This eating is just a never-ending task!

So, have yourselves a great week!

Quirky Bird

Still Starving for Sunshine (poor girl!) has pointed her cyber finger at me to reveal to you some quirks about myself. I admit I'm quirky. I'm about to tell you 6 quirks you might probably didn't know about me. Hmm...what will pique your interest? Let's see here...

1. I like (or dislike) foods based mostly on their texture...and not so much the flavor. Which is a real challenge now being pregnant and having the most sensitive tastebuds on the planet.
2. I can't stand the sound of a ticking clock. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Drives me berzerkus!
3. I don't like reality TV. I did like Season 5 of Dancing With The Stars, and if you consider Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, but that's it.
4. I only like to wash my face in the shower - never at the sink. And the quirky part is that I don't like to wash my face at the sink because I don't like the feeling of water running down my arms.
5. I love the smell of good, clean dirt. Yes, dirt. Earth. Topsoil. There's just something fresh about good, clean dirt.
6. I am afraid of heights. Mostly if I can see through the floor. Like if it's mesh. Like at the Eiffel Tower. And I don't like walking up stairs that don't have the vertical part...I don't like to see through.

I know I have more quirks, but can't think of any. Here's one about one fat cat of mine...Alley likes corn -- on the cob. At first I thought it was just the butter, but she actually tries to bite the kernels off. Strange kitty.

I can't think of anyone to tag, though. (It's late. I'm tired.) If you want to play along and reveal things to us you never would have, then go for it! :o)

March Madness!

March Madness is on in full force here at our house! Yay for college sports!

There is much dribbling going on over on the TV, what with all the scoring and passing and free throws and such.

...and, lest I feel left out...

There is much dribbling going on over my belly, too, since I am no longer able to eat at the table, over my plate, scootched all the way up! It's good, though. I have snacks for later hiding in the folds of my shirt.

:o)

It's Really Real

I have been feeling very...I don't know...aware lately of the fact that I'm going to be a mom. There is a baby inside of me that is going to come out one way or 't'other. And SOON!! And I better get BUSY!!

We have the crib set up, and the dresser and mattress got delivered today. The nursery is coming together. But. But, but, but, but, but. There are craft supplies in the closet, and a big full-sized bed in the room, too. I want to paint the walls a lovely shade of green, and I need to repaint a shelf and a bookshelf. I know the baby isn't going to care if the walls are painted a lovely shade of green, or if they're made of lime Jell-O. And she's not going to care if her crib is all decked-out in soft-n-snuggly bedding, or if she's sleeping in a laundry basket...but I still want to be done before she gets here! (by the way, if you know of anyone in the southern California area that gets off on "sorting people out"...send her my way, because I feel I need some serious sorting!)

And we took a tour of the maternity floor at the hospital where I plan to give birth. The rooms are really nice. I had no real concept because the closest I have ever been to a birth-related hospital room was watching an episode of Friends when Rachel was giving birth to Emma! TV=Real. Not. However, a neighbor had recently given birth at this hospital, and recommended that we check it out, and I must say I'm pleased.

(most of you will probably be bored to tears with the following information, but it's all new to me, so I'm subjecting you to it, too!)

There are Labor-Delivery-Recovery (LDR) rooms, and their goal is that every mom-n-babe stay there the entire time. There are also post partum rooms if the hospital needs to open up an LDR room, but I'm hoping I get to start, endure, and finish in the LDR room. There's a pull-out couch for Dave, so I don't have to be alone. There's a bathroom and shower in each room, as well as a fridge, and a TV/VCR combo. (VCR. Hah!) The bed has the capability of going from simple incline-and-relax bed to knees-to-your-chin labor bed...complete with overhead spotlights for the doc and everything! :o) They said they give the baby to me for a little "imprinting" time (and hopefully feeding time!), and then the nurse will take her to a warming unit in the room where she'll get cleaned and weighed and have all the necessary tests. Then the nurse will bring the baby back to me, and swap the warming unit out for a bassinet...and leave us alone for some Family Time. I have heard that there is the vague possibility that we'll have web-access in the room, so we can upload pictures fairly quickly. (There's also a Starbucks down the street...so if the Room Access fails, I'll have to send Dave down to post pictures on his own. I need to get him learned up on blogs, eh?) What else? We also saw the other facilities that I don't want to see again (i.e., C-section room, NICU, etc)...but we know they are there. For the other babies, of course! And it sounds like the hospital is well-staffed, so each LDR nurse has a maximum of 2 moms. Hopefully we'll be there during a non-full-moon, so there won't be too many other folks taking up my nurse's time! :o) Ooh, I should start praying for my nurse now, shouldn't I? Yeah. Good idea. Thanks!

And, other than that, the girls over at Pinks & Blues are hosting "Blogger Baby Bump Watch 2008." It seems that lots of pregnant moms are about to be posting their bare-baby-bellies on their blogs...and even though I do it all the time, this time I might win something for doing it! :o) So I tried to take some good belly shots, and Gypsy wanted to play along. And while it isn't the best picture, and the towels should have been arranged just so before I took the shot, it's a sweet one, I think. I call it "Bump the Bump."

I promise, though, to post a picture THE DAY my belly button pops. :o) It's ooching outward every day.

My Life in Numbers

...for a creative change of scenery, I have provided for you, my life in numbers. All are true, though this was not as easy of a task as I thought it would be! And a peek at my original birth announcement. :o) Enjoy!

• 36 - Years today that I've been breathing my own oxygen.


• 35 - Number of non-babysitting, pays-actual-money jobs I have had since I was 14. (Yes, I've often worked 2 or 3 jobs at a time. Now? Nuttin.)


• 34 - Total number of pairs of shoes I own.


• 33 - Age when I got to be friends with my Girlie friends in England. (miss you!!)


• 32 - Number of Sharpies® I own (although there could be some I couldn't find)


• 31 - Number of flavors at my second-favorite ice cream place. (my grandpa's home-made vanilla is my all-time favorite)


• 30 - Weeks pregnant I'll be tomorrow.


• 29 - Number of wine glasses we own. (yet we rarely drink wine)


• 28 - Age when I resigned from teaching full-time.


• 27 - Age when I married Dave.


• 26 - Age when Dave proposed to me.


• 25 - Age when Dave and I went on our first "date". (umm...it was such a hit that it took almost a year for us to go on our second! Yeah.)


• 24 - Number of houses I've lived in/number of times I've moved. (I use the word "house" liberally, here)


• 23 - Age when I first ate at The Cheesecake Factory. (such a milestone!)


• 22 - Age when I bought my first new car.


• 21 - Number of DVDs that Dave and I own. (some movies, some TV shows)


• 20 - Number of purses/handbags that I own.


• 19 - Age when I met Dave. (took us a while to get to the first date, though)


• 18 - Age when I became a Christian. (although it took a few years to start to really live it out)


• 17 - Number of coats I own. (I love coats!) (Of course, only 1 fits me!)


• 16 - Number of guys I've been on at least one date with (not including Prom)

• 15 - Number of different cities I've lived in during my life.


• 14 - Number of different countries I have visited.


• 13 - Number of flip-flops I own. Love them flip-flops!


• 12 - Age of both my cats.


• 11 - Age when I met my best friend, Angela.


• 10 - Age when I started wearing contact lenses. Yes, my eyes are bad!


• 9 - Number of cars I've owned.


• 8 - Number of years I've been married.


• 7 - Pairs of jeans (regular and maternity) that I own.


• 6 - Age I learned to ride a bike without training wheels.


• 5 - Number of pillows on our bed.


• 4 - Number of dogs I've had as pets.


• 3 - Number of cats I've had as pets.


• 2 - Number of men who proposed marriage to me. (well, 3 if you count Joseph Farmer in 1st Grade. We were married inside the big huge tires in the playground. Robin White was our officiant. Scott Campbell was fiercely jealous and fought with Joseph after school. Ah, good times.)


• 1 - Number of those that God actually wanted me to marry. :o)

And there you have it! My life in numbers.

WFMW - Cable Labels

(hosted by Rocks In My Dryer)



So I've never been quite organized enough to do a Works For Me Wednesday post...but I've wanted to share a little trick with you for a while.


Between Dave and me, we have lots of little black (or white, or grey) cables running around homeless in our house. This one came with the radio, that one came with the phone charger (for a phone that broke 2 years ago), the other one is for the digital camera, etc. Do you have homeless cables, too?

I also know that when I've got my desk put together, I've got a black cable for the monitor, for the computer, for the scanner, for the speakers, for the printer, for the lamp, and so on. But if I ever have to unplug one of them, it's a might-bit tricky knowing the right one to unplug. I said to myself "Self, I sure wish these cables came with labels."

So a couple of years ago, I started to label the black cords with a white-out pen. That worked. Pretty well. For a few months. Then it seemed to wear off, and I was back where I started from.

Then, a few years ago, my good friends over at Sanford pens introduced Silver Sharpies. Woohoo! Not that I needed another Sharpie, mind you. I'm pretty sure I own more Sharpies than some small countries. But...this one has an additional feature that I love! It writes on black cables!

Now I write on the cable what it's purpose in life is! This has come in handy more than twice, lemme tell ya.

Try it! Give your nameless, and confused cables a label!

Happy "Works For Me Wednesday"!

Who's 29?

...the little wee baby making my belly grow, that's who! (My 29 came and went long ago!)

Anyways, I took some new photos this morning, and thought I'd share them with you.

In 2 weeks, my circumference at belly button is now 36", which is a nice, healthy growth of one inch.

I'm feeling much better now that I've been on the iron supplements for almost 2 weeks. I still take a nap every day, and I'm not so completely wiped-out anymore, but still I try to limit my activity so my energy can go to growing a healthy baby.

Here's the usual side shot, so you can see how much more I'm growing outward. :o)

Inspired by Megan, the "Gestating Giantess," I decided to see how gravity affects the uterus, so for this shot, I laid down on the bed. The bump is much more angular and lump-like, not as smooth, and flowy and graceful as the standing-up shot.
And because I'm scientifical, and all, I had to show you a comparison shot:

I think it's interesting how gravity affects the uterus, and the surrounding parts, I guess. Maybe it's just that gravity affects all non-baby parts, and the angular lump we see in the right-side shot is actually all baby while the round, flowy, graceful shot on the left is water and baby and flab and stuff. Hmm...oh, well. More things to ponder.

And, according to Babycenter, she's about the size of a butternut squash.

Hope you have a great week!

Photo Recap

...as promised, some photos from Dad and Jen's trip. I didn't get the photos from their camera (hint hint), but here are a few good story-tellers. :o)

Saturday

Whale Watching (left to right): Dave, Rob, Dad

The Seafood Mariachi's (Rob was hiding)

Sunday - we went to Redondo Beach, sorry, no photos yet

Monday - a day in LA/Beverly/Hollyweird

Dad and Jen on the Red Carpet!

(there was a movie premier that night, so the Red Carpet was out!

Tuesday - they ventured alone, no photos

Wednesday - we shopped, no need to take photos of that!

Thursday - they went home. :-(

Where Am I?

Hi,

Sorry no blogging - been kinda busy. Dad and (step-mom) Jen are in town.


Recap (no time for spell-check, please accept my apologies):

• Saturday: After a hearty breakfast, Dad+Dave+(brother) Rob (from Phoenix) went whale watching while Jen and I went to Target. They didn't see any whales, but when we went to pick them up, they were halfway through a plate of oysters and a pitcher of beer, so we stayed, and ended up getting a snack of deep-fried Huachinanga fish from the local fishmonger. (Google says it's a type of red snapper). Dad wanted our picture taken with the seafood mariachi band, then we went home and...um...I think maybe we ordered pizza for our official dinner, but I don't remember.
• Sunday: Dad+Jen+I sent Rob home, then stopped at a diner for lunch, then went to Redondo Beach for a stroll and to stick our noses in at all the kitchy shops. Then we came home for a nap before we had leftovers for dinner.
• Monday: We went back for another hearty breakfast, and then Dad+Jen+I went to a "promenade" type mall where all the snootchy stores (Sur la Table, Smith&Hawkin, Maxazaria) are outside, and we spent a little money there, then headed up the highway to Sunset Boulevard, drove a ways, turned left into Beverly Hills, gawked a bit at the houses that are so ginormous, then took another left onto Hollywood Blvd where we parked and strolled a bit more. I even have a red carpet photo for you...just not today...sorry. Then, for extra fun, we decided to head home at the peak of LA traffic! Woo woo! We made pretty good time, though, and Jen made pork tenderloin for dinner. (It was SO nice having someone else cook for us! SO nice.)
• Tuesday: Dad and Jen left me at home while they took the car and went 'sploring. They wanted to visit some of the historic district of San Pedro, and go to Long Beach Harbor. They enjoyed their touring around town, had a nice lunch, then got lost trying to get to Long Beach. :o) Eventually they made their way home, where we all quickly ate sandwiches, then went to the VA Hospital for a volunteer night of Bingo (it was Dave's unit's turn to host Bingo night, so we all went and had a fun time).
• Wednesday: that's now. We are going to venture to Babies 'R' Us, then maybe Tarjay Boutique, some lunch, get some See's Candies (which are yu-yu-yummy!), then stop at Trader Joe's for a little more 'sploring. Dad and Dave are going to build the baby's crib tonight, and then tomorrow, Dad and Jen have to go home...that is, unless Dave and I can figure out how to keep them here! :o)

I hope to post some pictures, but I wanted to get this out there -- maybe tomorrow afternoon I can post pictures of Sunset Blvd, Gruman's Theater, Seafood Mariachi's, and whatever else we find! :o)

Have a great day!