I was reading some things on MSNBC.com, and figured I'd grab a few snippets for later reflection.

Industry signals Bush to do more on warming
10 companies join activist groups in calling for caps on
carbon emissions

Major corporations and environmental groups on Friday announced what they
called an "unprecedented alliance" to push for quicker action against global
warming — urging lawmakers to pass mandatory curbs on carbon emissions, in
contrast to President Bush's voluntary approach.

In a statement, the 10 U.S.-based companies and four environmental groups called for mandatory reductions of greenhouse gas emissions, including those from power plants, transportation and buildings.

"There must be a reasoned and serious debate about the solutions," the group stated. "But debate cannot substitute for action. We hope that the consensus we have reached through our unique partnership provides further impetus toward the creation of sensible and effective policies to address global climate change."

Kyoto's results:
Rich nations' emissions were 3.3 percent below 1990 levels in 2004, mainly
due to a collapse of Soviet-era industries. Emissions are now rising in many
countries. In the United States, which is outside Kyoto, emissions were up 16
percent from 1990.

I'll tell ya. Our next president better damn well have an iron fist on our ecology. Wars and religious factions will come and go. That's just human nature. We forget our history and repeat ourselves all the time. But our environment is a one-shot-deal. If we mess it up - there's no second chance. Sure, we can colonize some other planet in biodomes or rely on a Star Trekkish 'artificial life support system' to survive on our own planet, or make an artificial ozone like in Highlander 2 - but that's not solving the problem.

Boten Anna (take 2)

My previous entry seemed to stop playing. Maybe it was my computer (that needs an overhaul *read: replacement*), or maybe it's something else. In any case, I still love this video, so pth.



OK - I'm convinced it's just my computer. Quick, someone get me a sledgehammer, and a tub of water. I'm gonna go gangsta on this compu-tator.

Google to Take Over Universe

No, really. They aren't happy enough with the U.S., with the World, with the Moon and Mars. No siree. It's sights are now on the whole universe. Look out Janeway, Kirk, and Picard, your territories are about to be invaded and your jobs are about to be downsized due to the supersearch gurus taking over.

What am I rambling on about? How can Google take over the universe? I asked the same thing. And I bet d.b. echo didn't even know this yet (but I'm sure it will be on his blog soon).

According to the A.P.:
"Google has already planted its flag on Earth, the Moon and Mars. The universe could be next. The Internet search company has struck a partnership with scientists building a huge sky-scanning telescope, with hopes of helping the public access digital footage of asteroids, supernovas and distant galaxies...

The 8.4-meter LSST is expected to begin surveying the sky in 2013, from a mountaintop in Chile. Its goal is to continuously scan space, taking a series of 15-second exposures that allow it to cover the sky every three nights.

Officials say the telescope will open "a movie-like window" on nearby asteroids and far-off exploding stars, and help explore the mysterious "dark energy" believed to fuel the universe's expansion.

Google's stature should also bring the project more attention, which could be crucial as the $350 million telescope competes for public and private money."

I figure with Google's new addition, personal telescope sales will drop considerably. Why look out your window when you can look at your computer?

All Dumb No More

I are sad. A while back, Alldumb.com sold their dumb souls to CollegeHumor, and nothing from Alldumb.com ported over. So now, if I want to see my old favorite vids, I have to go to GooTube. So all my old links on past posts... they are dead now. Poor me.

Site Meter

Much to d.b. echo's delight, I've finally added SiteMeter to the site. It's not bad. I may think about supplementing my own website with this, even though it has it's own very good traffic tracker program built into it.

Long Awaited Update

Well, I bet you're all dying to hear what's been happening since the bundle of joy came bouncing into our world. Well, my story is completely outside the timeline, but maybe I'll come back and streamline it all. Until then, you'll have to deal with my stream of conciousness.

Savannah will be 7 weeks old this Saturday (for all you non-pregger people, that's about a month and a half). It's strange, pregnancies are measured in weeks, not months, and it's amazing how different the timetables get when you do it that way. Unfortunately, once you start converting everything to weeks, you forget to stop. I promise, I'll try not to do the whole... 184 weeks bit. I will go to normal people's time soon. :)

This little girl is awesome. Of course, I'm biased... but if I weren't, I would say the same. She is very quiet. There are few things that upset her. Cold, hunger, gas, and laying on her back. She is impervious to noise, but she is certainly not deaf. She simply doesn't care. Her grandma was holding her about 4 feet from an electric saw cutting through wood and nails, and she remained completely passed out - and she was only a week old! The phone ringing, or the smell of dinner, will occasionally wake her.

Mikey, the oldest cat, gets very concerned when she cries. He comes up and sometimes meows at her to make sure she's OK. I have to pet Mikey to soothe him, while taking care of Savannah at the same time.

I've learned to juggle her and working from home. I've about got the one-handed-feeding skill down. Actually, it's more like a feat. :)

She doesn't cry just to cry. When she cries, something is wrong. She's never been collicy, she's never puked (yet.... I know that will change with the introduction to solid foods), she doesn't spit up, she doesn't need to be entertained or stimulated to eat, sleep, or anything like that. Just holding her is good enough for her.

She's not a huge fan of pacifiers, but she'll use them from time to time. She's already into the 1-month diapers. No more newborns for you little girl. You ate too much to fit in them anymore. ;)

She lost her embilical stump after about 2 weeks. Her poor father picked her up, and felt something crunch. It scared him to death. He looked, and saw it dangling by a thread of skin. He felt so bad, that he had injured her or something. But it hung there, like a loose tooth. We were strangely fascinated by it, and we stared at it for a few minutes... poking at it, seeing if it would come all the way off if we touched it again. When we were certain it was still fairly well attached, her daddy picked her up again, and the rest came flying off her belly. It was probably very comical from a third person's point of view. He kept appologizing to his daughter - who was more upset by being partially unclothed and on her back while we inspected the 'wound' than actually losing it. I was actually relieved when it fell off. It was one less obstical when changing her diaper!

Her room is coming along. My mother bought her a bedding set - a nice light sage green with ladybugs and black & white check accents. Now all we need is a mattess to put it on. But she's not sleeping in her crib yet.

She slept with us in a co-sleeper between us in bed until this week. We brought up her converta-crib (it's a playpen that has an attachement that turns it into something of a crib) and it's next to the bed now. So she's still not far from me, and she's still in the co-sleeper, it's just in the porta-crib now, to keep her from rolling around too much. When we feel more comfortable, we'll work her way into her room.

She sleeps pretty well. I usually only get up about once... Maybe twice a night. She doesn't like baths much. It gets cold getting out. I don't blame her. I was the same way.

Her favorite game is pulling dad's chest hairs. I think it's her personal goal to make him cry. She grabs a nice handful, then throws her body weight in the opposite direction. He's been very good not to scream. >:) Wicked little child. (Yup. she's definately our spawn!!) lol

She doesn't like to breastfeed, much to my displeasure. I'm stuck giving her formula, because the hospital ruined it for me there. As soon as she was born, her blood sugar was 'too low' so they stuck a bottle in her mouth right off the bat to get her levels up again. Sure, it worked... and her levels stayed good, but now she refuses anything else but plastic.

Our holidays were pretty uneventful. We took some candid Christmas pictures of her, and that was about it. New Year's, we took her outside to watch the neighbor's fireworks. She stared at the sky, but wasn't bothered by the noise at all.

She's growing too fast! When she was born, her 4 fingers would wrap around my index finger and from the tip of my finger, the width of her 4 fingers would only reach my first knuckle. Now they already reach the second joint. too fast. I couldn't wait for her to be out of my belly - but then I wanted to freeze time after that. No more growing!! lol.

A big part of me would love to be a stay-at-home mom. If I could afford not working, I think I would quit in an instant. That's not to say I don't love my job. The people I work with are awesome, and my bosses are super-cool. But... with the way things are in this day and age, I don't want anything to happen that I can't take care of instantly. As it is, I give her divided attention most of the day. I feed her, but focus on the computer. I don't like that idea much, but there's little I can do about it at the moment.

When she was born, she had a bout with some eye infections. Her tear ducts weren't developed yet, so her eyes would ooze a bright yellow goop. A little bit of erythromycin and a few weeks solved that.

Savannah was also born with jaundice. It was pretty bad. They stuck her under the lights twice to try to cure it. The first time, her bilirubin levels went down, so they pulled her out. But, she rebounded just as I was being discharged. That left me free to go - and her trapped in the hospital - under the lights, working on her tan (not literally tanning - but it certainly looked like a mini tanning booth).

This was probably the worst time. I was far away from home (Galveston island is a long drive on a good day), no phone, no supplies (my hubby somehow managed to leave without getting my the suitcase I had packed and the cellphone he did bring me died in no time), and no vehicle. So the hospital put me up in the local Ronald McDonald House a block away. $10 a night plus daily chores and I got free shuttle rides to the hospital any time I wanted them, free food, free clothes, toys, use of video games, you name it. Sadly though, everything about the House was kiddified, which only made me think more about the daughter I couldn't bring home. I lasted a day there, and that night I had gone through half a box of Kleenex (post partum hormone drop didn't help things). So I called my husband and told him I couldn't take it anymore and needed to come home to get my mind off it. My parents were driving in that night, so they came with my husband and picked me up. The next morning, I called the hospital, and they said Savannah was free to go. Her bilirubin levels had dropped enough.

If there was one fantasy I had about having a kid, it was being wheeled to the curb with her, as her dad came and picked us up... but that didn't happen.

As for the delivery itself, it HURT LIKE A SUNNABITCH!! My little mantra of "It has a time limit..." was the only thought I had.

I used very little pain meds. I asked for a half dose of their lightest stuff to take the edge off. Mostly because the night before her delivery, I had a bad (unexplained) fever with violent shakes and it drained all my energy. I needed any kind of relief I could get. The staff kept asking if I wanted an epidural, and I was adament against it. I was in a lot of pain, but I didn't want that. The pushing was the worst. The contractions were OK in the beginning, and very tough in the end. They gave me pitocin because of the fever, despite she was coming along at her own pace quite well. (I was 4cm dialated and 80% effaced by the time I got there). But because I had a fever, they wanted her out of there faster.... and let me tell you... no one ever tells you how much it hurts having them determine "how far along" you are. That was worse than the contractions!

They gave me only one stitch, and without anything to numb it. Yup. 1 stitch. (She said... "I can stick you 4 times and stitch you, or I can poke you another 3 times for the anesthesia, which will hurt more than 4." No brainer there. After all that... what was four little sticks?) They didn't cut me. I didn't want to be, and my husband made sure they knew that. Which was good, because I the light sedative they gave me had me passed out between contractions, so I wasn't aware of my surroundings. But at every contraction, I had a deathgrip on the siderail of the bed. Hey...better than breaking my husband's hand. lol Instead of being cut though, I did ask for a hot compress - and that made ALL the difference! Of course, the midwife laughed at me and made a comment that "someone's done some reading!" Damn right I did... and I was glad for it! Going in blind would have been dreadful. I felt more in control by knowing what was happening or going to happen.

My poor husband didn't know what to do. He wanted to help me, but there was nothing I could think of that he could do for me that would actually make me feel better. The classes that say I needed distractions, and massages.... that might work for most people. But I wanted to just get through it. There was no distraction strong enough to pull my attention away from that kind of hurt. At one point during the contractions, I had him rub my feet. It was the only place that didn't bother me during the contractions. I had him get me ice chips and call the nurses when I needed something else... but unless they had figured out how to let men have children, there was nothing else he could have done then that would make me feel better. At the worst of it, they had put an oxygen mask on me to make sure I was getting enough air...but come time to push, it was almost making me feel chlostrophobic (sp) and I couldn't breathe with it on. So I about ripped it off.

One thing that disturbed me about the delivery, was that they used internal monitors. I didn't mind so much, until later that day, when I was holding Savannah and I asked why she had little scabs on her scalp. They told me that's where they clipped the monitors! I didn't realize they were injuring her head. It was bad enough that my contractions had bruised the back of her head pretty badly, as well as the back of her arm where she was laying on it. Then to see the scabbing... I wasn't amused.

They had a chair that folded out into a sort of bed that my husband tried to sleep on that night. Not very comfortable for him. The room was decked out with ammenities that I barely used. They had me on an I.V. because the fever had me dehydrated, so I didn't get to walk around or do anything (not that I would have). Halfway through labor, they thought they'd have me turn from one side to the other. That didn't work. It felt tons worse, and Savannah seemed to not like it either. They had the large exercise balls available (or so they told me), but really, moving was not in my interests. I was too tired and exhausted from the fever to be active. I did take a shower when I first got there, which helped.

I had checked in the hospital at about 7 in the evening on the 17th. She was born the next morning by the coolest midwife. I gave her a lot of grief, but she gave it right back - which I totally needed! I guess I needed to be pissed off enough to push, because I Really didn't want to. lol. If I wore hats, I'd take it off for her. She was awesome. She had a sense of hujmor too. She told me I had to push, because Savannah didn't have a handle to pull. Of course, when she was out, and all that was left was the placenta, the midwife grabbed the umbilical cord and with a smirk said... "But this does have a handle". I think I laughed. It was all a blur. Once the head was out, the rest of her just flew out. I'm glad they didn't try to stop me to clean out her nose before she was all the way out. I don't see the purpose of that. And at least they didn't grab her by her ankles and smack her ass. I think that's going out of style. Yay.

She's already holding her head up pretty well. She likes to kick and climb on daddy's chest hair. She likes to lay on her side the most. She doesn't like to play with things too much. We put a silver rattle in her hand, and she doesn't pay attention to it. Doesn't care. I introduce small toys, and she doesn't seem to care. She will, however, watch the Baby Channel.

If we keep her up during the day, she sleeps pretty well at night. If we don't wake her up enough, she wakes us up very well at night. :) It took her a good 2 weeks before she realized that she had a set of pipes. Now she uses them often when hungry, or burping, or gassy, or getting a bath. She's not a screamer, but she will cry. Most of the time she just looks at us crosseyed with those big, steel-grey-blue eyes. =)

Savannah Lee Arrives!!

Date: Saturday, November 18, 2006
Time: 06:18 AM CST
Place: University of Texas Medical Branch
Delivered By: Certified Midwife
Weight: 7 lbs. 6 oz.
Length: 19.76 inches
Pictures: http://www.growingfamily.com
Password: *Savannah's last name*

(I have more pictures, and will upload them soon)

Shower Food & Gifts!

Good Bye Jack Palance

Oscar-Winning Actor Jack Palance Dies
Nov 10, 5:14 PM EST

The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES -- Jack Palance, the craggy-faced menace in "Shane," "Sudden Fear" and other films who turned to comedy at 70 with his Oscar-winning self-parody in "City Slickers," died Friday.

Palance died of natural causes at his home in Montecito, Calif., surrounded by family, said spokesman Dick Guttman. Palance was 85 according to Associated Press records, but his family gave his age as 87.

When Palance accepted his Oscar for best supporting actor he delighted viewers of the 1992 Academy Awards by dropping to the stage and performing one-armed push-ups to demonstrate his physical prowess.

"That's nothing, really," he said slyly. "As far as two-handed push-ups, you can do that all night, and it doesn't make a difference whether she's there or not."

That year's Oscar host, Billy Crystal, turned the moment into a running joke, making increasingly outlandish remarks about Palance's accomplishments throughout the night's awards presentations.

It was a magic moment that epitomized the actor's 40 years in films. Always the iconoclast, Palance had scorned most of his movie roles.

"Most of the stuff I do is garbage," he once told a reporter, adding that most of the directors he worked with were incompetent, too.

"Most of them shouldn't even be directing traffic," he said.

Movie audiences, though, were electrified by the actor's chiseled face, hulking presence and the calm, low voice that made his screen presence all the more intimidating.

His film debut came in 1950, playing a murderer named Blackie in "Panic in the Streets."
After a war picture, "Halls of Montezuma," he portrayed the ardent lover who stalks the terrified Joan Crawford in 1952's "Sudden Fear." The role earned him his first Academy Award nomination for supporting actor.

The following year brought his second nomination when he portrayed Jack Wilson, the swaggering gunslinger who bullies peace-loving Alan Ladd into a barroom duel in the Western classic "Shane."

That role cemented Palance's reputation as Hollywood's favorite menace, and he went on to appear in such films as "Arrowhead" (as a renegade Apache), "Man in the Attic" (as Jack the Ripper), "Sign of the Pagan" (as Attila the Hun) and "The Silver Chalice" (as a fictional challenger to Jesus).

Other prominent films included "Kiss of Fire," "The Big Knife," "I Died a Thousand Deaths," "Attack!" "The Lonely Man" and "House of Numbers."

Baby Shower-Luncheon

Well, I made out like a bandit today. (I'll be updating the list on the other post shortly).

I got a diaper genie, a diaper bag (eddie bauer, no less!), clothes (all infant size), blankets, wipes, diapers, powders/lotions/soaps, bottles, bottle sanitizer, bottle cleaning brush, car seat toys, and several other things. And my bosses gave me a nice little donation. (Every penny helps, especially with the due date bumped up to just a week away, instead of a month away!!)

I have pictures (3 meg worth...and that's the resized ones). I'll email to whoever wants them.

They also made LOTS of food - and a really cool punch (my husband's suggestion). Raspberry sherbert with 7-Up poured over it. Yummy! It was a big hit.

There were Columbian Empanadas (meat-filled fried....um... things. Mystery meat - but Very Yum), Macaroni Salad, Veggies & Dip, a bread bowl with Dill Dip, Pinwheels (some sort of rolled up lunch meat, cheese, and a breadlike substance sliced thin), 7-layer dip, Fruit Jello Salad, meats and cheeses, various chips and sodas, and I brought in some home-made marshmallow fudge.

It was a lot of fun, and so very much more than I expected! I'm glad they had it here at work, so everyone could be involved. If it had been on a weekend, as originally planned, I feel most (if not all) would have bailed.

Due Date - Fast Forward

Good bye December! Hello November!

Not just November...but November 19th is the latest official date by my doctor. That's right. Next Sunday. Taking donations now for the hospital bill that we were budgeting to pay in Dec. *cheeky grin*

Seriously though.... ahh. down baby! gooood baby. Sorry, she was poking me in the hip bone. Not the most pleasant sensation - but I suppose it's better than the ribs that everyone else gets a foot into.

For those that may be curious about what I have or what I need, here's the highlights.

(All listed items are on registries)
Make of this list what you will. Do with it as you wish. But here is what I have and don't have.
The pricier items I'm still lacking:

• changing table
• crib set (sheets, etc.... I have one on each registry. I have no preference to which. The one I get, I'll remove the other from the list.)
• crib mattress
• breast pump (I know... such classy and elegant items)

Smaller - less pricey items I'm lacking:

• diaper bag
• diaper pail
• sterilizer
• hamper (I see someone bought it off the registry! *many thanks!*

Otherwise, anything on either of the registries. Or even a general conglomerate - diapers, bottles, nursing pads, etc. I'm really quite easy-going.

www.babiesrus.com (My first/last name - Katy, TX)

www.onestepahead.com (same)

I already have: (and may not be on the registries)

• a car seat
• crib (no mattress or sheets yet)
• stroller
• baby monitors
• bouncer
• glider/ottoman
• a couple baby clothes sets (though I'm expecting a layette from the center I visit - which I already know will have a few sets of clothes and blankets and various knick-knacks all put in a wash tub)
• a couple bottles
• a couple quilts
• a porta-crib from my ma-in-law.
• a co-sleeper
• an infant support for car seat

So I have most of the bigger necessity items.

Shower Date Change

Due to circumstances, the new date for my party will be Nov. 10th, 2006 here at work, from about 11-1pm. (Or so I'm told.) lol. They won't let me do anything to help! heh.

Friend's Hatching

So last night, after my trip to the hospital for my ultrasound, my husband and I hooked up with my preggo friend and her best friend/birthing coach. We hit the mall and drooled and gaggled and debated over baby items and colors.

The whole time though, my friend wasn't doing so well. She was acting very out of character. She's a tiny frame (only about 95 lbs. pre-pregnancy, 5'5", and only put on only 15 lbs. for the pregnancy, while her boy is weighing in at 6 lbs. and change). She's never really done the waddling scene. Sure a couple times, but not seriously. In fact, to look at her from any angle, you would never know she was almost 9 mo. pregnant. From the back she didn't look pregnant at all!

But last night, she was walking with her legs spread apart and barely bending at the knee. She complained much about her lower back hurting (which rarely ever gave her issues due to her size), and had mentioned she had lost her mucous plug earlier that day (that's sort of the early timer alert that there's much more to come and fairly soon!), and she complained that she felt like she had to go to the girl's room constantly.

The three of us knew - or at least suspected - but, she was stubborn, and said he was just stretching inside and she was tired and just needed some sleep. So, we went to TGI Fridays for some drinks and snacks (at 10pm). Just sitting there, you could tell she was not faring well. Laughing was starting to become a traumatic event for her. We were all concerned, because we knew she was stubborn, but continued to let her have her way.

So we left Friday's and headed out to the car. It was most telling when my husband had to let her lean on him from the table to the car. She couldn't walk well on her own without help. That's when the 3 of us ganged up on her and told her to go to the hospital. At least to be looked at.

She defiantly and stubbornly said she just needed sleep. Finally, my husband talked her into at least calling the hospital, if not visiting. She agreed to that.

She called us later that night to say she didn't call the hospital, she just went - and they were prepping a room for her. We didn't hear anything after that.

This morning, she called us. She was in labor! They sent her home to go through some of the early labor in more comfort, but this morning, she was back in, and now she's going through the rough part - and so far - all natural. (As opposed to the inducing they were going to do this Wednesday!) She should have her boy delivered by noon today.

So, since I have this whole weekend off (for a change)... I'll be helping her out as much as I can this weekend.

[Update]
I called her house at about 4pm. (man, my timing is eerie). Her water had broken 5 min. prior. It's actually a good thing I called!! They hadn't packed her car seat, and the rest of the family was heading down there. I had caught them just as they were heading out the door. Trick is, hospital won't let her leave without a car seat! The family didn't realize that. They thought she could just carry her baby home. Unfortunately - it's the law. So I'm happy I could be of some help, even being a half hour away!

Speedy Backwards Devilery?

Well... So much for science! Even the best ultrasounds in the world can't predict lil Savannah.

As of date:
She weighs 7 lbs. 6 oz.
She is currently in the breach position.
She is measuring 3 weeks earlier than her written est. due date.
She may be too big to turn at this point.
She will put on an estimated 1/2 pound per week at this stage.
According to the Ultrasound... she's due about November 22, 2006. (quite a ways from the Dec. 7-17 range I've been getting before)

So... unless she flips her big head down - it'll probably mean I'll be gut open like a fish (as my loving hubby so eloquently put it today). heh.

Happy Thanksgiving Birthday anyone?

By the way, I've registered not only at OneStepAhead.com, and also registered at BabiesRUs.com - for those that are die-hards for only the big name stores. Just use my first and last name to look me up! (and Texas, if needed).

By the way - I was up at 3am and didn't get to bed til midnight! eek

Shower Date

A co-worker wants to throw a baby shower for me here. It was originally going to be on the 4th of November, but another co-worker beat us to the punch and is having her daughter's 10th B-day party on that day and she invited the whole office. So.... the shower got rescheduled. It looks like it's going to be Sunday, November 12th. Not sure about the time or place yet, but I should hear more later.

Update: I have a car seat now! Yay!

On the 2nd is my (last) ultrasound appt. Super Uber technology, they say. The very latest machinery straight from California! (heh... California....)

I also go on a field trip to see where Savannah's going to be hatched on the 7th. Their gas bill and they're driving - so... weeeee!

Taking Bets...

The polls are open.
When do YOU think little Savannah will arrive?

I was at the doctor's on Tuesday, and I seem to be consistantly measuring about 5cm larger on the belly than I should for Savannah's age. My husband and mother-in-law seem to think it's going to be a November baby, but the doctors still seem to say middle December. So, I ask you, my audience, my friends...
What do You think?


*blink blink*

On a side note: I also noticed that people either don't like to use Registries, or they don't like ordering online. I've sent my Registry to lots of people, and not a single thing has been purchased. I do however, get lots of oddball stuff from other places.

Tips for people wanting to spend money on Savannah...

1) I am up to my eyeballs in blankets. I have some from my own babyhood, some my grandmother has made for Savannah, some my mother mailed me because they were soft and cuddly and she couldn't resist... and I'm sure I'll see more before the end. Folks... we live in Texas. It's perma-hot-and-humid here. Blankets are far from a neccessity.

2) The registry is made of things I need (OK - there's a couple one or two frivilous (sp) items on there that I probably don't 'need'... but the majority of it are essentials - bottles, bibs, etc.). Toys blankets and clothes are great and always welcome, but they are a dime-a-dozen, and she'll outgrow the clothes in no time.

So if you want to go on spontaneous shopping sprees, or you don't like shopping online, at least take a look at my registry at www.onestepahead.com (Friends know my first name and that I'm in Texas. I should be the only one that comes up) and get an idea of what I still need, first. The neat thing about OneStepAhead, is that they are geared towards safety and development first - not so much the gadgets and gimmiks that other larger retail baby stores capitalize on.

Growing....

She's growing by leaps and bounds now. I grabbed some new clothes from the pregnancy help center I go to. I've given up on pants for the most part, so long skirts with elastic bands are my answer these days. At least the band can ride above the belly.

She wiggles a lot now, also! Before I'd feel her only a couple times a day, now I'm feeling her move a few times an hour. My belly looks like a waterbed when she moves. The best description, is to fill a balloon to a nice full state, stick it under your shirt - then press on one side with the pads of your fingers just slightly, and when the other side bulges up - That's what my belly looks like.

I didn't sleep so well the night before, and actually didn't come to work yesterday because I felt rather yucky. She gave me a big case of chronic burps... and it didn't matter what I ate or didn't eat. I ended up laying down most all day yesterday. I spent a little bit cleaning bathrooms and such (which is SO not like me to clean anything) - but that was about it. I was laying on the couch the rest of the time. It felt great! I actually feel much better today. I'm so glad I stayed home. I was starting to get burned out.

Anyways... the saga shall continue...

BIG Girl

Ok. She's getting too big for her own good. I can't even wear most of my preggo clothes anymore! And they are Made to expand!! ..... And I still have 2 months left? ... And that's when they grow the most?

I'm doomed.

Pregnancy Jibber Jabber

I admit it. I've had a pretty easy pregnancy - when speaking about the pregnancy itself and not all the silly drama that surrounds it (doctors, bills, etc.).

The little one has been fairly mellow. I only hope she's this mellow when she's outside! She hasn't given me too much grief (yet). She wiggles and stretches, but doesn't kick or punch too aggressively or too much. Only a couple times has she struck a nerve hard enough for me to be bothered - but mostly just her wiggling around and watching my belly move in unnatural ways is enough to disturb me and creep me out. (My husband keeps teasing me with the final scene of SpaceBalls where the critter jumps out of the guys chest and starts singing "Hello my honey, Hello my darlin..." - and that usually gets him a sore arm for a few hours.)

She wakes up and gets all excited after I eat. Usually about 5-15 minutes after I eat is when she gets active. There's a few random times throughout the day she wakes up as well.

My belly button still hasn't "popped" yet. So I guess she's not done baking yet. Every time I see a mention in a book about the belly button popping out, I keep thinking of a turkey timer. It is, however, getting pretty flat and stretched out. There's just a little hood now stretched out over the shallow crater in my belly. That's about it.

I haven't really gotten any stretch marks either, though I probably will in the next month or so.

The worst thing I've suffered so far, is sore hips. Mostly the legs where they meet the hips. I've been trying to walk it off lately, and it seems to be helping, but there are days when it's hard to sit up, much less stand up, roll over, walk, or anything of the sort that requires those muscles to move.

Sleeping gets interesting as well. I can't lay on my back, or she squishes my innards. I can lay on my stomach, or I squish her and my innards. I seem to not be able to lay on my right side anymore without getting up 5 times a night to use the restroom. That leaves me with my left side. Even then, my big belly can't lean on anything, because it doesn't feel very nice if there's any pressure on it, so I've got pillows propped up under my upper body for weight displacement. Sometimes a pillow goes between my knees to help with my hurting legs. It helps a little. My husband can't put his arm around me very easily, because everywhere he puts it, usually makes my belly ache, or the baby kicks me to tell him to get off (again - she has space issues), and once I'm in bed and situated (which takes about a minute to flop in the right position), I'm not very inclined to move a muscle.

Last night was the worst. I was dead tired from not getting enough sleep two nights prior, and my husband couldn't sleep. So I lay there, with the light on, he's reading a book, and I can't get to sleep. The bed was very uncomfortable, and for some reason, the upstairs felt incredibly warm - but not just for me, so I don't think it was baby's heat making me warm. I actually went downstairs and slept on the couch.

Normally, the couch is the most uncomfortable place for me to sleep, but last night, it was like cloud nine. I had lots of huge, oversized, firm pillows to prop up against, and it was insta-sleep! It was probably a good move on my part, because I found out that he was still up another 2 hours from when I left to go downstairs.

The cravings have been interesting. First it was breads and pastas (or anything with a carb or statch in it), then it was baked potatoes. Next it was fruits and vegetables, then it was a short round with nuts, fish and chicken. The latest has been beef - and that's when I figured it out. She's trying out the menu - one food group at a time. Thankfully, she hasn't had me eating any strange combinations, like ice cream and pickles. Eh-yuch!

Anyways, time to get back to work (yes, on a Saturday). Sorry I don't update this more often, but it's rough when you come home and all you want to do is rest, eat, go to bed. Oh well. Ya'll love me and ya'll shall get over it. Pththth.

Lovyas!

Bad News - More Bad News

Good news seems so rare for me it seems.

Bad News #1 - I'm officially classified as "High Risk". Goodie! What does that mean? Well, it's all because of my blood type, if you can believe that. I'm A- and RH-. It's the RH- that sends the red flag up. They don't know what the baby's blood type is, so if it happens to be RH+, and my blood and her blood somehow mix at any time, well, antibodies start forming to get rid of the 'bad blood'. This is evidently very bad and potentially fatal. Joy. Now, on the chance that the baby is RH- ..... well, then there's no problem. In the meantime, I got a nice little stick in the buttox (hip really, but my dad loves teasing me about getting a 'shot in the butt' whenever I go to any Dr. for any reason). This is supposed to keep the antibodies from forming and to protect me and the baby - and for every pregnancy, I'll have to get another. Yippee.

Bad News #2 - My husband had just purchased the tickets for our trip to California, where his parents were to come down from the Pacific North West, and my family and friends would get together for a baby shower, birthday/anniversary party for my parents, my 94-yr old grandmother could see me, etc. .. even a friend that just back from a long bout in Iraq with the Marines.

The bad news is, my doctor today said I would not be able to fly. (Sorry She Travels!!!!! *insert mega-cry here*) I am supposedly not allowed to fly in my first or third trimester, and the dates our trip was scheduled, I'd be a few weeks into the 'no fly zone' of my third trimester. So my trip to California has just been wadded up into a neat little ball and thrown in the garbage. This is extremely upsetting, and being hormonal does not help matters. I guess now we just see if the airlines are willing to refund the money, or even part of it, or if they can allow us to reschedule for later down the road. As much as I beg my husband, he is not willing to risk us for the trip, and if the Drs say 'no', then no it is. I can't blame him, but I really wanted to go. I was looking forward to one last vacation before she was born. (At least I'll have a baby shower here with co-workers.... though I was looking forward more to the California one. I have little faith that anyone from work will bother to show up on a Saturday they could be doing other things on.)

Oh, and to top it off, I'm anemic! So the already hefty dose of iron they gave me, I now have to double!

Status of little Savannah - She's gonna be a big girl. She's measuring in the belly about a couple-few weeks older than she is (by the almighty tape measure), and her heartbeat is good and within normal range. The ultrasound says that her due date is Dec. 3, but they won't change it on the paper unless it had been more than 2 weeks off. So the due date of Savannah is still a crap shoot. I'm still saying sometime in early December. Tahell with dates anymore. She'll get here when she's darn good and ready!