sure

• Go on, admit it. You knew I wasn't going to produce a single catch-up post. Shame on me.
• Baby update: No baby. Doctor check-up today shows that my body and baby seem perfectly happy to be sharing the same space. More waiting and wondering when it will be.
• Joey asked me what "labor" was, because he heard me and Daddy talking about it, and thought it was something about that baby. So I explained the work a Mommy goes through as her muscles get ready to get the baby out, and that he would be going to Grandmom's house sometime when I was in labor. He is now whole-heartedly in favor of me going into labor, and was disappointed this morning when he came into the kitchen and saw me drinking my coffee and remarked with a frown, "No labor." While I was walking out of his bedroom after putting him to bed this evening he reassured me with a "Labor. Yes!" while drawing a check mark in the air. I am glad to have Joey rooting for me. :)
• I do hope she comes before Christmas, but I will try to be patient and enjoy every bout of hiccups she has until the big day.

getting there

I am slowly, slowly, chipping away at my list of things that MUST be done before the baby comes. The reality that much will remain undone is known, but I keep chugging along. Tonight was Wal-Mart. Bleh. Wal-Mart makes my eyes hurt. But I needed a few baby care items, and to scout the toy section for some gifts, and to get a few things that I am just too tired to play the drug-store-game for. One stop, and I am stocked up pretty well.

Then I went across the street to Wegmans which is a much more enjoyable shopping experience, and at 8:15 on a Monday evening is very, very empty. I stocked up on cheap baking supplies and butter, which will be more fuel my very lopsided attempt at stocking my freezer for post-baby. You would think frozen meals would be the way to go, but so far I have gobs of pancakes, a delicious batch of scones, cookie batter, some quick bread, and six pans of stuffing. The stuffing could be considered part of a meal, and my two frozen turkeys could possible count as meals, but I am sure I am going to be really excited to roast a turkey in my sleep deprived state. My brain makes no sense. But what do you expect from a girl who couldn't even figure out 9x6 today without thinking about it for a good nine seconds.

So with some shopping done (but with Christmas shopping still to finish), and the upstairs play/guest room cleaned today, I can cross a few to-do's off the list. But I have so much blogging I feel like I need to catch up on, and on my metal list, that is one thing I want to do. There are fun days from October and November with oh-so-cute photos to go with. I know I don't HAVE to catch up on blogging for all to be right with the world when my baby arrives, it is just that this is kind of my journal, and I like looking back and reading it, and...well, my brain will just somehow feel better if I do.

So, I am going to try to get a few catch up posts up this week. Sorry to be blogging about things from two months ago, but you and I both know you don't come here for extraordinary blogging content. Most of you are my family anyway (some who live very far away), so you probably won't mind one bit.

The rest of you, just consider the title of my blog to be "Ramblings of a Crazy Pregnant Woman" until further notice.

And as always, thanks so much for stopping by!

white

Joey the careful

Katie the cold and crabby

Frosty the celebrating snowman

Mom-mom's hands

Mom-mom's hands show their love in lots of ways. On this day they showed their love with the application of all types of candies, sprinkles, sugar, frosting, and chocolate chips.


Only love could create beauties such as these:

23 days to go

Joey takes a lovely belly shot.

one more weird thing

This pregnancy, if I read a recipe I think I will enjoy, I cannot stop thinking about it until I make it. About a month ago I found a recipe for lemon iced pumpkin cookies, and it bothers me that my can of pumpkin sitting in the pantry has still not become those cookies.

Last Monday I made the recipe for Cranberry Sauce that was in the previous day's Parade magazine because I just had to know how a cranberry sauce with apricot preserves and chopped dried apricots would compare to my other cranberry sauce recipes. I loved it. I actually think it is my new favorite cranberry sauce. Adam loved it too.

I also made Caramel Crispix mix last week, which satisfied my caramel cereal mix curiosity (and stuffed my belly), and today I made Pumpkin Banana Bread that has been on my mind since Thursday. It was from the November o8 issue of the no-longer-published Country Home magazine that I paged through while Joey was working on something for school. The bread was very yummy, and Joey was pleased that it had no nuts. It does not matter how finely I chop walnuts in the food processor, any nut particle at all ruins his quick bread enjoyment.

There is a recipe in last month's Better Home and Garden for Pumpkin Corn Bread that is still haunting me. My lack of masa harina prevents me. I am not sure what else I would make with the remaining masa harina and cannot yet justify its purchase.

But do you see a trend in the type of recipes I must make. Sugar! Sweet! Must bake!

I need to start reading some recipes for salads.

being a princess

What is wrong, my darling princess?

It is just so hard to always be so charming, and beautiful, and smiley.

Well, do you think you could perhaps, just look at the camera, without being quite so sullen?

Nice. Thank you, your highness. As always, it was a pleasure photographing you today.

About Bear

Joey and Bear, March 2008

a conversation between Joey and me last week

"Did I ever tell you who gave Bear to Mommy...how you got him?"

"No."

I know I have, but I tell the story again.

"Aunt Donna gave Bear to Mommy for Natalie, when Natalie was still in my belly, at a special party called a baby shower."

"Oh."

"But then Natalie went to heaven...and Mommy and Daddy were so sad. And we prayed and prayed for God to give us a new baby in my belly, because we missed Natalie so much. And we really hoped we could have a baby that could stay with us, and not go to Heaven so soon."

He looks at me with wide, concerned eyes.

"And then God answered our prayers, and gave Mommy a new baby in her belly."

"That baby was me?"

"Yes, God answered our prayers - you were the answer to our prayers! You were the baby Mommy prayed for. We were so happy!...And then, Mommy let you have Bear, because I didn't think Natalie would mind if I shared her things with you since she was in Heaven."

He pulls Bear in close.

"And now Bear is your very favorite, special friend!"

He hugs Bear tightly, and buries his face in the back of Bear's head.

"I am so glad Jesus gave you to me. I love you so much. I am so glad you are able to love Bear."

"Me too."

good times at the OB

What do you consider to be the makings of a good check-up with your OB? I would say before yesterday my list included little or no wait, minimal weight gain, the wonderful sound of baby's heart beating, and a pleasant exchange with the health professional who will usher the baby into the world. After yesterday I have added one more thing to the list: not fainting.

I was at the doctor in the middle of a very tiring week of caring for a couple of sick kids. The doctor had scheduled me for an ultrasound and non-stress test because at 33 weeks we are to the point where we always hope things keep going along well and no unexpected problems arise. I had my ultrasound first, and I just love my ultrasound tech. She knows me by now, and she is not bored with seeing babies on that little black and white screen after all these years. She pointed out the baby's hair, and got some great shots of the baby's nose and lips, and we even saw the baby stick out her tongue.

After my ultrasound was done, she hooked me up to the baby monitors since the nurse was busy, so I could get started with my 20 minutes of watching the baby's heart rate rise and fall in response to her movements. I was so tired that it felt good to be reclining on the table listening to the heartbeat. Pretty soon I realized that the baby must be asleep because her heartbeat was a little low and she wasn't moving. And pretty soon I started to get the feeling that I get every once in a while, that the baby has crawled up past my diaphragm and is resting soundly on top of my lungs. It is horrible -- as though I am performing the usual actions required to breathe, but no air is getting inside of my lungs. I know I am breathing, but my crazy pregnant brain starts to get in a tiny panic that I cannot breathe!

Right about then my doctor came in to see that the baby hadn't moved, so he reclined the table back and jiggled her around a bit, well, not a bit, a whole lot. But she slept away. So he told me stay on the monitors a few more minutes to see if she would move. I was glad to stay on the monitors, as lots of movement and a fast heartbeat bring me great reassurance. I was however, already in a mini-panic that I could not breathe, and when he left, I was lying pretty flat on my back. Quickly I began to feel more short of breath. My heart rate was rising, but I thought I was just being crazy, so I tried to breathe and stay calm. That didn't work. In a minute, I started to feel hot and sweaty, and then I started seeing spots. By then I knew something was not right, but my brain was no longer making any sort of rational judgments. Soon my vision started going black, at which point I realized I was about to faint, which was when, thankfully, the doctor walked in just in time. I managed to say, "I don't feel so good."

He quickly got me on my side. My arms and hands felt like pins and needles and my whole body felt heavy, like I was pressed against the table. A few tears escaped because I was tired, and a little embarrassed, and it was just not how I had envisioned my morning. The nurse brought in some water and soda, and in a few minutes I felt better. The ultrasound showed everything was fine, so he took me off the monitors and said, "Next time, remind us not to let you lie on your back." Which I will be sure to do, because apparently I am one of the eight percent of pregnant women who experience supine hypotensive syndrome. It is nice knowing my little episode at the doctor's office has an official name. I don't feel quite so crazy, even though it is just a fancy way to say my blood pressure drops too low when I lie flat on my back.

After all that, I guess I could say that the visit was still a success. I had a very short wait, a lovely time with my ultrasound tech, I didn't gain any weight this week, I heard the (sleepy) heartbeat loud and clear, and I only almost fainted.

I still like my doctor, even though he almost let me succumb to the terrible grip of supine hypotensive syndrome. :) Besides, if I hadn't almost fainted all I would have to write about today is how a missing library book almost made me lose my mind, or how I had three tacos for dinner, or how Tums are my new best friend. An almost fainting story is much more exciting than all that.

33 weeks and a couple questions

Today, after an interesting OB visit (which I hope to tell you about soon), during a week of caring for my influenza infected children, getting little sleep, while my husband is not home in the evenings because of some corporate training he has to attend, I head out to the local grocery store.

My mom was kind enough to keep my virus laden kids while I was at the doctor, and since whatever germs they brought with them were already in her house, she told me to go run out and do something. This suggestion reminded me that I wanted to pick up some raw honey for the kids' coughs.

So, my weak mind and tired body were in charge of pushing a cart around Giant for a few minutes, and then choosing what items went into that cart. I consider it a great victory that I managed to make it out of there with the raw honey, but some of the other contents now confuse me. Like why did I buy a six-count package of Ramen chicken soup? Or a single box of Stove Top and a Snack Sak of Teddy Grahams?

An even better question is why did I then decide it would be a good idea to go through the drive-through at Taco Bell and order a fully loaded nachos with extra guacamole, and then park my car in the parking lot and almost completely finish it all by my prego self?

I am a little deranged. And that simple statement, my friends, may possibly be the answer to all my questions.

30 weeks

30 weeks means I am 3/4 of the way through.

30 weeks means I am 10 pounds away from what I want my maximum weight gain to be.

30 weeks means the baby is very still until I sit for a moment and then the manic performance of a Broadway musical ensues inside my belly.

30 weeks means I am surprised my belly is not bigger than it is.

30 weeks means 10 weeks until Christmas and I haven't started shopping.

30 weeks means I started weekly non-stress tests today, and when the doctor looked at the results he said, "It doesn't get much better than that!"

30 weeks means I love this baby with all my heart.

30 weeks means every week is a gift, and I am thankful.

plump

Here is a sad case of baby plastic surgery gone bad.

She asked for just a little more fullness in her upper lip and this is what she got:

What a shame, what a shame.