She's HERE!

Ardyn Isabel Johnson
Born Labor Day, Monday September 3rd at 11:36pm CST
6lbs 10 ounces and 21 inches long
13.4 inch head and 13 inch chest
Looks like a perfect mix of mom and dad!

A long labor, went in at 6cm dilated on Monday morning to have the water broke at 8am
Was at a 7 by noon, and an 8 by 2pm...
Hard labor at an 8 from 2pm-5pm
Hard labor at a 9 from 5pm-10:30pm, during which I abandoned any thoughts of a drug free natural birth and begged for an epidural.
At 10:30pm I was exhausted and still at a 9, and they thought her head was stuck and not going to come down, so an Emergency C Section was planned and the OR team was called in. As I was being prepped for a C-section, and given a catheter, her head came down and she was born!

Baby Johnson Today...

Sunday!

Sunday night. Not just ANY Sunday night. less than 5 hours from my Due Date Sunday Night! That said, it's been a pretty boring day. We did a couple loads of laundry, all the dishes are done, fresh sheets on the bed. This afternoon Evan took apart my laptop. A couple of days ago I dropped it TWICE. The second time it came undone on one corner and the keyboard popped out a bit. It still worked, but we backed up all my documents and he took everything apart (And I mean EVERYTHING) and cleaned it (dog hair!) and put it all back together again for me and it works like a charm. I took a nap tonight, out of boredom, and soreness. Just for an hour.

I tried embroidering for a while, I got one pink drum embroidered and my hand started bothering me again. So I stopped. I am catching up on episodes of Ice Road Truckers... I had a bunch of episodes TIVO'd to catch ones that I have missed. I think I will just watch an episode or two and then take a nice long bath... and try to call it a night early.

The dogs are sleeping already, although they sleep all day, so it's no different for them. Here's to hoping I can sleep tonight. It took almost 3 hours to get to sleep last night, but once I did, I slept great, and clear till noon.

Saturday

Well, It's Saturday. I had a hard time getting to sleep last night, I was still awake at 1:30 even though I lay down at 10:30... and then Evan woke me up a few times, and then again to tell me I was snoring, and I had a hard time getting back to sleep. Than I was awake at 7am, ate some cereal, and finally fell back to sleep around 8:30. Ugh.

I was able to sleep in till about 11:30. Anya brought over some Pumpkin Butter from the orchard, which I LOVE and now I need bread or something to put it on. Our fridge. Is Bare. We are out of bread, almost out of milk, out of cereal, and almost out of dog food. It's a hard-knock life. What I really need is a stupid disability check (for the last 6 weeks that they OWE me for) to show up in the mailbox so we can all eat.

So we have no real plans this weekend, I can tell that we won't be very ambitious. When I mentioned to my midwife yesterday that we hadn't decided if we would do anything, she said "Don't.... your water will probably just break as soon as you leave home." It made me laugh, especially when Anya said that she saw her hiking the orchard today. LOL. We might see if there is anyone at the campgrounds tonight and just go visit. The weather is beautiful, and I at least feel like I should be outside a little bit. Maybe I should call my mom later.

Well, I really have nothing exciting to say. Except to Michelle- Yes, when done right, a membrane sweep is excruciating. And I had three. In the past three days. Nuff said, eh?

Friday!

Friday! Which means nothing to me. Ha ha. Everyday is Friday!

So, we had a Dr. Appointment on Wednesday, and I am 5cm Dilated! YAY! I have been having daily membrane sweeps ever since (pleasant) which we hope will bring her here soon! I have my third sweep this afternoon.

Besides that, it's business as usual. I have been embroidering onesies to entertain myself, but had to stop yesterday when I had a mighty flare up of Carpal Tunnel in my right hand/wrist/arm. It was so painful. Back to wearing a brace. I did get three and a half onesies done in the past two days. You can see them on Flickr. I am working on a pink drumset right now... but probably won't touch it for a few days to allow my arm to rest and get better. Evan calls me a sweat shop. LOL.

Besides what have turned into daily trips to the hospital for Dr. Appointments, membrane sweeps, and NST's... I am pretty much here at home in my pajamas, with a daily bath or shower, and relaxing. Doing a load of laundry or two, picking up here and there, and watching cable TV, reading, crocheting, and embroidering. Evan escorts me to most appointments, or at least drives me there, drops me off, and picks me up when I am done. He makes sure I am fed and comfortable.

We got the Guitar Hero Game "Encore: Rocks the 80's", and have played that quite a bit. It's fun. My favorite song to play is The Warrior, closely followed by Ballroom Blitz. I guess we've had it for about two weeks now. Evan unlocked the entire game the first night. I played a bit on easy... I get to flustered on Medium. Evan plays on Medium and Hard. It's insanity to watch him play. He's awesome.

So it's Friday, everyone have a great long weekend!

Bliss...

Monday. Technically the last 15 minutes of Monday. So today the cleaning people came. That was good. I also had an NST at the hospital (routine) and the baby passed with flying colors as usual.

I tried to make myself get up by 11 (ha) and took a bath. I washed stoneware (which seems to accumulate and get dirty) and got ready to leave home. I get excited at the prospect of leaving home. But after about an hour or two out in public, I get so pissed and cranky, all I want is to get home. So last night I got all 55 thank you notes done from the baby shower, so today my first order of business was to stop by the post office and get stamps. Of course, the Wyanet Post Office closes from 12noon until TWO PM so it's like you can never freaking get there. And they close at like 10:30am on Saturdays. So after stopping at Wyanet at 1:30, I had to go on to Princeton and go around the block 54 times (per usual) to get into the post office and back out again. Grabbed my stamps. Discovered that the size of the baby announcements (6x6) means that each one will cost 81 cents to mail instead of 41 cents per announcement. Yee.

Then on to Burger King to grab a chicken sandwich. Then on to the hospital for my NST. While having the test I stuck all the stamps on the thank you cards and made a skein of yard into a ball.

Then I had to run to Wal-mart (against my better judgement and midwife's orders) because I was out of Zantac. And we needed dog tie out cables, as ours were shot and tangled together beyond use. Of course Wal-mart in Princeton downsized their dog section and so instead of having three sizes of red cable tie outs to choose from, they discontinued all of them, and only carry a heavier 20 foot cable, that costs $13.96 instead of the old 30 foot $9.96 cables. Ugh.

So I bought two new dog cables, the Zantac, and new metal bowls for under the electric coils on the stove. And by the time I got through those damn aisles, and a bathroom break, I was feeling hot, and my feet hurt, and I couldn't WAIT to get out of there. When I got home I was so cranky! I spent the afternoon on the couch mostly. Crocheting. All afternoon and until 11 tonight. This damn baby blanket.

I had the brilliant idea that I would make the baby blanket big enough to fit on a toddler bed with some room to spare. Well, I didn't figure in that she will be THIRTEEN by the time I finish it because I am using teeny tiny fine yarn and a teeny tiny crochet needle. Today I got one whole skein of little yarn added, and it probably only added 4 inches of length. It's wide enough to wrap up three babies but not LONG enough yet. It's like, not even HALF as wide as it needs to be. Looks like I have lots of crocheting to do. I guess even if it isn't done by the time she gets here, I should have more time after she's born while she sleeps and I am home from work. I hope. I had to stop crocheting at 11pm because I was getting aggravated that even though I was getting somewhere, I wasn't GETTING anywhere.

I also went through my embroidery patterns and thought about making some more onesies. I have 3 white ones left in my package... and then I can move up a size or two if I want. I need Evan to make me some copies of the patterns so I don't waste them when I cut them up.

Tonight I am watching the movie Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio. It's depressing and it's good. Wow. Woody Harrelson plays an alcholic in the 50's, and his wife Julianne Moore is always in a good mood, and entering contests for jingles and advertisements in order to win things and money to keep the family from losing everything. It all seems to spiral out of control (finally) when the bank calls and the mom finds out that the dad took out a second mortgage on the house behind her back and spent all the money until the house is being repossessed. They have nowhere to go and all the kids will have to split up and go live with other people. While the dad's busy drinking it away, the mom finds all the kids praying in the closet that she wins a big prize. Ugh. It sickens me. It's like in some ways, she's remarkable for taking all that he dishes out, and in other ways is disgusting that he drinks away the money and there is no food for his kids, or the bills, or the house, and he treats her like crap over and over and she just takes it. She ignores it. She pretends like it isn't happening until her entire life has fallen apart. Then as they are packing up their house to move out, she wins the Dr. Pepper sweepstakes over 250 thousand other entries. Enough money and prizes to save their house. But that won't solve their problems for long. Ahhh... drama.

Well, I can't think of anything else exciting to say. Except that tomorrow I get a PEDICURE! YAY! And Evan is taking me so I don't have to go out in public and have people piss me off with their driving and such. I just get to ride along, get my pedicure, and ride home. True bliss? I think so.

Why is the Rum Gone?

We have accomplished SO MUCH today. I am trying to work from the couch. I take stacks of things and baskets of things to the couch and sort, purge, organize.

I have almost 24 Thank You Cards written, enveloped, and addressed. I have plenty left to do though. I am trying to keep them all in one basket with all my supplies so that if I have the baby, Evan can bring the thank you's to the hospital so I can work on them. I am not stamping and mailing them yet because I am thinking that I might be able to slip some of them inside birth announcements and save on shipping.

I threw out three garbage cans full of magazines today, that I had looked through and torn out things I wanted to save. I cleaned off BOTH dining room tables, and sorted through the big stack of mail and paperwork that just keeps rotating and has increased and decreased in the last three months. No pile! Miracle!

Everything is vacuumed, even the dog beds. Evan got in on the nesting and cleaned out the entire entertainment center, dusting everything, organizing, and putting the VCR back in place. We hung up lots of laundry, and he would hang it for me in the closet and he even changed the burnt out bulb in my closet that has been driving me CRAZY for over a week. We have been doing laundry together, I watch while he switches loads, and tell him what load to wash next. He carries the clean clothes up the basement stairs for me and pours them out on the bed or the couch where I sort, match, fold, and hang.... then he helps by putting them away. It's fabulous.

I cleaned out the bassinet, It had been collecting clothes here and there. I also washed nursing camisoles and bras, getting ready for what I hope will be coming home to a clean house with clean clothes to wear. I got groceries last week, but we are already getting low on perishable stuff like milk, cheese, lunchmeat, etc. I made a list out on the computer so that if I have the baby (or even if I don't) SOMEONE (maybe Evan or mom) can go get some groceries. Not only am I not supposed to get groceries, but the one quick trip we took to Wal-mart left me miserable, exhausted, crampy and contracting.... so I really think someone else needs to go next time.

Last night an ADORABLE lot of clothes from eBay arrived. a HUGE lot of mix and match Gymboree clothes, that I paid only $20.50 for. They are so super cute.... my favorites are the little navy mary janes and the navy sailor pants. Check the whole lot out HERE.

I got our entire Life Doc Binder filled out electronically. I just have a few questions for Evan and then once the baby is born I need to fill out a page for her with birth date info, etc... and then I can print out all the documents and file them in the binder. Ever since discovering that thing way back when we registered for the baby at Target, I have seen SO Many great things by Buttoned Up. One thing was a "Cross It Off" task binder where you could assign tasks to family members by writing little task notes, tearing them out of the binder, and giving them to someone... and a carbon copy of what you wrote is kept in the binder so you know when you asked and who you asked. I think this would work awesome for a mom with kids at the age of actually helping out at home and having chores.

There is just some really cool stuff by Buttoned Up. And being the computer genius that I am, I cracked the password on the word documents so that I could fill out several and change the fonts, etc.... and so that I can convert them to PDF so that the entire form will print and not just the answers. This means that I can use it over and over, and not have to use up the forms that come in the binder... AND we can do a life doc binder for my parents, etc. without having to spend the $20 on another round of software and the binder and forms. I would like to do the Valuables Binder next.

My excitement of the day was seeing an ad in the new Redbook for a new Cheerios. Clustery Oats and Cheerios together to be exact. I checked the Cheerios website and it's SO new it isn't even on their site yet. I am fixin to try it. Once I get someone to go get groceries for me :)

My cousin moved to Alaska. Carrie is on her way to Alaska, where she and Jay will be stationed. I need to write a letter to my cousin and an email to Carrie. Ugh. I need to make a new list! LOL. I am full of lists. To do lists. Grocery Lists. And the baby already has a Christmas List... and she isn't even born. Things like an umbrella stroller and a front facing car seat. And a toddler swing for next summer/fall. Things that we registered for and I don't want to forget about.

Well, I suppose it's time for a nighttime bath. Hope everyone is having a great weekend. I am missing out on the Bureau County Fair and Wagon Wheel Days, but being in my pajamas in the AC sure seems to be making me feel better about it. Although I would REALLY like some fair food. Like a corn dog. And those Chicken Pitas. And an elephant ear from the REAL elephant ear man.

Home Administrator

Today I have found a new job. Household Administrator. I'm the lady that tells everyone what to do. But I try to ask nicely.

As soon as I woke up today, I got a call from the Mayor, of all people. Apparently they have received some complaints from people that they can't see when pulling out on Wyanet/Walnut because our wildflower/native grasses are too tall this year. It's my opinion that it has something to do with this excessive humidity and everlasting rain. So of course, I, the 9 month pregnant chick on bedrest, had to tell the major that I would see that things get "trimmed" (even though trimming will hamper the reseeding to an extent) and then I had the pleasure of telling my husband that things would be trimmed- by him. He was not pleased. I see the need to do it. I can't see when pulling out either. It's not THAT bad, you just have to pull ahead a bit. But oh well. You do what's polite. Now if they would just start to complain about the state of my "flowerbeds" maybe those would get weeded too. LOL.

So today I paid two big medical bills (ack) and packed way some baby clothes. I sorted laundry and started a load, while standing in the 1 inch of water that seems to want to come into the laundry room when you've had 54 inches of rain in the past week, and I have mailed the appeal for my short term disability claim. You see, as I briefly mentioned in the last post, one morning at 4am when I was unable to sleep, I decided to open the mail. I had been waiting for exactly ONE MONTH to hear from them regarding the claim that we filed the end of July. Since I got put on half days, my short term disability should cover a percentage (60%) of my salary for those half days. Well, I hadn't heard from them, and I had called and left a message and they never returned my call. So come to find out at 4am I open a letter from them with the simple statement "Light Duty Not Covered." Um Yeah. You thought my blood pressure was high before, right?

It royally pissed me off because first of all, I was NOT on light duty. I was performing all of my job functions, but just for a limited amount of time per day. Secondly, I could have been NOT working at all and made more money on disability (which I paid my premiums for the past 5 years) than I could have made working half days. Thirdly, when my midwife talked about taking me off work, I would argue and tell her that I was fine on half days. Well. No more of that bullshit. Although by this week I was in no position to argue, my Blood Pressure was so damn high. And I am sure it had plenty to do with the stupid disability claim denial.

So I had to go through the phone conversation with a snotty nasally chick from Allstate, trying to get information on WHAT my policy states because they never SENT me a policy, and she "can't fax it" but she can mail it to me. And I can't access it online. And she can't email it to me. Yeah. Whatever. So I should have this when? Next month? Fuckers. So anyway, we had her read the policy over the phone and then FAX us an appeal form and then I had the Dr. Office write a letter explaining that I was NOT on light duty and that they should reconsider my claim. Of course, then yesterday, after trying to return fax the appeal with the letter from the Dr., it took THREE tries on THREE different fax machines/phone lines to get it to go through. So today I had to call and verify that they had received the appeal, and now I wait 14 days for them to process it. So if I get any money for July 27th-August 21st, working half days, I probably won't see it till the end of September. Ack. Thank GOD I paid my car off or I would be hurting right now.

So on top of the appeal process, we also had to send a Dr. note to them because NOW I am off work full time, and we also had to file my Long Term Disability. So I feel like the queen of paperwork. And being electronic minded, I really try to do as little with paper as possible. Paper overwhelms me quickly. I have good organization skills, but they are put to much better use when I can file things and pay things electronically. I hate paper. So now my accordion file is like 10 thousand times it's original size, and I keep trying to get things as organized as possible so that if I need something and I am in labor or in the hospital, Evan will know where to find it and what he is looking for.

All this when you are supposed to be "relaxing." Luckily I got a good night's sleep last night, about 9 hours with minimal interruptions for pee breaks every 1 hour and heartburn attacks from 3-7am. So here I am in my air conditioned bubble. In my pajamas. Maybe I should at least brush my teeth?

And the baby shower thank you's continue to stare at me.....

Wednesday? Thursday? What day IS it? FRIDAY!!!!

Well Hello there.

I don't really have much to write. I have been leading the glamorous life of a woman on bedrest. Really this means that I sleep till noon and spend the majority of my day and night on the couch.

My Tuesday night Dr. Appt got canceled as my midwife had a baby to deliver, so we rescheduled for Wednesday. my blood pressure was high, 141/96 and 138/98. So I got sent to OB for the Routine NST and blood work to rule out toxemia, and then got taken off work permanently. I was totally ready for that. But I really thought that I wouldn't have the bedrest part to ruin all my good partying. I denied having an internal exam on Wednesday because I pretty much felt that if anyone stuck anything inside me I might burst. So who knows how dilated and effaced I am now. It doesn't seem to matter in the scheme of things so why get myself worked up? So Wednesday I left home at 9:30am, got released from OB around 12:15, spent the next hour in Human Resources filling out FMLA paperwork and filing an appeal for my "denied" short term disability claim (yeah, that was a great idea, to open the mail at 4am and find out that they denied my claim.) Then I went to the Ace Learning Ladder and filled out daycare paperwork and took the tour there. It was awesome there!

That afternoon and evening I busied myself with Parenting and Baby magazines... going through them and tearing out anything that I thought I might actually reference later, and tossing the rest, than organizing the torn out pages by category in sheet protectors.

Of course then about 6pm I had a total scare where I thought I was either dying or in labor. Basically my back was hurting, and Evan went to Princeton to go grab supper, and I thought I would get up for a pee break and take some Tylenol. I tried to pee and couldn't (huh?) and suddenly when I got up I had this horrible stabbing and STRONG back pain, only on my left side. It was bad. I thought it was gonna be one of those strange late pregnancy pains and twangs that just goes away and is unexplained, but it was KILLING me and it wouldn't stop. Steady and strong. I ripped off my clothes and tried to relax and lay down in bed. I couldn't lay down. On either side. I couldn't even position my pillows or pull the blankets over me. I was like paralyzed. Then a sudden panic that something was WRONG. Things are going through my head like "baby's choking" or "placenta is tearing" and then I thought OH MY GOD this is what labor feels like and mine has started and already I am a baby and there is no way I can do this.

I was feeling so nauseous I could barely get down two tylenol (as if that would provide instant relief, ha ha) I called Evan, whimpering for him to come home right away, and got a washcloth with cold water for my forehead. I had started the hypnobirthing CD but couldn't concentrate or even hear it to relax. It was insane. I was completely overtaken by pain. I ended up getting the birth ball and putting a towel over it, and sitting on it while leaning into the edge of the bed with a pillow under my head and the washcloth over my forehead. RELIEF, albeit small and slow, seeped into my back. I needed to get her weight off my back or something. When Evan came in he found me sitting naked on the ball, washcloth on my forehead, head propped up on my elbows. He wanted me to lay down but I was too scared it would come back. He rubbed the spot in my back and it got better and better. Eventually he convinced me to lay down and got me all snuggled in with pillows on every direction and the cloth on my forehead, and he started hypnobirthing over again and I was able to relax and the next thing I know, it was an hour later, and Evan was waking me up with supper ready. He laughed and said he could hear me snoring when he walked in the house. I hadn't moved an inch, but had slept for an hour. the washcloth was still on my forehead.

I spent the night alternating between the couch and the birth ball, when my back would ache in that spot, and I ate supper on the birth ball. I asked my midwife and she was sure that what I had was a back spasm. Holy crap. She assured me that labor doesn't start like that, and that if I am supposed to have back labor, I will feel it later on. I knew they weren't contractions, because they never wrapped around to the front, and there was no start/stop time whatsoever... The spasm lasted for almost a full 20 minutes straight. It actually vaguely reminded me of the hydronephrosis that I had earlier in pregnancy, and I actually had a nurse (who has had kidney stones) ask me if I might have passed one. Who knows. But It didn't last too long and It hasn't happened since. I probably need to go to the chiropractor and get another adjustment. Or maybe another prenatal massage.

So today we had our waterbirth class. It was great. I learned lots, which surprised me considering that I have read an entire waterbirth book, four books on natural birth, and seen countless videos of waterbirths. But every hospital is different and has different policies. I feel well prepared. Evan and I attended the class, then stopped by the midwife's office to pick up the letter for the short term disability appeal. Then we grabbed a few things from my office, since I am "done" like my wireless keyboard and mouse and my mini-fridge.

This afternoon I sat around and went through the last of my magazines. Then I filled out the entire folder of paperwork from the daycare. I read their entire handbook. I organized hospital bills. I opened mail and packages. The wipes warmer finally got here, and a couple more sets of clothes from eBay. I ate some cheeseburger macaroni. And some oreos. I watched a movie. I checked my email.

Tonight I went to mom's for a bit and we watched TV and chatted. I kept my feet up in the recliner. It was nice. Then when I got home I checked my email again, and made up an entire list of things for Evan to remember when we go to the hospital. Things to grab that aren't packed (last minute stuff) and who to call when. Crazy little stuff that floats through my brain like "don't forget to put her footprints inside the Longaberger Purse lid" and "Don't forget to call my insurance company within 24 hours of birth in order for them to cover everything" and other crap like that. It feels good to have that all on paper. I had it in a notebook but it wasn't easy to find and in one place.

Then I made a list of administrative tasks that I can complete- things that I can do sitting down.... and things that need to get done that Evan can do. Not that they have to be done before she gets here, but just like "take out that garbage" and household stuff that drives me nuts while I sit here all day and that I can barely stand not doing. I also made neat little stacks of things like bills and magazines and crap, and re-packed some of the hospital stuff into a bigger basket. I have been keeping a little basket where I put things that I can't "fully" pack, like the camera and camcorder, and the accordion file with all the FMLA and baby paperwork inside. It was bigger than the lil basket I had it in, so I started a bigger one that we can just carry to the car, and added a couple of magazines and a book, since I feel much closer now that the due date is just a week and a few days away.

I need to work on thank you notes from the baby shower. I have a basket full of the supplies and gift lists... it's just a matter of sitting down and working on them. Another administrative task to add to the list.

The cleaning people come on Monday and I can't decide yet what I am supposed to do. Evacuate my own house? Hang out here and look stupid while they clean? Maybe that's where the prenatal massage would come in handy. But my luck as soon as I make an appointment I will be in labor and have to not only cancel the cleaning people, but the massage too.

Hope everyone is well. All is grand here. And since it's after 1am, it's time for bed. I sleep upright now, since the heartburn is so bad that no amount of Zantac mixed with tums and mylanta takes care of it. And believe me, I have tried coating my stomach with milk before meals and sprinkling sugar on pasta sauce and pizza. I don't think so. At least once she's born the heartburn will cease and desist.

Sunday

Today it rained. A lot. I slept till 12:15. It was fabulous. Then I talked to mom on the phone for a bit, and went through some magazines, tearing out what I want to keep so I can toss them. I checked my email, the pregnancy boards, and my ebay auctions. Looks like tonight there could be as much as 5 more inches of rainfall just north of us.

It pretty much rained on and off all day and evening. I don't really remember doing much. I think I watched the Bourne Identity on cable. Really, there were only like 5.5 hours to the day before I had to leave to do my weekend duties at work (the last time I will have to do that until like December) and ran to Wal-Mart. I hadn't planned on going, but Evan handed me some cash and said that we needed necessities like milk, bread, cereal, peanut butter, and orange Kool-Aide. He was right. So I went, and I got myself more Zantac since I was out and in serious acid reflux distress. I also ended up getting "groceries" per-say.... which was a good idea because if I have the baby soon we will all starve. I kept meaning to call Simply Homemade in Mendota and buy 24 frozen homemade meals, but since I got cut to half days a month before I was expecting it, and I haven't seen a dime of my disability yet, that didn't happen. SO I bought some frozen skillet meals and pasta meals to hopefully help if the baby gets here soon. So if you come to visit, bring casseroles! LOL.

I ran into Josh at Wal-mart, and stopped at Dairy Queen for a "supper" of an Oreo Blizzard. When I got home I unloaded everything and put it away, let the dogs in and fed them, and then sat down to do some bill paying. I figured out what I could pay for the next 2 weeks, made out the checks, put them in envelopes with return address labels and stamps, and organized them according to when I can mail them. This will help if I need to tell Evan to "mail this set of bill payments." in a hurry.

I also loaded the dishwasher and started it, and made myself a roasted tomato turkey breast sandwich on a Kaiser Roll with provolone, colby jack, and Dijonaisse. Yum. I caught the newest episode of the Girls Next Door where Kendra drives in the race, and am now sitting here considering how I SHOULD be hanging up the good clothes in the dryer. Ugh. I need to do that.
Today we also hung the clock in the baby's room. It is super cute! Today I also organized some of my Flickr photos and tagged them appropriately.

Now it's about 11pm, and while I don't want to hang up clothes... I just know that's next on my list... after I look for hangers.

This week is my last week of work! I was originally scheduled to have Friday as my last day, but I am thinking based on last week's comments by my midwife, that Tuesday could be my last day. Whew! Only time will tell.

Bourne

I.... must.... stay.... off..... eBay!!! Ahhh! But there are SO many cute baby clothes for SO CHEAP! I am addicted to Gymboree! It was gap, and now I just search for Gymboree Lots. I find stuff that is like a $60 outfit for $8-$20, or a lot of mix and match stuff from one Gymboree Line, that might have retailed for $100-200, that sells for like $18-40 on eBay, depending on the lot, the condition, and the number of pieces. Who can resist a lot that makes like 5 combinations of outfits, with matching shoes, socks, tights, and hair bows? Ugh! It's insanity! I now have an entirely adorable 3-6 month wardrobe. Sweaters, Dresses, Jumpers, Tights.... and two Christmas Dresses. I can't wait!

That said.... Tonight Evan and I went to see The Bourne Ultimatum. I love the Bourne movies. I regret that I happened to catch them on cable before reading the books, but at the same time it's the action and intrigue that I love to watch on screen, and there is never a dull moment. I think that pretty much everyone has to admit that Matt Damon is a great looking guy. But there's something about those movies, it's like because he is smart and dangerous and clever, it just really tops it off. Evan says they are like James Bond movies. My opinion, of course, is that they are far better than James Bond. I loved the movie, and almost ate an entire jumbo bag of popcorn myself, and drank a big coke. After months of little to no caffeine, I have really wanted coke lately. Of course during a heavy portion of the movie, and on the way home, I was having pretty decent contractions, about 10 minutes apart, and then about 5 minutes apart. I was thinking the whole movie that my water would break right there and I wouldn't get to see the end. And of course it didn't, and when we got home and I got a potty break and some water, they slowed till I can't even tell if I am having any more. So I sat on the birth ball for a while, and paid for the two auctions that I won while we were at the movies, which I was surprised at, because I have been getting outbid enough lately because I am not going to go overboard on prices of the clothes.

Now I am cooking an 11pm pizza because the popcorn has worn off!!

Now the "AST Mountain Dew Tour" is on cable, a skateboard vertical competition. Watching it cracks me up. The names they come up with for the moves, just make me laugh. When we were kids, we used to watch the olympics, like figure skating and gymnastics/tumbling. They wold always have similar goofy names for all the maneuvers, and as kids we would pick them up and then try to duplicate them in an imaginary olympic world outdoors, like on the "balance beam" which was really a railroad tie sunk into the ground by the front steps. We would have all sorts of tricks, make up our own names, and always "stick the landing."

Today I started and finished the newest Nicholas Sparks book Dear John. Of course, it was painfully predictable and incredibly heart wrenching. I cried. Per usual. It was worth reading. It centers around a soldier who falls in love and has to live through a long distance relationship because of his commitment to the army, and he is planning on completing his enlistment and being honorably discharged, returning home to marry the love of his life, and literally like a couple of months from the end of his military career when 9/11 happens. It changes his life forever. It's pretty intense.

Next I will start either Dan Brown's Angels and Demons, or the news Jennifer Weiner collection of short stories.

Well, I have been sitting on the birth ball on and off since last night, when Anya and Trish stopped over. Anya let me borrow the exercise ball and Trish brought Raspberry Leaf Tea. I sat on the birth ball for an hour straight last night, and then on and off every 10 minutes for two more hours. All I got out of it was her head low, (which I have been feeling on and off for two weeks) and a serious case of saddle sore. I ended up having to take Tylenol this morning after a night of painful rolling over and waddling to the bathroom every two hours for my pee breaks.

Today I sat on it while I dried my hair after my bath, and while I surfed ebay. I also sat on it when we got home from the movies, for almost an hour. But the contractions still stopped. LOL. Maybe it's at least helping dilation and effacement, if anything it is stretching everything out and making me more flexible.

Well, have a great weekend!

The Van... Is Back....

So today, is a monumental day. I have paid off my car loan. YEAH!!!! Can you hear the crowd going wild?! When I took out my car loan 5+ years ago, I had JUST finished paying off my little sunbird when an old crazy lady rear-ended me and pushed me into the car in front of me, I got double-whiplash, the frame on my car was bent, and the insurance company totaled it and wanted to give me something like $500 for it when it was worth about $3000-4000. (high miles)

At the time I had no intention of getting a new car. Mine was fine. It was literally the same week that I made my last payment that I was rear ended while waiting for a train in Princeton, in front of the Coffee Cup Restaurant... by a lady who had sideswiped a semi just days before. She should NOT Have been driving. At all. So I got my new car. Then not far after that I lost my job unexpectedly (long story, restructuring, my boss got fired, etc.) and had NO JOB and a new car to pay for. So I ended up consolidating a personal loan and the car loan, in order to lower the payments. So now my $12,000 car was over-collateralized at $18,000 but at least I could make the payments (for the most part!) and It has taken me all this freaking time, paying $394 a month, to pay off a car that I have had for about 5.5 years. Whew! You can not believe how relieved and happy I am. Now I just want it to keep running and for no one to HIT me!

The plan is to get a different vehicle this winter, once I get back to work after the baby. After putting a car seat in my car, I see why so many people can't drive cars anymore, even with one kid. Holy CRAP! She can't ride behind me because I can't FIT in the car with the seat behind me. Annoying! Damn Long legs and the big preggo belly don't help that any. But I have a big sized car, and they just don't make them like that anymore! And then I figure if it takes me 5 years to pay off a new car, by then we will have at least two kids, and where will we put TWO car seats and all the other stuff. Ugh. So while an SUV is enticing, the gas prices are not. Unless you go smaller like trailblazer, but the inside of them is actually smaller than my car! Jeez! So more and more, I have been thinking along the lines of an explorer, or something larger, but then it's like, for half the cost of the explorer, you can get a damn nice van!

I hate vans. I have spent my life vowing to never drive a van. But lately.... my smart sense has been coming out and saying "WHY spend $18-30 thousand dollars, that you can't afford, on an SUV with gas mileage that you can't afford" especially when you can get a sweet van for $10-20 thousand. (Sweet van is a relative term.)

And then last night, I see my friend/neighbor Jamie taking Landen out of the van in his car seat, and I was like "man. A van wouldn't be half bad..." and I have driven many van loads of kids in my time. I like the idea of the DVD player, the climate control, the dual sliding doors with remote open and close.... stow and go seats.... The list just goes on and on! So, can you see me, driving a van? Do the dazed81 plates belong on a van? I dunno. A Durango seems so much more appealing. It's like a modern van. Why can't they make vans look nicer?

So, tell me your thoughts on the van.

Did you REALLY Look??

It amazes me. The way that men "look" for things. I have to admit, that while being pregnant, I have lost or misplaced more things than I probably have in my entire 27 years. And I have relied on Evan to help me find them, because I get frustrated at my lack of remembrance, and at having to bend over and roam around physically looking for things.

Since my x-rays on my ankle came back, Dr. says I can wear either an immobilizing boot, or an air cast. Well. I instantly chose air cast. Because I know they work, I have worn one before (several times) for a sprained ankle, they are less obtrusive, less heavy, and because I have TWO of them.

So I asked Evan today to look in the basement in my sewing room, because down there is a basket that I just KNEW had all my ankle braces in it. I explained exactly what I was looking for. When he came to my midwife appt this evening, he said he didn't see any of the air casts in the room. Tonight, as I was home alone for most of the evening, I finished the new Stephanie Meyer book Eclipse, and then I decided that before bed I needed to find one of those damn aircasts because I need to wear it. So. I went to the sewing room. Turned on the light, and LOOKED RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME at the basket that was RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE DOOR and RIGHT ON THE TOP were two aircasts. The say "AIRCAST" on the side of the stupid things, and ONE of them was in a BOX that said AIRCAST in big blue letters. along with them were two other ankle braces with metal stays. Um. Yeah. Couldn't find them. How hard do you suppose he looked? Or did he look at all? Men.

I got quite a giggle from that, and was also entertained that when I washed them off, I found inside the box, not only the instructions, but also the receipt from the purchase of the first one, that I got back in 1997 from Associated Orthopedic Surgeons of Peoria. The second one I bought at the Medical Equipment store where I work, and it was on clearance and I paid like $2 for it. The first one was $59. Glad that I have a couple lying around.

So today's midwife appointment was brief. Blood pressure was a little more elevated (121/86), but nothing that she's concerned about. I did learn that I will likely be off work at the start of 38 weeks, instead of the END of 38 weeks as originally planned. This is because PIH (Pregnancy Induced Hypertension) usually rears it's ugly head again at 38 weeks, and while mine seems to be controlled right now, that will likely change. We will see. I am dilated to a "good 3" and 75% effaced still, but it was mentioned several times that her head is even FURTHER down now, and that all systems are go when she makes her move. So at the end of today, I was looking at 8 more half days of work, and now I am looking at more like 4 or 5 more half days being likely. I feel great tonight. Not that I have done anything, but I am not crampy or cranky, although by this point in time, I have contractions all day and night and can't feel them much, I am so used to them. It's more the stomach aching that I get tired of.

I visited Brad, Anya, and Ava after work and got to see all the lab puppies, they are super cute. Papered and for sale if you are interested. Chocolate and Black. Then I came home, put on my pajamas, and commenced to read all night with only breaks for bathroom stops, letting my agitated dogs outside more than necessary, and a phone conversation with mom. I finished Eclipse around midnight. (Yay! But now what?) It was good. I was happy with the ending, and now of course, I am tortured with what will likely be a two year wait for her next book... and wondering what the HELL I will read while in labor since I read (both in their entirety) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Eclipse in the last 4 days. This will make Angela grimace, as it would take her a month or longer to get through one of those.... but I am a super fast reader. What can I say? It's all those summers spent reading one or more library books every single day as a junior high student. Thanks Mom! She even laughs that I can read faster than her.

Another thing that Angela would be impressed with? I have eaten 2 boxes of cereal in the past 4 days. By myself. Yum. One box of Kix, and half a box of Rice Chex, and half a box of Strawberry Yogurt Burst Cheerios. I eat a bowl for breakfast. Sunday night I had a bowl for supper, and pretty much every night, in the middle of the night, I have a bowl as a snack. If I eat supper at 5 or 6pm, and don't get up till 11am the next day, that's a LONG ASS TIME (17 hours!) for a pregnant chick to go without any food. I wouldn't be able to sleep unless I ate again at like midnight or 2am, or if I don't eat before bed, I will be awaken at 3 or 4 or 5 am, with growling hungry stomach and the baby kicking me until I eat.

So what do I read next? Any suggestions? I need something as riveting as Harry Potter, The Twilight Series, and The DaVinci code to take my mind of labor. Although, I also enjoy Sophie Kinsella, and Vicky Louis-Thompson... so I guess I should start shopping around for great books. Let me know if you have one that I can't put down.

Edward Cullen is back....

Tuesday! I don't even know why I am writing anything, because I will probably have more to write after the day is over and I go to another midwife appointment and see if I am further dilated and effaced.

Yesterday I had my routing NST and had been having contractions all morning. Painless really, mostly just like menstrual cramps and making me have to pee every 20 or 30 minutes. the fetal monitoring confirmed around noon that I was having contractions every 7 minutes lasting about a minute each. That was cool. And the downward pressure is back with a vengeance. I had contractions from around 10pm-2am, while reading, and I had to get up and pee every 20 minutes or so, and at 2am I decided I should be sleeping. But who can put down Stephanie Meyer's new book Eclipse? Ahhh, forbidden vampire love. Evan has a hard time believing that I get more addicted to those books than to Harry Potter books. But Edward Cullen.... yum!

So this morning I was having contractions again as I got ready for work. Or should I say around noon, since I sleep late. they still aren't painful, just like cramps. But I have been told that those are the kind that cause dilation and effacement. yay!

After today I will have only 8 half days of work left. Double yay!! And that's assuming she isn't born early like they predict. Triple yay!

So what else is new. Hmmm. Well, I would prefer to spend my time inside, in my pajamas, reading, in the Air Conditioning. So far that seems to be working out wonderfully. That's pretty much what I do. I am worried about what will happen if and when I finish Eclipse, because I am so psyched about the book and I love it so much, that having it finished will be crushing, just like Twilight and New Moon. Ugh. I am still halfway through about three other books, but they just weren't fabulous enough to hold a pregnant chick's attention. Barack Obama's first book Dreams from my Father, Magic Hour by Kristen Hannah, and something else that I have already completely forgotten about. I feel like I need some Jodi Piccoult books. I have read two. I don't remember being very pleased about My Sister's Keeper but then I read The Tenth Circle and was wowed. It was a good book. There are so many of them at Waldenbooks in the mall, I am always tempted to buy another and see what I discover.

I ordered three books through the HAL Library System, and I used to order them through Matson Public Library in Princeton. But then they changed the rules and told me that while I could pick them UP in Princeton, I had to order them through Raymond A. Sapp library in Wyanet. That proves difficult because they have very limited hours. But I did it anyway, ordered three books, probably close to two months ago. And they never came. ARGH. And I hate it, because Matson has a website and I have a login so that I can see when they come in or when they are expected, but with Wyanet I have no clue. And honestly I don't have time to harass the Wyanet Librarian and ask him what the hell he did with my order.

Okay, so much for having no reason to write. I will try to update tonight about the appointment this evening. Take care!

Oh and for those of you who have asked, all my nursery pictures are at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dazed81/sets/72157594154524021/

Even though I rearranged a bit recently, it hasn't been enough to take new pictures in my mind.

Nothing to say...

I have been soooo lazy this weekend! I read the new Harry Potter book. Basically I picked up around the house on Saturday, read my book, and my parents came over and we had pizza for supper. Friday night I had my ankle X-rayed. Today I just slept late, then made breakfast, read the rest of my book, and took a two hour nap. Woke up and ate cereal. Pretty productive. LOL.

Oh and If I get really bored, I will go sit in the nursery. Although I did forget to mention that I rearranged a bit in there on Saturday, and organized the changing table. I opened all the diaper rash creams and stocked the changing table and reorganized books, etc etc. I just keep thinking WHEN will she BE here?! Feeling impatient.

The dog did a funny thing yesterday. They were on the porch sleeping, and I was lying down reading Harry Potter after my bath, and I looked onto the porch. And Hadley was there, but Boyd wasn't. The funny thing was that gate was up, so there was no way out except through the front door. I started to worry. Then I saw, from under the dry sink (which is in a wooden stand with a skirt covering the entire lower half) one brown paw sticking out. Okay, Boyd has lived here for 7 years and the dry sink has probably been there for 3 years and he has NEVER gone under it. He was sleeping under the dry sink. I said "Boyd?" and he stuck his head up and through the skirt. It was too funny. So I put his dog bed underneath it, and it fit perfectly, and he has been sleeping there ever since. Evan came home and it made him laugh. He said "he's never done that before!" and I was like "I know it!" Strange and unusual. we think he likes how it's dark and cool under there. LOL.

So anyway, I literally have nothing to say, because I have done NOTHING. So maybe I will have more to write later this week.